Miter Saws Reviews

Love the saw, although it is too heavy to carry from job to job. My problem is that when I put a high quality 100 tooth blade on the saw, such as a CMT blade, the saw head will not retract to the upright position. The spring seems very weak. I have tried two of these saws and have had the same problem with both. Am I the only one with this problem?

The saw's operation is exactly what you'd expect for something in this price range. I was comparing the Hitachi with the ever-popular DeWalt DW708. Since they were sitting side by side in the store, I figured I'd be able to easily make a decision. Wrong!

Pros:
Clean cuts. Smooth rail action. Good fine tuning of the miter & bevel adjustment. Relatively thin laser line. Easy laser adjustment. Good positive stops on standard angle settings.

Cons:
1) The space-saving statement by Hitachi is misleading. Even though the rails don't protrude out the back, the rest of the machine behind the blade is so bulky that it ends up being a wash. 2) No soft startup like Hitachi's smaller saws. Like the DeWalt, the Hitachi jumps when you pull the trigger. I don't know why they don't make this a standard feature on the larger saws. 3) The angle & bevel gauge, while not completely a gimmick, would have benefited from an extra decimal place. There's a lot of distance between, say, 10 and 10.5 degrees.

Conclusion:
It's a chopsaw, and does a chopsaw's job well. Given that lasers are sprouting on more and more saws these days, the digital gauge is the only significant feature that differentiates this saw from the rest. The gauge's lack of super-fine accuracy doesn't make it a must-have feature. But considering the saw is at the same price point with other saws without the bells & whistles, it doesn't hurt to have them. That's why I bought it. And as far as the others' complaints about the saw's design, just look at the other tool manufacturers. Hitachi's not alone; everyone's trying to make their tools more trendy. Personally, I couldn't care less if it looks like a steroid-induced ninja turtle, as long as it does its job.

There has never been, to this date, a saw that comes close to this saw. Say what you want, but I've been in this business a longtime and I build custom cabinets, stairways, mantles and anything else you can imagine. I would not buy anything else. I have another review about another saw I tried for three days before buying this saw and I returned it to the store. If you notice, this saw is not in stock for the simple fact that, this saw became so popular that Hitachi can't handle the demand, I had to drive 150 miles to get mine and I'm definitley not sorry. So, to put an end to this, just try it, if you don't like it, I'm sure the store will take it back, if you have your receipt. May God bless.

This mitre saw has made all my home improvement & wood projects so much easier. There's nothing worse than needing a 45 degree angle and having to use a mitre box. It's tedious and it takes so much time. This mitre saw is great. I really the the D shaped handle, it makes using the saw so much easier. The dust bag doesn't really collect much sawdust but that's not too much of a big deal for me. If you're looking for an inexpensive mitre saw, this one is the one you want!

I'm a part time carpenter whose built a few houses and used several brands of miter saws. Bought this one on recommendation of trim carpenter pal and couldn't be happier. Wife and some friends helped me build a backyard deck this past weekend and all raved about the saw. Soft start feature was a big hit and the controls are easy to figure out to anyone familiar with a miter saw. Big work surface is great as big as most 12" miters.

We used a lot of 45 degree miter cuts on railings and benches and it cut 4x4s and 2x6 with ease also easily handled some complex compound miters where the bench backs joined. Am now actually looking forward to a crown molding project this fall. Although I bought this for my own use, the saw is well built so I wouldn't have any reservations about taking it to a job site.

I bought my ls1011 in 1994 and have used it almost daily since. Along with my portaplane I value it as indispensable to finish work. It is versatile and most importantly, light. A tough, reliable tool. However did I manage without it?
Downside; The bushing rings between the table and base are a constant problem, wearing out very quickly with daily use. Also I have noticed time and again that even with a brand new 60 tooth Marathon blade, on a 45 degree compound cut the blade seems to "bend" slightly, even through soft woods. A problem with the blade or arm stability?
All things considered, I'm ready to buy another.

I have been happy with this machine. It seems well-built and accurate. It's easy enough to adjust the head for the work. It's been doing good work for me on a bunch of fine, compound miter work. The single hold-down seems to work well, but I wish I had a second so I didn't need to keep moving it L-to-R.

