What's the Big Lebowski of all power tools? Easy…a sliding-compound miter saw. And if you are like me, you will have to read 19 different miter saw reviews before heading to your local home center to make a purchase like this. And for good reason — Today you can easily spend over $800 on a 12-inch slider. It's a big ticket item that you will (hopefully) be using for years to come, so it pays to get it right the first time.

I have some experience with Hitachi saws, and I have to tell you up front that I am a big fan. But every tool has it's pros and cons, and the Hitachi C12LSH 12 inch slider is no exception. So let's get out the white lab coats and have a closer look at the biggest dog on the leash at Hitachi.

My 5-year old son told me that this tool looked like a Transformer when I pulled it out of the box. I don't know about that, but the slime-green and black styling is certainly eye-catching. But what I was most interested in was how does this saw perform…Once again, this Hitachi didn't disappoint.

All miter saw reviews that I've seen in this category will tell you that it's nice to have a soft start on a saw with this kind of power: this Hitachi kicks out 15 amps of screaming testosterone. I got rid of the stock Hitachi blade that came with the saw right away, and fitted it with an 80 tooth 12" Ridgid titanium blade instead. This produced a glass-smooth cut with no blade wobble at all.

You will find three cool features unique to this Hitachi tool that really make it a pleasure to operate:

1. Rising like a serpent above the blade is the digital display mounted on a flexible arm, which holds an an LCD screen indicating exact miter and bevel settings. While it's useful to know that the bevel I'm cutting is actually 46.3 degrees, I won't be using it as much the laser guide, which is still the best and most accurate on the market. Best of all, this laser can be read off the back edge of the workpiece, which is a real bonus when cutting crown molding miters.

2. This tool also features a micro-adjustment dial for both bevel and miter settings. While this may sound like a gadget that you will never use on the job, it's actually quite useful if you need to cut a half-degree on either side of a detent setting (i.e. 45.5 degrees). This means you won't be fighting the tool past the detent setting to make this adjustment — Instead, just dial it in on the micro adjustment wheel.

3. But the feature that really "makes" this tool is the zero-clearance dual rail system. This allows you set up the saw flush against a wall, without banging the back of the rails into the wall to finish the cut. May not sound like much, but it really comes in handy when you need to set up in a tight space where clearance is limited (like a hallway), or when there are several other trades working close by.

I have to say that this isn't the easiest tool to haul out of your truck and up a ladder…At 68 pounds, I think it's even heavier than the Bosch slider. For this reason, this Hitachi would be right at home set up in a cabinet shop. However, I would sure miss it on the job installing those cabinets, and would be mighty tempted to bring it along.

All said, you will be hard pressed to find a tool in this class that surpasses this Hitachi in both performance and features…And yet that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try. If you are shopping for a big slider like this, I recommend that you do your homework and assess your needs. And because this is such a big ticket item, try comparing at least three other similar tools in order to find one that best suits your budget and the job at hand. By the way, you'll find plenty more miter saw reviews like this one on my blog at http://www.squidoo.com/miter-saw-reviews…See you there!

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categories: Makita, Bosch, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Ridgid, Hitachi, Porter Cable, This Old House, carpentry, woodworking, fine woodworking, finish carpentry, trim carpentry, cabinets, kitchen cabinets, cabinetry, miter boxes, miter saws, compound miter saws