Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

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!

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.

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.

I purchased this Miter saw in Feb '08, and have not been disappointed yet. I did a lot research on miter saws and determined this model had all the features I needed (12" blade, Dual bevel, Laser, Vacuum Hook-up, and fold-out wings) at a cost effective price. I made quite a few trips to Home depot, Sears and Lowes testig out several saws including Ridgid, Dewalt, Bosch and Craftsman. Hearing great things about Dewalt, I immediately tried it out and did not like it at all, since the saw dust guard hit my thumb when I lowered the saw arm(due to the way I grip the handle). Additionally, the cost was way above the other competitors prices for the same saws. Next, the Bosch models were nice but again the price was extreme. The Craftsman almost made it to my list of finalists, but were cut because of the cheap manufacturing and flimsiness. Finally Ridgid put up a great comepetition with the Hitachi. The two reasons I chose the Hitachi over the Ridgid were 1)Price (Ridgid is overpriced, although they supposedly offer a lifetime guarantee on certain parts and 2) Hitachi's laser is activated by switch, whereas Ridgid's laser is activated when you pull the trigger. The reason why that's important to me is because I can line up my lumber for a cut, clamp it down, then pull the trigger as opposed to pulling the trigger, holding the trigger while the blade is spinning and adjust the lumber, lock it down and then cut (safety issue).

So far I've cut pine trim with perfect angles, walnut hardwood flooring, and 2X8's and I plan on using this saw to build a deck out of composite lumber. Just a tip, the saw comes with a 40 tooth blade, which isn't good for trim or hardwood floor, I went out and purchased a 90t blade and it cuts perfect. In addition to the blade I bought the UU610 table which fits almost any size piece of lumber and is a snap to put together and wheel around.

If you want to try it out in person first, Lowes carries this exact model!

This saw has a number of nice features for the money. I would personally want a slide miter if I were still in the construction business, however this 12 in saw with dual bevel can handle most tasks. I did have to align the laser and both fences upon arrival to ensure square cuts. I had to file out the stop on the left swing away fence to get the alignment perfect. I have checked the miter angles on many cuts and they are near perfect. The laser makes cut alignment a snap. As a person who performs remodel projects routinely, I would personally purchase this saw again.

I received my Hitachi C12FDH miter saw as a Christmas gift from my duaghter and son-in-law, to replace an older Delta that was shot.
After about 6 uses the belt guard broke and fell off, I emailed Hitachi and got no response, so I fastened it back on with a nylon cable tie and rubber band. After a few months and little usage the bolt holding the retractor arm to the blade guard broke, I again emailed the company, and again got no response. Finally I called the toll free number on the website, and tried to get the belt guard and bolt under warranty, only to be told I had to take it to an authorized service center, (apparently they are unaware that other people CAN operated a screwdriver). I took a half day off work, drove an hour and a half to the service center, and found out there that I needed a store receipt to prove I had purchased it, (remember it was a Christmas gift). I was very dissatisfied with their unwillingness to invest a few bucks in retaining me as a customer. I came home, went to my local hardware, purchased some longer screws and fender washers for the belt guard, and a replacement screw for the retractor arm, and fixed it myself. I'm sure I voided the warranty by doing this, but in my opinion, the warranty was worthless from the start. When someone asks me about my saw, I'm sure I'll share this story and try to persuade them to buy Makita, Delta, Craftsman, or anything other that Hitachi.

I read good things about this saw on Amazon, and also another professional tools review site. I bought one from my local Lowes, and once I got it home, discovered that the bevel clamp in the rear (the little handle you turn to loosen the head so you can tilt it) would not move. I could not move it no matter how much I tried. I unscrewed the plastic handle on it, and found a hex type head there, so I tried turning it with a socket wrench. It gave a little in either direction, but not much, and it still didn't untighten enough to allow the head to tilt.

I decided it must be defective, so I returned it and picked another of the same model. Tried out the bevel clamp in the store before I left and it worked fine, so took that one home. But once I got home, I found another overly tight screw problem, this time on the spindle guard, the metal guard covering the bolt you take off to change blades. Neither of the two screws (Phillips heads) holding the spindle guard in place would budge with a handheld screwdriver. Even with my corded drill and a Phillips bit I couldn't get them out, in fact I almost stripped the screw heads trying to remove them.

So had to return that one. They didn't have any more of this model in stock, but even if they had I wouldn't have gotten one. I don't think the design of the saw is at fault, it's probably a great saw. But to be completely honest, Hitachi's manufacturing or QC is absolutely horrible. I've never had to return the same model of something twice in my life. When you get back-to-back saws with the same problem of overly tightened or defective screws/bolts in two different areas of the product, so tight the consumer cannot adjust them, then something is terribly wrong with your manufacturing or your QC process.

