First I want to note that I'm coming from a Festool Kapex miter saw. Actually two of them.
The saw was used generally for cutting 1" think maple and poplar at 90-45deg.The first one lasted for about 5 years and the second one for about 2 before a motor failure. I'm still a Festool fan and I own multiple different types of tools from them, but the repair of the saw out of warranty is in the 250-300 range (with shipping), plus the headache of not having the tool for a week. And let me tell you- these failures are not happening when the saw is not in use. I think for $1.5K they should do a little more research, testing and whatever it takes to make the motors a little more rigid.
So, from that experience with the Kapex I decided it is time to look for something else. My attention went to two saws- Makita LS1019 L and Bosch CM10GD and the reason why is the type of forward rail system and space saving capabilities since it is intended for shop use.To me there ware a few factors that I was looking for- precision of cut (miter and bevel), dust collection, ease of use, versatility, ergonomics.
Let me stars with the Bosch saw:
Firs thing I noticed was that packaging was nice, which if bad is one of the main reasons for inaccurate tools after destress.
Miter and bevel was adjusted to be perfect 90deg before I started testing.The miter cut was good, but the bevel cut had some sort of deflection towards the end of the cut, so that was the first negative for me.
The tool was hooked to a vacuum but I was not impressed one bit with the dust collection. Compared to the Kapex it was at about 50%, shooting dust all the way to the front of the saw.
To me the overall movement of the saw was very smooth, surprisingly, given the bulky looking hinge type movement.
Other things I noticed ware that there was an initial kick when you squeeze the trigger and no laser( I don't use a laser for accurate cuts but rather for rough sizing).
I liked that all the adjustment ware set in-front of the saw and table and fence ware all relatively strait.
To me dust collection, initial trigger kick, no laser, bevel cut not perfect ware a deal breaker.
Now about the Makita:
Don't think that all was good over here either. Starting with the packaging- as bad as it gets. The first two units came with the box and saw damaged, but the third unit came in OK shape.
Now, talking about bad design- they located the dust port in an awkward position sticking from the rear of the saw going backwards. That makes it impossible to push the saw tide against a wall. Surprisingly they have a different set up for the 12" unit(not sure why), which for my surprise fit perfect on the 10" model and has the dust port at the top, so I bought one from Makita for about $21.
The things I liked - all cuts ware strait and square after adjusting the miter/bevel and dust collection was close to the one the Kapex had. The movement was smooth, there was a laser, the fence and table ware strait, but also wider (table), there is 60deg miter both ways, bevel is 48deg both sides, no kick at start or stop of the saw, handle was very comfortable.
I gave it 5 starts besides the dust port and shipping problems, because it is very close to the Festool Kapex's quality at almost 1/3 price. I only hope it will last a little longer then the Kapex one.
| Brand | Makita |
|---|---|
| Color | Multicolor |
| Blade Material | High Speed Steel |
| Surface Recommendation | Wall |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Special Feature | Brake |
| Included Components | Vertical Vise (122854-6), Hex Wrench 6 (781044-6), Triangular Rule (762001-3), Dust Bag (122852-0), 10" x 5/8" 60T Micro-Polished Miter Saw Blade |
| Product Dimensions | 32.68"L x 22.05"W x 21.65"H |
| Voltage | 120 Volts |
| Item Weight | 72.77 Pounds |
| Speed | 3200 RPM |
| Blade Length | 10 Inches |
| Number of Teeth | 60 |
| Number of Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Cutting Angle | 90 Degrees |
| Wattage | 1800 watts |
| Manufacturer | Makita |
| Part Number | LS1019L |
| Item Weight | 72.8 pounds |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | LS1019L |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 10" |
| Style | Miter Saw |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Measurement System | Metric |
| Special Features | Brake |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | 1 Year Limited Warranty |
