Hitachi miter saw quit

[JimD]

I was finishing trim in a new room in the attic yesterday and my trusty Hitachi C12FDH miter saw started acting up. First it didn't want to turn on. But if I repeatedly tried the switch, it would start. Then it wouldn't shut off. I finished the room by plugging it in when I needed to cut and then unplugging it when the cut was done.

I'm waiting on the caulk to dry enough to touch up the trim so I took the miter saw apart. I got the switch working but then after I put it all back together it started acting up again. So I ordered a new switch.

Any comments?

[Bill in Buena Park]

Hope its the switch, Jim. How well-used is the saw? Did you check brushes too?

[wardprobst]

You can temporarily bypass the switch and use a remote cutoff to confirm the fault. I think you know to be careful when working on electrical stuff at line voltage so I won't make the usual disclaimers and caveats. DP

[JimD]

It hasn't dulled it's first blade yet so it hasn't seen a lot of use. It is a reconditioned saw, however, so I should check the brushes. I agree I could bypass the switch. I have another CMS, an old 10 inch, that is fine except the blade is dull. I also have a radial arm saw. So I can get by for awhile without it. I also need to get a 4mm hex socket to more easily take the saw apart far enough to replace the switch. So I am planning to let it set for a week or so until I get the switch.

[bigstick509]

Hope you get it up and running. On a brighter note the kapex is still on sale for 10% off. Although 10% of way to much is still wishful thinking on my part.

[LCHIEN]

I have that one C12FDH, too.

[JimD]

It's a nice saw but I'm a little surprised the switch went bad after limited use. I had been using my old 10 inch Pro-Tech to cut flooring when the blade got dull. Rather than change the blade, I changed to the C12FDH. After the flooring was done, I used it to cut the trim. It's noticeably nicer to use than the Pro-Tech. The only advantage of the older saw is weight. Hauling the Hitachi up and down steps isn't fun.

You have to take a lot of the saw apart to get to the switch. I didn't have a hexagonal bit for my drill to use to take the top handle off but I went out today and got one. Next tear down should be considerably quicker. I actually bought a Ryobi set at Home Depot for $15. It has a lot of bits and nut drivers. All in a nice case.

[capncarl]

I believe that Hitach and Ryobi used the same switch parts. Another under engineered part! My 10" Hitachi switch quit after 6 months. I took the whole saw apart to get the switch out. A little work with Emory cloth and it has worked well for 4 years. When it really quits I guess the whole saw is junk.
capncarl

[JimD]

Well it's fixed now. I thought I lost a screw so I bought another one raising the parts a little over $22 with shipping. Turns out I was trying to put a screw on top of another screw - nothing was missing. With a hex drive to fit the four bolts for the carry handle, putting the switch in was pretty painless. And the saw is back to working correctly, hopefully for a long time. In the last few months it has cut around 500ft2 of flooring and the trim for about 800ft2. Probably about time to be thinking of a new blade or at least sharpening for the old one.

I checked the brushes too and they are good. I think I only paid $150 for it (refurbished). For installing trim, it is all I really need. I wish it would cut 5 1/4 base standing up but it doesn't get cut all the way unless you lay it down and use the bevel. But I don't know of a saw that will cut this base upright. It doesn't take long to set the bevel and it goes to either side.

Anyway, it works again. Actually the laser hasn't worked for a long time but it wasn't that accurate anyway. I don't want it to work bad enough to mess with it.

Thanks for all your thoughts and encouragement.

Tomorrow I hope to finish parallel guides for my DeWalt track saw. I hope to also take some pictures and do a little writeup. I am basically copying a design posted on another website. That post has good pictures but not much discussion of the build process.

[bigstick509]

Good to hear you got it up and running. Looking forward to seeing the parallel guide for the track saw. One of the few accessories that the Dewalt lacked compared to Festool.

[JimD]

This is what I'm working on:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?201175-DeWalt-tracksaw-parallel-guides

I've already figured out you don't need 5/8 bar for the connection piece, 1/2 works better. I planed down some hickory scrap and it wouldn't go in until I got to 1/2 thickness. I am making hickory pieces to test my setup then machining a plastic bar I may use and a short piece of 1/2 aluminum bar. Tomorrow I need to finish the connector pieces and make the hickory stop blocks. If my Rockler order gets here I should get done but if it doesn't, I will just have to change out the clamping pieces on the stop block and install the stick on ruler (I ordered cam clamps, the clamp to clamp the parallel guide to the tracksaw guide (small ones, not the big ones pictured) and the stick on rulers). I'll probably have close to $100 in them when I'm done but that's a lot less than Festool gets for theirs.

[capncarl]

Woodworkers Journal April issue did a good test of 10" SCMSs. They even swept up after each machine test and measured the dust that it's vac system missed. They were all over the chart with Bosch blowing out 13 ounces in the shop and Ridgid at .75 ounces. Curious that Ridgid rated second with .75 and first was Dewalt at .80 ounces. I bet that gets called to their attention in the letters to the editor next issue. I bet my 10" Hitachi blew out 2x that before I put on the hood, and is still probably blowing out more than the .75 with the hood.
capncarl

[JimD]

I've never been impressed with the dust collection of the Hitachi. In my old setup I had a DC hooked up to the dust port and behind the CMS. It got some but not nearly all the dust. Not sure yet what I'll do in the new shop.