Irwin Industrial Tools 3061001 Miter Saw Laser Guide

I never leave feedback on anything I buy, even though its a must for me before I purchase. I don't want to have to send something back that sucks, who does? It's only fair to help others as they had helped me.To start out, this was very simple to install. I was a little worried at first because on the package it came in, they state which brands it will work for. ( Bosch, Dewalt, etc.). I have a craftsman, and craftsman was not on the list. But, it did fit fine.You get this nice little zip up case that it comes in, along with 3 different threaded bolts. The bolts are there just in case your original bolt on your miter ends up being too short after you install the laser. I got lucky, and the bolt from my craftsman was long enough. Now that the laser is in the miter saw, the case really has no purpose?As far as performance goes... Ive used it for the first day now; I cut several pieces of wood and its perfect. I'm not sure about other miter's, but mine is mounted on the left of the blade, so when I align the laser perfectly on the cut line, the blade cuts just to the right. Its great... Id rather it do that than cut RIGHT on the line. Some people don't care about compensating for the width of the blade, but a lot do and its worth it.***NEGATIVE THOUGHTS:I'm not sure if its my saw (which Im sure it is) but as the laser turns on when I start the saw, and I bring the saw down to cut, the laser moves about a mm to the left as I come down. So, I really have to start the saw, bring the blade down almost all of the way, then line up my cut. I'm not sure if anyone else had this problem. Other than that, no other complaints.Overall, its worth the $20. It saves me the trouble of having to bring the blade down to the wood, and having to always cut my piece just a hair bigger to play it safe. Now, I just line up the line with the laser, and its on the money every time. Having to deal with bringing the blade down almost all of the way every time because of the slight misalignment of the laser isn't that big of a deal. I wish I could find a use for that zip up case it came with, its a decent little case that would be useful for something. I don't know what, but it is one of those things where one day you'll need it for something random. If your a perfectionist like me, you will definitely want this laser. Not only does it help make perfect cuts, it saves a little extra time too.

Got this yesterday, and immediately ran out to the shop to install it, Why did I buy this! I have no idea. I've been using saws for millenia without laser guides, usually without a problem. However, I felt like I had to have this. It's pretty neat to have, but not essential.As stated in other reviews, the blade must be spinning at full RPM before the laser illuminates, and if you are like me you already have the blade pretty much exactly where you need it to be beforehand. The laser is a fraction of an inch away from the actual cut line, but then again common pencil marks come in various widths as well. If you are a serious furniture or cabinet maker, then you probably already have a much newer or heavier duty chop saw or crosscut saw than your typical contractors chop saw, and it may already have a laser built in. The backyard shop enthusiasts will love it a yet another gizmo.The directions should be more specific as to what saws it will or will not fit. I have a 10 year old Makita sliding compound saw, and in theory, it should have fit. It was a very tight fit, and the blade guard would not open and close freely with the laser installed. The culprit is a little tab on the inside of the blade guard that gets pushed by an arm when the head is raised or lowered. I initially put a thin washer between the blade guard housing and the saw, but then the guard rubbed on the metal blade housing. A Dremel tool took care of filing the tab down just enough to clear the laser and still allow the blade guard to function correctly.Overall: Not really necessary, but cool to have. And remember which side of the blade you pull your measurements from!

This is perfect upgrade for my 10 year old 12" Delta Sidekick. No more squatting and eyeballing to get the perfect cut when it really matters. This little Irwin Laser Guide replaces the outer blade shim washer and the original arbor bolt can be used as is (no need to use the included arbor bolts). The Laser Guide seems to be almost the exact thickness as the washer, so there wasn't any interference when the blade cover closes. It's simply a perfectly designed fit.Auto on/off --- brilliant.Keyed arbor mounting (a square hole on the back) -- auto centering. No worries about centering or wobble. it fit the Sidekick perfectly.The laser line is very bright and narrow -- thinner than 1mm -- maybe 0.5mm, similar to a fineline mechanical pencil; and the blade cuts precisely next to that line (which makes sense since the laser is mounted facing the blade face itself).NOTE: Use a "thin kerf" carbide blade (Freud had a nice 80T FTG offering: ASIN = B000IOVGOM) if you want to "keep the line". A thick kerf blade would "take the line" since the width of the carbide teeth extend significantly beyond the face of the blade, which is the reference plane for the laser.For $25, I'm 100% pleased with my purchase and the installation and operation of this product.Something this simple, and purposeful, and cheap is a delight and rare in life.I LOVE IT!!!!PS: As an added bonus: I noticed that the built-in protractor on my sidekick needs adjustment (rather, the blade needs slight re-alignment with the protractor). The laser casts a line over the whole cut width, and I noticed that it didn't precisely square up with the cut line I'd made with a carpenter square --- hmmmm.Nice going, Irwin. And thanks again.