If you are doing any fine work, I'd suggest you replace the blade with something a little stiffer. The factory blade is very thin kerf. I think it'd be fine for framing, but not for the precise woodwork that I am doing with it. When I use the machine for rough carpentry, I'll swap the OEM blade back in.

There is a little wobble in the head. Since this is my first power miter saw, I'm not sure if this is a typical problem or not. But careful usage seems to not cause a problem, that is, push down, not sideways.

As appears with most machines, dust collection seems to be a problem, even with an attached shop-vac.

It checked out square out of the box. Though there is a fence adjustment that doesn't seem to be covered at all in the instruction manual. This is more a curiousity than a problem, as it seems straight-forward should you ever need to re-zero it.

If you are left-handed, I think you will find it a little awkward, as the trigger safety sets so it's under you thumb if you use your right hand. When I tried switch hitting for a cut on the right side of the table, I found it cumbersome.

I've listed all the negatives, but in general, it seems a solid machine and would buy it again. I've had other Hitachi equipment for 17 years and it's worked well, they just don't advertise much, but make good stuff. It came recommended by a friend that evaluates tools for a profession.

I have a friend who is a carpenter by trade. He took me through a tool store pointing out all the tools I should get for the shop I was setting up now that I have my first house. He suggested that I get a sliding miter saw but the price was a little steep. I decided to get a standard compound and since he spoke highly of Hitachi I was drawn to this saw due to it's relatively low price and quality build. Set up was minimal and I did a few practice cuts at different angles and then started working on the molding in my infant son's room. It's not easy to get a good joint but I can't blame the saw since our walls wave all over. My only real complaint is that when you tilt the blade off of vertical the motor cover interferes with the hold down clamp if you have it on the left side. I plan to get the optional wings since cutting the end of a 2x4 is a pain unless someone is holding the other end.

The things that are important on this saw are great,degree/stops are right on , sturdy table, powerful and smooth motor. Ido have a few complaints; 1) No extension wings included... 2)Thin,brittle red plastic throat plate shattered after a few uses (withfactory blade). 3) they used an overly long and slender handle fortable adjustment- seems easy to bump and appears it would snap off ifyou bumped it hard.(Not what you would expect from a saw that isdesigned for transport to the job site). Overall I still think it's agreat saw , and for the price I'm willing to put up with a few minorshort comings.

I do quite a bit of cabinetry and use this saw extensively. I bought the C12LCH to replace the DeWalt 708 which was had a major quality issue. I am very pleased with the saws accuracy. I would extremely recommend buying a top quality blade. The blade that came with it is unsuitable for cabinetry but would be fine for rough work. The blade had quite a bit of deflection. When I put my forrest blade in the saw, deflection was not an issue. Love the laser, used to think of them as a gimicky thing, but it's not, it saves work and is actually more accurate then drawing a line and matching up with the tooth of the blade. Here's why. When you measure a board, make a mark and then use a square to draw a line accross the board, there is more potential for error. First, if your square isn't perfectly square, the line will be off to some degree. Secondly, when you make a mark, and then line up the sqaure, the line you draw may be off even slightly from the mark you made. These two things can compound the error, whereas with the laser, you make your mark and line it up with the laser and that's it. Two fewer steps to where error can occur.
On with the rest of the review. The fence system is easy to square up to the blade and the detents were true. Love the lcd readout aswell. The negatives are as follows: As was stated, you loose the laser line when cutting the wood, and it would have been nice to have two sides for the laser. There are a couple of other things i found annoying as well. The surface is somewhat slippery, and the motor creates a big vibration upon startup, making it difficult to keep the wood from sliding. Maybe this is general to all of these saws and i may just not have noticed it with the 708 because of no laser. Lastly, the plastic middle pieces on the saw bed are annoying, they are too large. It is difficult to cut smaller pieces of wood, because there is less steel to butt the wood up against, and you can't rely on the plastic inserts for a flat rliable surface. Other then this, I am very satisfied with the saw. One last note, due to all the complaints about shipping, i had mine next day delivered. It came in good condition

