Buying guide for best miter saw stands
A good miter saw stand is a popular addition to many DIY and professional tool kits. You can use it at home, in your yard, or in your workshop. They're invaluable for contractors, carpenters, and other trades for on-site work. The best are easy to transport and ready to use in moments. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of choices when it comes to miter saw stands, plus a wide variety of options and features.
BestReviews has done what we usually do – taken a good, hard look at what's available and come up with some recommendations for you. Our shopping guide should make things easier when deciding which miter saw stand will best meet your needs. If you’re ready to buy, check out our most recommended models.
Why buy a miter saw stand?
Some DIY enthusiasts will get by with a couple of sawhorses and a board. Others will scramble around on the floor. You'll never see that in a professional environment. It's dangerous, and poor support for tools and materials leads to inaccuracy.
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Stability: First and foremost, a good miter saw stand gives you stability – both for the saw and the material. With a firm platform to work on, you can concentrate on the cut. This is always important, but it’s vital if you're working with compound angles. Considerable sideways stresses are generated that would cause an unfixed saw to move around.
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Comfort: With a miter saw stand, you can work at a comfortable height wherever you are.
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Speed and precision: You'll work more quickly and with greater precision using a stand, too.
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Convenience: When you're done, your miter saw stand folds down and stores out of the way in a corner or your vehicle.
Did you know?
More complex stands can require patience when assembling them for the first time. After some initial frustration, most users think it's worth it.
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What to look for in a good miter saw stand
The most important factors you need to consider when buying a miter saw stand include the following.
Stability and durability
In general, you can tell how stable a miter saw stand is simply by looking at it, but there are several areas to examine in detail.
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Stance: Look for a good wide stance. If it looks narrow or top-heavy, there's a danger it will move when you're working.
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Strength: The underlying structure – usually tubular or square-section steel – should be robust. The mounting hardware should be strong, too, with large-diameter screws where feasible. And any hinged areas should be substantial and well supported.
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Stability: The stand should have rubber or plastic feet so it won't slide around while you’re working.
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Longevity: To help reduce weight, some upper sections might be aluminum. This has the added advantage of not being prone to rust. Steel sections of the stand should be powder coated, anodized, or plated for longer life.
Flexibility and capacity
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Most miter saw stands offer a good range of adjustability in terms of the saws that can be mounted. It's still important to check, because a 10-inch chop saw is a great deal smaller than a 12-inch sliding compound saw.
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Some high-end stands have a central medium-density fibreboard (MDF) table area. Rather than being adjustable, you drill it to suit your saws. These panels are prone to wear over time but are easy and inexpensive to replace.
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Extendable “wings” or roller stands enable you to cut longer material. An 8-foot capacity is common. The largest we've seen is 13 feet, but even greater lengths are possible. A few stands offer an extendable central beam, bringing capacities in excess of 16 feet.
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Maximum load capacity can be anything from 300 to 600 pounds. Even large chunks of dense hardwood are unlikely to exceed that.
Portability and ease of use
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Foldability: All miter saw stands fold down to some extent. The cheaper models are often the most compact. Though putting up and taking down a stand is usually straightforward, some have mechanisms that can raise and lower them with just a single lever. The action might also be assisted by hydraulics or cleverly balanced "gravity" linkages.
- Wheels: Although high-quality stands are usually bulkier and heavier than cheap ones, they frequently have wheels with solid or pneumatic rubber tires. This make them easy to move around, especially up steps or over curbs.
Additional miter saw stand features
Extra features can be very useful, but, of course, they all add to the price. Sometimes you just don't need the bells and whistles, and sometimes the best solution is the one that's kindest to your wallet!
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Light: It's always nice to have good light when you're working. Some miter saw stands have a posable lamp fitted to one end.
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Adaptable mounting: These options mean some miter saw stands can be used not only for different saws but also planers and other tools.
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Vise: A built-in vise can be a useful addition.
- Power strip: A four-outlet power strip is another possible attachment, enabling you to run one extension cord to the stand and multiple tools from it. This is particularly handy for running a workshop vac come cleanup time.
Miter saw stand prices
There are quite a few cheap miter saw stands around, but a quick look will tell you all you need to know. Legs and frame rails are thin steel section. Joints look weak. Many look like they'd fall over in a stiff breeze! You can find excellent options for $80 to $300.
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Basic: With an enormous selection of good-quality miter saw stands available from between $80 and $120, it's just not worth trying to save a few bucks. Models in this range have all the capacity most DIYers need.
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Professional: If you want a pro-grade tool, like a stand with clever hydraulic or gravity lifts, you'll need to add about another hundred. Even the most expensive – those that allow permanent mounting of the saw or have massive capacities or several extra features – seldom exceed $300, and you get a lot of tool for the money.
Tips
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Use clamps. Rolling workpiece supports can be beneficial if you’re making repetitive cuts off the same post, plank, or board. However, best practice says you should still clamp the workpiece so it remains fixed in place for the actual cut.
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Take a close look at any hinges. Any areas of the stand that hinge get frequent wear and tear when it’s put up or taken down. Do the joints have plenty of support? Do they look as if they're up to the job for the long term?
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Consider portability. How much portability do you need? Is the stand going from home to vehicle to job site and back again every day? If it is, and you’ve got a large saw, you want a stand with wheels, and preferably one that you can mount the saw to permanently.
- Buy quality. Invest in a good-quality miter saw stand, and you'll get solid, robust construction and a stable working platform that will last for years.
FAQ
Q. Any reason I can't use one of these as a permanent stand in my workshop?
A. None at all. Although perhaps most often considered for their portability, simpler models could make a space-saving and flexible alternative to an ordinary bench. You could tuck it in a corner and bring it out when needed, though you might want help to lift it with the saw installed. With a bit of ingenuity you could probably add locking casters, making it easier to move around.
Q. Can I leave my miter saw on the stand?
A. Most stands – even high-quality ones – need to have the saw removed before they can be folded up and put away. A few do allow “permanent” fixing so they move with saw attached, though these are at the top end of the price range.
Q. What's the biggest material I can use on a miter saw stand?
A. Most lumber comes in lengths of 6 or 8 feet, and just about every stand can handle this without any problems. There are models that support longer material – 16 feet was the maximum we found. If you're working with heavy beams, don't forget to check the weight limit of the stand, too. However, with large material, the saw's cutting capacity is more likely to be the restricting factor.
