Got a new SCMS...

[tfischer]

After years of using my venerable Ryobi 10" CMS I was starting to get tired of running into its limitations, particularly the width of cut. Started looking around and found a great deal on Hitachi C12RSH 12" sliding CMS. Acme Tool had it on sale for $399, plus they were running a promotion of an additional 10% off anything, with free shipping to your door. So about $340 + tax, delivered (and it comes in a HUGE box so the delivery was nice).

Haven't used it for a real project yet but so far I really like it. And it doesn't take up much additional usable space from my old saw.

[Cochese]

I've had one for a few years now, and it's a great saw. You'll have to set your station up differently due to how much space it takes up, but for the price I'd rather have it than a Kapex.

[JimD]

Gets good reviews. I have a non-slider 12 inch by Hitachi and it is a good saw. Laser doesn't work but I didn't use it for anything other than crude cuts anyway.

[leehljp]

That is a FINE saw! I would trade my 12 inch Makita SCM for it any day! I like the space saving feature that is similar to the Kapex.

[LCHIEN]

I got a non sliding Dual bevel 12" Hitachi C12FDH and am pretty happy with it. Much bigger cut capacity. I though about the slider but that really takes up a lot of depth!
Even the non slider takes quite a bit more depth than the 10" CMS it replaced.

[tfischer]

Nice thing about the C12RSH is that you can configure it so that the slide bars go next to, not behind, the saw. So you don't need nearly as much depth as many 12" sliders. I don't have enough depth to put most 12" sliders in my garage and still park a car there, but I can this one.

[leehljp]

Nice thing about the C12RSH is that you can configure it so that the slide bars go next to, not behind, the saw. So you don't need nearly as much depth as many 12" sliders. I don't have enough depth to put most 12" sliders in my garage and still park a car there, but I can this one.

While I like the "choice" of how it slides, I can't figure out why they allow it to be "both" ways. I can't figure out how or why the necessity of the back slide instead of the side slide. What advantage does the "back side" sliding have?

The only advantage that I can think of is: By having a dual "back side" slide and a "side" slide, it could be patented as a way to get around a possible Kapex type of slide patent dispute. Other than that, I can't see any advantage of the rear/back slide orientation.

It is intriguing and accomplishes what the Bosch's Glide Miter and the Kapex saw do with their respective methods of decreasing the operation foot print size.

If anyone wants a big cut with small footprint at a decent price, this is it! This Hitachi runs about $100 less than the Bosch Glide and considerably less than the Kapex.

[tfischer]

While I like the "choice" of how it slides, I can't figure out why they allow it to be "both" ways. I can't figure out how or why the necessity of the back slide instead of the side slide. What advantage does the "back side" sliding have?

Yeah I wonder the same thing. Could be a patent issue as you say, or maybe it's just a marketing gimmick, "have it both ways!". Or maybe there are people who like it in the back for whatever reason and this keeps this saw available to them.

Now that I've done a few small projects with it I'm very happy with it so far. I was a little concerned at first as the motor "smelled funny" but that seems to be just a new-tool thing and it isn't happening anymore.