Metabo HPT Sliding Compound Miter Saw | 12-Inch Blade | Double Bevel | Laser Marker | 15-Amp Motor | 5 Year Warranty | C12RSH2S

Being an old guy that wants to keep busy (a career master machinist) I did not need it to last forever but I needed PRECISION. I read the reviews of this machine and was taken back by stories of innacuracy, like the guy who said the angle adjustment was all off, and the Laser was off. I can tell you this- in my opinion it was the operator who was off and blamed the tool.Here's what I found during a complete and thorough check of the accuracy: This baby is SPOT ON in terms of its angular settings and the accuracy of the laser! I checked the angle using a precision ground sine-bar and a dial indicator. My cut across a 2X6 at 45 degree angle was off by .002"!! That's 2 thousandths of an inch... in wood??? you could not tell if it were ZERO, it was for all intents PERFCECT.And for the Laser: once again I used a 2x6 test piece. I made a tiny knife cut to mark the wood at exactly 12 inches as measured by my Starret Precision machinist scale. A knife cut mark is way more accurate than a pencil. I lined it up using the laser which is also an extremely thin line. I took a shallow cut across the board, let the blade stop an saw that the laser line was exactly in the center of the blade cut which is only 1/16" kerf (width). Then I measured the board after cutting it through, using my Starrett $1600.00 vernier caliper. It measured 11.970" or .030" shorter than my mark which is exactly half the blade thickness!!! Show me the setup that cuts a piece of wood to closer SPEC and it will cost you at least 5 times the Metabo. OH and the reason you want to have the laser in the middle is because you can cut boards on either side of the blade and allow for the same kerf width on each side. This saw is a KEEPER and a great price performer!Also; the reason I gave the safety features only 4 stars is because of the tiny button you have to push in before you trigger the start. It's ill placed for big ole hands. I put a tiny screw in it holding it down to keep from messing with it.

My first miter saw.Pluses:* Front placement of the sliding arm design is good for storing without wasting space.* Handle design makes it easy for left or right handed person.* Dust collector bag does good job of collecting about 60% of dust. With shop vac (additional suction) I would see most dust captured. Haven't tested personally with attached vaccume yet.* Powerful motor for cutting any material.* No assembly required. Ready to use out of the box.* 5yr warranty. Although not used it yet. I have owned other Hitachi tools for over 10 yrs, just never had need to utilize it yet.Negative:* Like many other mentioned blade isn't perfect squared out of the box. You may have to tinker with it. Once I figured out what to adjust it was in the acceptable range. Keep in mind it's my first saw and not a professional carpenter.* Even after squaring blade when you slide to further pont for cut it's still little off by about less than 1/16". I think that due to sliding arm not 100% straight. Not sure if that normal for sliding miter saw or not.* Laser isn't perfect aligned with blade, especially when you slide blade all the way out. I didn't tinker with it too much.Other thoughts:* Never used the blade it came with. I ended up replacing blade with DeWalt 80T which works great for moldings. I'm sure if I had gone with 100T it would be even cleaner cuts but 80T did the job. I recommend going with 80T or higher instead of stock 60T blade.

I've had many a saw in my life. Once tuned in and squared up is perfect. The laser is a little lame but fold the dust rubber up and out of the way and shines all the way thru cut. I did an entire house remodel with this and never switched blades and still cuts like butter. If you can get this for $350 or under, it's a steal. Better than dewalt in my opinion.

Within a few days after receiving my saw, I set it up and began using it to make standard 90-degree cuts, along with multiple beveled and mitered cuts in 2x6 lumber. Everything seemed to work as promised. I really enjoyed using it.However, I discovered one design flaw which is particularly frustrating. The Bevel Clamp screw which holds the heavy motor assembly at a desired angle for making beveled cuts failed. The threads on the clamp screw are adequate, but the threads which are cut into the arm assembly itself [which are hidden inside of the casting] are left-hand, and failed. Here's why...The information provided in the operator's manual (page 26 and 27) make no mention of the left-hand threads of the Bevel Clamp screw. The assembly is factory tightened and secure right out of the box. The instructions state... CAUTION: "Loosen the clamp...", and "Always check that the clamp lever is secured...", however, there's no mention of the left-hand threads. So, if you assume that the threads are [standard right-hand, as I did] and attempt to loosen to the left, the casing threads will strip out.And of course, I discovered this the hard way. Setting up for a beveled cut, I turned the clamp lever to the left, but the assembly would not loosen up so I could adjust for the desired cut. I stopped turning and thought, "are these left-hand threads?". Why would they do this, but not provide a warning in the manual? So, I cautiously switched directions of my turn and the assembly loosened so I could adjust to my desired bevel.The problem was, the damage had been done. The threads in the casing had been compromised, and with each attempt to tighten the bevel clamp screw for different degrees of bevel, it became weaker and weaker, until the threads completely failed.I called Metabo and spoke with a very pleasant and helpful person in Customer Service, and was told to return the saw to Amazon because it was within the 30-day period. Will I replace with the same Metabo model? Probably not. This clamping system is (in my opinion) a design/manufacturing flaw and needs to be resolved.If you're considering the purchase of this particular model [C12RSH2(S)], keep this issue in mind, for future reference.