Customer Reviews

Makita 2705X1 10-Inch Contractor Table Saw with Stand

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This saw has plenty of power (over a 1,000 rpm higher than dewalt or bosch) and is the only job site saw that has the cutting capacity and power to cut 4x material in one pass. Table is nice size and extends easily when needing to cut wide material. The fence is good but not great as others have noted. The fence has several adjustments to square to the blade and increase clamping power. When ripping sheet goods or long 2x material it doesn't take much to bump out of alignment(but have experienced this with dewalt and bosch fences), but for cutting normal material it works great. I fixed the problem of cutting large material with a set of irwin quick-grip clamps that stay with the saw, that gives me the staying power for the fence when I need to cut large material. Almost everything on this saw is adjustable to true it besides lateral blade adjustment like on reviewer stated, but do any job site table saws have this feature? The riving knife is one of the best features of this saw and can be adjusted easily and to me a must have (no more lumber pinching and binding the blade). The blade guard with anti-kickback paws is nice but the riving knife and being very alert is enough for me. The materials and build quality are great and this saw feels solid compared to Dewalts which feels flimsy in comparison, but that's why Dewalt's saw is much lighter. I do say the Dewalt's fence is a better design but their isn't perfect either. This saw is hefty with the stand, but I can easily lift it into my truck though I am not a small guy. I chose this saw over others for several reasons; power, cutting capacity, nice table size, and easily adjustable riving knife. As for the no available zero clearance throat plate that one reviewer complained about try rockler woodworking make your own kit (works great). Con's are heavier than other models, fence design could be better, and better selection and availability of accessories from Makita. The stand is good, but Dewalt's stand is the best out of any in my opinion.

The 2705 saw is essentially the same saw as the 2704, except with a supposedly better blade guard. I won't comment on the blade guard at this time as I think they are almost as dangerous as they are safe. For someone who will be using the saw for straight cabinetwork, keep looking. For the contractor who needs a saw with plenty of power, and a variety of tasks on various jobsites, it definately worth considering.


Pros. Legendary Makita Power. The saw will actually rip a 4x4 in half in one pass, and not just
with a new blade.

Improved Rip Fence. Users of Makitas older table saws (2701,2702,2703) will definately
see some improvement here as the earlier saws rip fences must have been an afterthought

Stand is nice with the adjustable height. Could have used larger wheels though

Cons. Rip fence. While improved its still a long way from Dewalts. This was one of my biggest hangups with buying this saw. THe dewalt has a much better rock solid fence. If only they had the makita power, Id be writing a Dewalt review.

We bought this saw when it first came out back around 2006. We use it almost every day in our production trim business. In a typical week we will rip down thousands of feet of window, pocket door, caseing, bifold jamb, cabinet fillers, particle board stair treads and mdf sheets. Year after year. Last year we trimmed out over 120 homes with this saw with up to 5 carpenters at a time. In our line of work we know of crews that trim less houses and burn up more saws. The motor in this saw should outlast anything else out there. The MDF dust we have to deal with these days does not phase this saw. That is the good. Here is the bad. This is not a cabinet saw. If you are doing paint grade production work and a lot of it this is the saw for you. The fence can be aggravating until you figure out how to adjust it. And then it can still be a pain. Our saw came with grease all over the rails. Would not lock securely enough until we cleaned it up with brake cleaner. Also the plastic base has broken. I have had to get creative and screw it back together. (Probably from getting slammed into trailer hundreds of times) This saw is ugly and beat up now but we will keep running it as long as we can. We keep talking about getting the Dewalt because of the nice fence but this one will not die.

This saw has done every thing I have asked it to do.
The gear adjustment for the blade angle is what sold me on this saw.
My carpenter is using it, he left his Bosch at home.
Yes the fence is not the greatest.

Have been using this saw for over a year for various projects. It's a good saw, but far from perfect. Get to know its limitations and you get good results. Referring to what most people think or say, the blade can be adjusted so it's parallel to the t-slots. It took me 5 minutes to figure out how. The motor is mounted to the table with 4 bolts. The holes are actually visible from the top of the table. Two in front and two behind the throat plate. Loosen the two bolts closest to you when you stand in front of the saw during normal operation. I tilted my saw up so it was standing vertically with the dust duct facing downward. You can safely remove the two bolt and observe that the holes in the bracket are actually oval allowing for some adjustment.

I like almost everything about this saw. There is one troublesome exception: Use with a dado. The saw will only accept a 6-inch diameter set and must be used with the separately purchased Makita 192593-8 Flange Set. The 8-inch data sets will not fit due to a protuberance on the motor housing. Adjustable dados are not recommended, although I'm hard put to understand why you would want one. :-D

Pros: Very powerful saw for its size that can handle any hardwoods you throw at it. Can Cut 4x4's in one pass

Cons: Fence, not as nice as competitors

Overall still the best portable table saw out there! Beats Dewalt, Bosch and others!

SHIPPING WAS RIGHT ON TIME. ASSEMBLY WAS EASY, IT TOOK ABOUT 25 MINUTES START TO FINISH.
ALL OPERATIONS ARE SMOOTH AND PERCISE. I AGREE WITH OTHER REPORTS THAT THE KICKBACK JIG AND BLADE SHIELD ARE NOT USER FRIENDLY.
OVERALL THIS IS A GREAT TOOL FOR ANYONE TO USE.

Basic saw. Cuts well, few features. Roars to life, no soft start.Left hand switch (still strange to me! ). Who cares about the guard? Stand is bigger than the saw, and heavier. 3" range of adjustment on the stand,32"-35", I believe. I've got it on a regular fixed base, but maybe I'll use the wheelie someday.
I've got a 25 yr. old 2708 which is a model of reliability (and portability!).

I have a makita 2704 table saw, its a good saw, but it has two design flaws, theirs no lateral ajustment for the blade, and the throat plate sucks, and you cant buy zero clearance throat plates, and the 2705 is the same.