Power Saws Reviews

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 just took delivery of this saw last week. I am disappointed with Jet's quality control and customer service.
I agree with other reviewers, that the mobile base for this saw is totally inadequate, but I also have a few other issues with Jet's quality control. I was just starting to mount the guide rail for the fence to the front rail (big piece of angle iron) of the saw when I discovered that the pre-drilled holes in the front rail were not drilled parallel to the face of the rail. There was a 1/2" difference from the furthest left hole to the furthest right hole in the rail. This made it impossible to align the guide rail parallel with the front edge of the saw. I also noticed a dent and several deep scratches in the guide rail (shipping damage), and that the stick-on measuring tape wasn't pre-installed on the guide rail as is shown in the fence assembly instructions.
Next, the instruction manual for the saw tells you to jam a scrap piece of wood between the saw and the blade to keep it from moving when you tighten the arbor nut. I noticed on my saw that there are flat spots already machined on the arbor shaft to facilitate use of the arbor wrench provided with the saw, but you need two of them, one to hold the arbor shaft and one to tighten the arbor nut.
I put my saw together on a Saturday afternoon, so of course, I had to wait until Monday to call Jet's customer service department. The lady with whom I spoke to at Jet on Monday morning was quite helpful in getting some new parts (guide rail, front rail and an arbor wrench) in the mail to me. I received the replacement guide rail and arbor wrench in the mail on Wednesday (these two parts came from Tennessee) and but I am still waiting for the front rail, which had to come from Washington state.
The replacement guide rail I received looked as if it had been spray painted to cover up scratches it had in it (which I could still see). The finish was very rough and as if they had spray painted it in a dusty environment. The guide rail that came with my saw originally had a very smooth powder coated finish (except in the places that were damaged, of course). I called Jet's Technical Service department this time, because I wanted to ensure that they had sent me the correct guide rail (my original one had seven pre-drilled mounting holes and the replacement only had six). I told the gentleman at Jet about the finish on the replacement part I received and he told me they had switched manufacturers for that particular item and that the replacement guide rail I had received had probably been repaired before it was sent to me, hence the spray painted finish. I explained to him that I paid for a "new" saw and I wanted a "new" guide rail with the proper powder coated finish on it (like the rest of the saw). He said, "OK, but you need to send me back the other two guide rails." I asked him who was going to pay for the shipping, and he told me that I would have to pay to send them back and Jet would pay the shipping to send the second replacement one to me. These things are heavy and would cost me a small fortune to ship. I told him I was not going to pay to shipping, especially when I didn't damage them. I told him I would speak with Customer Relations.
The lady at Customer Relations is sending me another guide rail (although, when I told her about my conversation with the man in their Technical Service department, she also started to tell me I would have to send them the other two rails back at my own expense. After explaining the situation a few times, she finally backed-off from that notion). I asked her to make sure the replacement is inspected prior to mailing and that it be packaged a little better than the last two had been. We'll see.
I am just getting started with woodworking and this was my first major tool purchase. I had been told that Jet was a good product, but after this experience, I think I will be looking to another brand to outfit the rest of my shop.

I order this saw about a month ago, and am very happy with it. When the truck showed up, I had my tractor with loader ready to unload it. Things went smoothly, other than bending my loader forks quite a bit. Brought the saw and related peices into the shop, and started unpacking it.

After a thourough inspection, the only thing I found wrong was that one of the fence faces had the brackets strip out of it. A quick call to Jet, and a new set of fence faces were on their way. I was very pleased with their response to this issue.

Set up was straight forward, but does require some heavy lifting. I found I was able to prop up one side at a time to get the mobile base under it. Once the whole saw is on the mobile base, the base is pretty warped. I only set it on it temporarily until I have the shop layout determined. Once that is done, the saw will come back off the base as it is just not sturdy enough.

Other than that, I assembled everything, wired it up and made a couple of test cuts. The fence was spot on, the blade was perfectly aligned with the miter slots, everything just works.

Over all, I am very impressed with the saw. I would have given it a perfect rating, if it weren't for the cheap mobile base. As I said, this was not a concern to me, but should be pointed out before someone pays extra for it.

I have had my Jet JTAS saw for about 10 years now, right tilt was bought before left was an option, hence the 4 stars n not 5.
I am an amatuer garage woodworker and except for the right tilt
this saw has been a dream come true. After the initial set up, with the original Xacta fence (no micrometer movement)I cut scrap 3/4 Oak into 2" squares n put them into a checkerboard layout with perfect joints right from the git go. Back then it does sound like fit n finish is better than what u get today, but it has always been the center of my garage n a tool I would recomend to anyone.

