A couple of weeks ago I was at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. There were plenty of interesting new items to catch a tool geek’s eye, but few caught me by surprise & until I strolled by the Hitachi booth.
Those good folks asked me if I had seen their 10″ laser guided saw. My inward response was “Hokie smokes! Hitachi has a laser guided saw? Was I supposed to know that?” My surprise continued when they showed me the saw and it turned out to be a sliding miter saw with a laser. That put it into a category all its own. When I let the Hitachi folks know that this was the first I had heard of their saw, I was relieved to find out that I was not alone.
“I haven’t sent you, or anybody, a press release just yet,” said Leigh Bailey, marketing coordinator for Hitachi Koki, USA, LTD. “I’ll get one to you right after the show!”
First of its Breed
Laser guided miter saws have been around for a while, and are gaining popularity with recent additions to the field, but as far as I am aware, there have been no sliders equipped with a laser. The C10FSH is therefore distinctive for that reason alone. But I must say that even sans the laser, this would be a full-featured tool. I was quite impressed with the ease with which the laser is adjusted (the operator can decide which side of the blade they want the laser to register in). In fact, one critique of other laser-guided saws is that their lasers are not adjustable at all.
The C10FSH is powered by a 12 AMP motor that spins the 10″ saw blade at 3,800 RPM. (That is a no-load measurement.) It is a soft start motor and is outfitted with electronic speed control to keep your RPM steady while cutting. Those familiar with Hitachi’s existing sliding miter saws will recognize their horizontal slider tubes which are a part of a “linear ball bearing slide system for superior accuracy”. The D-handle is up top with the power switch built into it: the floor model that I played with operated very smoothly. It is a good-looking saw, rather compact for its large capabilities, and weighs in at a reasonable 42.3 pounds according to Hitachi’s literature. It comes standard with a dust collection bag and hold-down clamp. I found it available online at Amazon for a price of $529.99.
While it may have caught me off guard at the Home Builders Show, I will be on the lookout for it in home and professional shops in the near future. It is too nice a saw to stay a secret for very long.
