Makita LS1212 12-Inch Dual Rail Slide Compound Miter Saw with Carbide-Tipped Blade

by Makita

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Riding on a horizontal double-rail system, Makita's 12-inch dual sliding compound miter saw delivers all the cutting capacity a miter saw can give. The saw crosscuts up to 12-1/4 inches, handling two-by-twelves with ease. With a 3-7/8-inch maximum depth miter cut, the saw also cuts four-by-four material in one pass--a feature deck builders, in particular, will appreciate. Both rails are self-cleaning and ride on linear ball bearings. The horizontal rail design also seems to give this saw some extra stability, a feature that's particularly important in a 12-inch saw that bevels to 45 degrees both ways. Makita's saw has a vertical grip design with a thumb-activated safety switch and a paddle trigger, and while the vertical design might be slightly less ergonomic than the horizontal D-handle, it does allow you to use the saw comfortably with either hand. Plus, the paddle grip makes squeezing the trigger easy no matter how you're holding the handle.

The saw's nine positive stops make it easy to lock in common miters, too, and they're deep-cast into the body of the saw, so it's hard to imagine they'd ever develop slop. The miter lock on this saw has an older screw-handle design, which is a little more time-consuming than a new (more expensive) cam-lock design. We really like the electric brake, though, a user-friendly feature that makes a big difference, especially when a job requires a lot of constant, repetitive cuts. The pivot fence adjusts for supporting large stock and flips back for bevel cuts. The saw also comes with a well-designed work clamp that lets you make precision cuts on small pieces without having to get your fingers too close to the blade. Like most sliders, this saw features a depth-stop mechanism in case you have to make a few quick dado cuts on a job site. And, for home shop users, this saw has the added option of a release safety button that pulls out and locks the saw off. --Jon Groebner

Product Description

15 Amp motor, Precision bevel cutting up to 45 degrees both left and right, Miters up to 60 degrees right with positive stops at 15 degrees, 22.5 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees left and right and 0 degree (90 degrees cuts), Includes carbide tipped blade, vertical vise, socket wrench #13, dust bag and triangular rule, Weighs 48.5 lbs.

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Product Details

Product Manual [2.08mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 53.2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00004R9M0
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: LS1212
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #271,678 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

105 of 106 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My two cents worth., November 3, 2000

By 

Rich Guardia (Tallahassee, Fl) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Makita LS1212 12-Inch Dual Rail Slide Compound Miter Saw with Carbide-Tipped Blade (Tools & Home Improvement)

I've owned both the Makita Ls 1212 & the Hitachi C10fs. I will give you my two cents worth about how they compare with each other. The postive features about the Makita: cuts very accurately on both bevel & simple miters, the rail & carriage system is really beefy & it glides very smoothly, it comes with a 96 tooth blade that cuts very good, the fence & hold down clamp are really good, it doesn't send scrap pieces through the air, it pushes them aside. The negative things: It doesn't have positive stops @ 31.6 or 35.3! For a saw in this price range I think that's crazy. The motor is pretty quiet, but the brake makes a loud screeching sound that can get annoying. And the price is to high. I don't think this saw should cost ... The positive things about the Hitachi: It has positive stops @ 31.6 & 35.3 for crown molding. It also has positive stops @ 30 & 33.9 on the bevel scale. The motor seems to have more power & runs quieter. I like the soft dentents on the Hitachi when trying to make small adjustments. It has a smooth sliding action, it's $165.00 less than the Makita. The negative things: It doesn't cut as accurately as the Makita on bevel cuts, the fence is to short & cutting small pieces is hard, it has a bad habit of throwing small pieces of wood @ 100 miles per hour, Hitachi customer service isn't very good. To sum it up I don't think there is a "perfect" miter saw. They all have their good & bad points. Aside from not having enough stops, the Makita in my IMO is the better of the two saws. I gave it four stars because it's price is to high & it needs those two extra stops. Just my two cents worth. [e-mail]

81 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars State of the Art, June 14, 2000

By 

Toolpig "toolpig" (Troy , KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Makita LS1212 12-Inch Dual Rail Slide Compound Miter Saw with Carbide-Tipped Blade (Tools & Home Improvement)

