Motor: 15 amp; direct drive; soft start; blade brake; 3,200 rpm
Miter angle: 55° left to 60° right; stops at 15°, 22.5°, 31.62°, 45°; detent override
Bevel angle: 48° left to 48° right; stops at 33.9° and 45°
Horizontal cut width at 3/4 in.: 12 3/4 in. at 90°; 9 in. at 45°
Horizontal cut depth: 3 1/2 in.
Vertical cut height at 3/4 in.: 4 1/4-in. through cut; 4 1/4-in. shave cut at 45° miter
Nested crown capacity: 6 1/4 in.
Dust collection: 3 lb.
Weight: 46 lb.
Price: $350
Website: hitachipowertools.com
Comments: Hitachi released this saw in the fall of last year. It has some nice features, particularly the up-front bevel controls and forward-facing rail system. This design means that it can be pushed up tight against the wall—a good feature for a shop. It’s compact and lightweight—a great saw for carrying in and out of jobsites, as well. The unit includes an LED light, which I liked, and a laser, which I found difficult to adjust without removing the blade guard. I also found the accuracy of it to be fair. Chop accuracy on the saw was excellent at 1/256 inch (.0039 in.) over 4 inches, but the saw scored second to last in slide-cutting accuracy, at 7/256 inch (.0273 in.) in 12 inches. The detent plate is cast into the saw’s base, which in theory means that its accuracy will hold up well over time. I really liked the bevel release lever up front, though calibrating the bevel was slightly more complex than it seemed it should be. It requires loosening three screws that are tucked way into the rear of the saw; it sounds like a simple maneuver, but in practice, the screws are difficult to access and then once they are loosened, the process is a bit of a juggling act. There was virtually no blade wobble detected, though the head did vibrate a fair amount in various materials—particularly harder woods like mahogany and LVLs. There’s a fair amount of movement in the head compared with other saws in this test, which showed in the cut quality for both long miters and long bevels. Sliding functionality was the worst of all tested—the head moves smoothly and requires a fair amount of effort compared with the other saws tested. Dust collection on the saw was very good at 3 lb., though there’s no sleeve in the port to hook up a hose. I liked the detent override and ease of tuning-in a miter cut. Overall, this is a decent general carpentry saw but not a workhorse or trim saw.
