Freud TR215 View Amazon.com's Price | Our Rating: 7.6/10 Type: Sliding Compound Miter Saw Blade: 8-1/2" RPM: 4300 |
Pros:
- The saw is cheap – seriously cheap. Even if it only lasted a few years it’d be worth it.
- The ability to rotate to left and right is a massive time saver
- It’s light and easy to move around (which is important for D.I.Y projects)
- The TR215 comes with a super wide aluminum base which makes it solid and stable
- Electronic brake
- Good size motor and RPM for size of blade
Cons:
- Below average standard blade included (this is the same on most power tools though)
- Two piece blade guard – this makes switching the saw around more time consuming, however it does make it very safe
- Sawdust collection bag isn’t that useful
- Two button thumb switch (again, this is just a safety feature that takes time to get used to)
My Overview of the Freud Compound Saw
When my only carpenter buddy within 100 miles moved out of town – I needed to get my own miter saw (finally). After hunting around I settled on the Freud TR215 (amazon.com link), and I’ll tell you why.
First, it was super cheap. I don’t do a ton of work that requires at ton of expensive pieces of equipment, so this was perfect for me. Second, it’s light (only 32 lb), easy to transport and it also angles to the left and right (which some other cheap saws don’t do). It was a bit of a no brainer for me to test out, so here is my quick review on the saw.
Miter & Bevel Angles
The saw has positive stops at 0, 15, 22-1/2, 30, and 45 degrees, rotates to the left and right, which saves a ton of time flipping wood around for bevel cuts. Being a sliding compound saw, this piece of gear has all of the features of a saw many times it’s price. This saw has been incredibly valuable to me over the couple of years I’ve owned it, and I now know this thing inside out – let me give you the pros and cons of it.
Accuracy & Integrity of Cuts
With a smaller blade, I’ve found that I don’t get as much “wobble” and movement from the blade. This is great for all types of cuts, but particularly smaller cuts and smaller projects. Of course the saw can make big cuts still, but this just aids smaller, more precise cuts.
Bonus reading: customers’ opinions of this saw on Amazon.com.
This saw will easily cut hardwoods with precision and finesse. I’ve had great success with my woodworking & building projects because of the fantastic accuracy of this saw. In saying this, ensure that you set up your saw when it comes out of the box, and make a few test cuts to ensure you are getting a square edge, rotate the saw, test again, and tinker with it until it cuts square on both sides.
Warranty of the Freud TR215 Saw
Freud have made this deal rather seamless as they offer a one year warranty with this saw. Even though it should far outlast this warranty, it gives you great piece of mind when purchasing a piece of equipment like this.
What other users have to say about the Freud Compound Saw
Folks from all around the world have shared their opinions on the Freud TR215, and a lot of their thoughts are similar. Guys are saying that the TR215 is a fantastic hobby saw or a weekend builder’s companion.
A lot of users don’t like the extraction bag and the added safety features – but this can be viewed as a bonus if you value your fingers! The powerful motor and small blade equate to a great saw for a hobbyist or a D.I.Y sort of user – a full time contractor would find that this saw isn’t adequate to last out in the field for years.
What are the best and worst parts of the Freud?
The best parts are definitely the light mass of the saw, the price, the accuracy and the power of it. For the price of this saw, it is truly a great bargain.
The worst parts are the added safety features which aren’t as easy to operate as say a Makita or Hitachi, but it guarantees that you’ll stay safe. The bad parts of this saw are not really to do with the quality of it or the cuts it makes, rather they are just things that would annoy a seasoned chippy who is used to $1,000+ tools.
What applications would be best for this saw?
Framing, deck building, furniture crafting and other projects that wouldn’t be bigger than a residential house. This saw probably wouldn’t stand up to being operated for 10 hours per day on a commercial site for years on end – but it will stand up to plenty of use around the home for years to come. Take a look at Amazon.com’s price on the Freud TR215 if you’re interested.