Ryobi 10 Inch Compound Miter Saw Review

Have a need to make nice, clean, and square cuts in wood? Maybe you'll want to make some angled cuts or even some full-blown compound miters. A miter saw is a no-brainer but what if you don't want to spend a lot of money, can you still get good quality?

Overview

Enter Ryobi's compound miter saw with model number TS1345L that can be found at home improvement centers like The Home Depot as well as from Amazon (affiliate link). For somewhere in the $120 range you'll get a good quality miter saw that can handle plenty of hobby and renovation projects.

The Good

The main things I like about this miter saw are the price and value. It's hard to believe you can get a decent miter saw in the $120 range, especially one with a laser line on it. Thank you China!

It's also very lightweight so easy to move around from one place to the next. The cut accuracy is very good and while it may not compare to a miter saw five times more expensive, it's good enough for most tasks. I'd recommend getting a fine tooth blade as well unless you're just cutting 2x4's, in which case the coarse blade they give you works well.

The Bad

So what didn't I like about the Ryobi TS1345L? Well, that laser sight is very handy but not accurate enough to use for your cut. It's great for getting a rough alignment but you'll still want to pull the blade down (not spinning) and line the teeth up to the wood for a precision cut. The laser is also on the left side of the blade while a dual laser showing the exact left and right sides would be an awesome upgrade and allow you to see the width of the blade on your piece.

Another issue with the laser is that it takes a couple of AAA batteries (included) rather than using the AC power. Clearly that laser was an add on item not designed into the original saw plans. Not a big deal, but a little annoying. It's also impossible to see if you're working outside in the sun.

Remember I said it was nice that it's so lightweight? Well, it is but that also means when you turn on the blade it kicks around and vibrates. For any real cutting you need to mount it or clamp it down to a table top. One you do that it's smooth sailing but then how much it weighs is really irrelevant. In fact, the best option is to mount it to a rolling table like our DIY Rolling Power Tool Bench.

The Ugly

I can live with most of the minor flaws but note that the dust bag on this machine is a joke. It catches around 1% of the sawdust while the rest goes everywhere. I tried removing the bag and hooking my shop vacuum up to the port on the saw but that didn't help at all. A proper dust collector is the only chance you have at not making a massive mess with this thing.

Conclusion

It's far from perfect but when you factor in the price / value along with the clean and accurate cuts it's hard not to love this saw. If you don't need a larger blade and don't need the "sliding" ability of more expensive saws then this is a great option. I wouldn't recommend it for somebody who will be making cuts all day, every day. But for the average do-it-yourselfer, it's a great saw at a great price. You can buy one now at Amazon (affiliate link).

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