Makita’s new LS1018 10″ sliding miter saw is said to deliver large cutting capacity (12″ at 90°) and high accuracy right out of the box, and is aimed at fine woodworkers, carpenters, and other professional users alike.
Weighing in at just 43.7 pounds, the new miter saw is easily carried to and from the jobsite with ease.
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What I find curious is the saw’s double handle design. The manuals that come with most miter saws tell you specifically not to carry the saws by their handles, but I cannot think of any other use for the top handle on this one. If that is a carrying handle, then Makita must have really beefed things up.
Update: Makita has confirmed that the top handle is for carrying the saw when in its locked position.
It is also interesting to see that Makita strayed from the common horizontal handle design most miter saw manufacturers go with. Instead, Makita engineers built the new LS1018 miter saw with a sort of pistol-grip vertical handle design.
Features and Specifications
- 10″ blade with 5/8″ arbor
- Linear ball bearing slides
- 12″ cutting capacity and 3-5/8″ depth at 90°
- 8-1/2″ cutting capacity and 1-1/4″ depth at 45°
- 13 amp motor with electric brake
- 4300 RPM no-load speed
- Direct-drive motor, meaning none of the hassles associated with belt wear as in belt-driven saws
- Weighs 43.7 pounds
- Bevel range of 0-45° left and right
- Miter range of 0-47° left, 0-60° right
The saw comes with a 40T carbide-tipped blade, hold-down clamp, dust bag, extension wings, required wrenches.
Price: $399
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First Thoughts
Makita is not a brand name I typically associate with miter saws. I also don’t typically associate them with fine woodworking tools either. Even so, their saw has an eye-catching geometry that makes it seem especially ergonomic and portable.
While larger saws, such as the excellent Dewalt DWS780, sometimes have added top-mounted carrying handles, many miter saws are meant to be carried from the sides. This is not always comfortable, which is why I find myself intrigued with what I think Makita did here.
With the vertical handle and trigger configuration, it almost looks like Makita’s first prototype for this saw was a circular saw mounted to an otherwise common-looking sliding miter saw base. You see it too, right?
If you’re in the market for a lightweight dual-bevel sliding miter saw and prefer a 10″ blade, this one might be worth a closer look.
Jon
I have the Makita LS1016 and it’s a great miter saw. I do like having two rails, it helps reduce the overall depth of the saw and comes in handy at times.
Dan
Makita have been making miter saws with this pistol grip style for years (but not the top handle bit) for the UK market and here the pistol style handle has been much more common than the horizontal style for most brands.
Clayton
I actually think the vertical handle on this is closer to Makita’s traditional miter saw designs other than the few that they had released over the last couple of years. If you look at their older models, many of them kind of look like a circular saw grafted to a miter base. Their LS1040 is one example: http://www.amazon.com/Makita-LS1040-10-Inch-Compound-Miter/dp/B0000223I4
I’m guessing this is in addition to their LS1016, and not a replacement? They seem to be different enough for varied needs. It’s definitely substantially lighter, but also has a slightly smaller cut depth. At $399 it’s also about $100 cheaper.
I love my LS1016, but this would certainly have made my decision harder if it had been on the market when I was looking last year.
Ryan
Not sure why you don’t associate Makita with mitre saws and fine woodworking. The LS1013 is a 10 year old saw and one of the best 10″ mitres ever made. Makita also makes a very good track saw to compete with festool.
Stuart
It’s mostly due to a lack of personal familiarity and lack of visibility in the woodworking forums I visit and magazines that I read.
Maybe it’s also because a lot of Makita’s core woodworking tools are older designs that predate my interest in woodworking. Hard to say.
Kimber Janney
I’m also surprised that you don’t associate Makita with fine woodworking and high quality miter saws.My first sliding “miter saw” was a mid 80’s Rockwell Sawbuck definitely more of a siding and framing saw. It was hard to coax a square trim cut out of that one.
In the mid 8o’s Makita was manufacturing many great woodworking tools for specialized woodworking- 6″+ handheld planers, mortisers, planer joiners, etc.
Their early 10″ miter saws were quite a bit better than the competition in those days.
I purchased a LS1013 in 2003; it was the best sliding miter saw available at that time and that one is still performing well(with an Everlast MT1080 Blade).
My old saw has a carry handle on top similar to the new model.
Dewalt saws are good for decking, framing and siding; not great for cabinetry or fine woodworking.
Bosch has recently stepped up to the plate; definitely better than Dewalt; but I think Makita has always had a greater degree of precision in their miter saws.
matt e
Interesting news, as I’m in the market for my first miter saw. As storage space does come into play, the 10″ sliding segment is looking like the best mix of versatility, size, and affordability. $400 is a bit steep for a weekend warrior like myself, but I’m willing to spend that much if I’ll be able to get 20+ years of use out of the tool. It’s a good sign so many commentators have sounded off in support of their Makita saws 🙂
That said, i’ll wait till the reviews are out (any by then there might be some decent deals on refurb models). It’s already $50 cheaper than Dewalts 10″ slider, which is great news. I also find it a bit curious there aren’t any product shots that show the unit from the other side, with the motor housing. They seem to be going out of their way to hide that view of the tool.
Adam
I’ve been throwing around my LS1013 in and out of the car for the better part of 15 (can’t be that long, can it?) years, and I can’t kill the damn thing… hands down the best saw I’ve ever had. Wicked accurate.
If this saw is half the machine the LS1013 is, no doubt it will be a keeper.
fred
Makita has for a long time provided a number of tools pretty well associated with carpentry and even timber framing. While some might argue that miter saws are not in the same class as table saws when it comes to fine woodworking and furniture making – many can be made to perform much better by adding “zero-clearance back up” to help avoid tear-out at the back and base of the cut.
In the timber framing arena – Makita provides lower cost alternatives to Mafell and ProTool with their big planer:
http://www.amazon.com/Makita-KP312-12-1-4-Inch-Planer/dp/B000140B54
They also have a 6-3/4 inch planer (1806B) and curved-base planer (1002BA) that offers a different alternative to those made in Spain by Virutex. Some years ago – I had hoped that Makita would rework their 6 inch machine into a lipping planer to compete with Hoffman, Virutex et. al. – but this never materialized.
Matt
they make some really nice miter saws..
I would pick them over most other offerings.
Calvin Kent
I actually think the vertical handle on this is closer to Makita’s traditional miter saw designs .I’m also surprised that you don’t associate Makita with fine woodworking
Andy G
I bought it for the weight and the fact it’s 1000 less than the kapex. Hope its great .
Aubrey
I just purchased this saw to try out as a cabinet saw. I usually use my fine tuned dewalt 12 inch slider. The slide rails on the makita feel like they r going through gravel. Anyone else have this problem? And I LOVE makita’s tools for woodworking. They have a huge assortment for working with reclaimed beams. My grandfather was using makita back in the 80’s. Long standing history of good tools.
Bob Drolet
Can anyone who has the LS1018 tell me what the distances are between the bold-down holes both from front to back and side to side? Before I buy the saw I need to make changes on my miter saw work space. No store in my area stocks this model. Thanks.
wapy
Americans sticks with their products, refuse knowing others and, what is worse, they do not know what they loose ! Makita is a great producer of fine and highly reliable woodworking power tools since many decades. I have many of their tools and never had the slightest problem. Never.