By Timothy Dale and Tom Scalisi | Updated Mar 7, 2022 8:45 AM

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Miter saws are designed for making simple, accurate, quick cuts in trim, lumber, and some other materials. But use one without a proper stand—like on the ground or on a regular table—and some of that simplicity, accuracy, and speed can go by the wayside. The best miter saw stands do away with this compromise, giving the user something to quickly attach a saw to at a comfortable height.

With so many miter saw stands on the market, though, which is the best? We performed hands-on testing with the following miter saw stands to see which ones came out on top. Keep reading to find out what we learned.

There’s a lot to know about choosing the best miter saw stand. From functionality, compatibility, size, stability, and more, there are some points worth understanding. The following sections cover some of the most important need-to-knows on the topic, so keep reading for an in-depth primer on these tools.

A good miter saw stand will not wobble, shift, or vibrate, regardless of the material cut. Instability is not merely an annoyance—a shaking or shifting stand with a powerful cutting blade on it can be an accident waiting to happen.

Look for a stand that has rubberized grips on its feet or heavy-duty locking wheels that will grip the surface that the stand rests on for added stability. Some miter saws have additional features, too, like locking support legs or ball detents that snap into place to add a bit more stability. And even though it’s not recommended to use a saw on an uneven surface, some models even have adjustable feet for when it is placed on uneven surfaces.

The weight capacity of a miter saw stand refers to the weight it can support, with most stands supporting between 300 to 500 pounds (the combined weight of the miter saw and the material resting atop while cutting).

A miter saw can produce a lot of force, so its stand must be durable enough to handle all the torque. Avoid lightweight stands that appear flimsy and unstable. Instead, choose one from a reliable manufacturer that has a sizable weight capacity and is made from rugged materials, like steel and aluminum.

There also can be a trade-off for durability. Extremely lightweight saw stands won’t be as durable (in most cases) but they will be easy enough to carry around. Conversely, heavy saw stands might be an armful, but they can outlast the saw in terms of durability.

Miter saw stands come in three basic types: folding, wheeled, and shop. The best miter saw stand depends on the circumstance.

Most modern miter saw stands are universal, meaning that users can install any saw on any stand. But there are limits.

For smaller saws, any universal miter saw stand will do. Simply install the brackets according to the manufacturer’s instructions and snap the brackets to the stand. In some cases (like the odd case of a saw with three mounting holes instead of four), many saw stands have the capability to handle them as well.

However, for larger saws, many compact stands simply will not do. The brackets are often very difficult to attach to the large saw base, requiring the user to get creative with how they position the saw. So if it’s a large saw, it’s best to get a larger stand.

Most miter saw stands don’t come fully assembled, so what it takes to go from in-the-box to on-the-site does matter. Many of the best miter saw stands are very easy to assemble, with just a few screws and a knob or two. Other saw stands can be much more frustrating, with several small pieces and hardware hiding in little nooks throughout the saw stand.

It’s only necessary to assemble the saw stand once (in most cases), but it’s still worth understanding. Some saw stands come with all the tools necessary to assemble them, while others might require a full complement of mechanics tools (something some DIYers might not own).

That’s a lot of information about what to look out for when choosing the best miter saw stand, and it can seem pretty intimidating. To help, we performed hands-on testing and then put together the following list of the best miter saw stands to simplify the shopping process.

Anyone looking for a high-quality, high-capacity miter saw stand may want to check out the DEWALT DWX723 Heavy-Duty Miter Saw Stand. This saw stand can handle up to 500 pounds of weight (saw and material combined) while weighing just under 30 pounds. The extendable arms on either side combine to support up to 16 feet of material. For repeated cuts, the arms can adjust to become material stops.

The legs of the DWX723 heavy-duty miter saw stand feature lever-activated ball detents for quick setup. The legs and extendable arms both feature large plastic levers, too. The attachment brackets are also universal, allowing the stand to work with a variety of saws.

The list of things we liked about the DWX723 is long. First, we appreciated its lightweight frame and center-mounted handle for easy carrying. We also liked that this stand came out of the box mostly assembled and ready to go. This saw stand is wider than most other stands, which can prove a bit more difficult to maneuver for storage, but the added width is a pleasure in practical use. The arms slide easily as well, making the extra width easy to access, and the legs were stable, even under a heavy saw.

Get the DEWALT DWX723 Heavy Duty Miter Saw Stand on Amazon or at The Home Depot.

The Evolution Power Tools folding miter saw stand works with any miter saw up to 15 inches and features lightweight steel legs that can fold and lock in place when not in use. Once it’s folded, the built-in handle makes it a breeze to pick up and carry the 34-pound stand without strain. The stand’s quick-release mounting brackets allow for fast, efficient attaching and removal of a miter saw.

