12" Hitachi Sliding Mitre Saw Vs. Bosch

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64
Location
Tennessee
This guy's about to drop a stack of cash on a mitre saw:
I am trying to decide between buying a 12" hatachi sliding mitre saw or the bosch. any tips?
I'd hate to just steer him towards the most expensive one on our site... KIDDING.

Anyways, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this... the only difference I can tell between his two choices is the $10 difference on Amazon. There has to be more to the case than that right?

Is there a brand or model he's leaving out that he really should be considering?

Thank you in helping me make sure he doesn't do anything rash with his hard earned cash :)
 
I have the Hitachi. Happy with it. I looked at the Bosch but at the time there were a bunch of complaints about it. Don't remember the details. One thing about the Hitachi is that it retracts into itself when sliding, taking up less depth.
 
the hitachi has a better rep. than the bosch.....i`d advise against a 12" saw unless he actually needs the extra deapth of cut for trim work.....10" saws will usually give a better cut.....tod
 
I have an old Hitachi 8" slider, and it is DEAD accurate even though it has seen a LOT of use and abuse (before I got it, on the abuse bit) I very much like Hitachi.

I think that 12" is a bit much as well, unless the guy REALLY needs it for something. The blades are a lot more money out of the gate, and the cost more to sharpen than a 10" as well.

The Hitachi 10" has a really good rep, it will be my next SCMS, if I can ever kill the 8" saw :rolleyes:

Cheers!
 
Unless you really need a 12" saw, give some thought to the 10" Makita slider. I borrowed one from a friend to do a flooring job in our basement. Accuracy was spot-on, no lateral play that I could detect, and the laser sight was right on as well. The detents for common angles (90, 45, etc.) are right on the money, which is nice when you are changing back and forth between different cuts and don't want to be checking each time.

I think Makita offers a 12" slider, but I don't have any first-hand experience with it.

Cheers,

Kevin
 
Guys, I am new to the group, but hoping you can help me out. I'm going to be getting a sliding compound and am deciding between the Hitachi 10" (C10FSH) and the Bosch 4410L ... I know these are both great saws and the biggest question I have right now is about the 12 amp Hitachi motor vs. the 15 amp on the Bosch (and most other SCMS)? I've read that amp is not the best thing to judge a saw by and I've found that the watts for Hitachi is 1320, but I cannot find a watt rating for the Bosch?

Should I be concerned with the smaller (12 amp) Hitachi motor? Or is this a non-factor in the overall saw performance?

Thanks.
 
Dawson,
I've had the 8" Hitachi for about fifteen years, and it's been dead on solid for all that time. The only maintenance has been replacement of some plastic guard parts, and the motor brushed (about six months ago).

This saw has cut everything from picture frame molding to fence palings, and has never complained. I've only realigned it once, and it didn't really need it then - I was just being anal about it...

If it dies tomorrow, I'll buy a new TEN INCH (10") Hitachi. I can't really see the need for a 12" blade, besides, the bigger the blade, the more flex - and that's a bad thing.
 
dawson,
what are you planning on cutting with the saw? the old 77 worm drives sported a 13 amp motor and would chew through multiple subdivisions and never miss a lick..
most mitersaws will on occasion cut some 12/4 hardwood and given the tooth count and blade geometry even a 15 amp motor is going to grunt. but most of their lives is spent cutting 4/4 or smaller stock so 13 amp shouldn`t be a problem.
the biggest issue with the hitachi is the awfull colors!
 
I will be cutting 4/4 or smaller typically ... certainly not dealing with larger on a regular basis. The Hitachi 10" sports only a 12 amp motor (not even 13), which is what caught my eye in today's market of saws that are all 15 amp, or 13 minimum. I haven't heard anything bad about the saw in terms of power, but wanted to make sure. Do you know the typically watt output of most 10" mitre saws (as I mentioned the Hitachi is 1320)?

The colors don't bother me :) I just want the best saw for my money.
 
watts-amps-horsepower......none of these will tell you how much actual torque will make it to the blade.....it all depends on how the power is transmitted, the motor/gearing design....
i`ve not driven either saw so can`t offer firsthand experience but i`ll bet that both will cut wood just fine....pay more attention to the design of the degree stops, degree range, and local service and support if something goes wrong....
 
It makes a nice change to see so many people praising the Hitachi over the Bosch. I've been using Hitachi's for way too many years and never had a problem but on some forums its bosch bosch bosch.
 
I wouldn't let a small difference in amperage drive my decision. Both companies have made solid tools for many years. If Hitachi's 12 amps were insufficient, you'd hear users complaining about it, not just offhand "underpowered" comments in tool comparisons where the focus can be on splitting hairs rather than general usability of the equipment.
12 amps is still a lot of power - it's over 1 hp, which is quite a bit, especially for a tool that's just used for cross cutting.
I'd go for durability, accuracy, and ease of setup.
It's cheaper for a company to put a slightly bigger motor on a saw than it is to machine key parts to a higher level of accuracy. A bigger motor doesn't translate in to a better saw.
I think others have hit on the saw blade size issues well enough.
Either saw will probably do you fine.
Have fun with your new toy.
Paul Hubbman
 
Thanks for all the info guys ... it has really helped.

Bosch Mitre Range: 52 left, 60 right
Bosh Bevel Range: 47 left, 46 right

Hitachi Mitre Range: 45 left, 57 right
Hitachi Bevel Range: 45 right and left

Clearly, the Bosch is a little more flexible in terms of mitre and bevel range. Are the bevel and mitre angles outside of 45 used much? My old compound mitre saw only went to 45 and I didn't seem to need the extra, but maybe I am missing out just because I didn't have the capability.

DM
 
Dawson, that 10" Hitachi looks like the big brother to my 8" model, and mine, like Jim's, has been rock solid for a long time.

The new Hitachi 10" C10FCE.......

C10FCE_jpg_prod_mx_7123.jpg


I drove at the DIY show here a while back, looks like a NICE saw, but MAN is it expensive :doh:

The rails the the saw slide on, are beside the motor etc, so you can put this saw a LOT closer to the wall, a nice space saving feature.

I have not had any experience with the Bosch saw, but I have with their green line of tools, a ROS sander, rechargeable drill, and jig saw, the jig saw is the only one I like, but I'd not buy it again.

Now the Blue line of Bosch are really outstanding, but a big price jump, at least here in Japan.

I'd go for the 10" Hitachi, but then again, I DO like Hitachi stuff.

Cheers!
 
I do not know about the SCMS for Bosch, green or blue, but they have a distinct quality difference in the hand tools here :dunno:

C10FSH_jpg_prod_mx_6739.jpg

So this is the saw you are looking at?

Looks VERY similar to my old 8" CF8B saw..........

hitachi_cms.jpg

Sorry, not a great pic.

I think that for the price, you are getting a lot of a saw.

I've no experience with the Bosch SCMS, I've not even seen one in person, sorry.

Cheers!
 
Yeah, that is the saw. I think I am going to take a look at this saw on the weekend, I'll let you know how it goes.

Any thoughts on the mitre and bevel range? Do you often use angles over 45 degrees?
 
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