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.

Let me start your search with a closer look at the "king of the green machines": the Hitachi C12LSH 12 inch slider. In the interest of full disclosure, I have always been a big fan of Hitachi saws, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint.

My 5-year old son told me that this tool looked like a Transformer when I pulled it out of the box. I don't know about that, but the slime-green and black styling is certainly eye-catching. But what I was most interested in was how does this saw perform…Once again, this Hitachi didn't disappoint.

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. Rising like a serpent above the blade is the digital display mounted on a flexible arm, which holds an an LCD screen indicating exact miter and bevel settings. While it's useful to know that the bevel I'm cutting is actually 46.3 degrees, I won't be using it as much the laser guide, which is still the best and most accurate on the market. Best of all, this laser can be read off the back edge of the workpiece, which is a real bonus when cutting crown molding miters.

2. This tool also features a micro-adjustment dial for both bevel and miter settings. While this may sound like a gadget that you will never use on the job, it's actually quite useful if you need to cut a half-degree on either side of a detent setting (i.e. 45.5 degrees). This means you won't be fighting the tool past the detent setting to make this adjustment — Instead, just dial it in on the micro adjustment wheel.

3. The best feature found on this Hitachi is the clearance you'll find BEHIND the saw. This is because the rails do not extend beyond the base of the tool when you finish a cut. This is very useful when trimming a remodel job, where walking lanes are often difficult to come by, and sometimes the only place to set up is in a hallway!

This tool is built like my truck…weighing in at 68 pounds, it is one of the heaviest models in the 12-inch slider category. While I'm tempted to install it as a stationary tool in my shop for this reason, I think I'll find a way to haul to my next trim job as well…It's just too nice of a tool not to use it all the time.

At the end of the day, the Hitachi C12LSH is a terrific combination of brains and brawn, and the unique features mentioned above make it a real money-maker. However, if you're in the market for a sliding compound miter saw, do your homework! Be sure to look at at least three different tools to determine which one best suits your needs and budget…You'll be happy you did. And if you can't visit a home center for a first-hand look, you'll find plenty more miter saw reviews like this on my blog at http://www.squidoo.com/miter-saw-reviews…Good luck and happy hunting!

Looking for more miter saw reviews like this one?…Learn these little-known secrets of the big-name tools before your next sliding compound miter saw purchase.