Now I'm reading up on other brands of saws to buy, as I'm not giving Hitachi a third shot. In fact, this product soured me so bad on Hitachi's products I doubt I'll ever buy or recommend a Hitachi product again.

So buyer beware - if you're buying this saw in person, try out the bevel clamp, all the adjustments, remove the spindle guard and blade, etc, in the store to make sure it works. If I hadn't tried to remove the spindle guard on that second one, I could just imagine down the road not being able to get the guard off when it's time to change blades.

I am an avid woodworker and have learned over the years that you should put your money into quality tools. For that reason I have a Powermatic table saw, Porter Cable Drill, Plate joiner, Bosch Circular Saw, etc. I could go on and on and name my tools that are manufactured by some of the top contractor brand names. I was a little leery to purchase a Hitachi tool when I bought my first one about 6 months ago when I needed a new cordless drill because the batteries on my Porter Cable stopped taking a charge. I bought a DS 12DVF3 and I paid somewhere around $60 for the drill and two batteries. Great buy. It has impressive power and it fairly lightweight. I have used the heck out of it in 6 months. My son and I are finishing off our basement right now and he accidentally dropped it off of the ladder from about 5' up onto a concrete floor last week. I thought for sure that it was a goner since I broke a Bosch cordless drill several years ago when I dropped in from a smaller height onto a grass surface in my backyard. I picked it up the Hitachi from the floor with a red face and through clinched teeth I calmly explained why WE DON'T LAY DRILLS ON THE RUNG OF A LADDER. However, I was pleased to hear the familiar whine from the motor when I squeezed the trigger. We used it to drive several hundred more screws that day and it is still working like new!. My son is probably happier about that than I am. :-)
I purchased this saw about a month ago and have used the heck out of it for my basement job. I have made hundreds of cuts and with each one this saw has performed flawlessly. The laser is a very nice feature, especially when you are working in a fairly dark basement (don't have all of the lights installed yet). The laser was off by about 1/32" when I took it out of the box. Most people wouldn't notice the difference but I am picky. My wife and kids call it anal but I call it picky. I was able to quickly adjust the laser alignment to my high standards by following the instructions in the manual.
I spent a lot of time researching this purchase and made a few trips to different stores to look at the different saws, Bosch, Makita, Dewalt, Delta, etc. and came away feeling like this saw offered the best value of them all. If this saw is built as rugged as my Hitachi Drill, and it seems to be, then I should get years of precise cuts from it. One more thing, I read some of the reviews mentioned that the stock blade was mediocre and recommended a new one. So I purchased a 60T finishing blade at the time of purchase. I wish that I would have waited because I still haven't taken it out of the package. The stock blade cuts framing members like butter and leaves a very smooth edge on them. I haven't tried it on trim yet, but I would be curious to see how well it performs. This is from a guy who spent $100 on a Forrest blade for his table saw. I know a good blade when I use one. I am not saying this is a great blade, but it may be good enough. That is for you to decide. All and all I would say this is a great tool and I would highly recommend it.

This machine is everything it says. It's great. I enjoy home remodeling and this machine makes it even better. I have never had a laser before and it truly makes it easier to get a precision cut.

I have now owned the Hitachi C12FDH for over 3 years. To give you a little background I worked myself through college as a salesmen in Sears tool department and as a residential finish/trim carpenter. After graduating from college I quit working as a carpenter, however I was frequently being asked to do side jobs trimming so I needed my own Miter saw. I also make a great deal of furniture.

My employer had owned A DeWalt 12 inch compound miter saw, and 8 inch DeWalt sliding compound miter saw and A Rigid 12 inch sliding miter saw. The 12 Inch DeWalt was a great saw as it would cut 5 inch crown molding. The 8 inch was far too small for most trim needs, and the rigid had major issues with the safety guard sticking. When looking into the saw that was the best option for my I examined this saw at a Big Box store. I went home to look at online reviews and decided that as it was a dual bevel, that was priced over $100 less than it's DeWalt counterpart I would take a chance.

After three years of use, I couldn't be happier. The saw runs perfectly and has a great design. I will mention however that the laser has stopped working. For me this was not an issue because I have never used the laser for alignment and I do not care to use it. An additional note I purchased this saw refurbished to save even more money and I have had no issues with a refurbished model. Overall a great saw that I would recommend for everyday professional use, and especially for the non-professional user that is on a budget but needs a solid reliable saw. I was so impressed with this saw that I purchased a Hitachi cordless impact driver, 18 gauge brad nailer, and a three piece cordless drill/reciprocating saw/circular saw set. All refurbished and all have been great! I've had nothing but a good experience with Hitachi tools.