The ugly truth about the Hitachi 12" miter saw

I had a chance to extensively test this saw recently on some big pieces of oak. My advice - avoid it for a few years until they get the bugs worked out. It has some new technology and an interestingly weird look, but it just doesn't do the cutting job it's supposed to do.

Ugh

Is it just me, or is the design of Hitachi's tools kinda ugly? It seems like you'd look back on this after a few years and feel like you'd worn a ruffled tux to the prom.

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Hitachi Compound Sliding Miter Saw

Gadget alert. Hitachi brings it with all kinds of features with its new 12" sliding compound miter saw.

For starters, it offers a rather practical twist on the traditional sliding mechanism...fixed slide rails don't extend out from the back, allowing the saw to be placed close to any wall. Add to that an LCD display that confirms the miter and bevel angle the saw is set to, the increasingly standard laser guide, and a micro-bevel adjustment (the same feature just added to DeWalt's upgraded sliding chop saw).

Stand back and marvel at it's gadget-ty goodness.