Harbor Freight Miter Saw

[Andrew Kertesz]

Is there anybody that has and uses the HF miter saw? I know you have to be careful with HF tools but am looking for opinions from actual users of this saw. Thanks...

[Ted Reischl]

I am not a fan of HF tools. I have purchased them when I am doing something that I know I will never need the tool again. Then I got smart about that. If I need a specialty tool, I go ahead and buy a good one. At the end of the project I can then decide if I want to keep it or sell it. Either way I get to use a good tool.

Quality endures, low price is forgotten very quickly.

[cody michael]

I have bought a few things from HF that were great values (I have there delta clone lathe) I haven't looked at there miter saws, but I have looked at sliding miters saws and they had way to much slop for me, I have a miter saw I bought from home depot about 10 years ago that was a very cheap one like 60$ that my dad still uses, works good. I would go look at it and see how much slop there is. also you should think about what you want to do with it...

[Phil Barrett]

Piling on... I would first look at used miter saws. Lots of them come up on CL. While the prices are all over the place, they do seem to average the typical used tool pricing of 50% of new. The good thing about used tools, you can inspect closely and reject those that have excessive slop.

[John Schweikert]

Hitachi makes good lower priced miter saws at less than $140 from Amazon. I think better money spent that way then a HF saw.

[Rick Potter]

I bought an abrasive chop saw for metal from them several years back. I turned it on to run in the brushes, and it sounded like they had used gravel for bearings. Took it back and bought a Makita.

From what I understand, it's hit and miss. One saw may be lousy, and the next OK. I would only consider them for construction use, where accuracy is not so important.

[steven c newman]

Seems like anytime one mentions "Harbor Freight" there seemsto be a bunch "pile on" and decry the price, saying one should go out and buy "Brand X" or something like that.

Have had a Harbor Freight 5 speed drill press for almost 4 years now. Just used it about five minutes ago, too. Benchtop model, $70. About ALL i NEED for MY shop.

A Windsor #33 hand plane @$10 or so, hungry size #3 scrub plane. No issues with it at all.

Angle grinders, and that multi tool thing.....VERY good deals.

Have yet to look at the mitresaws, as I have a 1950s Sears Craftsman 22" long Mitre box. IF you do go there ( Place a paper bag over your head, so these others can't see you) ask to plug one in, try it out, test for slop. Then open the box they give you, and do it all again.

Seen too many jump on a H-F discussion that NEVER even went to that store.........

[Garth Almgren]

I think it's just a good idea to not have very high expectations for HF tools, that way if they do fail you're not disappointed, and if they don't fail you'll be pleasantly surprised. :)

I've got several tools from HF that I have been very happy with. An angle grinder, floor jack, a blowtorch, various small hand tools, some air tools, and all of them have done what I needed them to do. It's the best place to get Accu-link belts - they sell a 5' package for the same price as others charge for 4'. They also had some Goodyear rubber air hoses that were excellent quality.

It's true that sometimes you get some products that were just pure junk right out of the box, but thankfully they have a fairly generous return policy (It helps to live near one of their brick & mortar stores).

[Jim Matthews]

My mentor makes fine furniture for a growing list of satisfied customers.

His shop is increasingly populated by Harbor freight tools.
I can't fault the results he gets.

It is important to note that he has replaced nearly every cutter on those tools,
as the stock blades and router bits were uneven in finish quality.

Nothing wrong with the motors, switches or arbors on any of them.

Can't argue with the price, either.
Considering most of the "name brand" tools are likely coming out
of the same factories, I can't justify paying more for prettier boxes.

[Bill Space]

[QUOTE= I know you have to be careful with HF tools but am looking for opinions from actual users of this saw.Thanks...[/QUOTE]

Hi,

My son in law has a 10" HF miter saw that belongs to his father and both of them have been happy with it. I used it with him when we put a new kitchen in their house and it was satisfactory. Cut the angles on the crown molding just fine. Not a high quality tool by any means but seems to follow the 80/20 rule... 80% of the performance for 20% of the cost. Maybe even a bit better than 80%?

I was impressed enough to buy one for myself, as it is not something I will use every day and I feel The bang for the buck is pretty high.

Now I will confess that I have a number of Grizzly tools and am happy with them. I do not have any high end tools. Just so you know where I am coming from.

If you have not gotten used to using a higher quality saw I bet you will be happy with the HF miter saw, unless you are unlucky enough to get one that burns up just after the short warranty runs out!

A Kia is not a Mercedes but both will get you to the supermarket just fine...

Bill

[David Delo]

I have the HF 12" slider that I bought 3 or 4 years ago. Put a good Freud blade on it along with a zero clearance insert and it works fine. Took a little tweaking out of the box but it's dead nuts accurate. Don't use it that much but sometimes it's the only tool that will do the job. I'm in a basement shop and have pretty good dust collection for everything else but I just don't have the room to dedicate a good DC set-up for the mitre saw, so I just take it outside when needed. But everyone's needs are different. If I needed a mitre saw for continuous everyday use that my livelihood depended on sure I'd buy a bigger name saw. Good luck with your decision.

