Does anyone have any good or bad experience with the Hitachi C10FL? I realize it is a pretty low-end saw, but it fits my budget and is a huge improvement over the piece of junk I currently have. I am also looking at the Ridgid TS3650.
Any recommendations on either saw would be greatly appreciated.
Replies
Do a search on this, I've recently read some stuff on it but with all the new categories I have no idea which one!
BTW, the talk was not favorable to the Hitachi
Doug
I did find another thread that was not very positive on the Hitachi or the Ridgid. I did read a lot of good things on Craftsman, Jet, & Grizzly, so perhaps I'll take a look at those. Thanks for your response.
I did find another thread that was not very positive on the Hitachi or the Ridgid. I have the Ridgid.. Not sure if I have that shaft thing.. I never use one.. I Use my routers..Saw not the worst I ever had.. In fact I like it ALOT..
That "shaft thing" while aggravating as he|| is not a killer for the saw. The arbor has to be replaced then things are fine.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
The Ridgid is good value for the money. I had one which I just sold. My only complaints were:
(i) a bit underpowered, as are all contractor's saws;
(ii) less than perfect dust collection, as with most contractor saws; and
(iii) poor machining of the arbor, which resulted in uneven dado cuts. Tyhe latter issue has apparently been resolved.
On the plus side:
(i) large flat table.
(ii) very little vibration;
(iii) excellent lift system and mobile base;and
(iv) very good fence.
Thanks for the good info on the Ridgid. I too like the clever mobile base since I would use it in my garage and would normally have to move it somewhere to really use it. I just wish they had the motor enclosed inside the base like the Hitachi and some of the Craftsman saws.
You do not say if this will be a jobsite saw or for home use. If for home use,save your money and then buy a decent saw with a good fence. The hitachi is okay for jobsite use,I prefer the dewalt which costs double the amount though. If the main reason your present saw sucks is the fence, use a clamp on the outboard side to keep it aligned. This takes time to do,but will save you some bucks on a saw that is only marginaly better than the one you have.
Personally, I would rather have a decent skilsaw and straight edge than the cheaper bench type table saws.
mike
I am looking for something for hobby/home use, but I really don't want to spend more than $600. And I was hoping to get one with a motor within the base (is that considered a hybrid?).
Both my old table saws (which weren't good ones to begin with) are dead losses since the pullys have come loose from the arbors so many times on both that the arbors are worn down and I can no longer attach the pullys using those mini setscrews.
I suppose I could try getting a new arbor machined, but I think that would be prohibitively expensive. And then I would still have two mediocre saws.
I've had good luck with my Craftsman 10 in Job Site TS. It's sturdy, vibration isn't too bad. Dust collection works well. It's portable, folds up quick and easy. I can also pick it up and load it into the truck without help (not that I'm saying that it's easy, but it can be done). With assistance, i've used to rip 4'x8' sheets of plywood. Price is around $375.
Joe
$600.00 will get you a good contractors saw, stick with name brands,Jet,Delta possibly Grizzly. Do a search for table saw reviews.At first I thought you were looking for a bench type saw. Except for the higher class ones like dewalt and bosch most others are on the lowest end of the spectrum.
mike
Question from a newbie. Why is a table saw better than an EZ Smart? Or if you got an EZ Smart why would you need a table saw? This question is mainly for Ez Smart owners because from what I've read the EZ smart is supposed to replace the table saw, did you find this true?
Fron the sawmillcreek.org forum.
