TS ordeal

Julio Navarro

Member
Messages
281
Location
Tampa
This post is mostly a rant as I need to vent my frustration concerning my TS.

Some might remember my problems with my, then, new Hitachi table saw.

Well, yesterday I needed to cut a 45º bevel on one edge so began to turn the crank to tilt the blade. Suddenly, the crank turned freely and the blade stopped tilting. Obviously, something came loose.

After removing the rear panel I found that two allen screws that hold down the screw gear had come loose and so the screw gear was loose from the shaft. From the back panel there is no access to the two allen screws so I had to pretty much tear the whole TS apart.

In the process I discovered the whole worm/screw gear assembly was plastic!. I was very disappointed and the putting back together was a nightmare so I am pretty much put off from this brand now.

It will take me a while, I know, but I am setting my sights on the Sawstop.

If you got this far thanks for reading my rant.

I'll take my soap box with me now.
 
Wow, plastic gearing??? Guess they don't think saw dust will gum up the works, huh? Sorry to hear this. I have 2 Hitachi tools, an SCMS and a 2 1/4 fixed base router, and I really like both of them. And their tools have very good warranties. Makes me afraid to open either of them up!! Jim.
 
Wow, plastic gearing??? Guess they don't think saw dust will gum up the works, huh? Sorry to hear this. I have 2 Hitachi tools, an SCMS and a 2 1/4 fixed base router, and I really like both of them. And their tools have very good warranties. Makes me afraid to open either of them up!! Jim.

I am wit you, Jim. The warranty on the TS is long gone and I had already sent it to a shop for another issue when I bought it.

I also have some Hitachi tools and love them which is why I bought the TS thinking it was the same quality. I guess I just got a bad TS.
 
Ouch, I am sorry to hear that Julio. I have often wondered who makes that saw as the Porter Cable model now sold at Lowe's is very similar in appearance.
 
Wow Julio...I'm suprised to see that from Hitachi...they had a top rated Chop saw (I know it's not a TS) that I used for years until I dropped it off my tailgate. Move up and forget about 'em
 
Well that just sucks, I'm so very dissappointed with Hitachi on this saw, I have two of their SCMS and they both work flawlessly, one is quite old, and is still perfect. I also have their big framing nailer, it is arguably the gold standard for framing nailers, and my large resaw bandsaw is a Hitachi as well, all of these tools are great.

I hate to ask you to look, but can you see anywhere on the tool itself where it is manufactured? I know that an impact driver from Hitachi that I have is made in China, and it is OK, but not as good as the other Hitachi tools I've had, the reversing switch, for example, sticks a bit, and the fit and finish is not as nice. Just wondering if your lemon TS is a tool that was made in China too?

Maybe you should paint it yellow :doh:
 
That saw was on the short list when I bought my Ridgid. Sorry to see it's giving you problems, and that the inside doesn't look as durable as the outside.
 
Too bad about the problems with the saw. That saw was quite a departure from other Hitachi tools I had seen. It's really hard to buy on brand name these days. That safety net seems to be long gone with most brands. So many tools have little correllation to other tools of the same brand except for the nameplate. I've got some Hitachi hand power tools that I've been really impressed with, but that's no guarantee I'll like the next Hitachi tool.

The new Porter Cable PCB270TS has many parts and traits in common with the Hitachi C10FL, but has updated guts to accommodate a riving knife....now I'm wondering if these two saws share the plastic gearing? :(

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I've even ran into this on dewalt and makita. I was talking with a factory rep for makita at work about it, he filled me in a bit. Lowes/home Depot often sell a import version of their tools that isn't the same class as their top of the line industrial use tools. We buy a lot of grinders at work for fabrication, but you can spend from $20-$200 on a 4.5" grinder. There is a huge difference in quality there though.
 
The new Porter Cable PCB270TS has many parts and traits in common with the Hitachi C10FL, but has updated guts to accommodate a riving knife....now I'm wondering if these two saws share the plastic gearing? :(

I was looking at the Porter Cable at Lowes the other day and it looks exactly like the Hirtachi, In fact, even the label and warning stickers are identical. I would venture to say that the plastic parts are the same inside. I turned the angle crank and it felt just like the crank on my Hitachi with the plastic gear.

There's is no way to tell with out taking it apart.
 
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