[Pinwu Xu]

From what I understand, it's hit and miss. One saw may be lousy, and the next OK. I would only consider them for construction use, where accuracy is not so important.

For construction/framing, building a deck, should be a yes
For trim or anything more accuracy is needed, I'll look used first

[Charles Li]

For tools manufactured in China I'm not convinced name brand one's made in China are always better (or even different). If the features fit your needs you have 90 days to try it out - http://www.harborfreight.com/customer-service-return-exchange.html . I've never returned a used item there so can't vouch for how easy that is but that's their policy. Used tools have their risks too. I've been burned (though mostly my fault) before and now just more patient and cautious about it. New has the advantage of returns and warranty. I'm a newbie on a budget and do both.

Regarding miter saws, definitely consider your needs. I got a used 10" and question if it was worth it for me. It was great for a 2x4 project but only did a two of those. It can't cut a 2x6 which I didn't realize until well... I tried to lol. Anything small I just do on my crosscut sled. I guess a slider would be cool but those take up a lot of space. At least it was cheap! :)

[john davey]

Do a Google search on harbor freight Gems. There are several forums (probably this one as well) that maintain lists of the things that are actually a deal there. Not sure if this is on it or not. My gut usually says stay away from things with motors at HF but YMMV. there are many deals there for the homeowner/handyman. I just do not believe anything electric in there will stand up to daily abuse/work. I do own the 1x30 belt sander form there after many Google searches on knife making. I knew what I was getting into, what would break (it did) and what I could expect out of it. I am getting that and at the price I am happy. So to me it is all about how often and what your expectations are. I guess this could and should be said for any tool....

[Phil Barrett]

I too shy away from HF motors. My last HF compressor (last in a line of serial returns) shot 12" sparks out of the motor coils. That's when I decided to look elsewhere. Anecdote? Yes. But also a pretty extreme failure.

Also, I agree that name brands don't mean that much but a good company will be very active in the QA process and will make good on their promises. Look at Grizzly vs Delta. Griz makes it right, Delta aspires to HF level quality. I'm sure Delta has better profitability than Griz but I won't be buying Delta products any time soon.

[Matt Meiser]

Assuming you are talking a powered miter saw they have 8 on their site. HF is notorious for having gems and duds. The 10" might be a gem, the similar 12 might be a dud. Or there might be two similar 10's with different model numbers, one being great the other being horrible. You need to research a specific model number to know anything.

[Peter Quinn]

I used a 10" SCMS from HF at my BiL's a few years back, it was fairly new and lightly used, he is an occasional DIY'r . His father had recently bought him the saw, he was complaining that his miters on trim wouldn't come out good, asked me to look at it. I fired it up, made a few cuts, unplugged it, asked him what it cost, threw it in his garbage barrel as he watched. It was way beyond bad And deep into dangerous. The arbor was loose, had a nasty wobble, the path of travel was not straight so it bound up going through a cut, kicked back real bad. Way too much flex in the arm. Don't feel too bad for him, I had recently bought a new makita 10" SCMS, and gave him my older model that was still in fine condition. So the one I used was verging on criminal....but you might get another example of the same saw and have a different experience. It's that kind of place.

[Chris Hachet]

Is there anybody that has and uses the HF miter saw? I know you have to be careful with HF tools but am looking for opinions from actual users of this saw. Thanks...


Do not walk, run.

Building furniture or doing trim work, even a small bit out of true can make a huge difference. I would actually sue a hand saw until you can afford a proper miter saw.

Chris

[Chris Hachet]

Hi,

My son in law has a 10" HF miter saw that belongs to his father and both of them have been happy with it. I used it with him when we put a new kitchen in their house and it was satisfactory. Cut the angles on the crown molding just fine. Not a high quality tool by any means but seems to follow the 80/20 rule... 80% of the performance for 20% of the cost. Maybe even a bit better than 80%?

I was impressed enough to buy one for myself, as it is not something I will use every day and I feel The bang for the buck is pretty high.

Now I will confess that I have a number of Grizzly tools and am happy with them. I do not have any high end tools. Just so you know where I am coming from.

If you have not gotten used to using a higher quality saw I bet you will be happy with the HF miter saw, unless you are unlucky enough to get one that burns up just after the short warranty runs out!

A Kia is not a Mercedes but both will get you to the supermarket just fine...

Bill

A used Mercers is preferable in my mind to a new Kia. YMMV.

Chris

[Matt Meiser]

80% of a 90 degree angle is 72-108 degrees. ;)

[steven c newman]

Plan "B"?
300499
This one was $5.....

[john davey]

they sell caulk so it is all good :). Gallons I hope....



80% of a 90 degree angle is 72-108 degrees. ;)

[Lewis Ehrhardt]

I bought one about five years ago, the 10-inch slider, thinking it would only last until I did the job I bought it for. Sadly, it's still going strong, still cutting away. Although I admit I've had it outside under a shed structure and it has gotten some rust on the sliders. my only complaint is I have to wear hearing protection b/c it makes such a loud noise when cutting. can't wait to get a real miter saw and see what the difference is and why it would be worth paying hundreds of dollars more. Admittidly, if I was a contractor or professional, I probably would get two so I could have one as a back up.