The Ft Washington Show was somewhat disappointing this year, even smaller that last year and not one vendor selling wood (one selling veneer, does that count?). Did manage to pick up some stuff dealing with safety and fine-tuning equipment, can never be too safe.Dino was there and introduced some new stuff this year, most of it having been discussed on this forum before but you know how it is, seeing is believing. And for the photo police, my digital camera is in the shop.He had the new "repeater" there which basically acts like a table saw fence. You set the width of the cut on the repeaters, push the wood against the repeater stops and cut the wood with a circular saw. Then push the wood against the repeater stops again and cut. Dino demonstrated the unit by cutting thin strips of wood in widths down to 1/16" with consistent thickness. Would be great for cutting thin strips of wood for making up curved pieces of wood for say, a round table.The new edge planning system was there whereby you take his routing system and replace the router part with an electric hand planer. It rides along the Smart Guide and is used to smooth an edge in additions of tapering an edge, i.e., going from say 1" down to 1/16". My Dewalt is 3" wide so I probably could use it to cut table legs (instead of using a tapering jig, joiner, etc.). (Note: it needs an "L" bracket to connect the planer, he has it for the Bosch, is working on other vendors).On Sunday, he had the "repeater" setup with the circular saw and edge planning system to cut oak veneer whereby he would plane the wood to get it smooth then cut it with the circular saw. The resulting veneer looked really nice and was quite quick to produce.He also showed his mortise and tenon system whereby one of the Smart Guides is mounted on the side of the table to hold the wood and the other Smart Guide is mounted on top of the table to hold the router system. New to the system are "stops" that restrict the movement of the router to get the shape of the mortise and tenons (production stops to be available in a month or so).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I wasn't there for the veneer-cutting demo on Sunday, but I saw a different demo of the EZ-Repeato (or whatever it's called) on Saturday. It worked very quickly, which was a real surprise. Of course, the speed would be nothing without accuracy. While I couldn't tell whether the finished pieces varied from the reading on the scale, I laid them on their sides next to each other, and could feel that they were all uniform in thickness.For operations that could be performed on a table saw, such as repeat rip or cross cuts to the same finished size, it looked like Dino's device would work faster, if equivalent accuracy and roughly equivalent safety precautions were required of both. (I say "roughly equivalent" with regard to safety, because in my limited experience as a beginner, I think I'd be more at risk when using a table saw than when using Dino's equipment.)Dino didn't demo the EZ-Repeato with a Festool rail while I was there, but I'd have been interested to see that. I own over 25 feet of Festool guide rails and they work great for their intended purposes, but I think their flexibility and lack of a second channel on the underside may make them difficult to use with the EZ-Repeato. I'm tentatively planning to dedicate a Festool saw to use with the EZ-Repeato, in which case I'd definitely use Dino's rails.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dino.....I knew you would one day soon give me hope to totally eliminate the machine I hate most in my shop. After reading these comments, I think that day is very near in my future.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The EZSmart Guide system and all the extras that Dino threw in have been living in my shop for quite a few weeks now. I've got enough guide rail to reach from one end of the shop to the other. I put a Milwaukee circular saw (don't remember model number, it's the one with the brake) on the base plate and installed a decent Amana blade on it. I put a Hitachi M12V on the router base plate. Don't have plans for a power planer (mine are all hand powered).Accuracy: this system is as accurate as I can measure. There is no loss of accuracy with the rail or with the base plates riding on the rail. To increase my measuring accuracy I've made a couple of story sticks to use for setting the guide on the wood.Repeatability: With the repeateer - no problem. When the board is bigger than the repeater can handle I use the story sticks.Safety: Better than any other power tool in my shop. Rip an eight foot sheet the long way, middle of the cut let go of everything - both hands- I wouldn't do that on my tablesaw. I wouldn't do that with a handheld circular saw. Do that on the EZSmart and nothing happens. The saw or router stops spinning, there's no kickback, wood doesn't try to launch itself, nothing happens. Then go back and start the tool again and continue the cut you can't even tell where you stopped.The quality of the cut with the circular saw has to be seen to be believed. Been using that hardwood faced plywood from Home Depot with the incredibly thin face veneer, there is no chipping either edge of the cut. I can make a very smooth chip free cut.This sytem is great and works as advertised
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the EZ Smart was designed to make woodworking ...EZ Smart.
David.
Edited 12/15/2005 2:58 pm ET by davidwood
Thank you for that very detailed post. As you have said "seeing is believing". I will be at the wwing show in Columbus in January(missed the one in Detroit last week) hope they have a display so I can see it. I've read and saw the pictures and to me logically speaking it makes so much sense but I'm still confused as to why its not more of a "force" if it works so well as seemingly everyone reports. Does any pro wwers use it now? Any others in this forum?
go over to BT, there are quite a few guys over there using the EZ.
Doug
Hell-o Doug.
1/4"???
Dino
1/4"???
I don't get it???
I was thinking about you today. I went out and bought a new circular saw for my EZ, got the Hilti, couldn't find any other brand in all of Austin TX that had an electric break on it.
I had a question for you about the router attachment but I'm going to save all the questions up and ask them all at once, figured your time aught to be worth something!
After seeing your return address on the package with your last name on it I think I figured out that accent of yours! :)
Later
Doug
33.9
Sorry Doug.
