Customer Reviews

Makita LS0714 Quad 10 Amp 7-1/2-Inch Sliding Compound Miter Saw

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This saw gives you cuts as smooth as glass in oak, pine and hard maple with almost no tearout on the bottom side. Since it has only 2" of vertical capacity I believe that its primary usage is in cabinet making. At least that is how I am using it. Its sliding mechanism is extremely smooth with no play. It gives you cuts up to 12" wide which are perfectly straight with no 'climbing' effect. Out of the box the blade was square to the table and the fence. I think that a table could have been a bit larger but my saw is mounted on a stand so it is a non-issue for me. Another possible detraction is that nobody(?) but Makita makes blades in 7-1/2" size but thus far the supplied blade proved (about 25 bucks if purchased separately) to be very good. Makita also could have provided two clamps for each side of the blade instead of just one. But I have yet to find a perfect tool...

This has become a very big part of my work, I have the Makita 12" compound but found that this is great for doing misc pick up work or smaller jobs when taking out the big dog is too much. It's really nice when you need to move alot from room to room as well as up and down stairs.
Cutting smaller trim on it is alot more comfortable as well compared to the 12". This saw has plenty of power, nice brake system and is actually nice to have side by side on the job with the other saws so you don't need to keep changing one saws angle all the time. It's just plain convenient to own!

The people who are saying "blades are hard to find" probably don't realize that the depth of cut can be adjusted very easily by a little screw above the blade guard. This means you can use 7 1/4 blades, which as we all know are readily available due to their use in circular saws and worm drives. You can get 40t and even 60t 7 1/4 blades which produce a very fine cut, similar to an 80t 10" blade or 100t 12" blade.

Small, light, incredibly clean cuts. I had to adjust my bevel stops out of the box, but the small blade and a 6" engineer's square made it a snap. Smooth action and portable size have made it essential, my 10" sits at home while this one travels job to job. As a finish guy I rarely need to cut anything over 2" thick, I cut mouldings on the flat. This saw is perfect, you're crazy to consider anything else. Do yourself a favor if you buy this, build a small table with stock supports around 8" deep, the small supports on the saw allow wide material to roll off post cut.

Some of you may have read my scathing review about the similarly sized, Hitachi compound sliding saw. This was the bench mark that all miter saws tried to imitate so I was sorely disappointed when I bought it and it turned out to be their 25th. Anniversary Edition but made in China. Hitachi replaced the saw after several attempts to repair it's poor blade brake but the replacement did the same thing and continued to do so even after it was repaired! Also, every time I ran it the motor smelled like it was burning. Since using it was a constant irritation I practically gave it away at a garage sale and bought this Makita. It has a smaller footprint but yet features a larger work surface. The four tubes supporting the saw move freely without any sloppiness and even with the stock blade, the cuts are great. I build furniture and will use this saw not only for rough cutting materials but also for the smaller moldings, coves, and crowns. The overall feel and sound of this saw is that of a quality built piece. I'm pretty sure that this will be the last saw I'll ever need and recommend it highly.

Like some of you, I struggled about which miter saw to by for some time. On one hand, a simple non-sliding saw with a 10" or 12" inch blade seems to be alright, and the pricing is reasonable. On the other hand, what if I need to make wider cuts? Is the higher cost of a decent sliding miter saw worth it? In this case, damn straight. This "little" gem is exactly what this 1st time home owner / avid do-it-yourself-er remodel-er needed. For 99% of what I need to do - decking, raised garden beds, shelving, coping, trim, etc. this little power house is perfect. Just, my opinion by the way :)

(using wife's profile)

Pro trim carpenter. Used to carry 10" Mak slider (also a great tool), but haven't put that back in my truck since I bought this little guy 1 1/2 years ago. SOO portable. Need to compliment it however with a standard 10" miter saw because you can't cut 2 3/4" base molding on edge at cetain angles. Wonderful for flat stock cutting though. Blades spins so fast it's like a hot knife through butter. I have 2 complaints. One is that I wish it could bevel left AND right like its big brothers, but I see why it can't and can adjust my cutting accordingly. And second that I wasted an entire year thinking about whether or not to buy. Would purchase again in a heartbeat! Stock blade cuts very nicely, also lasted quite long in my opinion before I had to send to the sharpener. Mak also makes negative rake blade for clean top and bottom cuts.

This saw is not for everyone due to the small blade size but I have no need for a 10" or 12" mitre saw. The saw is completely assembled and out of the box everything is dead on you only need to adjust the cutting depth. The fit and finish are exceptional. The most surprising feature is the dust collection, it works. I hooked it up to my shop vac and did a bunch of test cuts and only a trace of dust ended up on my bench. The factory supplied blade is excellent, the best I have ever had come with a power tool.

This saw has Displaced my 12" DW 718. WHY?
28 Lbs
28 Lbs
28 Lbs

that is the magic #
along with 2 x 12 cap
1/2 the dust created 1/16 dia blade only makes 1/2 the dust to begin with and almost complete collection when hooked to a vac.
The smoothest miter angle table of any saw EVER.
super easy to carry one handed,
Dead on accurate (the smaller the blade the less deflection).

The only concerns was it does not come with lock notch for the travel position, I speculate that this is so you don't lock it at 59 rather than 45

Also you must cut larger base and crown on the flat, for base this is almost easier once you use it a time or 2. the instructions come with a chart for setting crown on the flat for all angle 0-180.

As a professional remodeler who doesn't cut crown often this is the best take along saw you can buy, and it will be the only saw you use 97% of the time. so buy it and barrow your buddies behemoth on the rare occasion you need a bigger blade.
Craig

This is a great saw. It was accurately set up out of the box. I use if for finish work and have found it to give the smoothest cuts of any saw i have ever owned. Even the stock blade that it came with was very smooth, I am currently using the makita 72 tooth blade and the cuts are glass smooth. The dust collection is also about the best of any miter saw I have experienced. The saw is also only 28 pounds which is great for moving around a jobsite. The only downfall of this saw is its limited ability to cut thick stock i believe 2" is the max that it can cut. this is not an issue for me as i do finish work. Also crown molding must be cut on the flat but that is not a problem if you know what you are doing. I would highly recommend this saw to anybody needing a accurate saw for finish work.