Reviewing the Hi-Tech Diamond 6" Trim Saw
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- čas přidán 31. 07. 2024
- So after 5 months of use here are my thoughts on this saw. It's not all positive, they do have a few things to improve on but overall I think the saw is worth it for a lot of people out there.
I did forget to mention that the saw comes with two saw blades.
Hi-Tech Diamond
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Hi-Tech Diamond 6" Trim Saw on Amazon
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0:00 - Intro
0:48 - Price
3:30 - Cons
7:00 - Pros
13:15 - Outro
Did you enjoy this video and find it to be informative? You can help ensure that more videos just like this get made by supporting the project on Patreon. www.patreon.com/currentlyrockhounding
Sooo...we just pulled the trigger on the 10" saw and cant wait to see it in action. Used your code and got a nice discount on all the other stuff we added on including the extended warranty which was nice. Thanks for the honest review my dude!
Thank you and I think you will be very happy with it.
The 6 inch trim saw I have (Lortone) does have a 3/4th inch tray wall that can still cut the usual slab thickness if the tray is shimmed with a piece of 3/4 inch plywood with a notch for the blade. That allows larger
slabs to be trimmed without vising up the slab saw. So, for those with tray walls, there is always a way to work around them.
Thanks for the awesome review. I think it fits all my cutting needs for now.
Thx so much for your thorough review of the Hi-Tech 6" trim saw. You've helped me to make a solid decision.
I'm glad you found it helpful.
I love your honesty and thorough manner.
Thank you.
We have the HI-TECH 10 inch trim saw. The 10 inch does have a a drain plug in the tub. I love this saw!
Great review, thanks for the demo!! Great saw!
Ijust added another 36 cents to my pickle jar. Maybe in 5 more years I can buy one LOL. It sure looks like a nice saw and 6" is just about right to use for me. Nother good vid Jared.. Havagudun Bud
Cool video, Ijust bought the 10 in model and really love it.I like that it is only weighs 35 lbs,it’s porability and use of space and it’s much quieter then my Tile saw.
Just ordered this can’t wait to get it and start cutting
Great video showing all pros and cons. that said, I've had/used a lot of trim saws over many years and all things considered, to me this is the best of them all. It has a large useable table and is light enough that to clean it I simply carry it outdoors and hose it down. I have the sliding vise but finally took it off as not being worth the cost. You can also order a detachable fixed fence attachment that pops onto the table using the several small holes as guides. I gotta admit I'm not a fan of the variable speed control and have always cranked it to highest setting. It's a real workhorse.
I've been using this saw a lot and I agree with what you're saying here.
Jared,
Thanks for the accurate evaluation of HiTech's 6 inch saw. The only point that I disagree with, is the 10" HiTech saw, which I have, is more versatile with the bigger rocks it can cut. Keep you channel going!
Oh for sure. I think the 10" is better but I was really just trying to focus on smaller saws since I think that's where most people are going to be getting started.
A very fair Review of the Hi-Tech saw. You may find they adopt some of your suggestions! RPM on the dial sounds like a real winner to me.
Thank you. It's not a perfect saw but maybe it doesn't need to be.
I use a tiny fountain pump (about $ 7) with 1/4" tubing to remove 90 - 95% of the water depending on the amount of debris on the bottom of the tray - I do tip it a little by sliding a piece of wood 1 1/2" to move more of the water to the pump. The pump takes less than 2 minutes to empty the majority of the water and takes almost no space to store when not in use. Buy the cheapest pump you can - you are not moving much volume and not moving frequently.
That's great advice.
What a great idea, thank you Sandy!
Good review, I love my 6 and 10 inch version from them. On the water drain I never really considered it an issue as I just cup out enough so it doesn’t touch the blade and dry the blade and shaft and then add water back the next time. In your case though it might be an issue due to freezing temps in your shop. A turkey baster useful to get any settled grit out. The different blades make big difference on the ease of the cut based on the material. I don’t get caught up in the RPM but maybe I should, a 5 and 6 is usually where I put it for all the blades and never adjust it that much. Good videos as always!
Yeah I really can leave the water in it due to the weather out here. I do like the idea of a turkey baster to get it out.
So far the biggest difference I see on the blade is if there is chip out on the end of the cut.
Thank you for review. I got this saw for Christmas this morning and wanted to see what the word was. I'm eager to get this set up.
Enjoy!
Another great review, thanks so much!
I'm glad you liked it!
Nice review, much appreciated!
Thank you!
That was a very comprehensive go over of that thingey. Well done.
