Skil MS6305-00 Review: a feature-packed 10" miter saw that’s actually priced for normal people

I’ve been using the Skil MS6305-00 10" dual bevel sliding compound miter saw for a mix of home projects: finishing a basement room, trimming doors, some shelving, and a few random 2x4 framing tweaks. I’m not a contractor, just a fairly handy homeowner who was tired of crooked cuts with a circular saw and a speed square. I wanted something accurate, not too bulky, and under the price of the big pro brands. This Skil kept popping up, so I grabbed it.

Out of the box, it feels like a real tool, not a toy. It’s around 40 pounds, so it’s not light, but I can still carry it by myself from the garage to the driveway or down to the basement. Setup took me maybe an hour taking my time: unboxing, mounting to a stand, checking the fence, and squaring the blade. The factory settings were actually pretty close, just a hair of tweaking for dead-on 90° and 45° cuts.

In use, the thing that stood out first was the LED shadow line. Instead of a laser, it throws a shadow of the blade teeth right where it’s going to cut. It sounds gimmicky, but in practice it’s simple and accurate, and it doesn’t go out of alignment like cheap lasers tend to do. For someone like me who does a lot of trim and needs to sneak up on exact lengths, that shadow line makes life easier.

It’s not perfect. Dust collection is pretty weak with just the bag, and the saw is a bit bulky if your workspace is tight. But overall, after a bunch of real-world cuts, my honest take is: it’s a pretty solid mid-range saw that gives you most of the features of the more expensive brands without the price tag. If you’re a homeowner or weekend warrior, it’s more than enough saw for most projects.

On the value side, the Skil MS6305-00 is hard to ignore. For the price, you’re getting dual bevel, sliding capability, a 15-amp motor, and the LED shadow line. When I compared it to some of the bigger brands, I kept seeing similar features for noticeably more money. That’s what pushed me to give this one a shot instead of automatically grabbing a DeWalt or Makita. For a homeowner, spending less and still getting these features is a big plus.

Where you feel the price difference is in the details: the stock blade is just okay, some of the plastic parts feel cheaper, and the dust collection isn’t great. Realistically, you’re probably going to buy a better fine-finish blade anyway, so I mentally added that cost on top. Even then, it still came out cheaper than some competing saws with similar capabilities. If you’re very picky about fit and finish or want bulletproof jobsite durability, you might feel those compromises more.

But in actual use, the saw cuts accurately, has enough power, and offers a wide cutting capacity. It handled everything from 2x12 framing to crown molding in my projects. I didn’t run into a cut I couldn’t do because of the saw’s limitations. That’s the main point for me: I didn’t feel like I was constantly fighting the tool or wishing I’d spent more. For what I paid, it earns its keep.

So in terms of value for money, I’d say this: if you’re a DIYer, a serious hobbyist, or a part-time tradesperson, this is good value. You’ll probably be happier putting the savings into a quality blade, a decent stand, and maybe a shop vac for better dust control. Full-time pros who live on a miter saw every day might justify paying more for something with heavier-duty components, but for regular users, the cost-to-feature ratio here is very hard to beat.

From a design point of view, the Skil MS6305-00 feels like someone actually thought about how DIY people use a saw. The horizontal grip with the center safety trigger is one of the nicer touches. I’m right-handed, but I tried it left-handed just to see, and it still felt natural. The safety isn’t overly fussy, so you’re not fighting it every time you want to make a cut, but it still keeps you from accidentally bumping the trigger.

The miter scale and detents are easy to read and hit. You’ve got 11 positive stops at common angles (0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.6°, 45°, etc.). When you swing the saw to those spots, it clicks in firmly. There’s also a cam lock knob to clamp the angle, which is handy for repeatable cuts. I didn’t feel any slop at the common angles once locked. For off-angle cuts, you rely more on the scale and your eye, and it’s accurate enough for home projects, though I still like to double-check with a square for anything critical.

The sliding rails are fairly smooth. Not buttery, but they don’t bind or feel cheap. You get a 2x12 crosscut at 90° and 2x8 at 45°, which covered everything I needed: deck boards, stair treads, 2x framing, and wider shelf boards. The tall sliding fences are nice for baseboard and crown. I ran 4-1/2" base vertically without issues, and crown nested up to around 6" as advertised. The fences slide out of the way when you need more clearance for bevel cuts, which is a small but important detail.

On the downside, the saw is a bit bulky front-to-back because of the rails, and you need a decent amount of space behind it. If you’re in a tiny shop or on a shallow bench, that’s something to think about. Also, some of the knobs and covers are plastic and feel a bit cheap compared to higher-end brands. They haven’t broken on me, but they don’t give that “tank” feeling either. Design-wise, it’s a practical saw with sensible ergonomics, with a few compromises that match the price point.

From a comfort and usability angle, this saw feels very beginner-friendly. The handle position is natural, and the trigger doesn’t tire your hand during a long session. I did several hours of cutting trim and shelving one weekend, and my hand never cramped or felt awkward. The start-up is quick but not violent; it spins up fast without that huge kick some older saws have.

Adjusting angles is straightforward. The miter detents are easy to hit, and the locking lever is intuitive. You don’t need to fight the saw to move from 0° to 45° and back repeatedly, which is exactly what happens when you’re trimming a room and bouncing between different angles. The bevel controls on the back are a bit more fiddly, especially if the saw is tight against a wall, but that’s just how most dual-bevel saws are. Once you get used to where everything is, it becomes muscle memory.

