Hitachi C10FSH 10-Inch Sliding Compound Miter Saw with Laser

List Price: $1,015.00 Discount Price: $379.99

Features:

• Powerful 10-inch sliding dual compound miter saw with adjustable laser marker, electronic speed control, and soft start to reduce noise and recoil
• 12 amp motor; 3,800 rpm; 10 positive stops for quick settings; pivoting fence to support the work piece
• Stainless steel detent plate; carbide blade
• Includes saw, TCT saw blade, 10-millimeter box wrench, dust bag
• 20-3/4 by 41-1/2 by 24-1/4 inches; 43 pounds; 5-year warranty

Accessories:
Hitachi UU610CZ 12' Miter Saw Stand	Rousseau 2875 Miter Saw Stand	AO Safety Fuel High Performance Safety Glasses with Platinum Frame #90988 #909881	Rousseau 2875XL Miter Saw Stand	Hitachi 310878 10-Inch 40 Tooth ATB General Purpose Saw Blade with 5/8-Inch Arbor

Customer Reviews:

woodworker [Posted on 2008-02-14]
I am happy with the saw. It runs well and cuts acurately. As far the finish it has a rough spot on the base but not really anything to complain about.

I am in agreement with many that rated the saw in the view that the laser is worthless. It needs to be on when the saw is cutting and it dosent and it needs to indicate the side of the blade (Preferebly the left side of the blade for me) and the best I could adjust it was the right hand side of the blade or the center of the blade. It wouldnt adjust far enough to the left to show the left side of the blade.

The way the motor is arranged it apperars to be belt driven which is a plus.

I really like the saw and would buy another one but not the laser option.

PHM

First impressions [Posted on 2008-04-16]
I can't speak to longevity as I just installed this saw. However, I can say it cuts very accurately and cleanly with the blade provided. The sliding action is important to me as the saw replaces a radial arm and this allows a wider cut. I added the right side fence and believe it will be very useful. The only complaint I have is the thumb safety button is not well located for my use. I like the fact that you move the cutting blade from front to rear which is the opposite of the action of a typical radial arm saw.

Reccomended, but here are the flaws: [Posted on 2008-04-18]
I've been trimming custom homes with this saw for several years and I'm generally happy with it. It is powerful without being a brute (think: Dewalt) and simple enough to let you do the thinking (contrast: Bosch). However, there are several flaws that I have noticed, probably irrelevant for the homeowner but important for the finish carpenter who needs dependability and precision from their saw.

The most glaring flaw is the denet mechanism, which consists of a STEEL pin (probably costs $3 to replace) which fits into the ALUMINUM denets that are cut into the underside of the main table (a couple hundred to replace). Obviously the aluminum wears out faster than the steel, creating slop in the denets and thereby rendering them useless. Mine became problematic after about a year of use (I could have been gentler with it).

A second and related problem concerns the fence. Because there isn't an adjustable denet plate (as with the Dewalt), the only way to ensure that your 0 degree denet puts the blade at a 90 degree angle to the fence is to adjust the fence itself, which is a huge headache. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that there are actually two fences, left and right, which aren't connected, so you have to do this adjustment twice. The Dewalt system is much easier to adjust. (That's not an endorsement of the Dewalt, which is an inaccurate brute suitable only for framing or trimming track homes.)

Another problem with the fence is that it warps easily - especially the one on the right side which is secured to the table by two bolts far to the right side of the fence itself, leaving the part closer to the blade unsupported. The result is that if your material ever binds up against the blade (admit it, it happens) you wind up with a banana shaped fence, which of course renders the thing useless. I've taken to carrying around replacements and find that I need one every six months or so.

The left side of the fence has another sort of problem:
if you forget to flip the adjustable fence out of the way when the bevel is set around 22 degrees left, there's nothing to stop you from cutting into the fence itself - not a tragedy, but you'll ruin your blade (don't ask how I know). The saw would benefit from some idiot-proofing here. Really though, I probably know ten guys with this saw and every one of them has done this.

Less important but also noteworthy is the lack of a second laser for the other side of the kerf mark, and the tendency of the single laser to break - not surprising, but annoying and prohibitively expensive to replace.

I don't mean this to be a negative review - I'm about to buy another C10FSH to replace the worn one that I've got - but the saw's good points are obvious while these flaws don't tend to make themselves felt until you've had the saw a while. Overall this is the best saw in its price range for high quality finish work.

Would buy again [Posted on 2008-04-29]
I've owned this saw for over 2 years and use it almost daily. It works great, I'm glad I bought it. The long throw makes building bookcases and other shallow cabinets easier.

I have 3 complaints though: 1) The handle is vertical, not horizontal, and is for right-handed use (its difficult to use the trigger release with the left hand); 2) This saw is screaming for a dual laser setup and I have yet to find one (haven't looked recently though); & 3) Its extremely difficult to set it up for a perfect cut, especially at the far end of it slide (but that is a common complaint for sliding miter saws).

But none of these are deal-breakers for me and I would buy it again.

Just Reviewed In Woodworker's Journal JUne 2008 Edition [Posted on 2008-04-30]
Woodworker's Journal (part of Rockler) evaluated six 10" Dual Bevel Sliding Miter Saws in the June 2008 issue. The top rated by a good bit was a Festool saw. Festool is European in origin and a VERY good saw. However it costs more than three times as much as this one.

The reviewer says if you are gifted in the money department, buy the Festool because it excels in every test done. Kind of expected for the Germans...

This saw came in third and the separation between number two, a Makita, and this one is minimal. For the price and it's accuracy in cutting it will be a very good buy for yawl looking for a new chop saw...

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