I ordered this saw as a gift for my husband, He was really happy with the condition it arrived in and also the order was here in less than a week. He is really pleased with the laser on the saw and as of 3 months, he has no problems or complaints. He is a woodworker, and has made many of our own and our childrens furniture in our homes. One question, if some one could reply and let us know, We were to receive a free brad nailer with our purchase, and have not yet gotten it. It has been 12 weeks. Did any one else buy at this same time and also send for the free nailer? we sure would like to know the time line on the free gift. Thank you. Gloria Montgomery. Pennsylvania

I purchased this with the intent to use it in my wood shop and to do the house repairs. I was surprised how easy it was to setup and get going without any adustments. I think the dust collection is a little skimpy and caused some issues in connecting to my dust collection system. The blade needs to be changed to a finer cut (higher tooth count). The saw is powerful and has good capacity.

Because I ordered this item thru Amazon, I have not received it, nor am I optimistic about getting it any time soon. I'm concerned that it will not be delivered in nice shape, i.e. damaged. As were my previous deliveries, read on-

I ordered $1,000.00 in high end tools, including a tablesaw fence that arrived in TERRIBLE condition, i.e ripped entirely open with scattered and broken parts. The exposed pieces, now in two half boxes was set on my porch in the rainy weather.

It is convienient that Amazon lists no phone numbers on thier Web sites, making them unavailable for service.

I have wanted this product for some time now, and now that I am able to get it, I realize that I should have ordered it factory direct. At least they would be available and accountable to the promptness and condition of delivery.

I'm sure I will like my new Nucraft Router Table. I just hope Amazon doesn't ruin the anticipation and quality of this product.

Problem: Cast Iron insert for the P/C 3.25hp router. The plastic insert sags under the strain. I saw the devise, when I bought the "SLAB." Now, I can't find it. Need more info?

Bill

Unfortunately, this product has been MIA for over one year. I wholeheartedly agree with the other reviews that sing the praises of this product. The weight provides a stable, warp free surface that's big enough to handle panels for cabinet doors. Please take to time to review this review! It would be great to see this product available again on Amazon.

Dear editors: please add the following to the review of the HD2950 that i submitted just a couple of hours ago:

I called Rousseau's toll free number and they are sending me new wheels free of charge. Their customer service was friendly, prompt, and intelligent... perfect.

This brings the stand up to 4 or 4.5 stars in my opinion... to make it up to 5 they would need to make it easier to work with while folded up -- as another reviewer said, the attachments for the T-stands stick out a lot and there's no easy place to stow the T's themselves. But in actual use I love this stand and it's always worth the setup time to use it rather than going back to repetitive measured cutoffs with a skilsaw.

The stand as in other reviews stated is a little hard to move around. I too had the misfortune of dealing with repeatedly flat tires at my job but a few minutes of research online led me to a review here on amazon, and after a quick call to the company, they sent out a pair of new and improved tires with tubes, and we havent had problems since. Its rare that you find a company that stands behind their products, so I just wanted to take the time and convey my appreciation to them here. Thanks!!!

Ok, first let me say that I love Rousseau products and have purchased the PM2700XL 3 piece table saw system to support my new Makita 2703. Everything is as it should be, solid, refined and painstakingly well designed. This miter stand is next on my wish list.
I also have a cheap as dirt two-wheeler that I use daily at work. It features the same tubeless inflatible tires as this Rousseau stand (although not as nice). Well, I had a huge piece of furniture that wouldn't sit on the two-wheeler and fit under a doorway the other day. I thought I was being brilliant by letting enough air out of the tires to lower the thing, when 'poof' they both unseated as I hit the transom on my way through the door. My employer looked at me as if to say "you idiot" when I turned the situation into a positive display of McGyver-esqe ingenuity and regained some credibilty with him...... here is what to do:
Moisten the sidewall bead area with some water and make sure both the tire and rim are free of dirt. Take a piece of standard clothesline and tie a loop in one end and pass the other end through it to fashion a large slip-knot. If you're not handy with rope use a ratchet strap, or an old leather belt with a loop buckle. Wrap it around the centerline of the tire's tread. Cinch the rope (ratchet the strap, tighten the belt) back tightly to compress the treads in towards the center of the tire evenly. You may need someone to hold the tire for you to keep it from turning, I just used my knee. This will force the sidewalls of the tire outward and into contact with the rim. At this point, just about anything that blows air will inflate and reseat your tires. I used a Campbell-Hausfeld battery powered compressor and it did just fine. Using this technique a bicycle hand pump would probably do equally well.
Good luck and check your tire pressure frequently.

