Customer Reviews

Factory-Reconditioned Makita RLS1013 10" Slide Dual Compound Miter Saw

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nothing less than what you'd expect in quality and performance in a Makita product. Well made and easy to use. The one design flaw is in the short fence which makes it difficult to cut large or tall molding. Reconditioned tools from Makita are a bargain, coming with a factory warranty - hard to loose.

I bought this saw a year ago and have been 99.9% satisfied. I recently built a 3000 sq./ft house and bought the saw for trimming out. My builder uses a Dewalt 12" double bevel and the reason he went with 12", is to cut 4x4's in one pass. I on the other hand am not building decks yearly as he does. I used his saw for a few cuts and noticed blade wobble with the standard 12" blade that came with it. I didn't need to pay extra to cut a 4x4 depth, but I think it's worth paying extra for a slide saw to cut a wider board. I'll cut a wider board more often than a deeper board.

I have used the Makita LS1013 for standard size crown (3-1/2") and 5-1/4" base. I've also trimmed two staircases (newel post, balusters, handrail, and wainscot). For a "Jack of all trades", master of one (electrician), who does not handle a saw daily, this saw is very precise. It can shave a mm, or any other "frog's hair" measurement consistently. The double bevel keeps you from having to flip your work all the time when cutting miters. The crown stops are convenient and the table will miter up to 47 deg. The motor connected to the blade, with no belt, makes for a smooth - low vibration power transfer and the saw head is not bulky and easy to push down.

The only "con" I have is that the degree scale for the bevel is a bit small in diameter. I noticed the Dewalt 12" had a larger diameter scale making it easier/quicker to place the pointer. The Makita scale marks are so close together, it takes more patience to get it right.

I use this saw in a stationary shop environment.After a few months of light use, the saw becomes undependable. The 90 degree square fence has to be checked and adjusted constantly. Very frustrating! Perhaps this is why the saw was "reconditioned?" Other than the lack of cutting a square edge, the saw works perfectly. The saw is too nice (and expensive) to throw away but can only be used for rough cuts. I will not buy another one of these.

The saw arrived with a lot of dust, sticky sliding mechanism and a miter indicator that was way off. It looked like it had been screwed down to a workbench and used there for about a month. The blade was all gummy.

Usually when you buy a reconditioned tool they will thoroughly clean it and maybe give you a new but lesser quality blade. This saw could only be described as "used" and could have been bought for less on ebay. I had to return it. I am sorry for the next person who gets stuck with this not reconditioned saw.

This is not a comment about the saw. I did not use it, but about it's condition on arrival.

UPDATE: Amazon was quite understanding about the condition and I am satisfied with their help. I have gone on to use a Makita 10" sliding compound miter saw and it is very nice, very smooth, very accurate. Also, it can cut 3 1/2" by 9 1/4" LVLs in one pass, maybe even 11 7/8" LVLs. My only quibble is that it is kind of awkward to move around. I only bring it to a site if I know I am going to use it a lot.

I love this thing. I use it a lot. It is a bit heavy to move around, but it is solidly built and as accurate as I could want a compound miter saw to be. The slider moves smoothly without any grabbing so that cuts are even and smooth. There is no laser guide on this unit, but I haven't found myself crying over its absence. It comes with enough attachments to do most jobs a miter saw would do.

I bought this unit as a replacement for my old hand saw miter box. It required very little adjustment as received "out of box". Have been very happy with this purchase. It is soo much easier than the hand saw box, and the accuracy is fantastic!

I have Owned My saw for over 10 Years & being a carpenter by trade it has done a terrific job & still is going strong