Craftsman SM2509RC Review
Craftsman SM2509RC 10" Sliding Compound Miter Saw Review | |
 | Craftsman SM2509RC Review Highlights
|
| For the Professional Contractor | 5 out of 5 |
| For the Do-It-Yourselfer & Weekend Warrior | 5 out of 5 |
| For the Hobbyist and Beginner Woodworker | 4 out of 5 |
| For the Serious Woodworker | 5 out of 5 |
 | Tool Specifications
|
The Craftsman 10″ COMPACT Compound Miter Saw
Here’s an innovative design that is geared towards anyone who needs a sliding miter saw with a small footprint and impressive cutting capacity.
The slide rails are positioned alongside the blade, not behind it. This means you can push the saw back against a wall and you still have full range of motion with the slide action.
Craftsman did a really good job in designing this saw, and they also made an improvement to the dust collection performance.
They were able to keep the weight down pretty low, so it’s still easy to move around from job site to job site.
It does include their handy features of a laser sight, and the adjustable board stops on the support extension to allow for quick repeatable cuts.
I personally like their standard sliding miter saw, but if you want to spend just a bit more and get the reduced footprint, this is a great choice.
Keep reading below and I’ll go into all the details.
This miter saw comes with a blade, blade wrench, extension wings, and a dust bag.
Related articles:
Makita 10″ compact sliding miter saw
Craftsman SM2509RC Review – What’s so great about it?
Crosscutting capabilities
Being a sliding 10″ miter saw, the Craftsman SM2509RC can handle much wider boards than a standard miter saw, 10″ or 12″.
The sliding action of this saw allows it to make a full crosscut on a board that is up to 12-1/2″ wide. That is really impressive and is actually a half inch wider capacity than most sliders.
This saw can cut a depth of 3-1/2″. This means you can cut through a dimensional 4×4 in one pass. This is plenty depth for most users.
And the fact that the sliding rails are positioned to the side, means you can back this saw up against a wall and still use it to its fullest potential. This is what creates the compactness of the tool, which would be it’s main selling point.
So if you’re on a job site and have limited space, or maybe your miter saw workbench isn’t really that deep and is against a wall, this saw could still perform for you in these situations.
Miter and bevel capabilities
For miter cuts, the Craftsman SM2509RC can go left and right up to 50 degrees. This is above industry-standard of 45 and makes for a more versatile tool.
The saw comes with positive stop detents for the miter adjustment at the common miter angles. This makes for quicker setup and better repeatability.
This is a single bevel saw, like many others, meaning it only leans to the left to make bevel cuts. So if you need to bevel at the opposite angle you have to flip the board over.
It can handle bevel cuts up to 47 degrees. This is usually enough for those special custom cuts and weird angles, and is plenty of range 95% of the time, for most users.
If you do a lot of crown molding, you may find increased bevel capacity to be helpful, so you may consider a saw like the Makita compact 10″ sliding miter saw.
Dust collection performance
Craftsman did really good with their dust collection port on this model.
Like most other miter saws, the dust bag alone will not capture very much. The real test comes when you attach a shop vac in place of the bag.
One this tool, you will be able to get the vast majority of the dust buy going this route.
However, it also comes down to how you use the saw. If you drop the blade directly on top of the board, you’ll still throw dust in all directions.
But if you slide the blade past the board, drop it all the way down, and slide it back in to make the entire cut with the blade in the lowest position, then the dust is almost entirely captured.
For any user of a compound miter saw, decent dust collection is a great thing. However, some users appreciate it more than others. Typically, a woodworker with a miter saw setup in a woodshop prefers great dust collection.
So the fact that this saw handles dust pretty well makes it a great choice for the woodworkers and cabinet makers who typically work so hard to keep dust controlled in their shops.
Versatility
The Craftsman SM2509RC is lightweight for its class, plus it has a small footprint.
Add the fact that its designed to be backed right up against a wall for use in tight spaces, while still being able to fully slide, makes this a very versatile tool.
You’ll find that this tool is great for on-site projects where you need to move the tool from room to room, or maybe where you just don’t have a lot of space to work.
Home projects are also taken care of with ease. It handles anything from deck building to room renovations, framing, finish work, siding, and even does really well with woodworking projects.
This tool works great for just about any profession, hobby, or home project. It’s designed that way, at a fairly low price.
For a top-of-the-line tool, I would suggest finding a sliding miter at a higher price point, as you get what you pay for.
For instance, this particular saw uses plastic in the miter adjustments where more expensive saws use metal. So there will be a bit of give-and-take.
But that’s to be expected at the lower price point.
The trick is to figure out what you need out of the saw, decide what you’re willing to pay and search within that range for the best features and warranties.
Who it’s made for
This saw is marketed for professionals, as it’s lightweight and small footprint make it perfect for job site usage.
Its cutting capabilities make it a tool that handles most any professional job very well, including framing, decking, and trim molding.
Woodworkers will also get a lot out of this tool as it fits well in even small woodshops, and the dust collection is well-above average.
Beginner woodworkers and hobbyists may find this as the perfect saw if you really need the cutting capacity, as it also has the low price point.
But unless you cut wide boards, you may not need a saw of this caliber, and could probably get by with something a bit cheaper, like the Hitachi basic 10″ miter saw.
How it stands out
If you do crown molding and baseboard jobs, this saw will do well in that it has an adjustable fence on the left side. So you can slide it over to better support vertical cuts while holding the piece very securely.
Laser guides are common in this class of saw, but still many models are lacking. This particular saw does have a laser guide so you can easily and quickly set up your cut for better efficiency with your time.
As mentioned before, it’s got the slide rails on the side instead of the back. This means you don’t need all the clearance space behind the saw you would need on a standard sliding miter. Instead, you can easily work on a shallow workbench and have plenty of room for full sliding action.
The board support extensions are better than most competitors. These are adjustable and lockable. They also have tabs that flip up and act as a board stop that helps you quickly set up a repeatable cut with perfect accuracy. Basically, you set this up on the first board, then all subsequent boards can be cut the exact same length without measuring and marking. This is a really handy feature built right into the saw.
And while providing all of this, Craftsman still was able to keep the price relatively low.
Opinions Based On Real User Experiences
Positive Reviews
- Most user reviews are positive and hold that the saw is a great design overall, very pleased
- Found to be very accurate and smooth cutting, right out of the box
- With a powerful and quiet motor, this tool is great for use in home projects
- Most users strongly recommend this saw to a friend
Negative Reviews
- Amazon reviews are less impressive, and users find that it required several adjustments out of the box before it was accurate
- Other users found it’s not the greatest for finish work where perfect angles and edges are required.
Review Summary
The users on some review sites were fantastic, while those on Amazon were less than stellar (put nicely).
But overall, those who purchased and used the saw were very pleased with its operation and features.
They do take into account the low price. That’s the trick here, figure out what you want to spend and manage your expectations for the price range you shop in.
Is This Low-Priced Sliding Compound Miter Saw Worthy?
The Craftsman SM2509RC is a well-designed saw with great features and acceptible build-quality for the price range.
It’s built primarily for professionals and woodworkers due to small footprint, light weight, good dust collection, and low price.
If I would have found this saw years ago, it would have been my main miter saw all this time.
For this Craftsman SM2509RC review, I believe we can sum things up by saying this saw is absolutely well-worth the price.
If you want to spend more money, you will find better tools.
But if you are on a budget, or just can’t justify a high-priced miter saw, then this tool is top-of-the-line for you.
Related Articles:
More 10″ sliding miter saw reviews
Makita 10″ sliding miter saw
How to build a miter saw table