[Gus Dundon]

I don't have HF miter saw but I think their saws are not that bad at all.

[michael roughan]

I have had great success with HF motorized tools including their sliding mitre saw, welder, dust collector and pneumatic tools. Where you see the difference in quality are things like duct tape, dust collector hoses and drill bits. I like to use the term value for money. If you are a part time woodworker like me that can often only work on weekends, these tools provide good value. An example is a room I renovated with cherry millwork and ceiling cove molding. the first few pieces I did with a hand saw mitre box was tedious and required touch up on my disc sander. Once I got the HF compound mitre saw the joints were all tight and crisp.


Do not walk, run.

Building furniture or doing trim work, even a small bit out of true can make a huge difference. I would actually sue a hand saw until you can afford a proper miter saw.

Chris

[Mike Goetzke]

The 12" SCMS will be $137.99 on Black Friday.

Mike

[Larry Edgerton]

I used their 12" slider at a customers house, and much as I hate to admit it it is a hell of a saw for $137.99. Not perfect, but not $600 either.

Larry

[George Gyulatyan]

My dad bought one to cut all the moldings for the new house. It did the job. Still works. About the only issue with it is that it goes a bit too low now and the sawblade rubs on the bottom, which being aluminum takes it well :D

[Bob Carreiro]

Bought a HF 12" slider back around 2002. After the first couple of days use, 2 of the 4 plastic handles (forgot details) broke off, but the metal bolts underneathe them allowed continued use. After one month, and the completion of the job, I took it back for a full refund. Besides these plastic handles, I do not recall any other problems. The broken plastic handles did not affect the operation or safety of the saw. Shortly after, I purchased the 12" (non-sliding) Ridgid. Today, it shows some blade "walking," but not so significant that I have to replace it (yet). For true(r) accuracy, or for more delicate work, I simply use the TS. If you need the bigger cutting bed, I would not hesitate to purchase the HF SCS. At $139, you can use it till it breaks (if it does), then return it for your money back or an exchange to keep on cutting.

I also have 2 HF trim routers ($25, or less on sale), 2 HF Multi-tools (also $25, or less on sale) and 1 ROS ($29.95, I think). One of the trim routers height adjustment is stripped due to cheap plastice thumb wheels (I glued sand paper under the housing to assist the clamping grip and it helps). The ROS is only a back up (the hook & loop pad went out on my DeWalt and I had to order one, and at the time, had to finish the job). It's a little heavy and vibrates considerably, but it will perform the job required of it. With the multi-tools, I cannot compare because I've never used another brand, but agin, the HF versions have done everything I've wanted... and I do not baby my tools.

Like has been said many times before, HF has some gems, but they also have a LOT OF JUNK. But there's another level of quality tools with the HF brand too, but you'll have to use them to find out which are which, or... which ones you'll settle for. Good luck.

[David C. Roseman]

Late to this thread, but it's a hoot. The OP asked for opinions from actual users of the HF miter saw. :rolleyes:

David

[Roger Pozzi]

Late to this thread, but it's a hoot. The OP asked for opinions from actual users of the HF miter saw. :rolleyes:

David

+1 :rolleyes:

[Chris Hachet]

Plan "B"?
300499
This one was $5.....

And much quieter than a noisy chop saw.

[Chris Hachet]

I bought one about five years ago, the 10-inch slider, thinking it would only last until I did the job I bought it for. Sadly, it's still going strong, still cutting away. Although I admit I've had it outside under a shed structure and it has gotten some rust on the sliders. my only complaint is I have to wear hearing protection b/c it makes such a loud noise when cutting. can't wait to get a real miter saw and see what the difference is and why it would be worth paying hundreds of dollars more. Admittedly, if I was a contractor or professional, I probably would get two so I could have one as a back up.

There is always the desire to upgrade. While I enjoy my Dewalt, I would be buying a Festool Kapex if I had the money...and if I wasn't more hand tool than pwoer tool in my shop. good luck with your future purchases.

[Chris Hachet]

I have had great success with HF motorized tools including their sliding mitre saw, welder, dust collector and pneumatic tools. Where you see the difference in quality are things like duct tape, dust collector hoses and drill bits. I like to use the term value for money. If you are a part time woodworker like me that can often only work on weekends, these tools provide good value. An example is a room I renovated with cherry millwork and ceiling cove molding. the first few pieces I did with a hand saw mitre box was tedious and required touch up on my disc sander. Once I got the HF compound mitre saw the joints were all tight and crisp.

I am glad these tools have worked out well for you...my results were a little different.

[Jack Gaskins]

IMO, I would say buy it, tweak it for accuracy and use the crap out of it for the first 30 days. If it doesn't meet your expectations, return it, if it take you longer to put it through its paces, throw it on craigslist and recoup most of your money.

Jack

[Myk Rian]

Late to this thread, but it's a hoot. The OP asked for opinions from actual users of the HF miter saw. :rolleyes:

David
I was going to comment on that myself.
Who the heck cares about what you THINK of them? Did you USE one?