I love the competition between power tool companies ! We all benefit when they try to out do each other.For years Dewalt has had THE top miter saw. NO MORE ! With the LS1212 Makita has leapfrogged the whole industry. As other reviewers have said , This is one smooth operator. Everything about it says superior engineering. It just feels right in your hands. The slide (or should I say glide) action is so smooth , you would think every one else was using square bearings. The turn table is even smoother. Sometimes I have to change the angle just to feel how smooth it operates. The big surprize though was the motor. It's so so so quiet! 84 Db is what Makita claims. I have no reson to doubt it. It also has soft start with electronic speed control. It doesn't bog down in a large cut like my DeWalt. When you're done , the brake brings everything to a halt. Right out of the box it was dead on accurate. I checked it out with my Starret combination square. No adjustments necessary. Although it doesn't look hard to adjust after rough handling. I am getting less deflection with the slide mechanism than with my Dewalt. I don't know why, It's just stiffer. This saw comes with the same fence as the LS1013. The tall sub fence flips out of the way for bevel cutting or back for miter cuts. Makita also has a tall subfence available for the right side of the saw. part #192651-4. I think it should be included with the saw for the price we're paying. On the plus side , the blade is pretty good. The teeth are small so you won't get a whole lot of sharpenings out of it. But it cuts very smoothly , with no runout . It's made by Tenryu Which puts out some very nice blades. The dust bag is as good as it gets which is not very good. Although it is much better than the DeWalt which has the chute on the side rather than centered on the top of the blade cover. Hook it up to a shop vac for a much cleaner work site.The slide mechanism is self cleaning so I wouldn't worry about getting dust on the poles. The slide poles are completely concealed when the unit is secured for transport. I always wonder what might hit the unprotected poles on my DeWalt so I usually try to cover them up. The Makita is MUCH easier to carry. It is more compact and the top handle is on the vertical axis so it's perfectly balanced. If you're like me and mount it on a stand it won't be an issue. I could go on and on but I should go to work instead. All in all I love this saw!

62 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't say enough about this saw, April 17, 2003

By 

Bob Feeser "MillCrafters.com" (Springfield, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Makita LS1212 12-Inch Dual Rail Slide Compound Miter Saw with Carbide-Tipped Blade (Tools & Home Improvement)

I know not all saws, are all things, to all people. Take weight for example. This saw weighs in at a hefty 48.5 pounds. It's brother the Makita 12" Miter saw, without the slide rail, is only 37.5 That extra 11 pounds adds up, if you are carrying it up and down stairs. But if the price tag and weight are not a concern, this is the most accurate saw on the market.
It made Workbench Magazines Editors Choice Award. Here is a quote from them: "Out of the Box Perfection. Makita's LS1212 proved to be the superior saw in this test on almost every count. It's compact, powerful, dead-on-accurate, comes equipped with an outstanding 96-tooth carbide-tipped blade, and still has a moderate price tag... this saw made perfect bevels, miters, and compound cuts using only the factory detents for setup."
I agree with the accuracy comments 100%. I was amazed when I took the Bosch Digital Protractor, (another highly recommended item) which measures in tenths of a degree, (equal to 3600 dots in a circle) and decided to check the saw for accuracy, just using the measuring marks. I purposely moved the pointer to touch the left side of the hairline showing 25 degrees. It measured 24.9. When I moved it the same way to the right, it measured 25.1. So the center hairline is accurate at exactly 25 degrees. Not even off by a tenth of a degree. Phew! (It is fully adjustable for future tweaking) No matter what you cut, a miter, a bevel, or a compound cut, this thing is DEAD ON ACCURATE. I have used lesser saws which are off by several degrees.
Think of the time this can save when cutting crown moldings. Consider getting the Bosch digital protractor. You set it to the spring angle, then use it to measure the corner angle of the wall, and it automatically calculates the Miter and Bevel angles to a tenth of a degree. Just lay your crown molding FLAT on the Makita LS 1212, dial in your miter and bevel settings, and cut perfect crowns. No more overcutting, and running up and down the ladder, to keep tweaking the cut in.
Their is criticism that this saw should come with detent-stops for the popular crown molding settings, like the Hitachi has. Since most walls are not a true 90 degrees, a default setting on crown moldings is all to frequently not accurate. Since the Makita makes adjusting so easy that it is almost fun, moving it to that perfect setting, is almost as easy as a detent. I guess you can tell I love this saw. No more cutting sample cuts ahead of time to set the saw. You just dial it in, and cut away. What a joy, and a time saver!
With the included, 96 tooth carbide blade, you will get quick, glass smooth cuts, without having to buy a blade upgrade.
The big factor is that this saw bevels both ways. Dual bevel settings avoid the problem of having to swing 12 foot moldings around to bevel the other end. (I recognize that their are other solutions to that problem.) Once your spoiled with a dual bevel saw, their is no going back.
Their is a rock solid feel in the Makita sliders. Dual slide rails, that are horizontal with the base, give it a wide footing. If you go into the local home center, and compare that system, to the other popular selling sliding saw, with vertical rails and blade, you will instantly realize the stability of the Makita is a lot better.
If your building furniture, custom cabinetry, and the like, this Makita saw gets my two thumbs up. If I was rough framing, I would be looking for a lighter workhorse, and keeping the Makita at home. It's got the power, the quietness, and most importantly the accuracy you want. The 12" blade gives you the greatest cutting depth when cutting at the most severe angles, and for the thickest stock.
If price is the major concern, it's smaller brother the 10" slider is a top choice. Even more frugal is the Bosch 10" slider. If you are looking to spend even less, look to the Makita 12" non sliding compound miter saw. It does not bevel both ways, but I found it to be the lightest saw on the market. It's my choice for the job site.
If accuracy is your game, then buy the LS1212, you won't find a better saw on the market.