Makita LS1013FL Makita LS1013FL 15 Amp 10-Inch Dual Bevel Compound Sliding Miter Saw with Laser and Fluorescent Light

I have suffered for many years with an old B&D chop saw which was noisy as all getout, inaccurate, and worst of all had a badly designed blade guard that I had to remove long ago, making me wonder when I would first chop a couple of fingers off. I am about to start a big home improvement project with lots of expensive trim and crown moldings, and wanted something that would be good for that as well as fine furniture-making projects I have planned for the near future. So I finally took the plunge and got the Makita LS1013FL.

Though I have only had it for two days, I can already tell that this saw fills the bill nicely, and at a great price. I had looked at the Festool, but decided it wouldn’t be wise to take out a second mortgage right now to get a tool, even one that appears as great as that. So after reading many reviews, mainly of the Dewalt, Bosch and Makita sliding miter saws, I quickly eliminated the Bosch and Dewalt and settled on Makita. I ruled out the 12″ saws because of reports of inaccuracy due to blade flexing, plus I didn’t want the extra weight. And with the sliding saws the capacity of the 10″ models is really quite good, not that much lower than the 12″ models and far better than the non-sliding saws like the old B&D that I had.

I wound up actually getting the saw from big orange; they just had a 0 price reduction. So the price is now 9. As others have pointed out, the packaging could be better, so it was also nice to be able to inspect the box before buying, which in this case was in good shape, no visible damage. Right out of the box the saw itself appeared to be in perfect condition. The sliding mechanism was tight (no play) and smooth. I got very accurate 90 and 45 degree cuts, checked with an accurate Starrett combination square. Don’t know if the detents will hold up, but that is not a big issue for me since I can always override them for fine work that requires the utmost accuracy. The saw was surprisingly quiet, at least compared to the old B&D. As others have reported, the blade is quite good, giving you a very smooth cut. The laser is plenty bright (at least indoors) and appears to be accurately aligned out of the box. The fluorescent light is OK, but not great and not really necessary, IMO, unless you are forced to work at dusk, say, with no other lights.

My main complaints so far are that the right side sub-fence was not included with the saw, and the vertical clamp is not designed as well as it could be (it can be hard to position where you would like at times because the plastic spinner used to tighten the swinging part hits the left fence). I guess I would also say that even the left side fence is a bit on the low side, but the right side fence is just way too low without the sub-fence. So I have ordered the right-hand fence from Amazon for about , though it hasn’t arrived yet.

I was planning to use the Makita with a Dewalt 723 stand, which I picked up for 9, but am considering swapping the 723 for either a Delta 36-136 stand (appears sturdier and has wheels), or a Trojan MS-2000, a little pricier, but with some nice features. The main drawback of the delta has only an 8-foot wide support capability, compared to 16′ for the Dewalt and 13′ for the Trojan. (The Sawhelper Ultrafence sure looks good, but the 2nd mortgage requirement again looms large :)

Quiet and Smooth – tool collector – west lawn Pa
The motor is very smooth and quiet. It replaces a Ridgid LS1060 that was loud anmd coarse sounding!!! Love the laser and escpially the flouresent work light. Really nice blade included w/ the saw!!!

Makita compound slide saw – Tom – Rockford, IL
This is our second Makita slide saw, same model. The standard features along with it’s portability make it an easy choice for our job trailer. We use it for anything from cutting framing lumber or fine trim to vinyl siding. Only downside to buying online is the shipping packaging needs to be re-thought. Ours arrived with the tilt handle broken and laying in the bottom of the box.will need to take care of that.

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Features

  • Built-in high output fluorescent light illuminates work area and lasts 2000 hours on average
  • Dual steel rails supported by linear ball bearings ensure stable, accurate cutting.
  • Powerful direct drive 15 Amp motor never slips or bogs down
  • 9 positive stops at 15, 22.5, 30, 45 degrees left or right for the most common miter cuts; additional positive stops at 33.9 left for Model LS1214FL.
  • Electronic speed control maintains constant speed under load; soft start feature for controlled operation; 1-year warranty

Overviews

If you’re in the market for a miter saw, we always recommend considering a compound model. A compound miter saw is one on which the blade both tilts (bevels) and rotates (miters) to make miter cuts, allowing you to make compound-angle cuts essential for installing crown molding. This professional-duty machine tilts 45 degrees left and right, allowing you to make bevel cuts at both ends of a board without having to flip the board piece around. Its oversized aluminum worktable rotates 45 degrees to the left and 52 degrees to the right.

The saw has a built-in laser that clearly highlights cut line for quick, safe, accurate cuts. However, unlike most miter saws, the laser on this Makita model is mounted above the blade, not to the arbor. That means you don’t have to turn on the saw to activate the laser. Another nice feature is that the laser is independently switched, so you can turn it on or off whenever you’d like.

The saw carriage slides on two precision-ground steel rails that are fitted with ball bearing guides. The result is a vibration-free smooth-rolling saw that produces precise, consistent cuts, even at the outer limits of the slide mechanism. By the way, this 49-pound tool can crosscut a 2-by-12 and bevel-cut boards up to 3-5/8 inch thick. The LS1013L has a souped-up 15-amp, 3,700-rpm direct-drive motor that transfers cutting power to the blade much more efficiently than typical belt-driven saws.

One unique feature of the “FL” line of Makita saws is the built-in fluorescent work light. It illuminates the cut line exactly where you want it, and it’s always right at your fingertips. Makita says the bulb will last some 2,000 hours. Take care, though, as the bulb does get quite warm.

This versatile saw can handle a wide range of carpentry jobs from house framing and deck building to cabinetmaking and interior trim work. .– Joseph Truini

What’s in the box: The saw comes with a dust-collection bag, hold-down vise, two extension wings, 70-tooth carbide-tipped saw blade and blade wrench

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