The stand supports up to 330 pounds and uses extension arms for lengthy material up to 9½ feet. The extension arms come with end stops for a better grip on the material being cut and rollers that allow the user to effortlessly slide the wood or metal down for fast, repeat cuts at the same angle.

We found that the Evolution Power Tools EVOMS1 Compact Miter Saw Stand offered quite a bit of value for its price tag. It does come with low-quality hardware, but the rest of the stand’s durability makes up for it. The detents for the legs are heavy duty, snapping into place easily. The extension beams were easy to use and adjusted without a lot of effort, and the setup was straightforward once the brackets were attached to the saw.

Get the Evolution Power Tools EVOMS1 Compact Miter Saw Stand on Amazon.

The high-quality Bosch Portable Gravity-Rise Wheeled Miter Saw Stand weighs just under 80 pounds and can accommodate any size miter saw using adjustable clamps that, once fastened to the saw, can quickly be removed from the stand for convenient tool mobility. It has a wide base for stability, wheels for portability, and is capable of supporting up to 300 pounds and 18 feet of lengthy material.

Thanks to Bosch’s patented Gravity-Rise System, users can set up or fold away the stand while the miter saw is still attached. The system uses gravity to extend its base out for set up and to tip the saw into a vertical position for mobility.

For such a high-quality tool, the initial assembly was much worse than the other saws in the test. It didn’t come with any of the required tools, and some of the hardware was incredibly difficult to position. However, once assembled, this miter saw proved to be very smooth and easy to use. It folded up and set up quickly, and the extremely heavy saw was barely noticeable. It was also easy to roll around, and we liked that it stands on its own. While cutting, we found it to be one of the most stable in the test.

Get the BOSCH Portable Gravity-Rise Wheeled Miter Saw Stand on Amazon, at Lowe’s, or at The Home Depot.

When it comes to versatility, WEN’s MSA3330 Collapsible Rolling Miter Saw Stand has a lot to offer. This folding miter saw stand features universal compatibility, as well as a built-in three-way power cord for attaching several power tools or dust collection equipment onto one power cord. The universal brackets also feature handles to make transporting heavy saws easier. The stand holds up to 330 pounds, and the legs feature plastic levers for easy release. The beam arms extend up to 79 inches and can support boards up to 10½ feet long.

WEN’s products seem to be hit or miss, but the MSA330 Collapsible Rolling Miter Saw Stand is definitely a hit. The built-in power strip makes using several power tools without unplugging and plugging them each time a reality. Also, the dual beam design was very stable and relatively easy for us to maneuver (a little grease wouldn’t hurt). We also appreciated the large wheels, though rolling this stand with the saw still attached was a bit of a challenge. Also, attaching the brackets to a large saw required flipping the saw on its back, but most smaller saws shouldn’t have the same issues.

Get the WEN MSA330 Collapsible Rolling Miter Saw Stand on Amazon or at Walmart.

For those limited on space, a folding stand like the Makita WST06 might fit the bill. This universal miter saw stand features four folding legs that extend to create a very stable work surface, but the stand itself remains lightweight and easy to transport. The aluminum extensions slide out over 8 feet and allow this stand to handle up to 500 pounds of weight.

There was a lot to like about the WST06. For one, it was one of the easiest models to assemble in the bunch. Also, the extension arms were incredibly smooth, adjusting the best of all the models in the test. We also liked how easy this model was to transport, whether from the handle or the wheels. Our only complaint was that the brackets were very finicky to attach to the stand, requiring a lot more effort than other stands.

Get the Makita WST06 Compact Folding Miter Saw Stand on Amazon or at The Home Depot.

The DeWalt DWX726 Miter Saw Stand With Wheels is worth considering for anyone who prefers to attach a saw to a stand and leave it there for easy transport. This saw stand features a cable-activated pneumatic design that folds down and sets up easily. It also features two beams that slide easily (up to 8 feet) while the entire stand is capable of handling up to 300 pounds.

The DWX726 Miter Saw Stand nearly took the top spot on the list, as it truly was wonderful to use during testing. Despite looking large and complicated, the assembly was very easy and took just a few minutes. Then, setting up and breaking down the stand was even easier, even with a heavy saw attached (which is good, because once the saw is attached, there’s no easy way to remove it). The beams were easy to slide in and out, and the overall stand was very stable while cutting.

Get the DEWALT DWX726 Miter Saw Stand With Wheels on Amazon, at The Home Depot, or at Lowe’s.

