Makita Miter Saw A Well Designed Line Of Miter Saws
Why a Makita Miter Saw?
 Well...for starters they have several different and varying Makita miter saw models to choose from. How many you ask? Looking at the official Makita power tool website you can count a total of eleven current miter saws. And what is the difference between all those models? Lets start with the varying blade sizes on Makita miter saws, you have: Then you have the different cutting variations: - The basic miter saw gives you the ability to make only a miter (angle) cut.
- Next you have the compound miter saw that adds the versatility of a bevel cut and an angle cut at the same time
- Finally you have the sliding compound miter saw which has a motor and blade assembly that slides on rails or arms so you can accommodate longer or wider work pieces.
All three have their place in a workshop based on the type of cuts that you require...and of course the amount of money you want to spend. Now Makita adds several other features to their miter saws as well. Some are standard and some are additional features to their other models. Some of these are: - Electric brake: This reverses the flow of electricity when the saw's trigger is released and assists in slowing the blade faster
- Blade guard: This is a standard safety feature on most miter saws
- Laser guide: Projects a visual line where your cut will occur on your workpiece.
- A built-in high output fluorescent light: Illuminates the work area...nice feature...but not on all models
- Dust bag: Helps collect sawdust to keep the work area cleaner
- Shaft lock: Usually it's some type of push button that locks the shaft and blade for quicker, easier blade changes...standard on all Makita brand miter saws
- Table extensions: Mounted on both sides of the saws table to help in cutting longer workpieces
- Ergonomic rubberized horizontal D-handle design: For better fit and added comfort...again this feature isn't standard on all Makita models
LS1214FL Makita Miter Saw Here is where the rubber meets the road. We have selected one the newest and top of the line Makita miter saws and organized all the information into a quick rating/review for your reference. you will see the saws specifications, features, included accessories and a price broken down by vendor/retailer. Prices are as current as possible and change often as you well know. So do your comparison shopping. Specifications - 12 inch blade diameter
- 1 inch arbor size
- 3,200 no load RPM
- 15 amp
- 52lbs net weight
Included Accessories - 12"x70 tooth carbide-tipped blade
- Vertical vise for holding material
- Dust bag
- 2 table extension wings
- Triangular rule
- Socket Wrench #13
- Right side sub-fence
Some Great Features - Laser line-of-cut indicator with on/off switch and micro-adjustments
- Built-in high output fluorescent light
- Electronic speed control to maintain constant speed under load
- Powerful 15 amp direct drive motor
- Dual steel rail sliding system for rigidity and very precise cuts
- 9 positive stops at 15°, 22.5°, 31.6°, 45° left or right and at 0° for most common miter cuts
- Bevel positive stops at 33.9° and 45° left with 45° right
Price Ranges - Amazon.com - $602.25
- NorthernTool.com - $699.99
- CPOMakita.com - $689.99
- TylerTool.com - $619.95
- Drillspot.com - $594.00
Makita Miter Saw Model LS1214FL Review  |  |  | - plenty of power
- Lots of great features
- Very smooth angle adjustment
- Dual function adjustment knob (locks unit on rails and locks angle adjustment)
- Strong and wide table extensions
- Left side fence conveniently flips out of the way
| - Right side fence has to be unscrewed and removed instead of sliding out of the way
- Table extensions are fixed and don't slide in and out
| What's Our Conclusion? It can be difficult to shop for a miter saw these days. With so many different choices and features involved it's tough to compare apples to apples. What I've found when selecting any tool is to evaluate what features and accessories each one has that fit YOUR particular needs and go from there. Can you give up this feature to have the other, or are you a have it all or nothing kind of power tool owner. Then it sometimes just becomes a price war. As a whole this miter saw, as well as all the models that Makita makes, seem to be very well built, long lasting and functional. I don't think you can go wrong here. Their prices are competitive with other brands such as Dewalt, Bosch, and Ridgid and they seem to incorporate the same set of features and accessories as the competitors do.
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