Makita Table Saw Reviews: An Example of Quality Workmanship

Table saws are great for cutting large pieces of wood. They come with features such as extensions which enable you to place wide sheets of plywood for easy cutting. The saws come in several categories depending on size and portability.

In this Makita Table Saw Review you will learn more about the uses and features of this particular brand.

What to consider before buying table saws

Whether you are a carpenter, hobbyist or professional contractor, you need a table saw that suits your needs. You will need to consider some factors when you are looking at buying one, and here they are

  • Power the power rating of the table saw should be commensurate with the work that you want it to do. Buying a low power saw for heavy-duty work will just not do
  • Type of table saw – you need to know whether you want a portable, cabinet or contractor table saw. Each has its own uses and you should think of this first
  • Safety features – when working with power tools, safety is always an important consideration. Look at the safety features included to ensure that you do not get injuries. Accessories like the flesh sensor will cost you more
  • Dust collection – this is an important feature for the sake of your health. If you work in an environment with a lot of sawdust, your health may be affected.

Presenting Makita Table Saws

Makita is a manufacturer known for making excellent power tools and their table saws are not an exception. The quality of workmanship that these tables afford woodworkers is unrivalled. They are easy to use, and the portable ones are great for jobs that need you to move around. Here we look at what makes these saws so popular.

Things We Liked

  • These are saws with a deep cutting depth allowing woodworkers to work with thick wood
  • They are powerful and can handle the toughest hard woods
  • They come with advanced safety features such as a flesh sensor, riving knife and spreader.
  • They have a good dust collection system

Things We Didn't Like

  • The miter gauge can be a bit sloppy and loose
  • The construction is heavy and needs a lot of manpower to move
  • They have a rip fence that does not move easily and this affects the speed at which you can make corrections leading to wastage

Key Features of Makita table saws

Here are some of the key features associated with Makita table saws:

Simple assembly

One feature that makes these saws popular is the fact that they are easily assembled, and can be done right out of the box. All you need to do is attach the saw to the stand, place the tilt wheel, rip fence and height adjustment wheel. This is a process that can be done in 30 minutes or less; another hour will be needed to check he alignment and accuracy of the saw. If you have a table saw alignment tool this process will be much faster.

Extension tables

The extension tables that come with these saws allows even the portable ones to be used to cut wood of wide dimensions. The extension table is sturdy and there will be no play or wobble when you place heavy woods on it. When you do not have people to help you in holding wide plywood pieces, you can always rely on this extension.

Great blade size

The depth of the blade is another important feature of these saws. You can easily place 4 sheets of plywood on the saw and cut them at the same time. The blade will cut up to 3-1/16 inches, while most others cut to 3-1/8 inches.

Powerful

In order to get great depth of cutting, you need power; these saws have a 15-amp motor which provides all the cutting power that you can need. There is no wood material that these saws cannot handle, whether lumber, plywood or MDF. The spreader and riving knife ensure that there is no binding between blade and wood.

Durability

The Makita comes with a plastic housing over it, and this can be a drawback. Although the motor and tables are made of metal, the plastic cover is bound to crack with time, and this means repairing it or having it replaced. You may see some rapid deterioration of the housing as opposed to the other table saws in the industry. The saw is strong and very easy to operate and you can expect the blade to last a long time.

Ease of use

Makita table saws are very easy to operate; the stop and start button are easily accessed, but they are not in the way in a manner that will increase accidental starting and stopping of the blade. Thanks to the powerful motor, you will be able to cut through the wood with ease. They come with a telescopic extension that enables you to quickly cut through large pieces of wood, without the assistance of another person.

One of the downsides of this blade is the fact that it has a rigid rip fence; one cannot bump it put of the way quickly, and any skewed cuts cannot be stopped in time; this leads to a lot of wastage of materials.

Due to this, the Makita will be praised for power, but many people will feel that it is not an accurate table saw.

Another downside is the fact that they cannot be folded, and they are bulky. If you want to move these saws through a standard door frame, you will find it very tricky. Woodworkers feel that the company was thinking too much about increasing the size of wood that the saws can cut, and not about their maneuverability from one job site to another.

Makita table saws are said to be very heavy, and this is perhaps the reason for the plastic housing; they would be excessively heavy were they to have steel or cast iron housings. You should always make sure that there is someone available to help you move the saw, so your avoid injuring your back. The assistant will help you load and unload it, and also move it to the new jobsite and set it up.

30 day warranty

Makita offers a 30 day warranty on their table saws; this is great for someone who may feel that they do not like the plastic housing and opts for a model made of steel or cast iron. The saws also come with a one year limited warranty, which is not competitive when compared to the warranties offered by other manufactures. The customer service departed is excellent and you will have your questions answered quickly and precisely.

What other users say about Makita table saws

After browsing the Internet we found certain customer reviews that shed some light on certain aspects of Makita table saws. Here is a sampling of their comments:

A customer says that he is impressed with the power and cutting depth on Makita table saws. The fact that they come with extension tables is great since he can work alone in his workshop. He says that the feeble miter gauge should be replaced and a better one installed.

Alternatives to Makita table saws

Jet JBTS-10MJS

For people who move around from one jobsite to another, it is best that you have portable table saws that you can easily move around. There are times when quality is compromised for the sake of portability, but this is not so, when you think about the Jet JBTS-10MJS. This is a saw that has the high power and accuracy of a cabinet table saw, but it is easy to move around from one place to another. This helps you take on more jobs than you would with the stationary heavy models. Having portability and quality balanced is a strong feature for this table saw.

Grizzly G0715P

This is a hybrid table saw, and comes with a 10 inch blade, that makes it live up to its name. The rugged construction out of cast iron, just gives the impression of a monster that will do any woodwork that is thrown at it. It has a 2 HP motor which gives it the power to cut through all types of wood. It comes with an advanced dust control system, and the price is very affordable. It can run on both 100 and 220 volts, making it suitable for all sorts of workshops, as well as homes.

Dewalt DW744XRS

This is a table saw that is suited for different environments. When you are on a job, you need a table say that will easily cut through wood and also maintain accuracy. If you are working in your garage, you still need the same qualities. This is why the Dewalt DW744XRS is considered to be very versatile. The compact size, quality and accuracy are difficult to balance, but this manufacturer managed to do so. The table saw is portable and can easily be moved from one site to another. The table saw is remarkable durable too.

In conclusion

Table saws are ideal tools for machining wood, especially flat sheets of wood for purposes of creating furniture, building assets and a lot more. They come in various capacities and you need to know what your needs are before you buy any.

You should consider the Makita table saws, which are of high quality, despite a few downsides. If you want a different table saw, then there are other options you can explore as shown above.