I bought one of these two years ago to build my first greenhouse. I just love it! I looked at alternatives, and at the time there just wasn't much else to compare. I cut many 4x6's as well as small delicate items.brThe included saw blade is good, but I bought a better one (a Freud) since for fine work.br The sliding mechanism is great and the stand is very convenient. I was worried that it would be too flimsy, but that's not the case. It certainly flexes, but since the saw is firmly attached to the metal table, it doesn't really matter. And it certainly can't be beat for convenience, unless you have space for a fixed mount.brThe sliding mechanism is very smooth and seems to resist dirt very well.brAs mentioned in another review, the mitre stops could be firmer. Also, when setting an arbitrary angle, one has to wiggle a bit back and forth to get a precise setting.br Overall, it's a big ticket item, but I'm so glad I went for it. A cheaper item would have caused so much more work and grief.

This is a really good saw with a host of accessories that usually are not included with others. The stand is nice and sturdy although the work supports could be a little beefier. The only real gripe I have with this saw is the table adjustment. The table does not lock at the common mitre's very well. It takes a little time to get it precise because of the lack of stops. All-in-all, a great package for the price.

Our sidekick has received much use and abuse and continues to work like a dream. We've used it as a framing saw on three large and countless smaller projects and for hundreds of compound miter cuts on hardwood. The saw still cuts square as the day it was new. The stand is a little flexy, but is fine for all but long, very heavy lumber. With an additional work stand, cutting long 4x6 treated posts is easy to do alone. I really shopped long and hard before buying and was worried about if this was the right tool, but it has proven itself worthy and a good value.

I bought this saw 8 mos. ago and I use it every day. I am a finish carpenter and do cabinetry in high-end estates. After using DeWalts DW708 and Hitachi's 8.5 slide compounds for years, I bought this saw thinnking I was getting a deal (the big base, the stand). The only good thing I can say is that it still works when I plug it in. The bad: the worst thing is that this saw has so much "head-flex" that you can not achieve accurate miter cuts on larger crown moulding. The head will actually flex on a compound cut, and can "flex" sometimes up to 1/16 through the cut, especially in hardwoods, where more pressure is needed. It is so frustating trying to get large crown to fit laser tight with this saw. The miter guage is a sticker and is peeeling off making it soon non-existant to read any stops. The stops are achieved with the ball bearing settling into a detent on the lower plate, this is horrible when trying to find accuracy, I have a real hard time making perfect 90 deg. cuts the farther I pull the blade out... Why didn't DELTA make a positive detent stop on the popular degrees?? The stand is falling apart, I am constantly finding peices in the back of my truck or on the floor of the shop ( I do not abuse my tools or throw them around) , Delta won't replace lost peices only broken ones. It only tilts right, and it wouldn't have been difficult to cast the rear aluminum peoce for a left tilt also. On the job sites, the saw attracts a lot of attention because you can't ever find one of these in a store, people like the big base and the stand....but the true test is how it cuts, and DELTA needs to tighten up the accuracy on this saw. I'm selling this saw, it was mistake to buy without testing it firsthand.

I bought this saw because I was putting up a hip roof and my little 8" chop saw couldn't go through 2x8's. I've been planning to buy a sliding miter saw for a while. After some hands on testing, I thought the Dewalt felt very flimsy (lots of side to side movement on the blade), the Hitachi was great but too expensive, and the Delta just didn't seem to have the "finesse" needed for cabinetry grade cutting so I decided to buy and the Bosch. When I finally got around to buying, the price of the Delta and the included work stand made me change my mind. I was not disappointed. This saw is a fantastic piece of equipment. I'll spare you the tech specs, you can find them anywhere. Its the feel of the saw that impressed me....the positive stops are rock solid, the horizontal grip fits the hand like a glove, and with the horizontal pole mounts (instead of over and under like the dewalt) there is no side to side movement in the blade. Needless to say, my fears about lack of finesse were quickly put to rest. The stand is a god-sent. After taking less than a minute to collapse the legs, this saw is jobsite ready. It also comes with a second set of feet when you're ready to hardmount it in the shop. My only complaint is the dust bag. Its worthless. But, then again, I never met a dust bag I didn't hate.......

