CMS Recomendations

[Jim McLeod]

Hi All,
This is my second or third post and I just wanted to thank everyone for all the replies. Very helpful. I am in the process of upgrading my 10 inch CMS to a 12 inch. Staying away from sliders because of price and space. There are 3 or 4 I am considering after extensive reading. They are as follows. Makita LS1221, Dewalt DW715, Bosch 3912, and a Hitachi {FDH I think?}. There was also the Delta 36-322L which was discontinued but still available on Ebay. Guess that was 5. My bad. Checked out the Dewalts {at HD} and the Hitachi,s at Lowes and they looked pretty good. A lot of good and bad reviews on all these saws. Amazon has some good prices but read some horror stories on shipping problems. Even though they will replace damaged goods. Sounds like a pain. HDT had a pretty good deal on the Dewalt with a free Makita saw but I just bought a new blue. Wish I could of checked out the Delta closouts at Lowes. Anyway, any thoughts or expieriences with these saws would be greatly appreciated. Thanks much.

[Roy McQuay]

I know you said you were afraid of Amazon, but...I bought a 12" Makita slider w/laser and light for $459 delivered, plus a rebate for a 18 volt Makita drill w/charger and 2 nimh batteries. That was this year. I have not ever had a problem with shipping, so far. The saw is a great saw. And the drill is valued at $200, but I haven't received it yet. I was flipping boards all the time with my Dewalt non-slider.

[Barry Londrigan]

You won't make a mistake with the Makita. I bought the LS1212 about 3 years ago and at that time it was over 600.00 and it came with a 12V impact driver which I absolutely love. If it is cheaper these days...and offering a 18V drill...you can't beat that! This saw is dead nuts as far as cut goes and I STILL have not changed the blade!

[Andrew Williams]

I have the Hitachi 10" SCMS. It does everything requested of it and has very good accuracy. The only gripe I have is the trigger design being for right-hand use only (You can use the left hand but it is not a comfy) and the fence on the right side is low. dust collection and toerances are excellent.

[Cary Swoveland]

I have been extremely pleased with my Dewalt DW706, which is similar to the DW715 on your list, except the DW706 is a dual-bevel machine.

One thing I like about all the dual bevels is that they give you very good visibility when you are cutting, and also improve balance, when compared to single-bevel CMS's, where the blade is attached to the the motor's arbor. To be able to cut bevels both ways, the manufacturers have to move the motor up and back (which increases cost), and drive the blade with belts or gears. DeWalt uses a belt, which makes the saw relatively quiet.

One of the reasons I selected the Dewalt is that its front-to-back distance is relatively small. This was important because I was mounting it against a wall.

Had it been available when I bought the DW706 (about three years ago), I would have seriously considered Hitachi's C12RSH, a very compact 12" slider. The reason it is so compact is that the saw head assembly slides on fixed rails, instead of the usual arrangement where the saw head is fixed to rails and the rails slide back and forth. (Actually, the Hitachi can be used either way.) I see Amazon sells it for $550.

Cary

[Jeff Weight]

I have the Delta and am very happy with it. I mounted it to a Rigid stand and it solved my space problem. Added the 90 tooth Hitachi blade from Amazon and the cut is great. I only wish it tilted both ways.

[Paul Greathouse]

I have had the Dewalt 12" single bevel for 15 or so years now, don't remember the model number. It is an accurate, reliable saw and has more than paid for itself on trim and cabinet jobs. You won't go wrong with any of the Dewalt CMS's.

[Tim Lynch]

I have the Delta 36-422L... also discontinued. I must have gotten one of the last ones. I'm really happy with it. I would never want to be without the dual laser now! And the huge capacity, dual bevel, front bevel lock, and crown stops are great. The crown stops are very handy as clamps as well. And I think I've had very accurate cuts even with the stock blade. Maybe they'll put out something equivalent soon.

I see a 36-412 on eBay for $299/free shipping... looks like the only difference is the lack of a laser. Not sure why they'd leave that off!

[Clint Winterhalter]

I have the Hitachi 10" SCMS. It does everything requested of it and has very good accuracy. The only gripe I have is the trigger design being for right-hand use only (You can use the left hand but it is not a comfy) and the fence on the right side is low. dust collection and tolerances are excellent.

I own the same saw, I agree with everything Andrew said. Thankfully I am right handed so the switch isn't a problem! :D