# Harbor Freight 10" Sliding Compound Miter



## raydawg (Nov 2, 2012)

This is a duplicate. Needs deleting 3 stars not 5.


----------



## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I am always puzzled by this. Seems to be good enough for your project so use it and then take it back?????

Just not my way of doing things…but

"I'll finish the very few cuts I have on this project, then it's going back to the store. " - raydawg


----------



## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

I did enjoy the review of the machine because I sometimes wonder if it could be a Harbor Feight winner- Their is currently a LJ forum question similar to your review http://lumberjocks.com/topics/203194 if that helps anybody.


----------



## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

My take on HF tools in general is; there are good and bad tools. A few of their tools are just plain bad from the get-go; others are good out of the box and some can be made good with a little tweaking. Even a big name brand tool can be tweaked for better performance. some people expect a $99 tool to perform like a $400 tool. For the price, some HF tools come pretty close to their more expensive cousins in performance. My biggest concern with HF quality tools are bearings. The biggest difference between a $99 saw and a $400 one can be the quality of it's bearings. Where run out is of main concern, this is where the quality of the bearings matters.


----------



## raydawg (Nov 2, 2012)

I have plenty of harbor feight tools and enjoy most of them. I will continue to buy and use.

Redoak49 I addressed your concern in my write up. It has to be setup and checked every time I use it. Huge waste of time vs clicking it back to 90 degrees and getting a 90 degree cut like it should. Even if you have the time who wants to do that? I'll wager you prefer tools that stay square and do as they're designed to do as well.


----------



## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

I have been using the HF 10" sliders for about 18 years now. My first one was left out in a shed that the roof leaked on by my Son, that was in 2011. I bought a new one then and told him to keep that one. Once you set it up correctly they stay set. I got mine for $59 with a coupon and if I need another some day I will buy another HF.


----------



## DDWW (Sep 7, 2016)

> I am always puzzled by this. Seems to be good enough for your project so use it and then take it back?????
> 
> Just not my way of doing things…but
> 
> ...


He didn't buy the saw to make cuts and then return.

I think the time invested in driving to the store to buy it, set up and trying to fine tune it is a fair trade for making a few cuts before returning a defective product. Selling of 90 miter saws wastes peoples time money and materials. 
I don't think it makes him a bad person. but as you said not your way of doing things.


----------



## mhavanti (Feb 10, 2017)

You can loosen the fence from the base, adjust the fence to square and plumb, then tighten, check and once you have it square and plumb after tightening, it will stay where you place it.

All machines can get out of square thru handling from China. Long way, lots of different hands have thrown them around.

Give the machine a chance and then try to wear it out. It may fool you.


----------



## Belford (Jan 3, 2017)

My motto is stay away from any Harbor Freight product with moving parts.


----------



## dannmarks (Oct 22, 2016)

Yes adjust the. It certainly is not hard to do.


----------



## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

I own the 12" version of this saw, and also had to do the setup with the fence and the 90' issue. Took about two hours to totally set it up.
As mhavanti said, these are handled and tossed quite a bit from their origin to the store to your shop.

Once I had the fence 90' to the blade sitting on the zero point, no problems now for almost two years. For the $124 I paid, I think of it as one of the best bargains in my shop. Put on a decent Diablo 50T blade and good to go.
I don't pretend to do segmented pieces with it, just 90', a few 45's, and maybe an occasional odd degree. So far, it performs as it should.

I guess if I was performing 17' segmented pieces for lathe work, I'd own a much more expensive unit.

Does the fence not move on the 10"? I must be missing something. If I could get an $89 saw to set up at 90' with the fence, and have the motor/blade assembly set at 0', I would consider that a pretty great bargain.
Just on the odd note, are you tightening the knob on the front? Did you check to see of the clip that sets into the degree notch is correctly connected to the swivel body?


----------



## raydawg (Nov 2, 2012)

Tennessee, Danmarks, mhavanti,

Didn't know you could adjust the fence that way. Stoked to take a look and see if I i can get it square. that's awesome and then it'll be a keeper as I don't see a need to spend $600 on dewalt, hitachi, etc for the same result.

DDWW- exactly right. Not doing a "tool rental" thing. I want this saw to be square and do what it's designed to do and not have to take it back.


----------



## papadan (Mar 6, 2009)

Damn Dawg, you MUST remember to leave your hearing protection in the shop. It's much too strong to use on the internet!


----------



## dannmarks (Oct 22, 2016)

I had a Mikita chop saw that once adjusted for 90 was off at the 45degree. I gave that one away; as it just was not worth the trouble. Someone drilled the stops slightly off at the factory. But that was the really old days before CNC machining was around.


----------



## raydawg (Nov 2, 2012)

I'm assuming I can adjust the 45 degree axis too right? I test cut that too today and it's off as well.


----------



## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

raydawg:
If yours is like my 12", the fence was in one pieces with a lightweight bow in the back holding the two main fences together. Although I got mine to do 90', I had to redo it to get a good 45'. Turns out the fence was not as true as I thought. Had to "adjust" it a bit. I finally got there, and once locked, no problems.


----------



## dannmarks (Oct 22, 2016)

I have not actually checked my 45 degrees yet. My saw is quite new. Had my 15 inch Ryobi for 35 years.


----------



## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

Are you going to return the saw or not?


----------



## raydawg (Nov 2, 2012)

Not going to return it if I can get it cutting square 90s and cutting 45s correctly.

No need to return it to pay twice as much for the same thing in my opinion. I'll update the stars once I can get it to do both.


----------



## Desert_Woodworker (Jan 28, 2015)

raydawg- I am thankful for the advice offered by our fellow woodworkers, to you. Also, I look forward to seeing this machine work; best to you.


----------

