Hitachi C12FDH 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Miter Saw with Laser

by Hitachi

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Hitachi C12FDH 12-Inch Dual Compound Miter Saw with Laser Marker provides smooth, accurate miters and crosscuts in a variety of workpieces, including wood, plywood, crown molding, decorative panels, soft fiberboard, hardboard, and aluminum sashes. An ideal tool for trim carpenters, framers, and woodworkers who demand precision and reliability, the C12FDH features Hitachi's exclusive Laser Marker System for exact alignment, cutting accuracy, and predictable blade location.

C12FDH Compound Miter Saw Tool Specifications Blade Size 12" Cross Cut (90°) 2-3/4" x 8" or 3-1/2" x 7-1/2" 45° Miter 2-3/4" x 5-1/2" 45° Bevel Left 1-31/32" x 8" Right 1-7/32" x 8" Miter R/L 45 & Bevel L 45 1-31/32" x 8" Miter R/L 45 & Bevel R 45 1-7/32" x 5-1/2" Miter Cut Range (R & L) 0°-52° Bevel Cut Range (R & L) 0°-48° Compound Cut Range Miter (R & L) 0°-45° Bevel (R & L) 0°-45° Positive Miter Stops 0°, 15°, 22.5°, 31.6°, 45° Amps 15 No-Load Speed 4,000 RPM Tool Dimensions (WxDxH) 24-5/8"x 30-23/32"x27" Weight 46.3 lbs

Exclusive Laser Marker System and built-in clamp ensure precision cuts. View larger.

Adjust the bevel up to 48 degrees to the left or right.

Thumb-actuated miter stops facilitate simple adjustments at the most common angles. View larger.

Compound Feature for Precise Miters and Bevels
Hitachi designed the C12FDH for versatile, easy use. The thumb-actuated positive miter stops for simple miter adjustments at the most common angles between zero and 52 degrees to the left and right. This design allows you to easily change the angle of the cutting blade for creating miters in crown molding and other trim pieces.

The bevel scale ranges from zero to 48 degrees to the left and right, allowing your material to stay in place while you flip the saw head to make opposing cuts, and the saw head bevels to the right or left, also allowing the material to stay securely in place for cutting efficiency. After your major bevel angle is secured, a micro-bevel adjustment knob can be used to dial in a precise angle without the weight of the saw head compromising accuracy.

The 12-inch TCT saw blade (included) makes easy work of delicate trim and other woodwork, and the tall, pivoting aluminum fence stands at a height of 5-1/8 inches to allow for accurate vertical cutting of crown molding and cutting of large workpieces up to 2-5/16 inches high and 5-21/32 inches deep.

Laser Marker Technology for Perfect Cuts Everytime
Hitachi equipped the C12FDH with its exclusive Laser Marker System, which can be activated before the blade is in motion for exact alignment and predictable blade placement. The laser marker is easily adjustable to suit your preferences, simply line up the laser with your mark on the workpiece, and the saw blade will make an exact cut along the laser guide. As long as your measurements are right, your cuts will be, too!

Chock-Full of User-Friendly Features
The C12FDH has plenty of features to help you make the perfect cut the first time. To start, it has a powerful 15-amp motor that generates a no-load speed of up to 4,000 RPM to smoothly and easily cut through even the toughest hardwoods.

For precise, safe cutting, a splinter guard behind the fence increases safety and reduces tear-out for clean, finished cuts, and a comfortable horizontal handle with a vibration-reducing elastomer grip prevents slippage and keeps you in control at all times. Additionally, a large base provides support and balance to prevent material from warping, and a built-in clamping system holds your workpiece in place. An added bonus, easily accessible carbon brushes will help your saw perform for the long term.

The Hitachi C12FDH measures 24-5/8 x 30-23/32 x 27 inches and weighs 46.3 pounds. Durably built, this tool is backed with an industry-leading five-year warranty.

About Hitachi: A Tradition of Innovation
Hitachi Power Tools (Hitachi Koki USA, Ltd.) provides professional-grade power tools for a variety of applications, including woodwork, metalwork, concrete, drilling, cutting, and fastening. Hitachi is a leader in power tool research and development and has achieved many firsts in the power tool industry, including creating the first-ever sliding compound miter saw to combine the capacity of a radial arm saw and the convenience of a miter saw. Today, Hitachi continues the tradition of innovation and engineering with new features in addition to classic quality.

What's in the Box
Compound Miter Saw, 12-inch TCT saw blade, dust bag, vice assembly, box wrench, and hex bar wrench.

15-amp motor powers through hardwoods with ease.