I owned one of the original "sidekick", a 6" sliding saw with almost a 15" reach. Fantastic for framing (2x stock was a piece of cake) as well as finish carpentry, it was accurate, stayed true and square. Almost never needed to reset it at all. Anyways, after 8 years of use, I almost gave it away to my sis, thinking that I would trade up. After trying the newer "sidekick", I was sorely disappointed and have wound up purchasing the Hitachi c10fs. The Hitachi was the only one out there that I believe can handle heavy work as well as cabinetry and still hold true and accurate. The Hitachi is a little bit more than this, but it well worth it.pNote- if I was only going to use it for framing and decks, this would be an excellent choice, especially with the stand included. But you would be sad when you saw what it does to oak casing...

What an advantage a sliding miter is over my old fixed miter saw. I bought this saw from amazon a couple of months ago to build a deck. I knew I would like it because earlier in the summer I had helped my in-laws with some house framing and they had one. If not for that experience, I probably would have shied away due to some previous reviews with warnings about cracked handles. My saw did not and does not have a cracked handle. I think it might be easy to break the handle if you picked the entire saw up by it- which the instructions clearly tell you not to do. pMy deck is now 99% finished, and I cut nearly every board on some type of bevel or miter with this saw - 26,000 pounds of lumber according to the delivery sheet. I cut hundreds of 2x8 beams and joists, 4x4 posts and 5/4x6 Trex decking. It has lots of power, cuts smoothly and cleanly - no problems. I say the saw is a good value because it is cheaper than most of the competition, and has the added value of the stand - which costs about $100-150 more for every other saw I looked at. My only complaints are minor. first, the miter stops are not quite as easy to feel as I would like - you can't set it without looking. Second, sawdust tends to blow right on the miter markings, causing you to dust them off every time you need to reset(the dust bag has about as much value as every other one I own, which is zero - why do they bother putting them on?).

I got this saw for christmas (from me to me)and holy cow its great. Ive built a hope chest for my daughter with a star burst on the top keep in mind that this my first attempt at any thing this complex the stops were accurate the bevel was right on it made the whole project so eazy that i have to do more.br I read the legs were flimsly not on mine very solid also read that the handles were subject to cracks but found none on mine.br Go ahead and spend the money Ive used the dewalt at work and see very little difference just the dewalt bevels both ways.

As a contractor who does a lot of his own trim work and custom woodworking, this saw has proved to be one of my favorites. The ease of setup and portability make it a joy to work with. I've used other chop type saws and find the blade guard on my delta to be the easyest and least bothersome one ever. If there is any downside to this saw, it might be the dust bag, it doesn't collect as well as I like but, I do a lot of remodel work and try to keep a clean job site(we work around the home owners). Good saw-good price. I highly recommend it.

Overall, I've been disappointed with the Delta Sidekick miter saw with the integral stand. Almost from day one, I have found pieces of the stand which have fallen off. The screw that the blade guard pivots on was not seated far enough and starting to wobble after a few weeks of use. This was an easy fix, though because I just replaced it with a longer screw. The next thing that happened was that the screw that holds the blade guard on (back and top of the saw) broke off rendering the guard unusable. I had to remove the blade guard which makes using this saw a little unnerving. I thought at the time of purchase I was saving myself a few bucks but you know the old adage - you get what you pay for!

I had recently been looking for a miter saw and compared various models. I finalized my choice based on Delta's reputation for producing good quality product. Secondly, I found the added stand a great deal based on cost. In finally getting down to using the Sidekick, I found it easy to use, with angle adjustments quite easy to use. With an 80 tooth blade this saw can certainly get detail work done with ease and precision. The stand, Hmm, the stand needs better locking mechanisms, so the legs cannot fold in on itself if accidently bumped. Overall, great saw, with a stand that needs more attention to detail.

I have a 10" delta miter saw. I can not use my saw because the fence is broken and I can not buy a replacement. I am told you do not make this saw anymore but what about all the people who have bought this saw, use this saw everyday? What if they come up with a broken part. Instead of buying a replacement part we have to buy a new saw, this sounds fair. What ever happened to having parts on the shelf for a certain amount of years after you stop building a product?
br /My replacement I was told would be about $30.00 bucks plus tax and shipping now I have to spend over $400.00 for a new saw.
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br /Did you look and see if the new saws you are building have any parts on them that might fit the older saws , I say older I bought this in mid 90s.
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br /Just a little upset

There is nearly nothing about tis saw that i like. It has been constructed very cheaply with plastic parts falling off to major head flex. You will never get an accurate miter cut with this saw due to the excessive movement in the head. The positive stops barely work at all. Go with a Bosch or Makita.