Thank you!
I'm at the point in my short lapidary career that I'm looking for a trim saw.
Thank you for this extremely informative review.
Forget Hi-Tech for a second, any trim saw is going to better than no trim saw.
You had me at American made😁 Great thorough review! I really appreciate it.
I'm glad you liked it.
Thank you for this!
I'm glad you liked it!
that is what i like about your channel! it is the honesty that you give, the fact that HI-TECH DIAMOND is made in AMERICA is what drew me to them and now your review is what sold me! thank you for your opinion on this company!
I do my very best to call it as I see it. It's not a perfect saw, I don't know if there is even such a thing but I think for someone that wants to do some cutting this is a good step up from a tile saw.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding that is my second thought also, my first thought was that it is made in AMERICA and they are available, no waiting!
Awesome review. I just got this exact machine for my birthday which happens to be today!
Happy Birthday!
@@CurrentlyRockhounding thank you
Thanks for the great review. I want one, but may make one as I have a few good motors that would work... I like DIY stuff, but that saw is awesome!
My big slab saw is home made. If you have the skills to build that would very likely be the best thing since you can get exactly what you want.
I reviewed several brands of trim saws online, and the Hi-Tech Diamond Trim Saw seemed best for a newbie like me - until I saw you picking it up to empty the water. I have a tricky back and a recently-repaired hernia. So, I looked for a workaround: how about draining the reservoir using a manual siphon pump and a bucket? I watched videos of people very effectively draining multi-gallon containers such as fish tanks. Any rock sludge the pump doesn't finish getting, you could wipe out with a sponge. Thanks for your excellent videos.
It wouldn't be all that difficult to add a drain; just get some soft vinyl tubing, drill a hole, insert and seal with silicone, then put a pinchoff or plug on the tubing.
Great video!!! Thank you for shearing...
My pleasure!
Thank you for the honest review. It’s great to see the construction. I think I’m going to order one up and come up with a good way to drain the water.
The lack of a water drain is a bit of a bummer. I would love to see some kind of bung fitting with a cut off valve so you can just drain the water into a bucket.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Well, let's see what we can come up with.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding I was thinking something like the "EZ-106 EZ Oil Drain Valve with removable Hose End Combo" might work great. What do you think?
@@Whaler170 That's pretty much what I had in mind.
I just went and bought a brand new hitech 6 inch lapidary saw, thanks for your awesome review on this particular unit.
I'm sure you will like it!
@@CurrentlyRockhounding I hope so too, I just finished its assembly which was very easy, the saw when I set it into place wasn't set to the centre of the saw top but the instructions were very clear on how to loosen the two screws in the motor rod to centre the blade and tighten it.
So was really easy to adjust
All I need to do now is fill the water in the reservoir plug her in and give her a trial run with a couple of rocks which I don't mind getting a rough finish on for testing.
After watching another video and the comments about how the saw possibly cuts a little rough on the first cuts I figured it will be better to do a couple of trial cuts first.
Not sure if you also found the same results on your first couple of cuts?
Thanks again for your great video on the lapidary saw I'm also sure I will enjoy it too 😊
@@freshimpactco.8698 Often a the first cut on a blade is a little rough. They often have paints and other stuff on them that needs to come off some.
When they say in the manual not to run the 6 in Hi Tech trim saw more than a half hour, they are not kidding. Going over a half hour is super hard on the motor, and I burned out two already... but they do last about 5-7 years... using it about 1hour per week for me. The plastic tray wears out very fast too. I fix the plastic tray with PC7 epoxy when it gets worn down. It sure is great for the bigger slabs like you say.
Im more than surprised at your motor problems. I use mine hard...probably slab with it more than trimming, and iften run it 2 to 3 hours at a time, when I need a break. You might be pushing too hard, overloading the motor and causing it to overheat. Im 8 years and thousands of cabs (I cut commercially) on the original motor, and it's far from done in.
@@cristelgard6476 Interesting. I think it might be cuz I was using crappy blades too. I found some sintered blades that cut rock like butter, and they are much easier on the motor.
Love Made in America! I'm sold.
I’ve found that a turkey baster helps get the water out, but the design is still pretty imperfect...
I look forward to your saw blade review, as I would love to have some guidance about which blade might suit me (my goal is many clean cuts through random “no value” rocks I find on the ground, and with a view towards not spending huge amounts of money since I’m not cutting or making anything super fancy)
Someone else mentioned the turkey baster which I think I will pick up cause that's a smart way of getting the water out.