Product Description

Includes 12-in Dual Bevel Miter Saw with Laser Marker - C12FDH, 12-in 32T TCT Saw Blade - 726100, Dust Bag - 322955, Vice Assembly - 323677, Box Wrench - 985051, Hex Bar Wrench - 944458

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 46.3 x 27 x 31 inches
• Shipping Weight: 64.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000E7YQ40
• Item model number: C12FDH
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,014 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #11 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Saws > Miter Saws

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great saw, cuts like a dream, August 29, 2007

By 

Patrick T. Robinson "Patrick Robinson" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitachi C12FDH 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Miter Saw with Laser (Tools & Home Improvement)

I purchased this saw in a moment of desperation. I was laying up butcher block and was having a terrible time getting good joints on the ends of the boards. It turns out my trusty 10" Delta chop saw had developed so much slop that it wouldn't cut square.

So I went to Lowes and picked up this saw for ~$270.

In a nutshell, it works great!

I chose a non-slider because I wanted good accuracy in the cross cuts. Straight out of the box this saw cut very well. Both fences were square and it cut with no detectable errors. (I measured the resultant cuts with my engineer squares) The vertical alignment was slightly off, which adjusted quickly.

I did notice that flip-over fence did not line up exactly (another reviewer noted the same problem). It is only a mm or so off, and lines up with only light pressure, so does not affect performance. I am going to try to get this line up by shimming the rotator bolt.

The only reason I gave the saw 4 stars is the 32 tooth blade that was supplied with the saw is suitable for rough and medium cuts, but I am going to replace it with a finer tooth blade for more precise work.

One interesting note, the dust collection bag actually works! My old Delta never filled the bag, even after months of use. I am going to attach it to my dust collection system so I assume it will collect even better.

I will update this review as I get more experience with the saw.

Pat Robinson
"The Man" Installation

10/11/2011 Update: I have used this saw for numerous projects ranging from custom cabinets to crown moulding. I still LOVE this saw. I would highly recommend it. No issues!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great saw, November 5, 2007

By 

Bryan Bradburn (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitachi C12FDH 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Miter Saw with Laser (Tools & Home Improvement)

I purchased this saw a few weeks ago. After years of borrowing my father's DeWalt, it was time to get my own. I'm not a professional, just a weekend home improvement guy. I compared features and warranty vs. price and after speaking with the folks at the "blue" home improvement store, made the decision to buy this saw. I used it this weekend (over a period of about 18 hours over two days) to cut crown molding and could not have been happier with the performance. The laser was lined up perfectly out of the box and made cutting extrememly easy. This is just a well made, powerful, easy to use saw and I could not recommend it highly enough. Quality on the saw looks great and it was set up perfectly out of the box. For $289, I can't be happier and look forward to using this for years to come. Also got a Ryobi saw stand at the "orange" home improvement place-love it also. Assembly and set up with my saw took about 30 minutes. No issues at all. You will not regret buying this saw.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a fantastic saw, December 12, 2008

By 

S. Kim "S. K." (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hitachi C12FDH 15 Amp 12-Inch Dual Bevel Miter Saw with Laser (Tools & Home Improvement)

I've had this saw for over a year (bought it from Lowe's on sale). It is an amazing saw. I never used the original blade since I think you should always use at least a 60 tooth for finish work (I have a 90 tooth hitachi blade). It cuts through pine with no visible tearout and a smooth finish (likely due to the blade as much as the saw). The laser is awesome and adjustable, though I do wish you could just use a knob instead of an allen wrench to adjust it. But once it's adjusted, you don't need to worry about it unless you change your blade.

The saw has enough power to cut through just about anything. I did have an issue with the flipover fence, as it was slightly out of alignment. I think it might be due to the way it is packaged (there isn't the slightest hint of styrofoam to protect it). But I called Hitachi and they sent me a new one right away and it is perfect! I suspect that is what happened to the person who says the left and right fence don't line up. There is a way to adjust it though I think. You can download the manual from hitachi's website if you want to see the type of adjustments you can make.

Last thing: It may be that the bevel gauges do not match each other as one person's review said (when one gauge reads zero degrees, the other has a different number). But that's not something I think should detract from the saw. It is a dual compound miter saw, which means it bevels left and right, so the need for the dual gauges (in order for you to be able to look at the angle while you are adjusting the bevel regardless of which side you're on). But if they don't match each other, there is an easy fix. The arrows for the bevel gauges have screws on them, which you loosen to adjust the arrow to the correct reading and then re-tighten. Then the readings will match no matter what you change it to, as they move in tandem. If they're off by a huge amount (say, 20 degrees), then you're out of luck. But it is highly unlikely, and that would just mean you have a defective saw.