Ask carpenters to name their three most frequently used power tools, and I believe a miter saw would be on most of their lists. While most of us have learned to invest in a quality saw with a good blade, I am constantly amazed at how frequently I see great saws on very average saw stands. To me, that’s akin to driving a high-performance car with bald tires.

Earlier in my career, I was lucky enough to find a Saw Helper Ultrafence at a trade show. That saw stand was portable, sturdy, and easy to set up, with wide support and an accurate stop system for efficient, repeatable cuts. The best part about it was that once it was attached to the saw, it could be broken down and set up again in a short time with completely repeatable performance. I think I bought six of the company’s saw stands over the years but, unfortunately, it went out of business more than a decade ago.

I’ve purchased several more saw stands over the years, but none have measured up to the standard set by the Saw Helper. So when I discovered the EZ-Wings Pro miter-saw station last year at another trade show and saw that its American-made design was remarkably close to my old favorite, I was eager to see how it measured up.

Setup. Referring to the easy-to-follow set-up video on the EZ‑Wings website, I spent about an hour screwing and bolting the miter-saw station together (the necessary fasteners for each step are clearly marked and packaged together). EZ-Wings uses an adjustable base system that attaches through the holes that are already in your particular saw. According to the manufacturer, Red House Tools, the system can be set up to work with just about any existing saw stand.

Since just about everyone I know has several of the “tube” type stands, I decided to set up the miter station to work with a DeWalt saw and one of my DeWalt tube stands. If you want to set it up on a fixed bench in a shop, the system has built-in support legs. I found that starting the install process with the saw on a bench using the legs, then moving it to my saw stand after the wings were attached worked well.

The EZ-Wings Pro miter saw station is compatible with most saw stands. The system’s support wings attach to a two-piece base, which adjusts to fit your saw.
The mounting bracket that attaches the wings to the stand has front-to-back adjustment and another screw to micro-adjust the height to match your saw, plus a couple of bolts with comfortable grips for tightening the bracket after you make final adjustments.
Multiple wings can be added to each side for additional support, while L-brackets are used to make the fence-to-wing attachments. The author recommends setting the EZ-Wings fences up about 1/4 inch behind the saw’s fence to accommodate material that isn’t perfectly straight.
Here the author is attaching the miter station to a DeWalt saw stand, using four 1/4-20 x 2 1/2-inch bolts (that is, 1/4-inch-diameter-by-2 1/2-inch-long bolts with 20 threads per inch)—the only bolts not supplied in the EZ-Wings hardware packet—to fasten the assembly to the base. A 6-foot level placed across the top of the saw table and wings while he’s adjusting the saw stand brackets helps the author to align the assembly.

All it takes to break the miter-saw station down is backing off one screw on each side to remove the wings. Because the wings attach to a bracket that remains fastened to the saw, their position is identical each time they are remounted, and the system stays aligned. For transport, all the components can be neatly packed in the equipment bag that comes with the system.

Performance. After sliding the stop in, I made some test cuts and was happy to see that the stop had no play in it at all. If I am trying to make a cut within 1/32 inch, the stop can’t move. Right now, Red House does not offer a built-in tape measure that works with the stop, but I am told that the company is working on several more measuring/stop options, including a laser measuring device.

At the recent IBS show, I saw the new legs that will be available soon. They are lightweight carbon fiber and completely adjustable, and quickly clip onto the EZ-Wings fence for maximum support.

The EZ-Wings system is well designed and easy to set up. I like that it can be used on a bench in a shop setting or can fit on any stand that I have seen. I’m eager to see options the company will offer for stops and measuring; I think it is by far the best system I have seen since my old favorite disappeared. Prices start at about $850. redhousetools.com

Photos by Gary Striegler