I went to the HF sidewalk sale this morning. I got there about 10 minutes after they opened. There were 2 of the 12" double bevel SCMS sitting there. Both were already sold and waiting to be loaded. But I got a raincheck.
I commented that HF didn't usually issue rainchecks for sidewalk sales. I was informed in an exasperated tone (not directed at me) that they did when @!#$ corporate only sent them 2 of a hot seller!
BTW, the sale ad shows list price as $199. The web site shows it as $299. When I got my raincheck, the computer showed $299. Somebody goofed :-).
The raincheck is good for 30 days. I'll see if they get any in in that time.
I bought the discontinued single-bevel model 98194 at a tent sale last year for the same price. I now wish I had waited for the new model. The laser on mine is pretty much useless and the saw flexes a bit when lowered and pulled fully towards me, and I twist the handle. I examined a new 69684 in HF and it feels quite a bit beefier. Mine is direct drive, the newer model is belt driven with the motor up higher and more out of the way.
If HF follows past practices with the 69684 as they did with the 98194, the saw will be on sale for that same price several more times this year.
Don't I wish! But the 20% off doesn't work with sidewalk sales. Says so on the 20% coupon.
However, should the sidewalk sale not work for other folks, the 20% off coupon and a "regular sale"(??) price of $170 works out to $136. Only $16 more than the sidewalk sale.
I see the web coupon saying $119 on sale, regularly $299. (yeah, right.) Print out the page and take it in any time. They should honor it. My local HF outlet does, anyway.
Ok, you've got my interest right now. I dropped my beloved Makita LS1013 down a flight of basement stairs... need I say more.. over a year ago.
I need a Slider, was planning on another 10" had looked at the bosch but too many have said it doesn't stay square when pushing it back in.
So, I was looking at the Festool.. I really can't afford this for my hobby side. would rather take that money to the Sawstop.
So how good is this for $200????? How accurate?I really need something to rough cut, but being accurate for the final of a big board would be nice, rather than jury rigging my TS.
I don't have one personally, but one of my amigos does. He is about
75, and has been doing wood work of all types for about 60 years, so I trust his opinion.
He bought one and loves it. He actually purchased one before, but took it back. Running that head back and forth on the rails was like running an old truck down a rutted road. HF gladly took it back.
Like most of us, he doesn't have the need or desire to spend $ 1500 on this type of tool. And if there is a 12" model of the Kapex, I couldn't find it. So less capacity for 10X the price does give one pause...
He checked it with his Starrett engineer's square at 12" out (square is 12") and told me that it was shockingly no more than a 64th out of square at 12". Although he was ready to adjust it into perfection when he checked it, finding that small of a discrepancy means nothing so he left it alone. Sitting the tools on an uneven surface or variations in stock dimension and stability can do that much by themselves.
The slide action isn't Festool or Bosch, but it should work fine. I have read on another ww site of guys that buy this saw and break it down and clean it thoroughly then reassemble. They swear the action is as smooth as silk after that.
I think if I actually needed one I would buy it. They are on sale here (probably a regional thing) for even less than you guys are seeing them.
This one IS heavy (52 pounds). Like I said earlier, it's built like a tank.
Spent part of last night reading the manual. The saw has adjustments for fine-tuning, then locking into place, the saw's travel to assure that the travel is square to the fence.
Another thing I learned, new to me, was that a sliding arm miter saw with a depth lock - which this saw has - can do dado cuts!
I bought the saw Friday uncrated it yesterday. I have to agree with the build... Seems very solid and the finish a cut above the typical for HF.
Haven't taken the time to tweak it yet, but a test cut (left bevel @ 15 degrees) on a 2x4 with a digital angle gauge registered at 15.1 degrees.
A quick cross cut with the blade set at its 90 degree indent was off the mark by about 1/64 - certainly good enough for framing, maybe not so much for a face frame or picture frame.
I have no doubt that with the rigidity of this tool that it'll readily accept tweaks to "dead nuts on."