I drove a 2 hour round trip to get this saw and now will drive another 2 hour round trip to return it! The saw is advertised as being able to cut 4x4s (nominal) at 0 degrees. It WON'T because of a poorly designed blade guard that hits the wood before the blade ever gets near it. It is also advertised as including the extensions and stop as standard equipment (even on Hitachis own "sell sheet") but it doesn't. The extensions and stop are optional. Apparently Hitachi knows about these problems, but doesn't care and won't fix them. Their reaction was "Sorry." I could almost hear the guy shrug and roll his eyes over the phone. Fortunately I saw another reviewer's comment on the blade guard thing after I bought the saw (but before I unpacked it) and was able to check it out myself before completely setting up the saw. It went right back in the box. Speaking of the box, if you insist on buying one of these saws, you had better check it out before you leave the store as the packaging does little to protect it from damage in shipping.

I've used this saw for about six months now and was happy with it initially. The saw is accurate and easy to use.

My problem is with the blade brake which began failing after about three months. The problem seems to be related to the trigger switch because I can sometimes get the blade brake to work by clicking the trigger once or twice. I've contacted Hitachi but haven't heard anything back yet. Hopefully, they'll step up and fix the problem in some way other than asking me to send the saw to them for a month or so to get it fixed.

The second issue is a feature that's missing. The saw only tilts one way. When doing crown molding, it's very convenient to have a saw that tilts both ways, rather than having to move the molding to the other side of the saw. Delta has a saw that is just a bit more expensive than this Hatichi which offers dual tilt - If you're looking for a saw now, I'd recommend the Delta over this Hitachi.

You have here a top rated saw by Consumer Reports . That's why I bought it. After using it over a year, I agree with them. As a contractor- I throw it in the truck and haul it all about. This saw has light weight but strength. The stop positions are very positive, much better than the Makita or the Delta saws I own. I use this saw to cut framing and do fine moulding. You will love this saw!

I look at this fence and I am kind of baffled at why such a poor system of setting the tapes was chosen (there is an independent slippery segment every 16 inches). The tapes are Mylar or something similar with a little translucent window you're supposed to use to align a succeeding segment with a previous one. Wow, you can futz with it for 20 minutes. Then it moves but you don't know it. INCRA says you can tape the segments together, once aligned. The problem is, it buckles the tape and still moves and you don't see that either till you have ruined a cut. Is this feeble setup really from INCRA? Why not one 32 inch segment?? It really is comical. Periodically, through the day, you must re-check zero. Then, if you have to adjust (and you will), you also must adjust every segment. WHAT? What's next? Well, how about that for the slide out (telescoping) arm they INVERT a left hand tape!!! For goodness sake, why not use a right hand tape so you don't have to read it upside down?? For angle precision I give it 5 stars. For setting up cuts to length, I give it ZERO. Since I can't score the average of 2.5, I'll just give INCRA a half point and rate the whole thing a 3. No, I forgot the amateurish micro-adjustment on the flip stop. I'm coming down to 2 stars from 2.5 instead of rounding up. The funny thing about these two issues is both are highly visible, one or the other affects EVERY cut and would be EASY to rectify. WHY does a manufacturer run so strong and then peter out when it counts on things so cheap and easy to avoid?

The tool does perform flawlessly as promised initially. However, this depends on how long and how often you use for various mitering angles - the pivot hole of the stamped plate will wear out quickly against the pivot pin. When you get large play and the miter gauge will be no longer accurate. I think this is a design flaw for being made cheap.

