Hi all,
I would appreciate some help choosing a new sliding miter saw.
I am considering the 10” or 12” Bosch (recently reviewed by FWW) or the Hitachi 12” with the LCD Display (not reviewed). My wife works for Hitachi so I can pick up the Hitachi for the same price as the Bosch.
The Hitachi is very compact and has some nice bells and whistles. The compact size makes it very attractive for my small shop.
Some feed back would be helpful. Also I noted that the 10” Bosch has a no load rpm of 4800 and the 12” Bosch has a no load rpm of 3800. Curious, does that have anything to do with blade size?
Thanks for you help and input.
Jay
FYI, I’m not a pro, just build like one :).
Replies
I have the Bosch 4410 aned have been using it for a few years now ans till love it. Very accurate, no muss, no fuss, just cut wood the way I want it.
I have reviews (photos and more details) of the Bosch and the Hitachi at the link below, scroll down to Miter Saws.
http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/index.html
Tom Hintz
Because there is always more to learn!
If my wife worked for Hitachi, and could get a good deal on price, I wouldn't hesitate.
From my personal experience, and from what I read here (and at BT), the 3 best saws in this category are Hitachi, Bosch, and Makita.
I think you would do well with any of them, and I would say you can safely pick among them based on the features you like.
********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
I bought the Makita, and while others have had a good experience, I must say that I have been dissappointed. I can't keep it square, and the presets for compound cuts frequently vibrate free and move just enough to the point where I'm constantly checking them. I received very little help from Makita. You won't believe this, as I wouldn't expect you to, but when I called and complained about the fence not being capable of being square to the blade on BOTH sides of the blade ( it's not 180°) the guy at customer service actually told me to remove the fence, and step on it to bend it a little. (It's the aluminum one with the semicircle where the blade is.) I really wished I had bought the Bosch OR Hitachi instead.
Jeff
Which one is it? The 1013?If it is, I can tell you that the fence is a little more fragile than I think it should be. That is, I built a large porch a couple of years ago, using this saw for the framing, and everything else. When it came back to my shop to resume cabinet making duties, I noticed the saw was not cutting very accurately. I fiddled with the fence, and despite my best efforts, I couldn't get the thing to cut square.So I took it over to Makita, and right there on the counter, the guy told me the fence was bent -- not much, but enough. Had to buy a new fence.The moral of the story is that this SCMS in particular is not well suited to the rigors of job site work -- being loaded in and out of the truck, trying to cut long 2 x 12's etc. I complained about this problem at BT and many replied that none of the SCMS stand up very well (in terms of extreme accuracy) to the rigors of framing -- but the Bosch saws seem to be better than most.I now have two of these, , and for me, if you're careful about not banging the fence around, they do a great job of maintaining accuracy. But nonetheless, I "tune" the fences about every six months or so -- which takes maybe 5 minutes. By compound cuts, I assume you are talking about actually tilting the saw one way or the other (from the back of the saw). If that is the case, look in the manual, and you will find instructions for readjusting the mechanism that holds the angle. Mine fell out of whack (again, after that framing gig), but it has worked fine since I adjusted it. FWIW, when I bought a second SCMS, I actually bought the Hitachi. It was a fine saw, but I did not like the fact that the mitre cutting guage was out front. Every single time I used it, I had to bend down and blow the scale clean. So I took it back, and got a second Makita. I didn't even consider the Bosch, since I had heard just enough complaining from the high end trim carps at BT about accuracy, that it didn't seem like a good bet for me. Nearly all of those guys swear by the Hitachi or the Makita.Finally, as for that bent fence on your Makita, I would just spring for a new one. I am an incompetent machinist, so I didn't even consider trying to straighten out the one I had. But I think you are way more skilled than I in that regard, so you might give it a try.********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
Well, it's good to know that the other two have had their share of complaints, in a way. I've always felt that I made the inferior choice.
What I meant by the compound cut issue was not that I couldn't get it tuned, as that's easy to do. My problem is that the preset bolt/nut settings consistantly come loose from vibration, or expansion or contraction of the aluminum housing due to temperature change. I tried loctite, which held the bolt/nut settings, but then the cold weather would cause a change as well. I've just gotten used to re-setting everything after I move it out of the shop before using it.
