HF 12inch Miter Saw

[conwaygolfer]

Hello - I have not been on here in a while. Several years ago, my wife of 42 years passed away and I have since gotten remarried. There was no room at her house for a shop and I did not think it fair for her to move into my home where I lived with my deceased wife. So we bought another one where I built a 30x60 shop. Hopefully at my age, it will be the last one.

I need some advice on a miter saw. I am thinking of buying the H.F. 12" dual bevel sliding miter saw. I keep seeing them on sale and thought I would see what people are saying about them. I read the reviews but I would respect the opinions of woodworkers here over what else I have read. Seems like this saw was on the "Gems" list here years ago? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance,

Conwaygolfer

[capncarl]

Conwaygolfer, I have a reputation on this site to be opinionated toward miter saws and will probably be called down of it again, but you asked.....My advice, from years of experience, buy the best saw you can find. Do your research and test drive it if you can. If you can't afford it, wait until you can afford it because if you settle for second choice you will always wish you had waited.
It looks you you now have I doozie of a shop, so start with good tools if you want them to be your last. I use my $350 8 year old Hitachi sliding miter saw quite a bit. I am constantly fiddling with the adjustments on a it. When I get caught up with my tool purchases it will be sold and I will get a good one.
capncarl

[LinuxRandal]

Seems like this saw was on the "Gems" list here years ago?
Conwaygolfer

If you could define years ago.......
My neighbor has one, and I have used it once to see. I saw it on a Gems list for construction tools, where years before, it was on a Gems list for fine woodworking, as the model they carried then, was a clone of the Makita's. Makita (my understanding) went after them via their legal dept. and the saw changed.

[TimTucker]

Perhaps a little step up from the harbor freight model - Home Depot apparently has the desalt dw709 as a special purchase deal in store for 259.

[capncarl]

I think that the budget priced sliding miter saws are little more than a spinning blade on a drawer slide, bar none. They will be fine for the average home owner to get started in life building bunk beds and picket fences. If you want precise angle and bevel control you must step up to the big boy tool department and be willing to shell out at least 2x what the budget saws cost.

[conwaygolfer]

I think that the budget priced sliding miter saws are little more than a spinning blade on a drawer slide, bar none. They will be fine for the average home owner to get started in life building bunk beds and picket fences. If you want precise angle and bevel control you must step up to the big boy tool department and be willing to shell out at least 2x what the budget saws cost.

Thanks for the comments on the HF saw. Guess I will pass on it. Guess the old saying is true, "you get what you paid for".

Conwaygolfer

[dbhost]

I have the older single bevel model. It took some fiddling ti dial it in, and loctite on the adjustment bolts, but it's been a good saw since. I admit I want to replace it with a Hitachi with the forward slides...

I have read good things about the HF double bevel 12" (#61969) on other sites, They say the same things I do about my older model... As well as pretty much any slider.

#1. First things first, chuck the OE garbage blade in favor of a decent blade. I went with a Freud Diablo. I am pretty partial to those...
#2. Spend some quality time setting it up properly. Get some engineers triangles if you don't have any. Double and triple check 22.5, 45, and 90 degrees in each plane, extended, and retracted, as well as a couple of points in between. If you can't get it consistent through its travel, take it back NOW.
#3. Check for any slop in the motion of the saw head, if it moves in directions it isn't supposed to, double check all the fasteners are tight, check again, if it persists, take it back.
#4. Once you know it's good, go over the setup again, but this time, use Loctite on the adjustment fastener threads. I didn't when I first set my saw up, and they loosened up causing the saw to go out of adjustment.

FWIW, the Hitachi double bevel slider I am talking about is the Hitachi C12RSH which is $469.99, or to put that into perspective, more than triple the cost of the HF saw on sale, although Hitachi usually ships with a decent enough blade...