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Ryobi 18V Brushless 10″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw PBLMS01B

Ryobi Brushless 18V ONE+ HP 10" Sliding Compound Miter Saw

4/5

Manufacturer: Ryobi
Model number: PBLMS01
Price: 399.00
Power source: 18V

Ryobi 10″ Miter Saw Cut Specifications

• Baseboard Against Fence: 3-5/8 “
• Crown Molding Nested 45/45: 5-1/4″
• Crown Molding Nested 52/38: 4-5/8″
• 90° Cross Cut (nominal): 2 x 12 or 4 x 6
• 45° Miter Cut (nominal): 2 x 8

Out of the Box

The saw comes ready to use however the top mount carrying handle and two side material supports need to be bolted on. Two bolts mount each handle to the saw with the included nuts and bolts. An Allen key is included to tighten the bolts down. It is always recommended to square the blade to the saw and the instruction manual can walk you through that process. This particular saw that I tested was dead square and I didn’t need to make any adjustments for accuracy.

Ryobi 18V ONE+ Saw Features

LED Light Cut Line Indicator

The light indicator is great for lighting up the cut area and the blade shadow assists in making accurate cuts. There is a button to turn the light on if you want to illuminate the work area without turning the saw on. I prefer when the light comes on with a small squeeze of the trigger, but appreciate that Ryobi provides a push-button option.

Brushless Motor

The brushless motor is said to deliver up to 4100 RPMs. I did not notice much if any difference between this battery-powered motor vs a traditional corded unit when cutting small to the medium-sized stock material. I do have to say it has a totally different sound, as most battery-powered tools do, but you get used to that rather quickly. The Ryobi 10″ Miter saw also has an electric brake to stop the blade when you release the trigger. Once releasing the trigger the blade stopped in about 3.74 seconds. That is a little slower than my traditional corded saw but is still within what I consider to be an acceptable range.

Slider Design Provided Up to 12″ Cross Cuts

The slider on this Ryobi saw has very little slack at full extension.

0 – 45° Single Bevel Capacity

Extended Miter Range Up to 47° Left and Right

9 Positive Miter Quick Stops at 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.6°, and 45° Left and Right

Dust Bag and 1 1/4″ Dust Port Compatible

The Ryobi 10″ Miter Saw has a 1 1/4″ dust port and an included dust bag that catches a good amount of sawdust. As you can see the saw is still covered in sawdust but the bag definitely cuts down on the wood dust in the work area.

Safety Switch

The safety switch on the Ryobi 10″ Miter Saw is worth mentioning. I think that most homeowners will be perfectly fine with the safety switch while contractors who are not used to having a safety switch may not be fond of having to push the switch to the left before pulling the trigger. Pushing this switch can get a little tricky when making cuts on the right side of the saw, especially if you end up using your left hand to pull the trigger. Although I didn’t like the safety switch at first, I quickly got used to pushing it in and didn’t have to think about it after using the saw for a while. Also if there are kids around, it never hurts to have some extra safety in place.

Adjustable Work Clamp

The adjustable clamp is easy to remove and switch to the other side when needed. Looking at the arm I first thought that it was plastic, however, the arm is actually made of aluminum and seems well constructed.

Ryobi PBLRS01B OEM Blade

The included 10″ 40T carbide-tipped blade is a good all-around blade. For most homeowners doing small projects, this blade will suffice.  I used the included blade for all testing. While testing, I did have to change to a finish blade for a trim project that I was working on. Changing the blade was a fairly simple task and only took a minute or two. Blades are a consumable item with miter saws and investing in a quality dedicated blade for whatever task you are working on will showcase the true accuracy of a tool.

Weight

Most of the Ryobi saw is made of heavy-duty plastic. I weighed this saw at about 33 pounds with the battery attached. I really like that this is a good quality saw and that it is lightweight. A homeowner or a contractor that is often breaking down and moving the saw may find it appealing to only have to lug around 33 pounds and still have a good quality saw. For certain projects, I need my heavy-duty saw, but most of the time I will be reaching for this significantly lighter saw.

