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This is a very good job site saw. Its features allow 3/4 inch plywood cuts and about anything else. It needs a better blade from the start but that's my only suggestion. Plenty of power and works better than several more expensive models I've used.
I take a Kiln Dried 2x4 and rip it at a 35 degree angle. The saw is fine for small jobs for flooring and such. Well the first Hitachi lasted a month and I returned it for another one at Lowe's, the assumption being that saw was faulty. Not any serious woodworking or load. I used mine for ripping stretcher bars for canvases. The replacement has just burnt out on me two years down the road. I'm shopping for something better, just thought I'd post a warning.
its light weight and easy to move but is still stable when working with large pieces of wood. I love this saw. it super fast to set up right out the box took maybe 20 minutes. the dust collection is nice and works well. this is a huge improvement over my old craftsman saw.
Everything was aligned right out of the box, and the directions were clear during assembly.The Cons:A large part of the saws portability is attributed to its weight. All parts are metric, making replacement difficult to impossible unless you order directly from the company. 30" x 20" without extensions), dust collection bag (for those without dust collection systems), fairly accurate / easy to use fence, 1 - 1.5 hour assembly time, and its price. First of all there is a universal truism: A good carpenter never blames his tools.The Pros:I have been able to produce several pieces of furniture for use around the house with this saw. For beginning furniture makers, this saw will make your entrance into the hobby a little more difficult than other saws would, and you would be best advised to look elsewhere. The anti kickback splitter requires a large amount of adjustment to get correctly aligned each time you place it back on the saw.
The miter gauge requires you to square it to the blade each time you use it.
This attribute is an unfortunate double-edged sword.
no zero clearance inserts, no riving knives, no splitters, no featherboards, no miter gauges, no jigs, not sure about aftermarket fences, but I am guessing no on that one).
The saws greatest assets are its portability without having to purchase aftermarket lifts (I can fold it up and stow it away against a wall in under 2 minutes clearing the space for other operations), its small footprint (approx.
Lastly, as I am now discovering, you cannot upgrade the saw with aftermarket parts (i.e.
Because the saw is so light, it has a tendency to move back when ripping long (greater than 3 foot) boards.
Should you run into some resistance when ripping a board (like going through a tough knot) the saw will tip up and away from you (the additional foot provided in the back of the saw will prevent the table from tipping over however).
You either have to find a way to alter the parts (like featherboards because the miter slots are on the table saw are not standard) making them more expensive, or, you simply build them yourself.Conclusion:If you are looking for something simple, ultra portable, and you plan on using it for simple ripping operations or just plan on pulling it out occasionally: this is your saw.
Having that information in mind this saw is adequate for it's intended purpose. Both are designed to attach to a post at the back of the saw, under the table. This means that you're stuck with the factory gauge as nearly nothing is made to fit a 5/8" slot. For these kind of projects, accuracy is extremely important and accuracy is what this saw lacks.The first thing I noticed when using it was the miter gauge has a sloppy fit in the slot. Even now it's not perfect, but pretty close.
This saw used a 5/8" T-slot as opposed to the standard 3/4" slot that nearly every other manufacturer uses. I don't use this saw for framing or jobsite construction of any kind. You can wiggle it side-to-side nearly a 1/16 of and inch. Both the dado insert and the regular insert leave huge gaps on all sides of the blade. Meaning it was designed to be lugged around to and from a construction site and make cuts that require little precision.
From the factory, the post is so mis-aligned that the splitter misses the blade kerf entirely. I've resigned myself to the fact that I must measure the fence to the miter slot at both top and bottom before ripping to ensure the fence is square. To get the fence even close to square, I had to disassemble the entire thing, file some aluminum off one side of the fence, enlarge the bolt holes and crank the thing in the vise before tightening the bolts down. "No problem" I thought, "I'll buy an aftermarket gauge." WRONG.
Next I checked the rip fence. Of course Hitachi does not offer any other table inserts. Before I go bashing this saw, I should clarify that this saw is a jobsite table saw. What a pain. The blade guard and splitter have never been installed on this saw. One last gripe is about the table inserts. The manual states you are to loosen the bolts/screws that hold the gauge together, push/pull on one end until square and tighten the fasteners. I had to make my own zero-clearance insert from a couple pieces of 1/4" plywood.
I do use it for furniture and cabinets. All things considered, for not much more money, you can have a far superior saw than this one. It was way off too; again about a 1/16 out of square to the miter slot. That technique only works if the fence is off a tiny bit, like.050 or.060 of an inch. This is fine if you're just ripping a two-by-four, but try ripping something narrow and you'll be in for a surprise when you stock drops into the table along side the blade and either comes flying back at you (because the guard/splitter/kickback pawls don't align) or it gets chewed to bits by the blade. Don't buy a tool you'll hate, buy one you'll enjoy using and will have for many years.
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