3 Responses to “Makita LS1013FL 15 Amp 10-Inch Dual Bevel Compound Sliding Miter Saw with Laser and Fluorescent Light”

1. Anonymous
   October 17th, 2009 @ 8:11 pm

   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

2. Timon
   October 18th, 2009 @ 2:05 am

   I’m a repeat customer for this model. The first one I bought was in 2000, it’s worked well. I do alot of kitchens and other remodels and found it wise to buy the crown molding stops from Makita. Makes the crown work a breeze, no messing with bevel stops anymore. Pay attention to the instructions with the stops, you have to cut the molding upside down, but once you get used to it, it’s pretty much flawless. As for the saw, the first one I bought had the long handle, it’s a bit different than the current one with the stubby handle. It’s worked well, about once every two years I take it apart (not too difficult) and clean things, along with applying a small amount of wheel bearing grease to the bearing surfaces (1/2 moon shaped metal shims about 12″ long). This is only necessary when things start to get hard to move or there is noticeable drag in the saw movement. Reviewer ShopMister is correct, wait for the discount from Amazon, the new saw I bought today is shipped for $374.00 total, can’t beat that price. First saw paid for itself, and then some. I’m not stuck on some brand name, my tools come from various manufacturers and I pretty much love the Dewalt and Bosch line, but Makita makes the very best sliding Miter saw out there today. Buy a good saw stand to go with it (like Dewalt) and you’re all set. The Makita blade is every bit as good as my 80 tooth Freud’s, probably even better than the 60 tooth Freud’s. Another nice feature is the capability to remove the dust bag and hook a small shop vac directly to the saw, helps keep the dust down when doing trim inside a residence that’s lived in…a note about safety too, there is a small button you have to depress prior to pulling the trigger on the saw. Don’t trust it, sometimes it will not be necessary, just pulling the trigger will start the saw, something to be aware of should you develope a habit of believing in the safety button.

3. Winfred
   October 18th, 2009 @ 4:48 am

   I debated for a very long time on which sliding 10 inch saw I was going to choose. After almost a year of reading reviews, waiting some more, reading etc… i finally pulled the trigger on this saw. My final two choices were the Makita LS1013FL and the Bosch 4410L. The recent article in FWW made me pause due to the review on the Makita but after personally handling the saw my doubts were erased. The first Makita saw I received in the mail looked like it was knocked around pretty good during the shipping process so I sent it back and the new one that came was in perfect condition. Love the stock blade that comes on these saws. The laser is actually quite useful and the light comes in handy more often than you might expect. The great thing about this saw is they both have independent controls from the power switch on the saw. This means you can use the laser when you want to, the light when you want to, and they can both be on before the blade is spinning. Much safer than the saws where the blade needs to be spinning in order for the laser to work. Out of the box the saw was perfectly square and all of the stops were lined up. Overall I would definitely give the saw 5 stars. Time will tell if this saw is going to hold up as well as the original LS1013′s have. This saw is a pleasure to use and I don’t have any regrets. It also helps that I paid $408 shipped to my door. Wait for a deal on this saw. No reason to pay full price if you don’t have to.

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