Anyone Have Experience with the HF 10" Sliding CMS?

[JoeyGee]

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-inch...ck-to-top-link

Coupon for $80. Reviews look decent. I have an old Delta CMS now, but the guard is missing and the blade takes forever to spin down. I don't use it much, but when I do, it is really handy to have.

I have yet to run into a situation where I would need a 12" blade. I have survived just fine without a slider, but this one is cheaper than any regular CMS I have come across.

[BadeMillsap]

I have the 12" and like it... it's a little loud but after putting a better blade on it out of the box ... for the $129 I spent I'm happy.

[bmyers]

Depends on what you plan to use it for. I tried that route but for me it wasn't worth the savings. I make thing that need repeatability and accuracy. Picture frames, miters, etc that need to really be 45 degrees every time.

Framing and that sort of thing it's great for. I ended up getting a used Hitachi slider and only cried once..

B

[BadeMillsap]

... Picture frames, miters, etc that need to really be 45 degrees every time.

Framing and that sort of thing it's great for. I ended up getting a used Hitachi slider and only cried once..

B

I agree, for absolute accuracy I use a table saw ... I use the slider to rough cut or for quick/dirty cuts .... it's very useful for that sort of thing. I use it on virtually every project out of the shop.

[BigguyZ]

I ended up getting a used Hitachi slider and only cried once..

B

I've never bought an HF saw, but I've used several of similar quality (Tool Shop from Menards, probably the very same ting HF sells). I think for many reasons, accuracy and safety being among them, I'd shy away. I'd see what you can buy used first, and if you're on a tight budget and absolutely can't buy something better, then maybe get the HF knowing what you're getting into.

But the one Tool Shop saw my brother bought lasted like 5 cuts before it started to fall apart. Got a Delta MS, and loved it ever since.

If you need a slider, a carpenter that my brother hired to help on his house had a Bosch SCMS and it was awesome. Definitely not cheap, but if you need accuracy and reliability, saving up for that isn't a bad idea.

[dbhost]

I have the HF 12". And while I partially agree with the posters above, I also disagree...

Mine has been fine, AFTER I spent some quality time, and plenty of scrap setting it up. There are adjuster bolts / screws to set the angles / stops that are way out at the factory. You need to spend some time setting it up. And lose the stock blade. It's garbage..

Other than that, and the fact it is louder than others I have used, it has been fine. Makes 45 deg cuts when I set it to 45 deg, bevels etc... no problem.

[trungdok]

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-inch...ck-to-top-link

Coupon for $80. Reviews look decent. I have an old Delta CMS now, but the guard is missing and the blade takes forever to spin down. I don't use it much, but when I do, it is really handy to have.

I have yet to run into a situation where I would need a 12" blade. I have survived just fine without a slider, but this one is cheaper than any regular CMS I have come across.

The latest Family Handyman magazine gave a thumb up in its "Stuff We Love" section to the 12" CMS. Perhaps the 10" version is not bad as well.

Not sure if you have already got the saw or not, but in the same magazine there's a coupon for the saw for $70. If you want, I can scan it for you.

[greenacres2]

That would be the issue of FH that pictured the Craftsman 27680 on the cover promoting their router reviews--then reviewed the 27683 in the article?? I thought that was a little cheesy (especially naming the 27683 a "best buy"), as was the general selection of routers reviewed. But...Family Handyman is marketing to the home DIY market--and their advertising (both paid and editorial) reflects that.

I guess what i'm saying is that I have picked up a few good tips on home maintenance making it worth the $5 or $10 I paid for 2 years on Tanga, but i'll not place credence in their tool reviews from what I've read in the past year--especially for woodworking tools.

By the way, in my opinion at $145 or so, the Craftsman 27680 looks like a tremendous value on a decent piece of equipment, but I don't think I'd buy a 27683 at half the regular $110 price. Your mileage may vary.

earl

[Lonnie in Orlando]

I have a HF 12" slider that I bought a few years ago for about $100 on sale and with a coupon. It is not the new one that tilts in both directions. Here are a few observations that may apply to the 10" that you are looking at.

> Although not a deal breaker, soft-start would be nice.

> The castings seem thin. I don't think that it would hold up as a job-site saw.

> The blade did a good job of chewing up wood. But I refused to buy a $100 blade for a $100 saw. Then, thanks to BT3Central, I found a 96-tooth Onsrud blade on ebay for a little over $30. Now it cuts great. I bought a full kerf blade that is quite a bit heaver than the thin kerf blade that came on the saw. I feel that a thin kerf blade would cause less stress on the motor since it doesn't have soft start.

> The fence is a one-piece design like on your 10" HF saw. The sides were not coplanar. I solved the problem by hot gluing a plywood or MDF solid fence to the aluminum fence. The hot glue filled the voids where the al fence was not true. Press the wood fence to the al fence with a square jointed board while the glue hardens to keep it square to the saw table. After the glue dries, run the saw through the solid one-piece fence to separate it into left and right sides. The two sides will be coplanar. The thickness of the glued-on fence reduces the width of board that I can cut. The saw is pretty darn accurate with the new face on the fence and the new blade. < CLICK > for BT3Central Post

> Some times the blade guard doesn't return. Needs tweeking. See photo in link above.

> Cutting accurate bevels is near impossible. Hard to adjust and to keep in position.

I mounted the saw on a HF roll around two shelf metal shop cart.

Sounds like my saw is a dud, but it is good for the level of work that I do in my shop. It makes accurate 90-deg cross cuts and miters. Smooth cuts with the new blade. For about $130 including the new blade, I'm happy with it.

- Lonnie

[JoeyGee]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I have not gotten the saw yet, but I think I will.

I do use my SMT for most of my miters that need to be accurate. I have always used my CMS for rough cuts and never really expected much accuracy for it. Given HF's return policy, I feel fairly safe getting one.

[BigguyZ]

Lonnie, That's a great idea! slick thinking.

[greenacres2]

Joey--if primarily for rougher cuts, you should be good. At least worth the 30 day trial.

Lonnie--i'm +1 on your thinking. Your comment on the full kerf blade has got me wondering though...a concern on 12" saws that i've seen mentioned often is the potential for blade flex contributing to inaccuracy. Seems like the full kerf blade might help with accuracy since it should (in my mind anyway) be a little stiffer?? Or might the additional mass make any flaw worse as it spins??? Where are the scientists when we need them????

Trungdok--i've read my post from last night on the FH router article. Just want to be clear that i meant you no disrespect, i just got honked off at FH when i finally made my way to the router article and the cover router wasn't part of it. Your mention of that issue just triggered the rant that had been boiling inside me for a week or so. Thankfully, it's out now and once again all is right with the world!! Please accept my apology if it is in order. Thanks!!

earl

[Lonnie in Orlando]

Earl -

I had also heard about possible blade flex with a thin kerf blade. That's why I bought a full kerf blade. The full kerf blade is about 1/3rd heavier (greater mass) than a thin kerf blade. 1/8" vs 3/32".

- Lonnie

[trungdok]

Trungdok--i've read my post from last night on the FH router article. Just want to be clear that i meant you no disrespect, i just got honked off at FH when i finally made my way to the router article and the cover router wasn't part of it. Your mention of that issue just triggered the rant that had been boiling inside me for a week or so. Thankfully, it's out now and once again all is right with the world!! Please accept my apology if it is in order. Thanks!!

earl

Lol... I didn't take it as any disrespect. My first reaction was "is that true?", then followed by "the man knows what he's talking about." Hat off to you cuz I didn't even notice that FH is a fun magazine to flip through for me. I do take their reviews with a grain of salt.