I have been using the Incra 3000/27 Miter Gauge for probably about a year now and have never looked back. Contrary to an earlier review I have never had any probalems with the backet that mounts the fence to the miter gauge. I have used the miter at zero degrees, 90-degrees and just about every degree in between. I particulary like the stops mounted on the fence which come in very handy when cutting multiple pieces at the same length. One small hit would have to be the scale on the fence...pretty half-hearted attempt in my oppinion. I find that I never use the scale to setup cuts because it is such a poor excuse. Other than the scale I have nothing bad to say about this miter gauge. The angles, which can be set to the 1/2-degree, are dead on as best I can tell. I even used the miter gauge to set a bevel angle for the saw blade. I needed to set the blade at an uncommon angle and didn't have anything at the time to measure the angle. So I simply squared the blade to the table, set the Incra 3000/27 to the needed angle then cut a scrap piece of 2x4 to the needed angle. I was then able to use the mitered scrap piece to set the saw blade bevel. I can also say the aluminum fence cuts very nicely as well....as I have accidently run it into the saw blade a couple of times after changing angles...ooops.

I would definitly buy this product again.

This saw cannot be adjusted to cut accurate 45 degree angle cuts.
When its on at 90 degrees and then shifted to the 45 degree slot , it will be cutting a 44 or 43.5 degree cuts.I could not get it to cut accurately.It was necessary to make many cuts to get an acceptable joint.Would not recommend this saw to to anyone.I went through the adjustment procedure two times to make sure I wasn,t making any mistakes.

I spend several days reading reviews, checking prices, and handling saws at local stores before buying this one. No buyer's regret at all.

The saw is packaged well and came out of a beat-up box with no problems. Set up was easy and simple. And you can actually read the manual! My saw required one adjustment (setting the 0 degree bevel stop), which was well documented in the manual. It cuts well, and miter joints fit together with just barely a line. The saw is also very light, so you can actually pick it up and move it if you need/want to. In addition, it comes with a great blade. It is actually a real miter saw blade (ATB with a slight negative hook angle) rather than a general-purpose cheapie. The switch is comfortable and right where you expect it to be, and doesn't have the sharp ridges that I found on the Ryobi and DeWalt saws. It also leaves off the 'rookie trigger' safety switch that the Ridgid has, which I abhor. My only gripe is the clunky system for locking the miter angle, which Delta has stuck with while other makes have gone to more positive systems.

I too did extensive reading/searching and decided on the 36-085 predicated on features and cost. Motor in back with belt drive means motor is out of way for blade to cut thru a 4x4. More than enough power (15a, ~2.3hp, 5200rpm). Lightweight for portability means saw can move a bit with arm movement. I mounted mine to a plywood base. The supports are level with the table - not sure why other reviewer would keep a new "bent" saw. Adjustments do require allen wrenches (not supplied)- no big deal. Blade is fine - different blades for different applications. Got mine at Home Depot for $... + tax.

I have not yet even opened the crate as I have been traveling and extremely busy.

This stand is sturdy and well made. The finish is excellent and it is simple to put together, since most of it is already assembled. You only need to add the legs and wheels. But most important is how easy it works. From fully folded to fully open (or vice-versa) in just a couple of seconds. It folds up like an ironing board, only easier. It takes longer to retract and store the extension arms than to fold the stand. It rolls easily, whether open or closed, so if you only need to move it a short distance there is no need to fold it up. Once folded and stood on end it is well balanced and there is no danger of it tipping over.
I agree with Victor H. Agresti "remodeling-guy" (another reviewer) on the direction the axle bolts should go through the wheels, and assembled mine from the outside of the wheels with the threaded end on the inside of the frame. This is opposite from Delta's instructions, but prevents the threaded end from projecting beyond the wheels and catching on a door facing.

I was originally going to buy Bosch's miter saw stand but was glad I didn't. I decided that I didn't want to be fumbling with legs of a sawhorse, which the Bosch stand basicly is. I also considered Ridgid's stand but didn't like the multiple steps that were required to set it up (not that there was too much involved).

The Delta 36-136 stand sets up easily with a tug with the help of a pneumatic shock. Loosen 2 knobs to extend the support wings and raise the rollers to the desired height. It's simple and it works. The wheels make moving it simple; I usually work in the driveway to avoid sweeping out the garage. The fact that it stores upright and has a small footprint was a big deal to me since I have a 1 car garage that I like to park in.

My only regret is that if the wheels were slightly larger diameter, it would be easier to get up and down steps, but it's a negligible complaint.