Woodworker's Journal 2008-32-3, страница 64

TOOL REVIEW

Hitachi Model: C10FSH Price: $429 Phone: 800-829-4752 Amps: 12

Performance Score: 34 total

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All the saws in the group have bevel stops at 0° and 45° right and left, and the Craftsman and Bosch also feature 33.9° stops for crown molding. The Festool's the easiest saw to set for bevel angles: After releasing an easy-to-access top lever and turning a knob to set the bevel range (45° left only, 45° either way, or 47° either way), rotate the end of the right-hand slide bar to tilt the saw to the desired angle. The Kapex's large bevel scale lets you set fine angles with much greater precision than on the other saws in this group.

Handle and Trigger Comfort

Bosch...........5

Craftsman........3

Hitachi..........2

Makita...........4

Metabo..........3

Festool..........3

A power saw user's comfort greatly depends on the design and qualities of the tool's grip, On/Off trigger and safety interlock. The grips on most saws are either vertically or horizontally oriented. Which is better is largely a matter of personal preference; some woodworkers like vertical grips that are in-line with the saw blade, as found on the Festool and Hitachi, claiming that

Although its motor is rated at only 12 amps, the Hitachi easily sliced through construction grade 4x4 lumber.

there's less of a tendency to torque the blade out of alignment during sliding and cutting. Others prefer horizontal handles, as found on the Craftsman and Metabo, which, some say, reduce wrist fatigue during long cutting sessions. The Bosch 4410L offers the most user flexibility, with a hand grip that adjusts to four different positions: horizontal, vertical or slanted. I liked this handle the best overall. The Metabo, Makita and Craftsman have wide triggers (the Craftsman's is good for right-handed operation only), and the latter two feature rubber overmolds like the Bosch.

The safety interlock buttons (which prevent accidental triggering) on the Bosch and Makita are well placed and very easy to operate. The Bosch features two buttons, to accommodate righties and lefties. The Craftsman and Metabo both lack an interlock button. I'm not a fan of Festool's two-stage safety interlock system, which requires you to depress a button atop the grip

AND partially press the trigger before you can pivot the saw head down, lift the guard and switch the trigger on. I also didn't care for the Hitachi's small single-finger trigger and interlock button. The grips on both the Festool and Hitachi are positioned to be most user-friendly when the saw is on a low bench, worktable or the ground.

Fence and Table

Bosch............5

Craftsman.........3

Hitachi...........3

Makita............4

Metabo...........3

Festool...........5

A top-flight sliding miter saw should have a table and fence ample enough to support wide and tall stock, yet they should not compromise the saw's overall portability. I really like the Makita's unique round table, which is one large surface offering lots of support even for wider workpieces (I also liked its wide base that makes the saw very stable, even on uneven work surfaces). The table surfaces on the other saws are all similar in size and

Tool Review continues on page 66 ...

Makita

Model: LS1013FL Price: $499 Phone: 800-462-5482 Amps: 15

Performance Score: 38 total

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Makita's turntable rotates very smoothly for miter settings. The scale is on the far right of the saw base, which can take a little getting used to.

64 June 2008 Woodworker's Journal