hitachi jobsite table saw

[ncreefer]

I'm not sure if you guys think this is a deal or not, but lowes is clearing out some more of their stock. They had the hitachi c10ra3 for $119. I know its only a jobsite saw, but is it good for a beginner who can't afford better?

 

[Kicbak]

I had the previous model, it was pretty bad. I ended up selling it pretty cheap on CL since it wasn't accurate and had poor safety features.

 

[merrill77]

What do you want to use it for? For furniture, cabinets, etc, I think you're better off with a circular saw with a good blade and edge guide...and some sawhorses.

 

[ncreefer]

Is this saw really that bad? or is it just not the level of a cabinet table saw? I'm just looking for something basic in order to rip some boards and do a few other things. I'm just a beginner and this is all I can really afford.

I've been watching craigslist for a couple of months, but I haven't seen anything in the area seems worth it to me. and I'm not that good with mechanical things so I really have a hard time spending a couple hundred dollars on something that's 20 years old.

 

[Sandy Rose]

I've got a similar Hitachi table saw to that one, it has worked fine for me. The only complaint is that the fence takes a few minutes to get true when you use it, but other than that, I think it's a good beginner's tool.

 

[CarvedTones]

I'm not that good with mechanical things so I really have a hard time spending a couple hundred dollars on something that's 20 years old.

Personally, I think you would be better off spending $100 or so for something even older. The old belt drive cast iron top saws give you very little trouble and are more accurate than today's low end saws. I have seen several I would have jumped on if I had the shop space. I have an old benchtop from that era and it is a very nice little saw, but if I had room I would go for a bigger one. Older Craftsman and Rockwells are my favorite.

I did it the way Merrill77 suggests for a while and that is also a reasonable solution. I got a PC MAG circular saw for under $100 that cuts quite accurately and powerfully, plus it is adaptable for a vacuum. I still use it a lot; my benchtop has a 3/4 HP motor that has trouble with 8/4 hardwood.

I really don't like the benchtop screamers with the plastic base, aluminum top and blender motor that the home stores sell for around $100. Some do have more accuracy and features than others, but when I turn one on the noise and vibration make me feel hurried, which is a bad thing around a TS. The one big upside is that they do pack power.

 

[merrill77]

I don't know much about that one specifically, but most of the tabletop saws have a fence that does not keep the alignment when moved. I had one that, like Sandy Rose said, required realignment every time it was moved. I can't tell you how aggravating that was. Either that or they are not strong enough - they deflect with the pressure that will be applied during common cuts. I ended up giving mine away and used my circular saw with edge guide (or my jigsaw on smaller pieces). The tabletop saw was a waste of money. If I were to do it again, I would start off buying a good circular saw and jigsaw and wait till I had the cash for a good TS. The advantage of this approach is that you will continue to use a good circular saw and jig saw even after you have a good TS, so no money wasted. I know I still use mine frequently.

As for the 20-year-old "good" table saws...mine is 17 years old and it works like new. If it hasn't been abused, I'd take a 30-year-old cast-iron-top saw with a good fence over a brand-new tabletop saw ANY day.

just my 2c...

 

[ncreefer]

Thanks, I have been using a straight edge and circular saw for awhile, but I've needed something a little more recently. It does have 15 amps/5000rpms, but I know it can be a safety issue with the bigger pieces of say plywood (too long). I would have to have them trimmed down before I can trim them to my needs. I also read somewhere that if you upgrade the blade to a better quality blade this will increase the cutting ability (the reason for my other post about blades).

I know you will probably think its not a good idea, but I got it (it's not opened yet).I'm putting my thoughts out there to have them shot down, to see if I shouldn't have gotten this. I've talked to a few other people in my same position and they don't recommend the table tops, but they say they work for a beginner and they've been using them for years now. Its not perfect but it works..............


I'm not really at the level where I'm making cabinets, it's really been for just little DIY projects.

Like I said, I'm just playing devil's advocate here to see if I made a mistake.