I got this Milwaukee Router in early 2005, and I love it. I had used a Craftsman router for over 20 years, and when it wore out, I bought a Ryobi router. The height adjustment on Ryobi locked up after a very short period and wouldn't move, so i took it back for a refund and got the Milwaukee. Best router I've ever used. Height adjustment is superb...accurate and easy to use. It's far more solid and well built than any router I've ever used. The only thing I don't like about it is the on/off switch is awkward to reach. (It's located in the middle of the housing, instead of being on the side.) I would greatly prefer this switch to be close to one of the handles so I can turn the router on or off without having to take my hand away from the handle. To me, this is a design flaw. Other than that, I'm extremely pleased with the router.

routers do not have machined subases.miter saw tables and table saws do.this tool seems fine but its base is not flat.put a straight edge across.the bushing subase is also far from flat.router users should always check the base plate.i have several routers and have gotten pat warner base plates from him.he machines a clear baseplate.you need a flat baseplate to get the best quality dados dovetails etc.i have not used the machine yet till i get my baseplate but the strap definitely feels nice and the fine adjustment is smooth.i am giving 5 stars on comfort of router.i will have it cranking in a week.

As a professional carpenter/business owner I am always buying new tools so I can find the latest and greatest for quality of work, ease of maintenance and for the safety of my guys. The Milwaukee router is an awesome router hands down. I have always been and porter cable guy for routers until I tried my buddies Milwaukee, and needless to say I had to get one. I was a little disappointed however to see that this router did not have a full 5 star rating. I read the review that was rated 1 star and I have to say that his router was put under allot more stress than it was designed for by using panel raising bits. This kind of router is not designed for that kind of use. It puts allot more stress on the router than a "weekend/hobbyist" would. I own three porter cable routers and have since replaced them with the Milwaukee routers due to there ability to take a beating in a trailer, cabinet shop, job site, and even in my own garage. Routers are used for some things and Shapers are used for other things, i.e. raised panel construction.

I bought my dewalt about 2 yrs ago. Having problems with the
motor stops and then I have to tap on it to get it to run.
For the money the quality is not there and I am a big dewalt buyer and fan. Not sure if after I try to get it serviced if I will purchase another dewalt saw or not.

This is my first reciprocating saw and I was not disappointed. I really like the fact that the blade can be used in any position (up, down, left, right) and is very easy to change. The blade quick change system is great and easy to use, just lift the lever and insert the blade. It has a variable speed trigger. The tool is also very comfortable to hold and is not too heavy. It comes with a carrying case that allows you to store the tool with the blade inserted (you don't have to remove it). The case has plenty of room for extra storage.

This saw is great! I got it for my husband for his birthday and he loved it. Great buy.

My favorite tool out of this combo is the 18V drill. It is built to last and has some serious torque to it that comes in handy when you're slamming lag bolts through a 2X4 into concrete! But I also am impressed with all the other tools in the kit. The cordless reciprocating saw sees more action than my plug in saw simply because of the convenience of not having a get-caught-on-everything extention cord getting in my way. The flexible floodlight comes in handy when you need some light but don't have any hands left to hold a flashlight while you're working. It's bright and can be set up in just about any position to illuminate your workspace. The convenience of having a wireless jigsaw comes in quite handy too, especially when you're cutting a lot of angles and curves... There's no wire getting in your cutting path! Now I get to the circular saw... It's got good power to it, but it definitely doesn't see as much action as my plug-in circular saw. Sure it'll cut a 5/8" sheet of plywood, but it splinters the wood and doesn't rip through as fast as a good old plug-in circular saw. If there's something small to cut that doesn't necessarily need a clean cut (free of splinters), then this saw will do, but it simply doesn't cut clean enough for my tastes. Back panels on lower kitchen cabinets could be cut with this saw, but when it comes to making a straight cut at length, you really are better off using a plug-in circular. So if you are looking for a combo kit, I'd recommend getting one with everything this kit has but without the circular saw! Save your money on that portion of the kit and buy a DeWalt plug-in to finish off your combo... Oh, and the 18V battery lasts a good long time and will get you through most projects without a recharge!

