First problem with the Hitachi CW40

[USMC1126]

Well after about two months and I bet about 100 hours of scrolling on my CW40 the plastic part where the on/off switch and speed control are located broke. It didnt affect the operation of the saw, there are two screws that hold it in place to another piece of plastic, well I broke a blade and I guess when the upper arm slammed into the top it broke the plastic parts that the screws thread into. So, I packed it up, took it to Lowes, told them I lost the receipt and exchanged it. So now I have a brand new saw and also got a rebate for a $25 Lowes giftcard, sweet. Gonna start saving now for the Dewalt, but the Hitachi I dont think is all that bad for the price (now $149 plus the $25 rebate). Lowes didnt even give me a problem about not having the receipt. Well, just letting everyone know.

King

[Zephyros]

Hi King,
I'm thinking about buying the Hitachi CW40 from Lowe's as well. I just need the saw for light duty model airplane work. From reading your past posts, it sounds like a good saw for my needs. However, I'm concerned with my light duty use, it could be 3-5 years down the road when it could break this part and who knows if Hitachi will even supply parts then. So, from your additional use since you got the replacement, are you still happy with the saw and would you recommend it?
As an alternative, I thought about the Craftsman 16 in. model# 21601, which is the same saw as the Hitachi, but with an Aluminum table and no stand. The reviews at Sears have many complaints from users about vibration, thats why I was leaning towards the Hitachi, with the trade-off being I will have the cast iron table rust to deal with, any thoughts on the Craftsman or this trade-off?
Best Regards, Zephyros

[oldvaxguy2]

I bought a Sears and took it back in 3 months. It would never hold the blade tension correctly. I spent more time fixing the saw than using it. Maybe a good used saw on Ebay would work for you. There the kinks have been worked out and maybe not worn out. just a thought.

[USMC1126]

Well my new one has been working fine so far, I dont notice any vibration really. I saw in a book that a good way to test for that is to stand a nickel on end on the table, it stands all the way up to the highest setting then rolls off the table. I have put about 30-40 hrs on it since I got it and it seems fine. I would have to say that for the money this seems like a good saw. Also the part on my other one that did break didnt effect the way the saw operated at all, I could have easily glued it on or just used some tape. I'll let ya know if anything else happens. Also I havent had any problems with the table rusting but I do put wax on it from time to time.

King

[Gaia]

I also have the Hitachi CW40. I've had mine for a few months now. It's a good saw for the money. No comparision to a DeWalt but it works ok.

I did get some vibration at the higher speeds but my hubby made a good solid stand for me and that took care of that problem.

Gaia

[dale]

My son-in-law purchased one while I was visiting them in NY a couple of weeks ago. I used his for a little bit and it seemed to work pretty nicely no vibration. For the price it seemed like a pretty good deal.

dale

[jtccar]

Ive had my CW-40 for about 6 months, It was my first scroll saw but I love it. Its great I made some really nice things...

[HAMMER]

I Have A Craftsman It Also Had Tension Problems Went Through Three Of Them Before The Frustraion Got Me. My Biggest Problem Was With The Sears Repair Store. The Last Straw Was They Wanted $90.00 Just To Open It Up And Look At It Plus What Ever It Cost To Repair It. $90.00 Gee Whiz Thats A Good Start On A Brand New One.

So I Bought The Dremel With The Light. The Saw Is Great The Light Went Out In Just Days. I See Now That They Dont Even Have The Light Anymore. Thats Probably Why I Couldnt Get It Fixed Under Warranty.... But The Saw Works Well.

[USMC1126]

Update:

Hitachi still going strong
Just about zero vibration with custom stand
Good Buy

King

[Dennis Smith]

Likewise here in Mn. I love my Hitachi cw 40 No need for a saw at twice the price.