Customer Reviews

Makita 2703X1 15 Amp 10-Inch Benchtop Table Saw with Fixed Stand

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

 

 

The Makita portable table saw in one form or another, has been around for about twenty years, and will no doubt continue to be around for quite a few more. It was being thrown into the open bed of a pickup truck on a rainy overcast day long before either DeWalt or Bosch were ever a jobsite presence. It is probably one the most popular but mishandled, abused and poorly maintained tools on any given jobsite. The design has improved and changed over the years on it's way to becoming the 10-inch 2703 but has always been very solid and capable, unlike many of the people I've seen attempting to operate it with satisfactory results. This saw was designed to be a rugged heavy-duty general-purpose portable jobsite table saw for use with or without table legs and as such, excels in this area. I'm not sure a professional woodworker would want to attempt to build their heirloom quality furniture or custom cabinetry with any portable table saw, but I do know that with the proper setup it can been done successfully with this saw.
I have always kept the fence properly adjusted and have it faced with 1 X common stock on both sides, so I haven't experienced the problems with alignment and slippage that some other owners have reported in their reviews.
Although I don't believe it was specifically designed for exacting shop use, precise square hairline "shop saw" accuracy is surprisingly attainable with the 2703X1 but, this is not an "out of the box" saw for precision shop woodworking and you will need to take the extra time and steps to set it up properly for precise results. And of course, as with any table saw, results always depend greatly on user skill combined with patience and common practices such as, using a clean high quality blade matched to the material being cut, precisely set and maintained initial blade square and bevel adjustments, wood facing of the miter gauge for stability during cuts (especially important because of the shallow miter gauge slots in the 2703's table), double sided wood facing of the fence to add stability and maintain a smooth parallel path to the blade (especially because of the short length and hollow tubular construction of the fence), always measuring accurately and using a square to set the fence, (for my own personal preference, this requires the not recommended practice of permanently removing of the blade guard), using a protractor or angle gauge to set the miter gauge or blade bevel position, clean waxed table surfaces, solid mounting of the saw base to the table legs, proper support of the work piece and very slow, controlled stock feed rate. Also because of the lightweight construction of the saw, weighting of the table legs with cement blocks or sand bags on a level concrete floor is beneficial to stability and accuracy.
A 6-inch dado is the only size recommended by Makita for use with the 2703 and as such is the only size I have ever used with it. The table insert for the dado costs about twenty dollars.
As for durability, I believe if you ask anyone who owns and routinely uses one if they have had any real problems with it over the years (except for those caused directly by abuse), the response of the majority of owners would most likely be... No.
Overall, I personally feel that with the combination of price, durability and capability the 2703X1 is easily the best portable table saw value on the market today.

I am a contractor and own 2 of these saws. I have had 2 replaced in the last year because of broken blade bevel mechanisms. The reason is that the gears are plastic and packed with grease that subsequently fill with sawdust and jamb when you try to bevel the blade to 45 deg. I still own the old reliable Makita 8 1/4" # 2708, never a problem, except the cord getting a little old and frayed. Makita should have stuck with the tried and true design on the bevel and changed only the blade raising handle to a crank (as in the 2703). It's still a good saw, especially when you drop it in a Rousseau stand, I just wish Makita would get rid of the plastic gears.

I bought this saw based on my expierience with Makita tools in general and was not disappointed. It's not a "shop saw'" for doing precision work but as a job saw, for common rips and quick cuts on the jobsite, you can't beat it. Every time I turn it off I say, "I just love this saw". The quick acting electric brake is a boon when you have to make a quick fence change. The light weight is a plus if you have to move it around to access different job areas. There's even a hole in the table to let you see the power switch without having to squat down or step back from the saw. And while were on the subject of the table, it's heavy cast aluminium. A feature not always avalable in a saw in this price range. There's a nice blade well with a vacuum system fitting on the back for dust free opperation. I cut a hole in a wet vac box and bunjied it to the back of the stand, and the sawdust just shoots right in.
This saw is a good value. Just like all my Makita tools, there's enough power to do the job, with a minimum of noise and vibration.

I have this saw. I mainly bought it because of it's rip capicity, and it does a great job ripping slices off a 4X4 post. The only problem is the fence. The fence ... Every time I move the saw I have to set the fence up again. If I make it tight enough so that the back holds it will not align properly. If it loose enough to align properly the back is not locked down. If Makita would put a better fence on it you couldn't beat it.

I love the saw and would give it a 4 star rating. Light and accurate.
The stand however is a rip off. It isn't any different than the $20 Black & Decker version you can readily buy. It is clunky, the rubber feet fall off immediately and it doesn't even come with the hardware to mount the saw on the stand.

I bought this saw about two years ago and have been pleased with its performance for the most part. Light weight and well built, the Makita performs most cutting jobs with ease. It does have two very frustrating negatives about it, though.

By far the biggest fault with the saw is the rip fence. It is never accurate when it is tightened down on the table. As the locking mechanism grabs the front of the table, the opposite end of the fence loosens and strays from square. I have to use a long Try square to align the fence at the rear of the table while very carefully tightening the lock to the front. More often than not, the mechanism pulls the front of the fence away from the Try square and I'm back to where I started.

The other problem with this saw is Makita's use of a non standard size miter gauge slot. This makes it so one can not use any of the really wonderful attachments available to the woodworker.

If I could do it over, I'd spend the extra money on a DeWalt.

I recently purchased the makita table saw. I think they could of made a better fence, the fence does not lock tight. the hook on the end does not clamp tightly at all and a steel pin that holds the fence locking handle comes loose and falls out. I adusted the fence several times and still never works right. I went to a makita factory service shop and showed them this problem hopeing makita might have a fix, no such luck. I like the saw just wish they did a better job on the fence. I think if I new about this fence problem I would of spend the extra cash and bought the DeWalt it has a nice fence and the folding legs are great, my buddy has one and what a difference.

p.s. I had to Mickey Mouse the fence to make it functional!! (duct tape) I gave it 3 stars because there is only 2 other portable saws above it Bosch + Dewalt

I used this saw in the past for jobsite work. It worked well. I have had no problems with it. The fence is definetly lacking for precise work, however for any rough work it works well. The included stand is fine for workshop use but otherwise would be a major pain to move around and is heavy. If you want to buy a saw for fine woodworking, I highly recommend you purchase a more expensive saw. For a portable, I would buy the dewalt model over this one. The major reason being the fence. My rating is for a portable saw for rougher work.

A great saw, especially at the sale price. Makita always has produced durable tools and this is will be no exception. Little vibration with good depth for thicker stock. Hard to beat for a small portable unit. Buy the "table" to add ease in use.

The first thing to mention about this saw/stand combination is that both are of exceptional quality. Not only is this saw a breeze to carry down a flight of steps, but it's easy to transport. You may think that this is not a "real man's" tablesaw because of it's light-weight plastic base, but that's only the one of it's greatest features. I have always purchased Makita products because they make a great product and because they pay attention to details. This saw is another outstanding example of both. It's a small saw that's great for a home shop and it's rugged enough to withstand a contractor's abuse.