My partner and I are very busy general contractors in Los Angeles County, CA. Our company specializes in repair and renovation. Recently we switched from another brand to "test" the Dewalt products. We purchased two box sets. We literally beat the He** out these tools. We abused them. They seemed to enjoy it. The drill damn near broke my wrist when I decided to try it out as a torque wrench. The saw cuts double stack 5/8 ply (thats two sheets) like paper, over and over. The batteries have unbelievable life (we burn them non-stop). No panzy set down, we deliberately drop/toss the tools from the knee. They are professional grade, no-nonsense machines. For dirt loving, lumber chewing contractors or the weekend remodeler, these tools ROCK!

Way to go Dewalt. You've earned our dollars, and more importantly, our respect. Keep em' coming and we promise to beat them up.

My partner and I are very busy general contractors in Los Angeles County, CA. Our company specializes in repair and renovation. Recently we switched from another brand to "test" the Dewalt products. We purchased two box sets. We literally beat the He** out these tools. We abused them. They seemed to enjoy it. The drill damn near broke my wrist when I decided to try it out as a torque wrench. The saw cuts double stack 5/8 ply (thats two sheets) like paper, over and over. The batteries have unbelievable life (we burn them non-stop). No panzy set down, we deliberately drop/toss the tools from the knee. They are professional grade, no-nonsense machines. For dirt loving, lumber chewing contractors or the weekend remodeler, these tools ROCK!

Way to go Dewalt. You've earned our dollars, and more importantly, our respect. Keep em' coming and we promise to beat them up.

power of this saw is very week,it is very importent!
If u dont have secend battery,dont be disapointet if u stop in the midle of your job.It really called "TRIM SAW" for a smal peace of wood! If you tryaing use TRIM SAW to cat wood 2x2, or 2x4 or plywood for longer time ,battery will dead very soon.

I bought this in 2004 as part of the drill/saw kit mainly because I needed another drill. I thought that the saw wouldn' t see much use. Turns out, I use this saw more than I thought I would. I have used it to trim off door bottoms, cut in foundation vents, trim off roof decking, cutting out hvac register vents, corner boards, fence work.....the list goes on. Keep the blade sharp, have a backup battery and go. The safety is a pain, but it does keep you on your toes. Great saw.

I replaced a 'made in china' with this trim saw.
It's a trim saw and does exactly what it's designed to do. i.e. make easy ,quick cuts in cabinetry,plywood,and or up to 2"x3"s
Need a framing saw,buy that.

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.

When received, the air nozzle was broken where it enters the machine.
Sent for another.
Had to take half the machine apart to re-install the new one.
When I did,, I discoverd a kinked air supply tube, obviously at the original assembly.
Sent for another plus a new bellows which was not in good shape.
Replaced everything and now the machine is operating OK.
I was able to do this because I was a toolmaker for fifty years.
Someone without my skills would have been lost and probably sent the machine back.
I think there should be a better QC on the units BEFORE they go out!
Mine would never have supplied any air....
Jerry Glickstein (New York)

I recently bought this saw after a great deal of research. I have been very impressed with the quality of the construction and the amount of power in this tool. The location of the controls and the low vibration level make this saw very easy to use. I have made several mini sculptures requiring compound cuts and I have been amazed at the results. I am very pleased with this saw and would recommend it to anyone from novice to expert. I don't believe anything can be done on a more expensive unit that cannot be done just as well on this unit. You will not be disappointed with this saw!!! Buy one today!!!

I know there are better scroll saws available but ...this is a honey.

You can carry the saw by the handle on the upper arm making it easy to lug around as a portable saw if need be.

The vibration level is quite low. I routinely have a glass of ice tea setting on my home made wooden scroll saw table and there is barely ever a ripple in my tea except when the saw speed is changed either up or down.

I have cut wood from 1/8" to 1 1/2" thick with no problems. I made a jig to saw 1/2" strips of wood and it did a great job. You are not supposed to be able to do this but with this saw and Olsen blades you have a winning combination.

The saw is shipped with a lot of oil or grease on the work table and blade holders and will need a bit of cleaning up before use but it is a fine tool.

I have been a " DeWalt" user for years, and have been happy the entire time. That is until I purchased the 5 peice kit. It was purchased in September of '02 and I have had to replace the entire kit with the exeption of the recip saw. I doubt i will be making any more DeWalt cordless purchases. There ARE better kits at better prices.

