Need input on sliding miter saw choices

[Steve Newman]

I'm looking to purchase a 10 or 12 inch compound sliding miter saw at the moment I've got it down to either the 10 inch Rigid or the 12 inch Hitachi. They are both the same price $399, the Hitachi is more versatile in terms of space saving and fine angle adjustment but the Rigid has greater cutting capacity. The way my local Homedepot displays the saws I can't really play around with it much to get a feel for how the angle settings that don't have detents lock in. At Lowe's I was able to play around with the Hitachi and it can be locked in at any angle. I do have space issues in my garage and the Hatachi can sit closer to the wall if it is used stationary. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Brian Libby]

I would go with the Hitachi! I have several Hitachi tools and they are great top of the line for quality.

[eugene thomas]

I would go with the hitachi. I have rigid miter saw and not really like the back rail set up.

[Dave Kirby]

I'd go with a 12" Bosch "Axial Glide" dual bevel slide miter saw (GCM12SD). 14" of cut capacity horitzontally on the bed with the saw flat against a wall, you don't need any additional space for the sliding mechanism. Pretty cool indeed! I wish they would have had this saw when I bought my Bosch 5312, I love it but the ability to have it flush against a wall would be the icing on the cake!

[Dan Neuhaus]

I assume your talking about one of the Hitachi's with the "stacked" slides. I owned the C12lsh for a few years and can't recommend the saw. It's very easy to knock out of square and there aren't proper adjustments to fix it. I once called hitachi tech to get advice and the fix required using a pry bar between the slides. It was a very frustrating saw. We do have 2 of the older Japanese made hitachi sliders at work and except for a Kapex it's the best slider made in my opinion.

[Roger Feeley]

I had a Bosch Glide for a while but it went back. I posted a detailed review on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/review/RTOFFHJM5BFM3/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004323NNC&nodeID=228013&store=hi

In a nutshell, the saw is around 70lbs and the vast majority of that weight is in the motor and glide assembly. The saw was shipped in a box with no special supports for the motor. When it was dropped or plopped or otherwise jostled during shipping, that lightweight base took a lot of stress and bent. In my view, the support should be around the motor and the base should float.

Otherwise, I liked the Bosch. My only other negative comment was that I thought the safety on the trigger was difficult to operate. I can easily imagine that it would be a big problem for someone with arthritis.

Of course, if you can find the saw locally, take a good straightedge and find a great saw. My experience was a couple of years ago when the saw was brand new.

I would love to hear feedback from others here. Has Bosch fixed the packing problem?

[Mike Gresham]

I would love to hear feedback from others here. Has Bosch fixed the packing problem?

It would appear so. The one I bought last year was shipped from Coastal Tools and arrived undamaged even though the box was a little banged up. It was loaded with heavy cardboard webs and foam blocks to support everything. I didn't experience the bent base problem you had.

[Rich Riddle]

I prefer the Hitachi over the Rigid when discussing compound sliding miter saws.

[James M Ireland]

Hi Steve,

If you've decided that either the Hitachi or the Ridgid are your favourites I'd suggest the Ridgid.

I would however strongly suggest you check out Makita and Bosch offerings which might be more money but are, in my opinion, much better saws. Lots of people I know have the Dewalt saws and like them, I don't have too much personal experience with them though.