A beginner Ryobi miter saw for a novice woodworker

I’m always happy to try a DIY project around the house. But I often know that I am not doing things the easiest or best way.

The problem? My irrational fear of power tools.

I’ve actually been able to complete plenty of projects with good, old-fashioned hand tools. For my front door makeover, I chopped my beadboard panels by hand and used my little miter box to cut all of the trim pieces.

I love the finished look of my front door makeover, but it definitely took longer to get it done without using any power tools.

Recently I decided to tackle the DIY project I’ve been wanting to do: board and batten in the dining room. My husband wasn’t going to have any time to work on it, so it was up to me. With all of the trim to be cut to get the board and batten look, I knew this project could only mean one thing.  It was time to get over my gory visions of cutting off body parts and buy an electric miter saw.

I’m finally graduating to power tools, y’all!

Before I took the plunge and purchased a miter saw, I knew I wanted something inexpensive, but good quality. I wasn’t sure this power tool experiment would go well, so I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. On the other hand, I wanted something that had good reviews for working well so I would feel safe using it.

Ryobi TS1143L miter saw (Amazon.com affiliate link)

My research led me to a Ryobi miter saw – specifically the Ryobi TS1143L miter saw. I loved both the price and the positive reviews for this compact, portable miter saw.

I’m happy to say that my new Ryobi miter saw has helped my turn my board and batten vision for my dining room into a reality. And I still have all of my appendages. (So thankful for that!)

After I carefully read the directions for safely operating it, the Ryobi miter saw was easy to set up and start using right out of the box. The instructions were pretty clear, so I felt more confident than I expected on my first cut with it.

I have to admit it is more noisy than I expected from a compact little saw.  The sound startled me a little at first.  I adjusted to the sound after some time using it. I mean, I cut a lot of boards with it for my dining room.

My only complaint is that the bag designed as the sawdust catcher doesn’t catch enough of the sawdust.  I guess you can’t have everything with a tool that is priced well under $100.

If anyone else is in the market for a nice, beginner miter saw for light woodworking projects, I would recommend this Ryobi miter saw (TS1143L) for both price and function.

Want to see what this little saw can do?  Check out my board and batten dining room makeover completed with this Ryobi miter saw.

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