I've owned my Sidekick for close to 4 years and have used it on various projects both inside and out. The collapsible stand with built-in extenders makes it great to put in the back of almost any vehicle for remote projects. I've made a variety of forms that I use with my Sidekick to speed up repeated length cuts and complex angles. Being a "slider" it allows you to cut larger pieces of lumber as well - 4 x 4, 2 x 8, 2 x 10 are a breeze. This is one power tool that goes on every project with me!

I've owned this saw for about 5 years now, and use it primarily in maintenance of rental property. It is too heavy to be easily "portable" (though can be accomplished), and the continual set-up/take-down of the saw has taken its toll on the stand. Like others, my stand is losing parts and slowly falling apart. I have also had to dismantle the entire base unit to clean out the sawdust and shavings wedged into the sliding mechanism to achieve full usability of the saw twice now (about once every two years) to the tune of 4 hours of work each time. The blade guard finally wore itself out and had to be removed in order to continue using the saw. And other reviewers who have commented on the sloppiness of the cuts are absolutely correct. More than once, I have spent many hours attempting to "square-up" my saw (for crown molding) and have NEVER been able to get it to cut accurately for more than a couple cuts, even with high-end finish blades.
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br /If you are building decks, doghouses, or framing walls, this saw will get the job done. But once you move on to trim work, you'll be disappointed. Looking at something else when this thing finally dies - probably in a couple years.
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The saw is great. It has all the power you will ever need for any wood or composite trim work. And I've used mine for very heavy work including cutting old and very dry 1" solid oak old barn floors. The stand is excellent for portable work. Although I will warn that the extensions aren't very tight, so don't count on them for a square cut. When folded the legs act as arms for a 2-person carry. Therein does lie one other criticism. It's a big large and akward for a single person. So consider a smaller saw without a stand if you work alone and have to carry it around.

I love this saw for its portablilty, ease of use and accuracy. unfortunately, it falls apart fairly quickly. first the positive stops stopped working, then the stand lost all its nuts and bolts, then the guard got worn out and sticky, then the brake stopped working, then the handle broke, and finally the switch went out. all this seems repairable except the brake is too expensive to fix i think. It served well for a few years.

I bought this saw 2 years ago, and have used it for everything. It does well on trim and framing projects, and is absolutely perfect for vinyl siding. The stand is a wonderful feature, with table extensions which can double as stops. I have no complaints about this tool. brMine was stolen last winter, and I am replacing it with the identical item - it's that good.

I have owned this saw for a number of years. It is great for any miter cut you need to make. Just be aware that the fence is cast aluminum and can easily bend or break, and Delta no longer stocks a replacement fence for this unit. I recommend beefing up the original fence BEFORE USE and refraining from cutting small pieces that can be grabbed by the blade and pulled through the fence, causing damage. Otherwide a fine piece of equipment. Portable, versatile, powerful and with enough reach to cut just about any dimension of lumber -- within reason -- that you may work with.

I have had my sidekick for 10 years of construction. The integrated stand is the easiest I have found. Now the stand is a little bit rough, the safety cover is completely broke away, the electric brake has gone out and now the trigger is starting to fail. It has cut everything from 16" aluminum and 6x6 posts to 1/4" trim.
br /I want a 12" double bevel but then I will need a stand and they are all bulky. This saw makes it easy and will hold up.

what can i say-been humming and arghing about buying a delta machine,not so popular here in the uk,but at first i bought a dewalt 720 ras,didnt like it so took it back and exchanged it for the sliding 780,wow i thought nice looking machine very smooth etc; only thing is carnt get ass over here,found the delta in a wood working mag and thought get it,it came today and im really impressed,so easy to set up the manual is one of the best detailed instruction manuals i have ever had with a tool,it cuts better than the dewalt can u believe that,also can do dado cuts,that to is better than the dewalt i am totally over the moon with it ok mitr setting is a bit fiddly but you get the hang of it.also had change left over so i bought the delta belt sander with stand ,havnt set that up yet,but carnt wait,what else can i say its the best of the sliding mitre saws also tried the makita but this baby out strios them,soppose now im going to be a delta fan,dont know why i didnt buy this baby a long time ago.so to had it all up if your looking for a sliding mitre saw THIS IS THE ONE... Cheers Mike T.uk.

this is a very nice working saw for every job on the construction site-I would really like to know where I can obtain replacement parts and where are they on your web page?? Please let everyone know so they can contiue to safely use this saw.Please e-mail with any information.