A decade ago Milwaukee seemed destined to make woodworking tools. They had introduced some routers and a 12-inch compound sliding miter saw, and it seemed like only a matter of time before they would have a portable table saw and planer. But it never happened; Milwaukee changed hands and the new management decided to focus on the company’s core customers: electricians, plumbers, and the mechanical trades.
The 18-volt sliding compound miter saw in the video below is now available in Europe. That Milwaukee could make a functional cordless miter saw is no surprise; we reviewed a pro grade model from Makita a couple of years back and DIY models are available from Ryobi and Craftsman. And it’s not like these were the first tools of their kind; I tested cordless miter saws from Makita and Bosch more than a decade ago. They didn’t catch on because they were costly and the motor and battery technology of the day was not up to the challenge (if you’re willing to log in to JLC you can see a review of those early models for free).
I don’t know if more companies should make cordless miter saws (that’s a marketing decision) but more companies could. With today’s advanced motors and 4.0 to 6.0 Ah batteries there is no reason not to. Every tool company that makes cordless tools and miter saws probably has a prototype of a cordless miter saw kicking around. A few years back DeWalt accidentally posted a video from their development lab that included a few frames of a cordless miter saw. Don’t bother looking on YouTube—that video was pulled the moment they caught the mistake.
It’s impossible to know what Milwaukee has in mind for their M18 miter saw. Maybe they’ll bring it here; maybe they won’t. If they do, they’ll have to change or sleeve the arbor fit the blades we use here. The saw has a 30 mm arbor (1-3/16”) and takes a 216 mm (8 1/2”) blade. The maximum cut is 270 mm (10 5/8”) at 90 degrees and 190 mm (7 1/2”) at 45 degrees. It has an LED light and a built-in laser.
The Milwaukee cordless miter saw is currently available in Europe (EU model number SMS216). I’ve seen it online in the U.K. for 400-480 Pounds (including value added tax) bare. At current exchange rates that would be $640-768 U.S.
That thing about naked? In the U.K. they refer to bare tools (sold without battery or charger) as “naked”. Makes going to the tool store sound even more exciting than it already is.