Tough call deciding to buy this DeWalt kit. At the time I did not need the reciprocating saw and if another manufacturer offered similar kit with cordless planer in its place then I would have bought the competitor instead. Good thing that it was also possible to purchase a 230V charger. Some things you don't think you will need until you have it, now every item has been used except the in vehicle charger. Tools are stored indoors and when taking tools to a job I would have to assess the job and decide what to bring for the day. Space is limited by a small stationwagon, as up to recently the tools only served for a home enthusiast, now they have to work for a living. Yesterday, didn't think I needed the mains Bosch reciprocating saw so it stayed at home. Trouble was there were wooden rail sleepers to saw up on site. None of the blades from the DeWalt kit would cut deep enough. Nevermind. Used the circular saw to saw cuts top and bottom. Finish off with the recrirocating saw what the circular saw did not reach. Well I was impressed. Or course it required a few changes of battery so good job I bought one extra on top of the supplied 3 batteries. Still have not used the vechicle charger yet. Next optional extras on the shopping list would be longer blades for the reciprocating saw if there is one, smaller cases to ease loading and unloading to the car.90% of the time I am only using the drill, jig-saw, and charger. I pray that DeWalt will come up with a cordless planer before I have to choose between Bosch or DeWalt. Better hurry up DeWalt because so far you are winning because you have an in car charger. Bosch has the tools I want although not collected into a kit form yet. But in all seriousness I would only need a planer 5% of the time and anyone getting this DeWalt kit won't be disappointed. Just like a well known advert, I never leave home without DeWalt.

I have been looking for an affordable but durable tool kit for a while, and this was well worth the money. The tools are made to work hard and definately help you get any job done right the first time. My first project used every single tool in the kit, and what a pleasure it is to swap tools/batteries in an instant. The round saw cut through 2x8's like butter, and the jigsaw made precision cuts for all of my trim work. The Drill is the best tool in the kit, because of the versatility in speed settings and high RPM which allowed me to drill right into concrete over and over again.
I highly recommend this kit to anyone looking for a great all-in-one package, and rest asure this kit will last for years...

Bought this when it came out from a source other than Amazon. This is one of most poorly put together saws it's been my displeasure to use, much less own.
To begin w/ the bevel locking lever and 90 deg. flip stop - when you use them you WILL lose knuckle flesh on these even after you've wrestled the lever around the dust bag. Everything is sloppy as far as the bevel fuction, part of the purpose for buying this saw ya know? Just a really bad set of design flaws. Also, 3 different times I've had a major failure in the table rotating mechanism. Hitachi uses 3 stainless steel "glides"(for lack of the actual part name) as the areas the table rotates against, tese are super thin guage and have tabs that seat them in the main body that the table rotates on. 3 times, about 2 wks apart one of hese pieces somehow unseated, got caught, jammed and crushed while in the rotating of the table and in order to free the tool up - of course in the field - it took an uncomfortable, and audibly unpleasant amount of force to dislodge the table from it's position. As a result, the aluminum surfaces on either side were so severly grooved that it would cost more to repair it than to buy another one. This thing I'm describing is easier to see than to describe but because it's the entire other primary fuction of a miter saw, it's just a little important.
Beyond that ... as long as you simply want to cut 90 deg, it's a beautiful unit. Very light, and the start up and accuracy is dead on. JUST DON'T MOVE ANYTHING!
Lastly, the repair service I just recently tried to have fix this thing said that Hitachi lists it as consumer grade. It shows and it's a shame they're marketing this piece of junk at the price it sells for.
Much as I hate to say it, I think the Delta's new dual bevel miter is a better more rugged tool.

I had been comparing Compund Miter Saws for awhile now and debated between the DeWalt 12" Dual Bevel and this Hitachi. I could not justify the additional $180 to go with the 12" DeWalt. What I like about this saw is the soft start feature. This is a must, especially for a light saw (only weighs 33 lbs.). I do not like the fence height at only 1.5", however for what I use it for, I don't think it will be a problem. I was willing to sacrifice this to get the soft start feature. On a side note, the extension wings and horizontal vise assemblies are NOT included and are an extra $25 each. I thought they were included since the technical data section and the picture displayed through this web site led me to believe this.

As an avid wood worker I had problems with my 12" dewalt compound Mitre saw and gave it to my Grandfather and began searching for a new one. I'm the type of person that reads a ton of review and recommendations on a product before I purchase a new tool. This is what I chose. It is hands down the most quiet saw I found, which is important to a woodworker with his shop in the basement. The fact that if bevels left and right saves a lot of time. And after checking for square out of the box. I was as close to perftect as any chop saw I've used. 5 Stars Hitachi has made another great product!