Motor: 12 amp; belt-drive; soft start; blade brake; 3,800 rpm
Miter angle: 45° left to 62° right; stops at 15°, 22.5°, 31.62°, 45°; no detent override
Bevel angle: 45° left to 45° right; stops at 33.9°, 45 °(L), 45°(R)
Horizontal cut width at 3/4 in.: 12 5/16 in. at 90°; 8 3/8 in. at 45°
Horizontal cut depth: 3 5/8 in.
Vertical cut height at 3/4 in.: 3 5/8-in. through cut at 90°; 4 5/8-in. shave cut at 45°
Dust collection: 3 lb. 0.3 oz
Nested crown capacity: 6 5/8 in.; requires optional auxiliary fence
Weight: 43 lb.
Price: $510
Website: hitachipowertools.com
Comments: This saw really surprised me because it is the most basic of all the models, including Hitachi’s newer C10FSHC. There are no bells and whistles on this saw and all of its levers and settings are very simple. In fact, all of the tuning adjustment settings on it are hex-head bolts, which require a separate tool. There’s no onboard tool storage and no auxiliary fence on the right side (it’s an optional accessory), and the auxiliary fence on the left side flips out of the way—this I liked because it extends the length of the fence on the left side of the blade while keeping the fence attached so you don’t have to completely remove it. While everything about the levers and controls on this saw says “basic” to me, this saw is incredibly accurate. The table is perfectly flat and the fence was straight and square to the table. In fact, it tied with the Kapex on the slide-accuracy as well as the chop-accuracy tests. It produced absolutely flawless bevel cuts. There’s little deflection in the head when making long bevel cuts, and the accuracy on miter cuts was spot-on. The soft-start motor ramps up very quickly. This saw showed no blade wobble and made consistently accurate cuts in both miter and bevel positions. The miter scale is a little off—it reads properly to the left but is about a degree off to the right of the blade. This discrepancy is a function of the gauge sticker not being applied properly (you can’t adjust this without pulling the sticker off, which would likely ruin it). I found the laser useful and accurate when making miter cuts with no bevel, and I like that you can switch it to either side of the blade at the turn of a dial. Unfortunately, the laser comes from behind the stock and so can be obscured by taller moldings. When cutting 8/4 mahogany, the saw fared well—it didn’t struggle, but it didn’t cut it easy-breezy either. It’s the lightest saw of the bunch. For a trim carpenter who likes to add his or her own auxiliary fences, this saw is a good fit.