 

[CarvedTones]

For cutting plywood to the full 8' length, unless you have a monster TS, the circular saw is safer, IMO. You need to support it properly, of course.

 

[ScottM]

The biggest issue with the low end machines are straight cuts and true angles.

 

[merrill77]

Cutting full sheets of plywood even on a big tablesaw is challenging - you need good in- and out-feed support and lots of room. A tabletop saw is pretty much out of the question - it's not stable enough. Pushing the plywood across it is likely to move or tip it. And you may find that it does not have any more usable power than a handheld circular saw (you can't really believe the ratings on the box). Yes, a good blade helps in either case. Are you are planning to build a VERY heavy, stable stand to put it on? I find the circular saw and sawhorses is easier and safer for cutting full sheets of plywood.

I'd hate to see you make the same mistake I did...

 

[CarvedTones]

A caveat - there are roller systems that will make a smaller tablesaw reasonably safe to cut plywood. I can't weigh in on the wisdom of the decision as I don't have any experience with the Hitachi; my general dislike of benchtop screamers is based on owning a Ryobi in the past and using one friend's Tradesman and another's modern Craftsman benchtop (they were all very similar). But when I bought the Ryobi, my logic was the same as yours and I did use it successfully cut many boards within reasonable tolerances for DIY. It worked; I just did not like how it worked (vibration and noise) and it would require a lot of fiddling to get it set exactly right and needed to be rechecked fairly often. In very hard woods with funky grain, blade deflection was a problem. OK, I lied - I can weigh in. But my experience is not with the Hitachi, just things I think are similar.

 

[ncreefer]

I guess I should of clarified, I have been doing a lot of reading on how to properly use these saws. I am considering building a sturdy stand for it, and not using the stand that comes with it. I was even thinking of extending the back so it has a rear extension to allow for cutting some longer boards easier (has anyone done this w/their jobsite saws?).

I was considering the craftsman and a couple of other models and some stuff off of CL, but I have other stuff I need to use the cash for. Plus I had received a lowes card for my birthday, and this was all I could afford as of now and tired of asking others to use their TSs.

From reading the reviews for the saw, it sounded like a lot of people were expecting more out of this saw. People were buying it expecting to get a professional cabinet table saw for less then $500, but clearly if they did their homework they would have known differently.

 

[Bas]

My first saw was similar to the Hitachi one - a B&D Firestorm. It was underpowered, the fence would never stay put, and dust collection was lousy. But, that's how I learned about the value of high quality blades (thin kerf), how you can make a dust collection system out of an oil pan and weatherstripping, and why I invented the DuoKlamp (tm) system. The DuoKlamp system means you add a simple 6" bar clamp (from Harbor Freight of course) to the other side of your fence to make sure it doesn't move :rolf:. Making adjustments is a pain of course.

That doesn't mean you can't do fun projects with a cheap saw. I build my work bench, several book cases, a magazine stand, a dog bed and a couple of shop projects with it. But the happiest moment was when I finally upgraded to a Jet ProShop. Not only did the quality improve, the new saw also feels much safer.

So, if you can afford it, get a better saw. Doesn't matter which one as long as it has a good fence, a cast iron top, and a belt-driven motor. If you can't afford to spend more, get this one. You get to do a whole lot of woodworking, and you'll appreciate the new saw you'll buy in a couple of years that much more. Plus, you know what features to look for.

 

[CarvedTones]

The biggest issue with the low end machines are straight cuts and true angles.

Those are fixable, but the solutions aren't optimal (like Bas clamping the fence). Clamping the fence gives you the straight cuts. I have to confess I do this on my current saw if I have a lot of pieces to cut. The bigger pain is the angles because the lower end saws flex a little easier and don't tend to keep the adjustments as reliably. You have to check to make sure its holding and/or to readjust. The only way I found to limit defelection on thick pieces of really hard woods was to sneak up on the line so I was removing a kerf width or less on an additional last pass. The miter gauges are often not that good.

These things frustrated me but I could deal with them. What I could not fix was the noise and vibration. Using one at night is out of the question if you have kids.