Bought a used miter saw, Metabo KGS 216, not the cheapest but the next step up, which has received very good reviews. The saw was new and never used, which I could quickly see. Today I cut moldings for an indoor door. The sides went great, but I couldn't get the top molding right, I went completely crazy.
I did test cuts on a piece of trim, where I drew more lines to see 1) how much the saw blade eats up 2) How far from the laser it actually cuts. Despite these measurements, it was wrong, but at least it was less wrong. This particular top piece has, unlike the vertical moldings, two 45-degree cuts in opposite angles - which made me realize that the laser is not only far from the cutting surface but also skewed.
So, when the trim lies in the saw, it will cut differently depending on whether my painted measurement line is inward or outward toward the saw. I estimate that the difference is almost 2mm between the laser's measuring point on the inside versus the outside of a trim that is 70mm wide. The measurements are not 100% determined but I can roughly say that 7-8mm from the laser is the actual cut. It will be incredibly challenging and I will have a hard time doing the trim work at home. I have cut through two trims to get the top piece on a door and not entirely satisfied to say the least.
Questions:
1) Is it common with such inaccurate cuts on a miter saw?
2) Can't really see, but is it possible to adjust the laser so it aligns better? (I imagine this will also be fiddly)
I usually ignore the laser and instead lower the blade when it is still and align the strip/board for the right cut. Then it doesn't matter if the laser is off or shows a skewed line.
It is surely stated in the manual how to adjust the laser; if it's a good saw, you can probably move it between two different positions (depending on which side of the blade you are working on).
But: A laser on a miter saw is useless. It's the blade that does the job, so if you want any form of precision, you measure directly against it. Otherwise, you are building in an extra measurement error in the cut.
The laser on mine shines where the saw blade hits, but for precision, you need to lower the blade onto the board and fine-tune it before cutting.
However, the laser is useful if you've drawn a line at an angle and need to set the saw to the same angle.
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