The Bora Portamate – PM-8000 Miter Saw Stand Work Station is a versatile universal stand that works with most common sizes of miter saws up to 12 inches. The stand has a weight capacity of 400 pounds and weighs only 90 pounds (before a miter saw is fastened to it). A wide base and solid steel construction prevent the stand from moving during use, providing secure stability. It has two 30-inch folding wings that, when extended, provide a full 7½ feet of work space for lengthy materials.

When a miter saw is mounted correctly, it can be flipped upside down and stored within the stand. This feature provides full use of the work surface of the stand as a regular workbench for various tasks, like cutting, drilling, or painting, when the miter saw is not in use. And, thanks to a wheeled base and a convenient handle, the entire unit is portable.

In some circumstances, this saw stand might be just the right choice. The swinging table allows the user to store the saw inside the cabinet and give themselves a little more work surface, and for a smaller saw, it’s ideal for that purpose. It might not have the room for a larger sliding miter saw, so the user will have to remove the transport handle, defeating some of the purpose. Otherwise, we liked the extendable wings and the idea of the accessible work surface.

Get the Bora Portamate – PM-8000 Miter Saw Stand Work Station on Amazon.

We tested the RedLeg Universal Miter Saw Stand, but it wasn’t everything we’d hoped for. First, the folding legs offer very little stability, allowing the saw to rock the stand and walk a bit across the surface.

The extension design is also confusing, as there are two knobs right next to each other when it’s closed, meaning the user might twist the wrong knob and remove the support altogether. Also, the supports are very thin, and though it’s too small for a large saw, it doesn’t feel like it would hold up long for a smaller saw either.

On paper, the universal Bora Portamate PM-4000 Heavy Duty Miter Saw looks like a winner, with its 500-pound weight capacity and wide design. However, ours was certainly not a winner. First, this saw stand is far too tall. One of us isn’t a very tall person, but adding the saw on top of the bracket brings it clear out of a comfortable user’s position.

Also, the sliding extensions are poorly designed and don’t slide well. They get stuck both going in and coming out, which makes using them for the intended purpose frustrating. While they could function as material stops, adjusting them with any degree of accuracy is futile.

Anyone looking for a folding miter saw stand that won’t disappoint may want to check out the DEWALT Miter Saw Stand for its 500-pound capacity, ease of setup, and stability. But for DIYers looking for a stand that they can wheel away and set up easily, either the BOSCH Portable Gravity-Rise Miter Saw Stand or the DEWALT Miter Saw Stand With Wheels can do the trick.

Testing these miter saw stands involved a great deal of labor. First, we needed to assemble them, which proved to be much more difficult with some than others. Some were nearly ready to go out of the box, while others took much, much longer.

Next, we tested the stands with our saw. We chose the biggest saw we had (our big, bad Bosch 12-inch sliding miter saw) to really put them through the test. We attached the brackets to the saws (for those that had brackets) and then practiced attaching and detaching them to see how well those brackets worked. Most worked well, while a few were finicky to either attach to the saw or the table.

After that, we cut some wood. We pulled the extensions out to act as supports or stops and used the big Bosch saw, sliding it back and forth during the cuts. This test gave us a feel for the saw stand’s stability during cutting.

Finally, with the cutting out of the way, we tested each saw stand’s portability. For saws with wheels, we left the saw attached to see how it would roll. For stands without wheels, we detached the saws, folded them up, and carried them about to get a grasp on their portability. By the end of the test, we had a good idea of what each saw stand had to offer.

Even though it might seem like an overwhelming amount of information on stands meant for miter saws, there could still be some questions floating around. The following section aims to answer those questions, so be sure to look for an answer to your question below.

Most folks who use a miter saw would say yes. Working on the ground, a table, or some other makeshift surface can easily result in mistakes, especially when dealing with long pieces of lumber or metal. In addition, working with a saw that isn’t set to the right height can leave you with lingering back pain.

A miter saw is mounted using the brackets and hardware kit that is included with a miter saw stand. The brackets are connected to the stand, acting as a base for the miter saw. The holes in the four corners of the miter saw are then aligned with the brackets, and the bolts are placed through the holes and fastened with nuts. This provides secure placement of a miter saw that gets regular use.

Yes—but don’t! Technically you can use a miter saw stand for a table saw, but experts wouldn’t recommend this. Whenever you’re using any power tool, it’s best to be extra cautious to avoid possible injury.

Putting a table saw on a miter saw stand can be dangerous. A miter stand is built to withstand a vertical force, not a horizontal force, making it likely that a miter saw stand would tip over if used to support a table saw. Invest in a separate table saw stand, or build one yourself if you have the skill set, rather than take the risk.

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