Runtime

Ryobi claims that their 4AH high-performance battery on a full charge will deliver up to 550 cuts per charge. I used this saw over the course of a  week and on a variety of jobs that I was actively working on. While cutting trim molding the battery lasted a couple of days and was able to cut a good amount of trim without any hesitation. The battery barely went down and remained at 2/3 bars for most of the work performed. I would estimate about 200-300 cuts.  I then stepped up the cutting load by cutting 2x4s for a bathroom project. The Ryobi saw also had no problem cutting through the 2x4s but the more it works the quicker the battery will drain. Having a second battery is really important if you are going to be relying on this saw for big jobs.

Testing The Ryobi PBLRS01B Miter Saw

Now that I got some basic testing out of the way I grabbed some scrap wood. The Ryobi saw was able to cut 2×10 and 2×12 framing lumber without issue. I then began slicing the 2x10s and 2x12s repeatedly to really push the saw and that’s it when it had a hard time.  The saw quickly went into a protection mode where the blade would stop spinning until the trigger was released to reset. The battery also drained much quicker. This level of high-demand cutting was meant to push the saw to its limits. Under normal homeowner or DIYer use, the Ryobi ONE+ HP saw would perform without any issues.

For the last test, I figured I would cut some Laminated veneer lumber (LVL). For the average homeowner who doesn’t know, Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is an engineered wood product that uses multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives. It is typically used for headers, beams, rim boards, and edge-forming material.

LVL is a thick and difficult piece of lumber to nail and cut.  Once I began to put the heavy load on the Ryobi Miter Saw it struggled. Yes, it was able to cut through a few pieces but the saw quickly stopped spinning and the battery drained very quickly. The same happened with multiple pressure-treated 2×12 cuts.

Ryobi PBLRS01B | Test Results

Some of the tests were a little extreme and not on par with not normal everyday use. If you need a saw to only cut large wood then you may want to look at a corded 12″ model.  For common jobs with a few larger cuts here or there, this saw will definitely do the trick.  It also easily cut 2x12s before I began doing rapid cuts.

Ryobi PBLRS01B | Room For Improvement

I think that this is a great saw but I did not enjoy putting the side supports on. As previously mentioned the side supports are mounted with two nuts and bolts per side. It is difficult to insert and then turn an Allen key in such a tight space. I would prefer an access hole in which I could have used one of my own longer Allen keys to tighten the bolt quicker. While it was annoying, it only took a few minutes to put each side together and it’s something that you only have to do once.

Final Thoughts On The Ryobi PBLRS01B

Ryobi’s Brushless 18V ONE+ HP 10″ Sliding Compound Miter Saw is an excellent saw. When selecting a saw, it must be the appropriate tool for the task at hand. If you are going to cut thick heavy wood nonstop this may not be the right choice and you may want to go with a larger corded model. For most projects, I think that this is a great saw that will tackle common small to medium-sized wood projects.

One of the biggest attractions of the 10″ saws is that they are lighter, more affordable, and easier to move from job to job. Homeowners and contractors typically go for the 10″ saw for those reasons. Having all the necessary features to complete most jobs along with being lightweight and well constructed is very appealing to most. The (single) 18v battery provided power like a corded saw until getting into the really thick material. If you have a second battery on the charger there isn’t much to worry about on the job site. I also like not having to run extension cords. I personally find it easier to just have a second battery charging if doing a big job.

Something many folks do not realize is that Ryobi has 260 ONE+ tools that are all compatible with their Ryobi 18V ONE+ Battery.

Where To Buy The Ryobi PBLMS01B?

The Ryobi 10″ Miter Saw is now available at your local Home Depot, or HomeDepot.com, as a tool only (PBLMS01B) for $349 or can also be purchased as a kit (PBLMS01K) with a 4Ah 18V ONE+ battery and charger for $399. Yes, you can spend more if you need a higher quality saw, but at this price point and with the previously listed features I think that this saw is an excellent option for many homeowners and contractors in an affordable price range.

1 Comment

1. Nate

   August 21, 2023 at 7:43 pm

   Great review! Just picked this saw up after reading and comparing. I’m already committed to Ryobi ecosystem, saw went together easily, only had to adjust the fence slightly to square. They’ve updated the side table design to included threaded holes in the base, instead of separate nuts.

   Reply

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