What’s the Big Lebowski of all power tools? Easy…a sliding-compound miter saw. And if you are like me, you will have to read 19 different miter saw reviews before heading to your local home center to make a purchase like this. And for good reason — Today you can easily spend over $800 on a 12-inch slider. It’s a big ticket item that you will (hopefully) be using for years to come, so it pays to get it right the first time.

Every manufacturer is known for a certain type of tool: Milwaukee is famous for the Sawzall. Porter Cable for routers. Makita has always been an innovator in cordless technology. Hitachi is known for it’s miter saws…and for good reason. They introduced the first sliding compound miter saw 25 years ago, and today Hitachi makes one of the best 12-inch sliders around…so let’s have a closer look at the Hitachi C12LSH 12-inch sliding compound miter saw.

This saw looks mean right out of the box! The funky green and black styling struck me as pretty exteme when I first saw this machine…Call it a mid-life crisis, but I’m really digging it now. And after taking this tool out for a spin I didn’t care if there were polka-dots painted on it, because it delivered the goods.

Now if you’ve read any other miter saw reviews in a magazine like Fine Homebuilding, you know that a saw this size has plenty of power to spare. This model boasts a 15 amp belt-driven motor with a soft start and smooth operation, with virtually no blade wobble. I must say that I really hated the blade that came with a saw, but once I switched it for a 12″ Forrest Chopmaster the cut was glass-smooth (for half the price of the Forrest blade, I think the Ridgid titanium blades available at the Depot do a nice job).

There are three features that really set this tool apart frome the other entries in the 12-inch slider category:

1. The newest feature on the C12LSH model is the LCD dispay screen mounted on a flexible arm above the blade, which gives you a digital readout of the miter and bevel settings. I guess this is a nice feature, but I don’t think I will use it as much as the laser guide, which is super-accurate once you dial it in. Hitachi was the first manufacturer to put a laser on all their miter saws, and for my money it is still the best. Here’s why: It’s easy to adjust, it’s visible in sunlight, and the blade doesn’t have to be spinning to turn it on. And here’s a benefit that I haven’t seen mentioned in any miter saw reviews of this tool: The laser line is visible on the BACK of the workpiece, which is superhandy when cutting crown molding.

2. Also new to this model is a micro-adjustment guage for both the miter and bevel settings. What does this mean to you ? Well, if you need to cut a 45.5 degree miter, you won’t have to wiggle the handle past the detent setting to finesse this cut…you simply dial it in without moving the table at all. Very cool indeed.

3. Possibly the best feature on this tool are the zero-clearanace rails, which will pay for itself on the job. With any other slider, you would have to set it up at least two feet in front of a wall to prevent the tool from smashing into the drywall when you return the blade to finish the cut. This feature allows you to back right up to a wall, which really opens up walking lanes when you’re trimming a remodel job…Heck, you can even set up in a hallway!

I have to say that this isn’t the easiest tool to haul out of your truck and up a ladder…At 68 pounds, I think it’s even heavier than the Bosch slider. For this reason, this Hitachi would be right at home set up in a cabinet shop. However, I would sure miss it on the job installing those cabinets, and would be mighty tempted to bring it along.

It’s hard to beat the combined features and performance of this Hitachi. Having said that, this is a lot of saw, and it may not be suitable or neccessary for a homeowner to purchase a large saw like this one — Ten inch sliders can do just about everything that a 12 inch model can, at about 2/3 the price. I encourage you to comparison shop based upon your budget and needs before you buy…One way to do that is to check out some more miter saw reviews by visiting my blog at http://www.squidoo.com/miter-saw-reviews. I look forward to seeing you there!

Looking for some free woodworking projects to break in your new Hitachi compound miter saws? You’ll find hundreds of free woodworking plans at Jay’s website.