Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I needed a saw when my old DeWalt 708 slider was in the shop for bearing replacement. I considered buying another DeWalt but the new model is not as nice as the old 708. I have the opportunity to use all of the comparable high end saws that my co-workers use. I did not choose the Hitachi because the dinky table makes it difficult to cut wide stock accurately. The laser on the Hitachi does not shine on the leading edge of the piece either.
The Makita laser is better because it will shine on the front edge of the piece. That makes it nice when cutting bevels. Recently I was cutting beveled siding and I needed the piece to be cut with the finish side down so the exposed cut would be square. I needed to mark the bottom of the leading edge. When using the Hitachi, the laser was not shining on the edge so I had to line the cut the old way by bending over and sighting down the blade.
The laser on the Makita will not move far enough over to line exactly on the mark. It needs to move another 32nd of an inch to line up. I may be able to fix that with a file when I have time. You can easily move the laser to either side of the cut.
The saw was easy to calibrate. It did not need much. The 0 degree bevel was perfect out of the box. The 45 degree right and left just needed to be tuned a hair.
The blade that comes with the saw makes very smooth cuts. There is no need to buy a Forrest blade like I had to with my DeWalt. I miss the high fence that comes on the Dewalt. The Makita only has a high fence on one side. You can buy a high fence for the right side.
The guard works nicely and you can see through it by means of a slot. No more bending over to see the blade on the mark. The Hitachi does not have a slot so you have to bend down to see the blade on the mark after the guard is old and opaque. Because of this there are some carpenters who remove the guard and that is not good.
The dust collection on the Makita is very good. The bag fills up frequently. The dust collection on my DeWalt is non existent. I would prefer a zipper on the dust bag instead of the slotted tube.
The table on the Makita is one of the nicer tables out there. It is very wide and stable. It swings smoothly and locks with a quick twist. The saw bevel release has been improved from the earlier Makitas. You no longer have to bump the saw hard to move it out of the 0 degree detent.
The soft start prevents the saw from jumping when it starts up. I always wait a moment with any saw before plunging the blade.
The little light, although not very bright is a nice feature when working inside.
This saw is much lighter than my DeWalt 708.
I have had this saw for about two months now and so far it is a pleasure to use. No complaints. Five Stars
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