Porter-Cable 3802L 12-Inch Compound Miter Saw with Twin Laser
by Porter-Cable

List Price: $714.82
Category: Tools
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Product Details

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Description of Porter-Cable 3802L 12-Inch Compound Miter Saw with Twin Laser

Tools and Hardware Reviews of Porter-Cable 3802L 12-Inch Compound Miter Saw with Twin Laser

Customer Review: A greta saw, made greater with laser guides
Summary: 5 Stars

That saw has many features that make it a top of the line saw.
- good solid fence, good for crown molding and adjustable
- the degree scale is not etched , so it will not wear off
- the knobs are large and easy to use
- the dust collection is much better than other saws in this category
- it can be set up on 2x4s with special knotches for easy jobsite use, and has a well centered handle
- the twin laser does a great job, you can see it in the daylight, and is very crisp...also it keeps your head away from the blade and any chips/dust while you make the cut
- horizontal handle more natural for a CMS use on a table or stand (older CMS just sat on the floor and a verticle handle was fine)

if you have a chance to go by a hardware store with this unit, try to wiggle the the unit side to side and do the same with other CMS and sliding CMS...this unit is very tight. I never found a SCMS that didn't wiggle when the blade is moved side to side...i don't like that kind of play when doing finer work like picture frames

The same saw branded and sold by Delta has a two year warranty though instead of PC's 1 year...but this does no worry me as Delta/PC customer service has always tsken care of any issues if they come up, they are great!

My impressions of the saw when I first started using it were:

- The carry handle is center over the mass of the saw and makes it VERY easy to move the saw around
- The fit and finish are great, no sharp edges, everything clean, even the decals when placed squarely
- the saw was dead accurate out of the box with the left fence (which gets used by me most). The right fence was off, but adjusting it was easy. I found that the right fence was not flat. Called PC and 4 days later i had a new right fence and everything is fine. I'll have to find a use for the old fence...maybe a paperweight
- The wingnut in the back t change the bevel of the saw is big and easy to use
- When the motor starts there is no torque on the system, nothing moves...i could probably align my cut, take away my hand holding the wood and start the motor and the wood would not move...this is a nice change from my older CMS
- from the left the cuts were dead on from the factory...i mean dead on!
- The laser was also adjusted properly
- also the cord is made so that it remains flexible in my unheated garage
- the feet are big rubber knobs that are spaced well for a solid stance
- The dust collection on this is SOOOO much better than others I have seen and used...the amount of dust that needs to be picked up by a RAS type dust collector at the back of the saw in a miter station is greatly reduced...

One point about the saw: their is a heigh difference between the main table and the first left extension table...according to PC this is done for safety reasons, but I suspect that it is done because someone owns the patent on having the main table and the extension tables of a CMS coplanar (on the same plane)...this is not a problem however...when you attach the left most extension wing you can use a straight edge so it is coplanar with the main table...if you add the CMS to a Miter station, adjust the wings of the station so they are coplanar with the main table.

HTH

Miter Saws

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