Covington is superior bro and virtually everyone I talk to says CabKing and HP have visibly lost quality.
I went to Covington's new shop in Meridian, ID last Sept. to pick up my 16" Vib lap and my 16" horizontal lap and was given a personal tour. They make everything in house; From machining the male to male coupling, to making and sintering blades and discs. They fabricate each machine in totality and paint them afterword! Everything that can be made there, is made there. I don't mess around when buying tools unless I have no other choice or am going to break it: I chose and plan to stay with Covington products.
P.S. The shop is freeking amazing dood, there is a reason why the business is named "Covington Engineering."
It's not a contest since both companies offer very different products. Also I never said Hi-Tech was better, all I did was present my findings. I'm sure all companies can make saws that can turn a blade but there's a lot of other things to factor in which I think I did a fair job of bring up.
If Covington works great for you that's awesome! If Highland Park works great for someone else yay!
As far as a simple saw goes that you can have in your house in under a week and for under $500 I think its a solid option for some people.
Its like air tools, do you need SnapOn or Matco? If you turn a wrench for a living sure, if you work on a car once a month or on the weekends probably not. I think the same thing goes for all
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Yeah man, I agree. Different strokes; Not trying to say anything other than my preference of tools and the experience I had.
The biggest problem I have is that some are charging premium prices for a rudimentary tool. In all reality, we are looking at some basic mechanics but every saw manufacturer has 15 different saws in 2" increments and it drives me nuts to look at the prices. Covington 20" =5k before blades!! HP =4k before blades...
I guess you could say rockhounds are in between a rock and a hard place.
Oh yeah I hear you. To be honest I think the best saw is one you build yourself, doing that you will get exactly what you want and nothing you don't but of course doing that requires a lot of other tools and knowledge which for some isn't an issue and for other a major barrier. My slab saw as example was homemade in the 1950s and is still going strong to this day.
I have some big rocks that I would love to cut but the prices on big saw are our of my budge.
I think it is fair to that Hi-Tech doesn't make equipment for a production shop, these are more casual use saws and polishing equipment. Theirs a market for Teslas and a market for Ford Focus. All things have ups and downs depending on how you want to look at something.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding For sure, funny because I never mentioned Hi-tech gear. From what I see, I wish I had one of the 8" flat laps but when I had some $$ I ran into a few deals that I couldnt pass up. One of them was a Covington 6" combo unit I drove past Bend to get because it was pristine and only $500.
@@TheRogueRockhound That is a good deal, i have been keeping my eyes open for a cabbing machine but nothing good has came my way as of yet.
Generally speaking, is there an advantage to saws using oil vs. ones that use water?
So glad to come upon both of your reviews on this saw! Very informative! My husband just gave me one for my birthday and I am so excited to use it. Do you wear a mask when working with this saw or just eye protection? How much dust does it produce? and I guess it has to be light in order to get the water out lol! Thanks!
Yay! It's a good little saw. In fact I was using mine today.
I don't wear a mask since its a water saw its not really needed. Really all of the dust is kept down by the water.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Thanks! and thank you for the videos!
I have this saw and enjoy it as well. To fix the dumping water By purchasing a battery hand pump. Like to pump gas out of an engine. Great review.
That's a good tip on the water.
Just use a cheap fluid transfer hand pump from Harbor Freight to remove that water from the high-tech, no need to move the machine around, would make it no problem at all.
I just ordered one today. Bought it through the Reentel eBay account.
The Ameritech claims to be made in the US, unless you know differently? Also, how much room is there left and right of where the saw blade is? In the sawing direction, is there any obstruction to how long a piece you could cut, or could you slice all the wat through a 6 inch long piece?
My SIL installed a drain for me…will share pix. Where?
GREAT VID, THANKS. Question on the vibration, if any, from the saw. And, I want to put a 6" SINTERED DIAMOND BLADE on it, will it take blades by other brands?
The saw does have some rubber feet on it.
You can run any 6" blade you want on it so long as it has the right size for the arbor.
My opinion is about the black T-square not fitting into the slot at all. If you know what I mean. I don't see anything around the speed-dial! The manual doesn't explain clear enough how to ensemble, but easy enough to figure out to put them together by yourself. I am totally agreeing everything you said. Obviously, they need to be improving to fit better for the price and make the customers completely happy and satisfied.
I do not know what you mean by the black T-square.
It's a piece act like a splash guard, shape like T !
Hello again. Do you have any recommendations on 6" Blade options for this saw?
Most blades are good these days normally I just suggest running a sintered blade.
