Thread: GMC Vs Hitachi

Nothing wrong with a lot of the GMC stuff when you consider the price, 30 day satisfaction guarantee and the 2 year warranty. You can't compare a saw for $120 with a saw for $300+. Obviously the dearer model would be better. Compare the Hitachi to a Triton which is about the same price. Heaps of grunt and well made.
If you are a workshop handy guy like a lot of us here, give the cheap one a go. You can't really lose.

Id be saveing the $120 and put it towards something with a bit of quality in it.
If you need a boat anchor buy the GMC.

Al

One of the tradesmen on this forum reckons the 235 GMC Platinum is unkillable. Si I'd go with the GMC and spend the other $205 on some more tools.

Thank you guys for your feedback. You are right, I should buy GMC for $119 and buy some other tools for the money I will save. However I was looking for review on GMS power tools. I checked on Google site but found no review. Is there any body who has used GMC Power tool and totally satisfied with it?

Originally Posted by kiwitrader

Thank you guys for your feedback. You are right, I should buy GMC for $119 and buy some other tools for the money I will save. However I was looking for review on GMS power tools. I checked on Google site but found no review. Is there any body who has used GMC Power tool and totally satisfied with it?

Good to see you have a sense of humour.

Al<O</O
</O

Gday Kiwi, good line Al , that reply could have come from Bob!

Kiwi, you'll struggle to find reviews anywhere other than Oz sites or magazines, I believe they're Melbourne based and source their tools out of factories in China.

As discussed (extensively) on this site before GMC is fine for most handyman level stuff, if used too often the cost cutting involved in bringing a tool in at the price will become evident. The Platinum saw is priced dearer than their usual range but apparently has better bearings and should last longer.

I have a couple of GMC tools, most used has been the scrollsaw, with a few mods it is doing the job well considering the price (<$100)

Depending on how much you think you'd use the saw I'd maybe even try to get a secondhand saw of a good brand such as an old Makita for under $100. Then if you end up using it a fair bit (in a Triton workcentre for example) and the saw is getting a bit tired I'd upgrade at that point with a better idea of what you need, a cheapy or a quality, accurate saw such as the Triton or Hitachi.

(The workcentre will last a long time if well fed and watered, you want a decent saw to get the best out of it long term with minimum frustration and regrets)

Cheers...............Sean

Kiwitrader

Ive got a Hitachi 235mm saw its about 10yrs old, its done a heap of work and its still going strong have never had any problems with it. I would buy a Hitachi saw again.

Regards Al

in my not so humble opinion comparing a gmc to a Hitachi or Makita or any other real brand is like comparing a mangy old lion to a virile young lion with a newly won pride of lionesses - they are both able to kill you but the young lion will do it faster, better, longer and more reliably.

if you want to see how good a gmc is just wander around to the reduced and returns corner of your local bunnies tool section - 90% of the crap there will be gmc, ryobi, b&d & ozito. do yourself a favour get the real gear and if your a hobbyist you'll NEVER have to buy one again unless you drop it or do something stoopid with it!

you'll notice I dont capitalise the cheapies in my above paragraphs - I dont consider them proper nouns or proper tools I only have contempt for the crap those chinese companies are turning out - they should tool up and turn thier factories to producing quality rather than quantity for FA $$ cost!

cheers

Bah!

Tool snobs! All circular saws areinnacurate brutes, bludgeoning their way through the wood. Not designed for fine accurate cutting. As long as it works (and the GMC will, and it cuts a reasonably straight line, rip your stock down to size with a cheap GMC and spend your money where it counts. Tablesaws, routers, handplanes, chisels etc etc.

What makes a"good" CS? None of them are goign to cut to the accuracy of a Table saw. Reliability is the most important factor and a 2yr GMC warranty makes that a no-brainer. Have a look around on this forum at peoples experiences with the warranty claims for your Metabos and Makitas...............


Buy quality where it counts, by "good enough" where it doesnt. Thats what I say.

There's 9" saws and there's 9" saws.... Most of them are used on site for formwork and framing and I doubt a cheapie would cope. If you want one tha't more accurate then go for one with an alloy baseplate. The major cause of innacuracy in circular saws is a bent or warped base plate.
Lefty,
for years I had no TS or even a triton and I managed to do pretty good work with mostly portable handheld stuff and a good SCMS. Fitted out a few $1M+ boats etc and built some furniture. A circular saw can be quite accurate if you use a guide fence and it has a flat baseplate.

Mick

I have the 180mm model and it is doing the shop, the inbuilt Laser works well for long ripping. The 235mm is the Patinum model I would buy it and save the money.

I have a Hitachi 7" saw the GMC platinum 9" saw. The Hitachi is a lovely little saw, really impressive. The big GMC does all the hard work and I am very happy with it. There is a LOT of variation between individual saws with the GMC platinum, I regularly look at the ones on display at various shops and the height adjustment is a weak point. Some are stiff and notchy, some are loosely riveted so quite sloppy. Mine was a stiffy (excuse me) but I replaced the adjustment parts with the genuine Dewalt equivalent for under $10 and it is now great. Don't forget the GMC PLATINUM 9" saw is a VERY close copy of the Dewalt. (hold them next to each other in the shop. The biggest difference is the colour. And the price.) I don't know how such a close copy is legal, but it is a bloody good saw. And it has a cast base plate. I bought mine when they were $199 and I thought is was a bargain then. At the $99 they cost now you'd be mad to pass it up.
Buy it, give it a bloody good workout for three weeks, if you aren't convinced, return it and buy the Hitachi. I bet you'll keep it.

Bah humbug to the tool snobs!

Chris.

Thanks for information Chris,

You are right. I can use it for 3-4 weeks and if I don't like I can always return it. It does have 30 days money back satisfaction guarantee. And if some thing goes wrong within next 2 years I can still return it buy something else. Good suggestion. Thank you.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

Hi Kiwi

Just a reminder - it is 30 days satisfaction guarantee, but after 30 days you get a replacement if it breaks, you don't get the option of getting a refund and buying another saw. (I've been through that with another GMC product, though in the end the retailer let me return it and buy another brand, but GMC had already said NO.)

Before you buy, open the box and check the height adjustment. It is a fairly complicated linkage with several riveted joints, and if the rivets are loose then even with the height setting tightened up, it can wiggle up and down a bit. If it is loose, try another one.

The adjusting bolt for the height adjustment is a bit second rate on the GMC, it is a normal coack bolt whereas the Dewalt is a special part. You can get the Dewalt bolt and nut (called the acorn nut) as a spare part for under $10 and it improves it 100%. I'd strongly advise the change. Feel free to email me if you want more detail.

Chris.