Delta 36-255L and the Porter Cable 3802L12" Twin Laser Compound Miter Saws

by Garrett Lambert

There are two versions of this saw on the market, identical in all respects except name. A curiosity is that in Canada the prices are identical, whereas in the USA, the Porter Cable model is about $100 more than the Delta. No one outside the company seems to know why this is or should be so, or, I suppose, why people pay the premium for the Porter Cable. But, they do.

Two local stores each had a single display unit in stock, one a Delta and the other a Porter Cable, both priced at C$499.95, about US$375. I then tried Home Depot and purchased my saw there, the Porter Cable version. The price was marked at $495, and the box had a sticker on it saying "Bonus! Extra Blade Enclosed, Value C$80. Since the saws come with a standard 40 tooth carbide blade – fairly coarse for a 12" cut-off blade - I stopped to look at 80 tooth blades and thought to buy a USA-made Oldham. However, I decided I could always come back if necessary and that I ought to try the standard blade(s) first, especially since I would have 2 of them.

When the cashier scanned the saw, she knocked 10% off with a "Friends & Family" coupon out of her pocket, and rang it through at C$445.50. After thanking her profusely, I drove home, and unpacked it – beautiful packaging, BTW - to yet another pleasant surprise: the bonus blade was the very Oldham 80 tooth I had thought to purchase separately. In effect, the saw could now be said to have cost "only" C$365 (US$182). Since Amazon lists the saw at US$500 and sells it for US$350, I was a very happy camper. For comparison, Amazon lists the Delta version at US$474 and sells it for US$266.

Some assembly required: in the box with the saw are an excellent manual (typical of the company), three extra cast aluminum pieces, a package of bolts, washers, and nuts, a clamp for the sliding fence, a small socket wrench, flimsy open end wrench, and a couple of Allen keys. The castings combine to make a small extension table and a sliding fence that sits on top of and raises the left-hand fence. (The third piece fits between the high slider and the fixed lower fence.) Attaching the 3 pieces to the main unit is not difficult, and took about 15 minutes, but lining everything up requires a bit of fiddling and care. Tip: just finger tighten all 4 bolts until everything is square and plumb and the upper fence slides easily. The main fence comes square to the blade and to the table out of the box. The lasers – more on these below – are dead on to either edge of the blade.

The tables and fences are highly polished, i.e. slippery. Delta/PC offer a simple but clever accessory clamp to hold the workpiece against the fence for about US$18. Since the clamp is essential to prevent the workpiece from moving, especially during an angled cut, selling it separately to keep the base price down is really annoying, because dealers don't always have the clamps on hand. The unit rests on 4 feet with rubber pads. The base is cleverly cast with slots that accept a couple of 2x4 rails on edge, and the table height is set exactly 3 ¼" above the slots. If that mounting option is used, short pieces of nominal 2x4's can be fastened cross-wise on the 2x4 rails to provide very strong extension tables on either side that are automatically the correct height. And that's exactly how I made my stand.

The ergonomics are excellent. The horizontal handle is comfortable for any size hand. The fingers fall naturally on a large press-in switch on the inside of the grip. (A safety feature: the switch can be locked in the off position with a standard padlock.) A small rocker switch with a clear flexible plastic dust cover sits within middle finger reach on the top rear of the handle, and controls the lasers so they can be switched on with the blade stopped. Very little pressure is required to bring the saw down for a cut, but the spring returns it quickly and gently to the upper position. The guard is effective and is no hindrance to operation. Controlling the vertical miter angle is quick and easy. A short, fat comfortable knob covered in cushiony, non-slip plastic projects from the front of the saw. A simple twist locks or unlocks the platen. Just behind it is a clever rocker lever with a tab on each side of the knob so that both left and right handers can thumb press it to release the pre-set stop. Turning a single nut on the bottom of the saw can increase or decrease the amount of friction between the rotating platen and the base. A very – and I do mean very – large plastic wing-nut mounted at the back of the arm controls the horizontal angle. The location is inconvenient but typical of these saws.

This saw has single bevel capacity, i.e. the head tips to one side only. For more money, other brands offer the convenience of dual bevel capacity, but it's not necessary for any cuts. The gauge on the back of the saw indicates not only the normal miter angles but is also marked for typical crown molding angles. The saw will cut to a couple of degrees past 45 in both modes. There are pre-set stops for all typical angles, and these can be adjusted should it become necessary. At 90°, the saw will cut through a piece of lumber 4" high by 8" wide. For stock such as baseboard molding, the vertical capacity is 4 ½".

In operation, the 15 amp universal motor seems quieter than most, but that's a very subjective observation. The lasers are a remarkable convenience, and they are perfectly accurate out of the box. There are two of them mounted in a shielded housing on the front of the blade guard. Adjustments are straightforward and easy to do should they become necessary, eg changing to a thicker or thinner blade. Speaking of which, the stock 40 tooth all ATB blade is adequate, but the bonus Oldham 80 tooth all ATB blade made a visible improvement in the quality of the cut. (It's the same 1/8" thickness so I didn't have to adjust the lasers.)

The head can be locked in the down position, and a carrying handle is built in at the point of balance. However this is a fairly bulky unit that weighs about 50 pounds, so while it's luggable, you won't be going far with it.

Overall this is an excellent machine. However, this is a competitive marketplace with new models coming out all the time with more features. But, having now used the dual lasers, they are now a "must-have" for me.