Anyone had an issue at initial set up with the arbor and blade not lining up with the table top? I tried to take the set screws out and moving the arbor but it will not move at all
I have not personally had that issue. It should move around, if it doesn't you might want to get Hi-Tech a call.
Can you cut small rocks in half, or small slabs, with this saw? I am looking at the 5” unit. I do understand that my rocks could not be giants as I am limited with blade height above the table. Thanks
Asking if you can cut small rocks in half or small slabs with this saw makes me think you didn't actually watch the video.
I forgot to mention that I slide the wood under the back of the saw housing to move the water toward the pump.
How important is having control over RPM, is it true that you need the higher rpm for the ultra thin blades that are good for turquoise?
That's a good question that I may not be the best person to answer it. It would seem from what I have cut up to this point that the more fragile or delicate materials experience less chipping...etc. when you slow the blade down so I think its a valuable feature to have.
What size do you recommend for cutting opals. 4-5” the 6” or the 10”? I’m leaning towards the 4-5” but maybe the 6” would accomplish the same thing and then open the door to agate stones down the road? Thoughts?
As a general rule of thumb its always a better idea to buy the biggest lapidary saw you can afford cause it will allow you to do more. You can always cut something small on a big saw but not the other way around.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding thanks.
Question for you.. been thinking about getting a 10" Hi Tech saw.. I was wondering if I can use the 10" saw as a trim saw also... Without getting over cutting like I do on my tile saw....
You can use the 10" saw as a trim saw. What do you mean by over cutting?
@@CurrentlyRockhounding I like cutting out crosses. And on the bottom side of the cross the blade cuts on ferther on the bottom then the top... Or maybe I'm doing something wrong ??
I'm on the fence about getting a saw from Hi-Tech, torn between the 6 trim saw or the 10 slab saw saw. I cut mostly smaller agates with geode pockets and fortification banding but also find some of the same that are palm size. I think some are dime sized up to half dollar on for the most part. What is your recommendation or how can I make a decisions and finally dive into a proper lapidary saw and ditch this tile saw?
You can always cut a smaller rock on a big saw but not the other way around.
When it doubt save up and buy the biggest saw you can afford.
Thanks I think I will save up perhaps, is blade width a difference between the two or is it the same?
@@CurrentlyRockhounding
@@obake84 Generally speaking the bigger the blade diameter the blade thickness also increases.
If one could only have one saw. For light to moderate work would the Hi Tech 10" Slab Saw be preferable? Primary uses would be cutting rocks into pieces for tumbling, and cutting specimens in half before lap polishing.
Oh yeah if you just want to cut rocks down for tumbling than a 10" would be the best option. They also have a sale this weekend.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Thanks for the tip.
Not that it's a great concern with a 6 inch blade but I didn't see any adjustments to true the arbor and plane of the blade to be perpendicular to your vise feed. Know it can be a
real problem with 10 and above inch diameter blades that feed improperly, cause jamming and motor overheating. Harbor Freight has a good inexpensive fine adjustment
gauge with a magnetic base to true larger blades and prevent feed problems. Nice review. Thanks.
With this saw the vise has all the adjustments to make it run true to the blade.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding Never seen a laterally adjustable vise but that would work too. Interesting.
@@richardstursa6711 It independently adjusts on the front and back of the track so you can get it perfectly where you want it.
great video will this cut corundum?
A diamond blade will cut corundum but it will be slow.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding thanks so much for the reply 💗
Did you adjust the splash guard?? If so, how? Thanks.
I guess I don't really understand what exactly you're asking here.
The tiny front guard is almost useless on the 10” saw in keeping spray off me. I thought I saw yours out of tin or flashing. Yours was silver?? No??
@@nhrockaholic6038 Oh yeah, the front guard is bigger on mine, I just attached some aluminum as an added spray shield.
Thanks.
What is the weight of this cutter?
Without putting it on the scale its about 10 ish lbs.
Where does the water come out from the metal?
I have no idea what you're trying to say here.
So what are the alternatives to this saw?
I have talked about some of the other options out on the market in other videos.
How long can you run the 6 inch there was a comment not to run it more than a half hour because it you will burn the motor that isn't a long time.
That is what they have printed in the manual for it. Personally I have never started cutting and just let the thing run that long. Also I think the environment is a factor, cutting in the winter is going to be different than in July in the desert sun.
I agree that it isn't a long time but I would also ask yourself if you intend on running the saw trimming by hand for half an hour without taking a break?
Thank you for your reply. Your right I probably won't use it without stopping.