Weight-wise, at around 39–40 pounds, it’s in the middle. It’s not some ultra-light portable unit, but it’s also not a monster. I can carry it with one hand using the built-in handle and support the base with the other. If you’re moving it in and out of a truck every day, you might want something lighter or permanently mounted, but for a garage or home shop where you move it occasionally, it’s manageable.

Noise and vibration are reasonable for a saw like this. It’s loud, obviously, but not worse than other 10" miter saws I’ve used. Vibration is controlled enough that the saw doesn’t walk or shake the stand. The included clamp is actually decent and makes cutting small or narrow pieces feel safer. I do wish there was a second clamp available easily, because holding longer stock on both sides would be more comfortable. Overall, using it feels straightforward and not stressful, which matters if you’re not a pro and you just want the tool to behave without a steep learning curve.

Build-wise, the Skil MS6305-00 sits in that middle ground: sturdier than the cheap entry-level stuff, but not as overbuilt as the high-end pro saws. The base feels stable and doesn’t flex, even when I was cutting heavier 2x12 pieces. The rails still slide smoothly after several projects and a few dusty weekends, which is a good sign. I’ve bumped it around on a stand, hauled it down stairs, and it hasn’t gone out of alignment in any obvious way.

Where you see the cost-cutting is in some of the plastic knobs, covers, and small hardware. They aren’t falling apart, but they don’t scream long-term indestructible either. One Amazon reviewer mentioned the travel stop screw working loose from vibration, and I’ve seen similar behavior with small adjustments: they can creep if you don’t tighten them properly or use a bit of thread locker. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re using the saw heavily.

The fences and main structural parts are metal and feel trustworthy. The table surface has held up fine so far, no weird warping or dents from normal use. The included blade is just average, and honestly, that’s almost a consumable anyway. Plan on buying a better blade if you care about finish quality. The motor hasn’t given any weird smells, hesitations, or rattles, even after extended cutting sessions on dense lumber.

There’s a 3-year limited warranty, which is decent for this price bracket. I haven’t had to use it, so I can’t comment on Skil’s support, but the saw’s track record on Amazon (over 2,000 reviews and a 4.6/5 rating) suggests it’s not failing left and right. My feeling is: if you’re a homeowner or a light-duty contractor, it should hold up several years without drama as long as you’re not abusing it. Daily heavy jobsite abuse might be pushing it, but that’s not really who this saw is aimed at anyway.

In terms of raw performance, the 15-amp, 4,800 RPM motor has more than enough power for what most people will throw at it. I’ve run 2x12 PT lumber, LVL scraps, and standard pine trim through it. It doesn’t bog down if you let the blade do the work and don’t rush your cut. You’ll hear it slow slightly on really dense stuff, but it keeps going without stalling. For a 10" saw in this price range, that’s about what I’d expect, and I haven’t felt like I needed more motor.

The bigger point for me was accuracy and repeatability. Once I dialed it in on day one, 90° crosscuts stayed square. I checked repeatedly with a decent square after a few projects, and it was still dead on or close enough that I couldn’t see an issue on actual assemblies. Same with 45° miters for trim: two 45° pieces came together with a joint tight enough that a bit of caulk or filler made it disappear. If you’re building cabinets for a living, you might be pickier, but for home projects and even semi-serious woodworking, it’s perfectly fine.

The LED shadow line is honestly the star of the performance side. It projects a dark line exactly where the blade will cut, and because it’s using the blade itself to cast the shadow, it stays aligned. Unlike lasers, there’s nothing to bump out of alignment. I found myself trusting that line more than my pencil mark sometimes, especially on repetitive cuts. It also helps in lower light, like when you’re working in a basement or garage at night.

On the downside, the dust collection is weak if you’re only using the bag. After a few cuts, dust is everywhere: on the saw, on the stand, on you. Hooked up to a shop vac, it’s better, but still not great. This is pretty common on miter saws, but if you’re expecting a clean workstation, you’ll be disappointed. Also, one quirk I’ve noticed (and others mention) is small adjustments like the travel stop screw can walk a bit from vibration if you don’t secure them well. Nothing catastrophic, but you may need to re-check and tweak little things now and then. Overall, though, for a mid-priced saw, the performance is solid and reliable.

On paper, the Skil MS6305-00 ticks a lot of boxes: 10" blade, 15-amp motor, dual bevel, sliding rails, LED shadow line, and a 2x12 crosscut capacity at 90°. That’s basically the spec sheet you see on bigger-name saws that cost quite a bit more. It cuts up to 50° left and right with 11 positive stops, and the bevel goes both ways (48° left and right with preset stops). For home projects, that’s more than enough range for trim, framing, and random angled cuts.

The saw comes with a 40-tooth blade, a clamp, extension rods, a dust bag, and the usual hex key. The included blade is okay for rough-to-medium work: studs, general carpentry, basic trim where you’re going to caulk and paint. For cleaner finish work (baseboards, crown), I swapped to a higher tooth-count blade and instantly got nicer edges. So yeah, the stock blade is usable but nothing special. I wouldn’t buy this saw just for the blade it comes with.

The controls are pretty straightforward. There’s a horizontal handle with a trigger in the middle, so left- and right-handed use feels natural. The miter angle has clear detents, and there’s a cam lock to clamp it down. Bevel adjustments are on the back and take a minute to get used to if you’ve only used single-bevel saws, but once you understand the layout, it’s fine. It’s not the smoothest or fanciest mechanism I’ve seen, but it works.

Overall, the presentation is: a feature-rich saw at a mid-range price with a few corners clearly cut (dust collection, blade quality, some plastic parts) to keep the cost down. If you’re expecting pro-festival-level refinement, you’ll be let down. If you want a solid all-rounder that covers a lot of tasks without blowing the budget, the feature set here makes sense.