I must confess that I do not use it all the time anymore. As my cabinet/furniture making business has grown, my remodeling business has waned (intentionally.) Everytime I need to cut crown for cabinets, I always make a zero clearance fence to hold the crown in place (I call it idiot proofing crown moulding) in the saw. So, I'm not effected by the bent fence any longer.
Oh, and as far as my machining abilities go, you're definately talking to the wrong guy there! I own 2 welders for, what I call, chop shop repair work only. Hah! Get er' done, and get er' back to work!
See ya.
Jeff
I am not a tool nut, and haven't used a lot of different saws (I have owned and used probably 8 different power mitre saws), but from my experience, I think your case is a little bizarre.
If your fence is not straight now, was it straight to begin with? The thing that causes them to bend is usually the operator cutting boards that slam into the fence when cut. Any saw fence will bend if this happens. Why don't you buy a new fence if you can't straighten it?
Do you move your saw around? Be careful with it. They are delicate if you want them to be accurate.
When I bought mine, it took a bit of tweaking to set the fence perfectly straight and square, but it is an amazingly accurate saw and I think has the best blade available.
Other good carpenters who have them have said the same.
Hal
http://www.rivercitywoodworks.com
Edited 12/3/2006 3:12 pm ET by Hal J
The Hitachi is a very good saw, I use one nearly every day, but it is the 10 inch Hitachi saw that we have in the shop. I own an older 8 1/2 inch Hitachi as my job site saw - I'm on my second one since 1993 and if it went today I would buy a third. It carries easier that the 10 inch Bosch, holds its accuracy, and the choice of blades is good. I bought the 10 inch Bosch 3 years ago for my shop at home because it came at a great price, less than half of what Amazon was asking at the time. I have been happy with its accuracy and durability. However, it is a very heavy saw and not easy to carry, just isn't a good way to keep it from bumping into things as you carry it. It is now mounted in its own station and doesn't move. One of the guys at work has the 14 inch Hitachi CMS. That thing is outstanding for accuracy.
I purchased a Hitachi 10" SCMS several years ago when they introduced the Laser light for $239 clearance at Lowe's. Does everything I want it to do and has taken all cross-cut duty away from my TS allowing me to keep a 24 tooth rip blade on her dedicated for just that.
That said, just the other day I was cross-cutting some 4 1/8" x 4 1/8" oak table legs to length. The 10" left about .006 un-cut at the bottom. Not a major problem that a bench chisel didn't remedy quickly, but one occasion that I wish I had the Hitachi 12" instead. I have no interest in laser lights but that extra depth of cut will always find you if you hang around long enough. :>)
You're wife works for Hitachi.. I know what I would do!
Regards...
SARGE..
Edited 12/2/2006 12:03 am ET by SARGEgrinder47
Re blade size saws work on rim speed or surface feet per minute a larger blade will run at slower RPM for the equivalent tip speed I have a 10inch HITACHI CPSMS would recomend it without hesistation
You can make it fool proof but not idiot proof
Jay: Go with the Hitachi 12" with the laser and get a thin-kerf blade. I have been using this saw for a year and it is simply uncanny, accuracy and fit/finish. Be sure to use a decent dust collection (vacuum) system and set it up properly when you get it. I believe Hitachi invented the SCMS but yes, the Makita is also good. But if your wife works for them, what's the holdup! Man, I'd have one in a heartbeat. Read the manual FIRST before even pulling the trigger. You'll be very happy with it.
I agree and disagree with waljay. He is absolutely right about getting a 12". Where I diasagree could simply be a matter of personal use. I would not get a thin kerf for my SCMS. You will find that the blade is much more stable with the full" kerf. Personally, I like and use the Forrest Chopmaster http://www.forrestsawbladesonline.com/category_4_Chopmaster.html it is a 1/8" blade and crosscuts to a mirrow cut in most cases. It is pricey, but IMHO well worth the price.
I do use a thin kerf on my TS.
Good luck!!!
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