Funny, but when I opened the box one of the first things I saw was a little baggy containing a set of brushes. I immediately wondered if I had to complete the assembly of the motor... Nope, they packed in an extra set of brushes for this beast.
I'm not sure that I'd want to play around with a dado set on this one. Actually, the instructions specifically state that you should NOT adjust the depth of cut any lower and the adjustable depth lock is designed to raise the blade up for kerf cuts. Anybody got a 12" dado set laying around to give this a try?
Only thing that still has me puzzled is the inclusion of two molded plastic "hooks" in the parts bag. Haven't seen mention made of them in the owner's manual nor are they shown (that I can find) on the parts breakout. Any owners of this saw have any ideas?
For $120 this IS a helluva buy. On the recommendation of a fellow traveler who does buy a fair amount of HF power tools, I splurged on the
24 month extended warranty ($19.99). Working with this puppy and knowing that if I have a problem with it I can just bring it in and swap it out for a new (or improved) one is worth the money.
On 3/10/2013 8:41 AM, Unquestionably Confused wrote: ...
I doubt it has long-enough arbor shaft for much of a dado set but you make such a cut w/ these by using shim stock under the workpiece instead of lowering the depth of cut below nominal.
Correct, there's no way you'd mount a dado set on this thing. Might get away with ganging a pair of 12" blades but...
Here' what HF owner's manual says of this 'feature'
Page 12
Using the Depth Stop - If a kerfing or rabbet cut which does not cut through the workpiece is desired, use the Depth Stop Bolt to control the depth of the cut.
WARNING!
Only adjust the front Bolt. The rear Bolt is used to prevent the Blade from cutting the table during normal cutting. Do not adjust the rear Depth Bolt.
Unlock the Head Lock-down, see page 9.
Raise the saw head assembly.
Push the Depth Stop to the left to use the Depth Stop Bolt setting.
Pull down on the saw head to check the current setting.
To change the setting, first loosen the knurled Depth Stop Nut on the Depth Stop Bolt. Turn the Depth Stop Bolt clockwise to decrease depth and counterclockwise to increase depth. Tighten the Depth Stop Nut after adjustment.
If needed, push the Depth Stop to the right to temporarily disable it
Regardless of what we may chose to do by jerry rigging it, it's a damn nice saw for the money.
After my sons race which was near a HF I took a look. Yes it looks well made, but the fence to the back of the unit is 25 inches. I have less than that on my last bench that I am reserving for a CMS. So I'll pass. The cashier said it will go down to 87 if I keep an eye on it. I doubt it, but at $87 it might be worth keeping it in the garage for rough work.. just don't know where I can keep it... it's a real estate hog... Maybe the hitachi or rigid with forward facing bars. Maybe I'll hit the lottery and buy the sawstop and the Kapex...
"hooks" in the parts bag. Haven't seen mention made of them in the owner's manual nor are they shown (that I can find) on the parts breakout.
I don't have the saw, but my industrial sewing machines have plastic hooks to hold the power cords along safe positions toward the outlet.
Maybe they are for postioning the cord along your bench/work area toward the electrical outlet and/or guided away from the saw's operations, somehow.... Keeping the cord out of the way of your work or away from the saw's workings, in some fashion.
Check the manual concerning the power cord and its goings on, see if there's something there, about them.
"hooks" in the parts bag. Haven't seen mention made of them in the owner's manual nor are they shown (that I can find) on the parts breakout.
hold the power cords along safe positions toward the outlet.
electrical outlet and/or guided away from the saw's operations, somehow.... Keeping the cord out of the way of your work or away from the saw's workings, in some fashion.
something there, about them.
That was my thought too, but the cord for this model is not overly long
- certainly not as long as the one on my old Delta Sidekick.
Nope... didn't find any reference to it in the owners manual. But then, there was no mention of the extra pair of brushes for the saw either - nice, albeit unexpected, touch
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