Customer Reviews
makita ls1214fl 
2008-05-08
In my thirty years of carpentry this is the most precise and smoothest operating saw I have ever used.
Best Ever 2008-01-18
Blade that comes with it is sweet and leaves a fine finish. Laser is accurate and a nice feature. Side mounted gauge takes some getting used to but all in all I think the saw is a winner.
Stairs Top 20 
2007-12-18
I bought this Makita LS1214FL Nine month's ago. At first I was pleased with it, but after eight month's of use the table got to where it would not turn to the left or right with out grinding. Also the handle would not lock down. I took it to the local Nashville, TN service center to get it repaired. They called me back & told me they had repaired it. I went and picked it up. When I got back to work I tried it out and to my suprise the positive stops would no longer work & the front handle still would not lock down. I took it back to them & they repaired it again. 2 days later the base would not turn again. I would not buy this miter saw again.
FINEST 12" TRIM SAW AVAILABLE 2007-12-02
I've been doing the finish on my high end projects for close to 30 years. During that time I've had the opportunity to use most of the saws on the Market.
When you're picky about results and spend much of your time cutting trim, the Makita Dual Bevel Compound Sliding miter saws are as good as it gets. I've had and used the 10" version for a decade, and it'll do 99.99% of trim jobs without challenging one's creativity. I bought the 12" this time as I've recently been encountering projects where the larger blade helps.
If you're a fan of, and are satisfied with your Hitachi or Dewalt saw, stop reading now. Don't spend time on the Makita and you'll remain perfectly happy. Good results may be obtained with any of these saws. To me, the Hitachi always felt clunky, and the handle design causes my wrist to ache after a few hours of continued use. The Dewalt is a monster... a strong saw I've spent many hours using recently and trying to love, but it too lacks the finesse of the Makita, and the handle hurts my wrist in another location. Watch out for the torque upon braking... keep your work-piece AND FINGERS well away from the blade before releasing the trigger.
The Makita saws shine. The table is BY FAR the most stable. The fence adjusts easily to just how you need it and the clamp adjusts quickly to help secure the work-piece when wanted. Unlike on the other saws, the guard is brilliant... the most cleverly engineered guard ever... it almost reads your mind by almost never getting in your way regardless of the miter you're cutting, and in those rare times where the fence would interfere, it's easy to slap a piece of tape on to keep it up and away during that cut. That's a big deal to do on the other saws. The extension wings are useful and also handy for carrying the saw from setup to setup. The saw glides smoothly on the slides when cutting, and I've never given a thought to the handle... no pain, no strain... it's just naturally in the right place. I like these saws.
Tips for peak performance on any of the sliding saws... Use a very sharp "regular" thickness blade on miter saws when working hardwoods. The additional thickness and strength reduces "walking" in the center of the compound miter cut. Save the thin-kerf blades for your table saw. Periodically clean the dust and dirt from the swiveling surfaces between the table and body, and lubricate with a DRY lubricant... I use the spray on Bostik Top Cote. Great stuff. You'll be amazed at how easily the table will turn when adjusting angles. Use the Top Cote on the table top and guard also... Just spray it on, wait a few minutes, then wipe off the dried residue with a rag or paper towel. The greatly reduced friction will then allow your work-piece to glide smoothly and quickly into position for cutting, and save having to "jiggle" the piece up to the blade. Think about it... Top Cote will not affect finishing. The painters will love you. Even the fussy waterborne lacquer finishes I often use are unaffected. WD40 and the like attract dust and dirt, can cause problems with finishing, and should never be used on tool tables.... if you care.
If you're considering buying the Makita saws, I hope this helps with your decision. Should you already have one, enjoy, and know you're working with the best.
Good quality - works great 2007-10-03
I have used it quite a bit since receiving it this June. It is easy to use - and accurate - even for a novice or non-pro!
In my use - the laser came in much more handy than I anticipated and is dammed accurate. Measuring to keep the right side of the cut - it's Dead-On! What is red - will remain - and cut will be precisely to left of red.
Be aware that laser will be hard to see in direct sunlight - but that can't be helped.
I have used the fluorescent light more than I ever anticipated to.
Be prepared to get some sort of cart or stand - or - plan on leaving it clamped down in one place. This thing is too big to be moving around much - and much movement by hand will require more "re-setting" the miter and bevel.
I got the Rigid "MSUV" (Miter Saw Utility Vehicle) from Home Depot and am very pleased. It is well thought out and very handy. It has big wheels for easier moving. Ends (with adjustable rollers) - that extend out from the platform on either side about 5 to six feet and sets up easily. Your miter essentially mounts permantly on the MSUV.
Quality machine; works as advertised 2007-08-25
12", Dual Slide Compound Saw With Laser & Fluorescent Light, Built In Laser With Micro Fine Adjustments Clearly Indicates Line Of Cut, Independent Switch Allows Laser To Be Seen Independently Of Blade Rotation, Built In High Output Fluorescent Light Illuminates Work Area & Lasts 2,000 Hours On Average, Dual Steel Rails Supported By Linear Ball Bearings Ensure Stable, Accurate Cutting, Powerful, Direct Drive 15A Motor Never Slips Or Bogs Down, 9 Positive Stops At 15 Degree, 22.5 Degree, 30 Degree, 45 Degree Left Or Right & 0 Degree For The Most Common Miter Cuts, Additional Positive Stops At 33.9 Degree Left For Model LS1214FL, Electronic Speed Control Maintains Constant Speed Under Load, Soft Start Feature For Controlled Operation, Single Cast Aluminum Base Has Built In Wrench Storage For Operator Convenience, Long Slide Track & Wide Pivot Angle Allow Cross Cuts Up To 4 x 12 Material, Large Turn Base & Adjustable Pivot Fence Supports Larger Stock.