It should at least have handles if you’re needing to hold it to dump it out. I suppose if you know your plumbing you can drill a hole and fit a drain in yourself but with this extra work I feel like this saw should be in the $150 range.
So let me get this straight you feel like they should take $350 off the price cause it doesn't have handles or drain plug. Don't you think your comment is a bit nuts?
My friend i Bay one three month ago it's not working now it's broken down due to water leak to the motor. And they don't answer my emails.
Sorry that's been your experience and all machines can break but that shouldn't happening with a sealed motor. Did you email them directly at sales@hitechdiamond.com or call them 630-596-9909 ?
@@CurrentlyRockhounding yes I did email them but no reply .the problem is I am from saudia Arabia and the shipping cost very high for them to apply the warranty..
I'm sorry to hear that. You can give me your contact information here like your name and email or send it to me at currentlyrockhounding@gmail.com and I will pass your information along to them but I do not work for Hi-Tech so I can only really do that to help here.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding it's very kind of you I am really a big fan of your work and don't worry my friend i will fix the problem if I don't I will contact you..thank you again 💓
Please do get back in touch with me, I'm happy to help in any way that I can, I'm extremely handy when it comes to working on machines so perhaps we can brainstorm a fix for you. Just let me know and save my email.
Would you say that it....made the cut?
I'll see myself out lol
Hahahaha
Made in America 🇺🇸
Thanks for sharing.
It's a nice machine. But come on honestly, it's way over priced! Not much to this machine. 1/2 motor, spindle, blade, made of plastic... Everyone wants a quality machine. But to take advantage of selling this so highly priced! They are making a killing...I understand this is the go to machine to get & can't go wrong but your gonna pay out of the wahzoo...🤔
It also sounds like you have never run a company before in America and had to pay for things like R&D, a warehouse, employees, insurance, supplies cost increases, and other expenses related to running a business.
You should price out building something yourself or the other options on the market and get back to me with your better, more affordable option.
Price in us dollars
If only there was a search engine that would give you the manufacturers website which has the current price.
that trim saw is a little toy piece of plastic junk is a waste of money , the motor is no powerfull cheap plastic parts the design sucks i will rather to buy something more heavy duty
Go back and read this comment out loud to yourself.
You sound like a dimwit.
Sorry, but that thing is an overpriced piece of junk. I’m new to this and only now have started to research saws and I find it hilarious (and pathetic) that THIS company has somehow cornered the rock-cutting market. Everything looks so cheap and flimsy and while I love the fact that it is made in the U.S, I find it hard to believe that they can charge so much money for that. On top of that, the obvious design flaws, one of them being the lack of a drain, just shows that the R&D that went into the product is just downright lazy. Also, that vice is just poorly-executed. I have a Dewalt DWS780 in my garage that would make that thing look like a toy, yet somehow costs almost as much. Again, not trying to offend you or anyone who has one of these, but I just can’t wrap my head around paying more than $150-200 for that thing.
I'm not sure if you really meant it like this but as I read your comment here comes off as misinformed and kind of abrasive.
Since making this video which is rather old at this point I have cut hundards and hundards of rocks on it in all shapes and sizes. It would be hard to even count but its gotta be around 600 cuts at least, and then I sold it to a friend of mine who is also cutting rocks on it now.
So lets just pick a nice number of 600 cuts. At the current price of $479 it comes out to about $0.80 a cut which I'm happy with.
I get that you might not like the price or maybe you can't afford it which is fine. You can always cut rocks with a tile saw but its not as nice as this for a number of reasons which I have covered in other videos.
@@CurrentlyRockhounding I apologize. I didn’t mean to come off as harsh. I was simply stating that I think that piece of equipment is severely-overpriced, despite your cost/cut analysis. Has nothing to do with being able to afford it, which I can assure you is not a problem for me. But I like spending my hard-earned money on quality-tools whenever I can and I just don’t think it is worth anything-near the price the manufacturer has it for. I appreciate the fact that it is made in the U.S, something I always prioritize in my search whenever I am looking for a new tool or piece of equipment. But that thing looks like it could’ve came from a local Harbor Freight store.
@@ApexIXMR I suggest you do some price and quality comparisons.
For example I have a Lortone TS10-C which is a full stainless saw which is in the $900 price range now.
Economy of scale plays a big role in the lapidary world which is a factor when you make a comparison to things like Home Depot, Harbor Freight, and Dewalt.
If a company like Hi-Tech sells like 10 saws a day they do not have the ability to bring costs down the same way a company like Dewalt can.