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Back to the set up. After I was done putting the saw together and making the necessary adjustments I thought I lucked out and got a mint saw with no damage. I figured with something of this size I would get a box inside a box. more.
I will be installing a new deck this summer but I can not comment on larger cuts with different wood as I have not done any jobs of that nature yet. If you don't mind taking a risk of getting damaged goods, you may make out all right. Also worth mentioning that the box it came in is the same box you would see in Lowes. I went back to the box and noticed the black safety release button was at the bottom of the box along with one piece of the green plastic housing. 1) The Hitachi I am reviewing by far was the best bang for your buck at 420 dollars and free shipping (arrived in 2 days), (same saw at Lowes is 580) and 2) I figured there was a high risk of receiving damaged goods after reading hundreds of reviews of various items similar in size from Amazon.
Now for the the review of the functionality of the saw. The laser was right on, both 45 degree cuts using the left and right bevel along with 45 degree miter cuts were perfect out of the box. I went with option two, and although it's far from perfect appearance, the safety release now functions appropriately. There was nothing else for added protection. Keep in mind there is a small clear plastic pin in the plastic housing which is exposed and seemed to work properly.
At this point I was presented with 2 options. After a lot of research when it came to purchasing a miter saw I came up with two conclusions. I put up window trim in my house along with baseboard trim and the angled cuts were dead on. The stocked blade cut through window trim and baseboard like butter leaving no cut marks what so ever.
Overall the functionality of this saw is amazing and I strongly recommend this saw to anyone whether it be a starter or experienced carpenter. This saw can do it all. Either way if you get an undamaged saw, you will not be disappointed.
When I hooked the saw up and went for the first rip I noticed the plastic housing to the safety switch was cracked and the black button which goes into the housing to release the safety was missing. I hope this review helps. The black safety release button presses against the clear plastic pin which releases the safety.
1) Send this 45 plus pound saw back and take the risk of getting a more damaged saw in return, or 2) make good with what I had which would include some super glue and McGiver like adjustments. If you don't want to the risk, you can always go to Lowes and pay [.]. Good luck to all.
If you have the cash, buy it. Both saws are awesome. You will NOT regret it. Had the C12 first, but then realized I needed something to cut wider boards. Happy to say the bookshelf is even, sturdy, and perfectly level because of the precision of this instrument (and I mean instrument, not just tool). This saw is hands down awesome. I didn't feel comfortable with those, but that's not to say others wouldn't mind them.
It slides like butter and the vertical handle, while a little awkward for pure chop saw cuts, makes the sliding motion even smoother. Bought this saw to make a platform for my shed with planks. The included blade is not bad. I think that's a minor trade-off for this saw anyway.
I have this saw and an Hitachi C12FDH. I do, however, know that this saw was definitely worth the money for me. I also used it to build a bookshelf (about 11 inch wide boards). I've built other things with it, but I'm sure you get the picture. That's a wash with other saws anyway since they all seem to come with not so great blades that you're better off replacing. But I didn't try that so I can't deduct stars for that. Flipping the boards over on the C12 didn't do it for me. By the way, I kept the C12 because the C10, being a 10 inch saw, has difficulty with 4 X 4 posts.
But you will want a better blade for more precision cuts. I was tempted to buy a cheaper saw, thinking that I might not use this often. If you need something for those posts, you may be able to use this saw if you raise it on the tabletop with a piece of wood. Still 5 stars.
I researched compound miter saws for one to use in building furniture in my home shop and had pretty much narrowed it down to this Hitachi and a Bosch with similar features. This saw seems a little heavy to be wagging around to job sites but since I will be permanently mounting it on a bench in my shop the weight is actually a plus to me. I checked with my son and some of his co-workers at a nationally known custom mill shop in Memphis and they said the Hitachi is a top of the line slider. It was also a little less expensive than the Bosch. It's easy to set up and the stops and the laser are easy to adjust. Fed Ex got it hear ahead of schedule and in perfect condition.
This saw cuts absolutely great, which is the most important thing. Another minor improvement would be in the back fence, the left side has a flip out upper portion that makes the fence quite high on that side, the right side does not have this and is very low, too low to do crown molding. Good power, it has no trouble with 4x8 lumber or 2" thick oak.The only major thing I don't like, and I really don't like it, is the vertical handle.
For anyone who is thinking about a higher end vs a lower end saw, the belt drives on the higher end ones make a huge difference in smoothness over the direct drive in most of the lower end saws. My bench is just above waist level, and this places the saw too high to use easily. Alignment was perfect out of the box, travel is smooth, and there is very little play in the blade arbor, slide, or the pivot.
It is difficult to grab up top unless I am well above the saw, and fairly difficult to hold as I make the cut. Laser is fine for rough work, but I mostly ignore it. I use it regularly for cabinetry and trim work, and it makes very near perfect cuts, about as good as my high end tablesaw and a lot quicker.
Horizontal handles are much easier to use, and I am now wishing that I had gone for the Bosch because of it. If the fence were symmetrical, it would help.
This is probably the best 10" miter saw ever made , will last a lifetime if taken care of yet can also take the abuse yet cuts are always lazer clean.I've had mine for almost 15 years and use it constantly.what more can I say. The reference standard miter saw In my Opinion
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