Buyer Beware

In a recent test I did of sliding compound miter saws, 8 out of 16 brand new saws arrived with minor manufacturing defects - in addition to various cutting problems. All of the saws ( 71/2", 8 1/2", 10" and 12" sizes) cut wood, as promised: the defects were those medium-type annoyances you can sometimes talk yourself into living with, but shouldn't have to. The problems were things like extension wings that didn't line up with the saw bed, locking pins or screws that didn't function correctly, a 45 degree detent that was actually at 45 1/4 degrees, weird, screechy noises. It was kind of depressing. Also, a third of the saws had to be adjusted right out of the box to make true 45- and 90-degree cuts. Not a big deal, but something to be aware of. Sadly, this is not unusual for power tools. Other editors at the magazine report similar experiences with tool tests they've done.
Posted by Eric Smith on March 23, 2006 8:00 PM | TrackBack |