My SCMS burned up!

[Glen Butler]

Thats good news. I was sure you'd be buying a new saw.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have a Hitachi 8" that is twenty years old, been used on the job all of that time with an untold number of hours on it, and it has never needed a part. still on the original brushes. I also have a couple of the basic 10" Hitachi sliders, and a 15" chop saw. none have ever given me a problem.

Maybe you are too hard in the cut? I have employees that are lugging the saws too much and I retrain them, or fire them if they will not respect my tools. I always use a rule of thumb that if the tool is slowing down more than 25%[by ear]then it is working too hard. I have routers, skill saws that are over twenty years old and still working when I see others burning tools up in less than a year while horsing them through cuts.

Try slowing down a bit maybe, and keep your blades sharp.

[Doug Carpenter]

Of course I can't account for what goes on while I'm not on the job but I certainly don't abuse the tool. Nothing lasts forever. I had one of the original 8" sliders as well an it did a similar thing only it wasn't repairable. I suppose that shows a pattern but I don't think it means that it is my fault per say.

Honestly I'm quite please with the saw and it is a bonus that it was fixable for such a reasonable price.

[Van Huskey]

Glad it was cheap to fix. In the world of disposable everything nice to know something can still be fixed.

[Bill Wyko]

I just got into a Kapex that needs new brushes. It was used daily by a cabinet shop. I think they built over 4000 pieces of furniture using it. I ordered the brushes for $17.00 bucks + shipping. To swap them takes less than 5 minutes. very easy. It has a lot of great features you won't find on most miter saws. Expensive but worth it if you are going to use it daily.

[Larry Edgerton]

Under size drop/extension cords can be harmfull to electrical motors and cause premature death. Hopefully yours can be repaired.

This is a very good point Don brought up Doug and is the kind of thing that could lead to your type of equipment failure. I have electricians make me up my lead cords out of really heavy cable {I'm electrically illiterate} and run them to the area that I am working, plugging my bench tools in directly and then running smaller cords from there. I have them in different lengths up to 150 foot, and use the shortest one that will do the job. Store bought cords are most often too light for long runs. If you can feel your cords heating up after extended use they are too light.

I hate what employees will do to my tools when they think I am not looking, but I am on the site most always, which I am sure saves my tools a bunch.

[Tom Rick]

What kind of life do you guys get out of your scms.

25 years on a Hitachi 8".

Miles of crown and flat trim in commercial and residential work as well as a ton of radial arm duty on framing jobs.
Still as smooth and accurate as the day I bought it.

My supplier just told me that the new ones will not give such good service as they are now build off shore to a price point.
Pity- a fine tool in its day.