Still in one piece!! 
2007-08-20
Much like the previous people that purchased this saw, mine arrived in a badly damaged box. In fact, the box was held together with 5 strips of packaging tape in one of the corners. Upon opening, I did not see any visible damage to the saw (still in one piece!!) and all parts seem accounted for. I wonder if I'm receiving a saw that was previously returned by someone else? I brought it home, plugged it in and started cutting. No problems. The factory blade does cut very nicely. I have not checked if it is square.
Amazing Saw! 2007-07-16
I used to use a good old Craftsman 10" saw and while it was a good and durable saw the day it finally went was the day I found my next long-term toy/tool. This saw is a heavy duty workhorse. I've used it for a number of projects including basement remodels, room teardown/contructions, and plumbing (cutting PVC) and it's produced day in and day out. It's solid, the soft start feature is handy, and overall it's very accurate especially with the stock blade which is amazing in itself. My only complaint is the blade guard can get in the way of some cuts which I believe another reviewer mentioned too. Outside of that this saw is great!
One of several good saws 2007-05-27
I recently bought this saw from Amazon. It's a great saw. As I was shopping for the saw, I read a lot of reviews to try to figure out which one to buy - perhaps like you're doing. One reviewer would love a saw and another would think it was junk. I read one or two in which the reviewer complained that this saw or that one wouldn't cut a straight line. Don't listen to that stuff. Makita, Bosch, Dewalt, and perhaps a few others are great saws. I'll bet I can cut a straight line with any of them. And I'll bet I can warp the cut with any of them. Sliding compound miter saws aren't hard to use, but there is a little basic technique to use. Your manual will tell you about it. You may or may not like one feature or another, but used properly, they all do a great job. The Makita certainly does. If you know how to use one of these things, they'll work for you. I recommend the Makita. Everything works - even the laser. I took the time to set it up and it saves a lot of time for me. You have to use it a while to understand how to use it accurately. A guy I was working with the other day was using a different brand - I can't remember which. He was doing good work and he was faster than I was.
If you buy a saw - you'll need a stand. Here again, a number of them are good, but I'll talk about two. I bought a PortaMate PM7000. Once set up on the job, I love it's utility and versatility. For my work I thought that would be more important than mobility. But I have to admit - done over again, I'd get the Rigid stand (AC9940) that folds up and has the wheels. Other folks I have worked with have that one and I've decideded that mobility trumps utility. But that will depend on how much you expect to have to move your saw. If my PortaMate had better mobility, it would be everything I could want - and it would have cost another $100. I'm not going to send it back to Amazon. If I ever get too tired of lugging my current rig around, I'll buy a Rigid too. Here again, you'll find folks that will trash any of them in a review - and folks that will love them. And there's four or five really good ones out there.
So read the reviews. They can be helpful, but don't take everything they say too seriously - You'll be able to do good work with whatever you buy. With the general quality of the equipment being sold today - it will mostly depend on you.
rks 2007-05-14
I have problems with large items over 50 lbs. shipped by Amazon. When they show up broken, it makes me crazy. It's a pain in the A!!, to pack it up again & get it back to UPS,and of corse, the paper work. When I receive a new high end tool like that , it makes me wonder why I just did'nt go to the local hardware store & pay the $50.00 more. I was at home when the saw got to my house. I was looking in the truck & watched the driver pull the saw from the 2nd platform up off the floor & do a controled drop to the floor of the truck. I said do you need some help, he replied yes, this thing is heavy. We carried it into my kitchen. I opened the box & looked for damage. I did not notice any on a quick look. I don't think the damage I found later was done when I watched the kid drop it. He dropped it on its base, the bottom of the box, but who knows how many times it was dropped before it got here. I mounted the saw on the new miter table that I also got from Amazon a few weeks before the saw. It's over 50 lbs. also, and the 1st one came thru busted up. the 2nd one had a large hole in the box, but no damage to the table. I plugged the the saw into a recept., pulled the switch & the saw ran fine. I released the switch & to my suprise the saw keep running. I pulled the plug out of the wall to shut it down & started to look for the problem. I saw the handle was broke. It had to happen somewhere in shipping. 5 hours later, after pulling the saw apart, glueing the handle and putting the saw together, it worked like it should have. NOW TO THE SAW . I would give the saw 5 stars if the crap above did not happen. I love the soft start on the motor. It eliminates that torque on start up that you get with the bigger saws. I'm impressed with the Makita factory 12" saw blade. I never used one before, but I would buy another one. I also like the fluorescent light. It's not that brite to use as the only light, but it helps take the shadows away. The laser is alright to the left of the blade after adjustments for rough cuts. But when you are working finished molding cuts to a 32nd of an inch, I still do it the old way. line the side of the blade you are cutting with on the good old pencil mark. The dust bag is a joke. More saw dust ends up on your saw table & floor, insted of the bag. But that's part of working with wood. If you buy one that's not busted up from shipping,that you pull out of the box, mount it on your table, plug it in & it works the right way. You will be very happy with this produst. For me this is another plus. ASSEMBLED IN THE USA. Buford, GA, USA.
