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the dust collection is nice and works well. I love this saw. it super fast to set up right out the box took maybe 20 minutes. this is a huge improvement over my old craftsman saw. its light weight and easy to move but is still stable when working with large pieces of wood.
The miter gauge requires you to square it to the blade each time you use it. Lastly, as I am now discovering, you cannot upgrade the saw with aftermarket parts (i.e. 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). This attribute is an unfortunate double-edged sword. 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. All parts are metric, making replacement difficult to impossible unless you order directly from the company. 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.
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. Because the saw is so light, it has a tendency to move back when ripping long (greater than 3 foot) boards. 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. 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. 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. 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).
The anti kickback splitter requires a large amount of adjustment to get correctly aligned each time you place it back on the saw.
Next I checked the rip fence. Having that information in mind this saw is adequate for it's intended purpose. It was way off too; again about a 1/16 out of square to the miter slot. Both the dado insert and the regular insert leave huge gaps on all sides of the blade. I had to make my own zero-clearance insert from a couple pieces of 1/4" plywood. "No problem" I thought, "I'll buy an aftermarket gauge." WRONG. The blade guard and splitter have never been installed on this saw. 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. From the factory, the post is so mis-aligned that the splitter misses the blade kerf entirely. All things considered, for not much more money, you can have a far superior saw than this one. I don't use this saw for framing or jobsite construction of any kind. 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.
One last gripe is about the table inserts. 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. Don't buy a tool you'll hate, buy one you'll enjoy using and will have for many years. What a pain. Meaning it was designed to be lugged around to and from a construction site and make cuts that require little precision. You can wiggle it side-to-side nearly a 1/16 of and inch.
Before I go bashing this saw, I should clarify that this saw is a jobsite table saw. This saw used a 5/8" T-slot as opposed to the standard 3/4" slot that nearly every other manufacturer uses. 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.
Of course Hitachi does not offer any other table inserts. Both are designed to attach to a post at the back of the saw, under the table. I do use it for furniture and cabinets.
That technique only works if the fence is off a tiny bit, like.050 or.060 of an inch. 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. Even now it's not perfect, but pretty close.
I bought this saw after looking over all the available saws at a local Lowe's and choose this one as the best for price. I'd worked it hard for a number of years. I was used to being able to rip a 4" piece with my Ryobi. The depth of cut is weak. I purchase this saw after I burned by Ryobi motor out. I find it lacking in power. Wish I'd done a better job comparing before I purchased. I just doesn't cut it.
I purchased a higher end saw blade, and the saw gained even more in value. I recommend this saw to any "at home, do it yourself'er". After seeing this saw, and it's price I decided to take a chance. I've used a couple of their items before (roofing nailer, miter saw). This saw performs as a $500.00+ saw. I purchased this saw as my first own table saw.
I did a lot of research, and was stuck on purchasing a craftsman table saw. Hitachi is slowly becoming a big player in power tools. The only thing I changed on it (as with any cutting equipment provided) was the saw blade. I absolutely think this saw is a great value. After using my father's craftsman table saw for years, I moved out of state and no longer had a table saw at my dispense. The thing I like most about Hitachi is how light weight (but not a "cheap feeling" light weight) their products are.
This table saw alone is great for any framing cuts you may need to make, and if you change out the blade for a nicer one you can make any fine / finish cut you will ever need. I got my saw about a month ago, pulled it out of the box and set it up.
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