That was butcherswood. When he order the repeaters..
we double the price for 5 minutes..only for him.
YCf dino
Ohhhhh, OK, now I see
Doug
Imagine that.
We spend few years to solve few problems, and butchersWoods cuts 1/4" oversize. I fix him up.:)
What about the router?
YCF D
I just wondered why my router sled doesnt have all the holes in it that the picture does?
Do I need them for anything other then mounting the router? Cause if thats it, no big deal, I can drill for that. Just wondered if they serve other purpose.
What about my question regarding the Hilti circular saw, what do you think about them. I never knew anybody that ever had one.
Doug
Do I need them for anything other then mounting the router? Cause if thats it, no big deal, I can drill for that. Just wondered if they serve other purpose.
No. They just create problems. If you need to enlarge the opening for dust collection and other jigs, the slots make the base unsuable. Now you drill anywhere and you position the router better.
What about my question regarding the Hilti circular saw, what do you think about them. I never knew anybody that ever had one.
The 267 E is a winner.
http://eurekazone.com/gallery/the-right-saw
The Hilti sidewinder is one of the best circular saws for the job site. No dust collection, but heavy duty and fast brake.
YCF Dino
It is the real deal EZ smart is very impressive, I had the opportunity to watch Dino demo the EZ at the breaktime fest this past summer. Everything the other poster told you is right on the money.
What really got my attention is Dino took at board that was approx. 12" long with one staight edge, approx. 1" wide at its appex. that tapered to 0 at both ends, basically the shape of a bow. He was able to then clamp that small piece to the rail system, and cut that piece4to 5 times. Now many people would say big deal I can do that on my tablesaw, and yes I would have to agree, but the only way your going to do it is with push sticks,with constant pressure on the top and side. Now if you have ever tried to cut small narrow pieces on a table saw, you find that the piece wants to climb out of the cut.
He was able to cut consistent pieces and his fingers were never at all in danger of being close to the blade. I picked up one of the pieces and put it up to the light and was able to see light coming thru. He also cut some sheet goods with absolutely no chipping or tear out. I have cut lots of sheet goods on tablesaws, cabinet saws with aftermarket sleds attached to eaze the process of cutting, and it is still hard to do and achieve the constistency and accuracy that the EZ guide is capable of doing. Plus I can achieve these type of results by myself without the aid of another man.
The router set up was just as impressive, heck I was so impressed, I ordered one today for my X-mas present. I just can't wait for it to get here, hope the family lets me open it early. If your a serious woodworker or just a hobbiest this is one tool that should be in your arsenal.
Now I know that I might sound like a spokeperson for EZ smart, but seeing is believeing,and Dino made me a believer that day.
Trouble is, I really like the designs with the motors within the cabinet rather than hanging out the back. I like the more compact design (my shop is really small) and I think the dust collection might work better as well. But all the contractor models everyone likes all seem to have it out back. I have seen a Craftsman that had an internal motor, so perhaps I should take another look at that. Thanks for your response.
Run, don't walk, away from the Hitachi. No I have not used it, but all I had to do was lay hands on it and look at their overblown specs to know I wouldn't spend my $$ on it.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
I have heard good things about other Hitachi power tools so I thought this might be of similar quality. It seems solid enough. Not sure why they refer to their motor as 3hp though. I do plan to give the Craftsman saws another look this weekend. Thanks for your comment.
Wow, your's was the only post that mde sense to me. Which universe did this thread drift out to, LOL?! If I have time this afternoon, I'll find the thread (or two) that people chimed in on last year after the saw was introduced. There were some issues raised that are worth looking at.
What did you hear/read about the Rigid that sent you packing??forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
you might look into the delta ts350. a friend has one and i have only used it for a few crosscuts and rips on 4/4 oak when he had me over to have a look-see at it. it is $350 on amazon with free shipping right now. enclosed stand, dust collection port and cast iron wings. 1HP direct drive induction motor (not a universal motor). the fence is somewhat crappy but not absolutely unusable. pretty good saw for the money. lowes carries them if you wanted to check one out in person. i'm not saying it is an awesome saw or anything, but definitely the best saw i've seen for $350. just my thoughts.
dave
Have had a jet contractors style saw it the regular fence for about 8 years and it has been ok for the type of saw it is. Shop around for it or a Delta or General.
Troy
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled