Replies

1. 
   Dustmight | Jan 08, 2005 12:42am | #1

   I've seen it at two different Lowes and have looked it over pretty well, including getting a glimpse at the manual.  The motor is a 15amp induction motor, very much like the motors on 99% of the other contractor saws available...about 1-1/2hp, not the stated 3hp.  It is internally mounted, but I didn't get a look at the trunnions.  I doubt their cabinet style trunnions or they'd have noted that.  The fence wouldn't move at either store, and even if it did it looked to be like any generic "me too" aluminum fence out there....a bit disappointing.  The main table is cast iron with what looked to be standard t-slots.  The wings were steel and looked extremely flimsy...they're not the ribbed reinforced type...just flat sheet metal panels.  Each leg has an individual caster.   The handwheels are both mounted on the front....maybe a neat thing, maybe a trouble spot for a new design...we'll see.  I think it came with a typically cheap throwaway blade and miter gauge. 

   Like anything else, there's pros and cons.  The wheels are a positive, but each wheel needs to be raised and lowered...the Ridgid Herculift and most aftermarket mobile bases are alot better.  The fence and wings are worse than any other saw in this price range I can think of.  I could be wrong, but the handwheel location implies a deviation from standard design which could be an improvement, or could be a source of problems....considering that the benefit is really small IMO, it's not worth the risk. 

   All in all, I'm disappointed in Hitachi's effort and expected more....I walked away wondering why they even bothered entering the market.   Typically when a new entrey hits the market, it either has to be better, offer more features, or be cheaper.  IMO they made minimal attempts at any of those avenues.  For $500 I just didn't see anything the least bit compelling enough to bypass the competition.  I'd rather spend $600 and get what I want, than $500 and get by with the Hitachi.  Here's a list of saws at or near it's price range that I'd rank ahead of the Hitachi - Grizzly 0444/0444Z, Sears 22114 & 22124, Shop Fox CS, Bridgewood, Woodtek (both), Ridgid TS3650, Delta 36-675 and 36-680, Jet 708301k.  I even think the Ryobi BT-3100 and Harbor Freight's Central Machinery CS are better deals.  Just my 2 cents....sorry to any owners I've offended.

   
   

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   Edited 1/8/2005 7:11 am ET by sliversRus

2. 
   mudman | Jan 08, 2005 07:39am | #2

   When I first saw it I though "Hey, that looks like a good saw" After fiddling with it I wasn't impressed. The bevel and hight adjustments felt flimsy. And the fit and finish was cheep. However I liked the bevel gauge display on the table (if it is accurate) and all the openings (even around the adjustment wheels) are sealed for better dust collection. My Unisaw dosent have that. For the money I think that the Ridgid feels much more solid.

   Mike

   please excuse my spelling.
3. 
   budreaux | Jan 08, 2005 03:41pm | #3

   I've looked at a few of the Hitachi tools at Lowes and was surprised to find that I can't find anything about that particular model on Hitachi's website.  The planer at Lowes seems like a decent planer but I can't find that model on the web.  This makes me wonder about getting service and parts.

4. 
   forestgirl | Jan 08, 2005 08:39pm | #4

   Quote from my post to Joe re: same saw

   "Hi, Joe.  Yesterday I made up some flimsy excuse for why I needed to go to East Bremerton during a shopping outing, and hubby and I stopped by Lowe's.  There was a Hitachi tablesaw on the floor, all set up.  It has some features that are seriously cool, but it may still fall short.

   Cool features:  Blade-tilting wheel is in the front.  There's a gauge imbedded in the table that tells you what your angle is!  Round plexi window about the size of a fifty-cent piece.  Fence seemed solid. 

   Uncool features:  The wings are not cast iron, but flat aluminum or maybe steel (no weight there, just surface).  The micro-adjust feature on the fence didn't work well at all and the fence didn't slide on the rail well.  I still can't believe that the 15-amp motor develops 3 HP.

   I didn't spend as much time fooling with it as I wanted because the salesman kept babbling at me."

   Conclusion:  There are much better saws to be had for the same money.

   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" .... :>) 

1. 
   Dustmight | Jan 08, 2005 09:18pm | #5

   Forestgirl said:  "I still can't believe that the 15-amp motor develops 3 HP." 

   If you plug it in and run it during a bad storm, and have the good fortune of a direct lightning strike, it will easily produce 3HP! (LOL!)  Otherwise, they're just blowing smoke and insulting our intelligence...I'm very disappointed that what I thought was a reputable company chose the moral low ground for that HP claim.  What would you think if PM claimed 3hp on the PM64a instead of 1-1/2hp?  ...I'd think less of 'em.

   Edited 1/8/2005 3:25 pm ET by sliversRus

1. 
   WillN | Jan 09, 2005 07:44pm | #6

   Over rating the motor HP is a real clue--junk tool.
   Sounds like the RIGID junk they have at Home Depot.
   Buy a real saw and you'll never regret it. I don't have a Delta Unisaw-I just have a General $800. In China where they make a lot of this stuff I've seen two basic table saws.
   In the shops they have very heavy duty machines that look like Oliver might have made them and on job sites they'll rig up a Sidewider (powersaw) upside down in a half sheet of plywood. The Hitachi sounds like its a more expensive version of the latter.

   Will