Compound mitre saws again

Looking to buy a saw for a birthday, unfortunately not mine - it's for my dad, but I expect to make some use of it ;-)

Price range can be justified up to £400 max - the saw will get a lot of varied diy use. I have been looking at the pros and cons of the following saws

DeWalt DW707, this does left/right mitres to 48deg and bevels (not sure if left and right) and will cut 60mm x 270mm, cost is about £250 For an extra £130 the DW712 at £380 gives you 50/60 left right mitres, bevels both ways and will cut slightly larger at 70mm x 300mm plus some extra features like groove depth stop. In this price range there is also the Makita LS0714 (£365) which has 57/45 mitres and bevels 45/-5 but only cuts 52mm x 300mm.

I feel that the depth limitation of the LS0714 rules it out, the saw will get a lot of varied diy use, some will need to be accurate but there will be some bigger stuff to cut. Similarly I would prefer the DW712 over the DW707 for the extra versatility it offers, however for a similar price (£370) I have looked at the Bosch GCM10S which has similar specs in terms of the mitre/bevel capability but, because it has a ten inch blade, can cut 87mm x

305mm - I expect the extra depth will be handy. The larger DeWalt (DW708) and Makita (LS1013) equivalents of the Bosch are about £520 - which is too much. I have had a quick google and haven't seen any bad moans about any of these saws, unlike some of the budget models. I don't have any DeWalt tools and am aware that some think they are overpriced, I have a Makita electric chisel and Bosch hammer drill, which have both put in years of sterling service, but brands change and these are many years old now. I would like to know if anyone has used any of these saws, particularly the Bosch, or if you have used a different brand that can be recommended.

Martin

Reply to
Martin Crook
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I looked at all of these about a year ago during a trip to the U.S. I found a machinery store that had an example of virtually every mitre saw made and went and had a long look through them. Coincidentally, Fine Woodworking magazine had done a detailed review as well.

I was looking at 10" or possibly 12" sliding compound mitre saws. I wanted something of good and solid quality with accuracy, repeatability and smoothness of operation.

As a sanity check, I went along to a Home Depot store (they are the largest DIY retailer in the world and B&Q model themselves on HD to the finest detail). HD have a substantial tool display also and do quite a lot of rental. I thought that it would be a good idea to look there because it would be a reasonable indication of how tools could get after being subject to people poking around and site use. I'm glad I did this.

Anyway.... the three saws that I liked the best also seemed to be be liked by the reviewers. These were the Makita LS1013, the DeWalt DW708 and an equivalent Bosch (number I can't remember). The DW was felt to have an advantage if the extra capacity was needed and it is a site workhorse for sure.

The Makita LS1013 came out the best in reviews and in the tool store it certainly had the most solid feel and smooth operation by a long way. When I looked at the same models in Home Depot, the DW708 was frankly in a sorry state. The mechanism, which was never as good as the Makita felt distinctly graunchy. It may be that the saw had been dropped or something, but that was enough to put me off.

When I returned to the UK, I also looked at the Elektra Beckum. This is also a very nice saw, made by Metabo and of high quality. I had an opportunity to try one out and it seemed fine. It has two advantages. The first is that it is an induction motor and therefore quieter than the others. The second is that it is somewhat lighter.

The Makita is well balanced and has a strategically placed handle for carrying, but like other good quality mitre saws is relatively heavy. Unfortunately if you want something solid, weight is implicit.

So I bought and would recommend the Makita LS1013. It's a lovely saw and lives up to its expectations and price.

If you are looking to buy a decent saw, with similar criteria to me, then you won't find one for under £400. Don't even bother looking at any of the DIY shed products - they are not in the same league.

You can get an LS1013 for about £450 if you shop around, and frankly, I would spend the extra £50 - it really does make a difference.

e.g.

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this one includes a stand.

Reply to
Andy Hall

Thanks for the comments Andy - I am going to have a look at most of these saws in the flesh this weekend, the Makita is a bit more pricey than intended, but I'll see how it feels - its a question of knowing where to stop!

Martin

Reply to
Martin Crook

All I can say is that the 200 odd hire shops I call on in my job tend to sell DeWalt, but hire out Makita or Bosch.

Makita has a great reputation in the hire trade - which is a tough place.

Dave

Reply to
Magician

You're welcome. I think that going and seeing and touching is by far the best way. You may decide that you're happy with the smaller models that you mention - they are all good products. The thing to do is to look at the feel of the saws and to check the size specs. Another thing I thought of is whether the larger saws might not be too heavy if your father is not as young as he was, so I would think about that carefully as well if you think it might be an issue.

Reply to
Andy Hall

I asked the same thing at the local hire shop today, the reply was Makita or Bosch. The reason they don't hire much Dewalt stuff is due to reliability and endurance problems.

I also asked their opinion of the LS1013, that Andy Hall mentioned in his post yesterday, they more or less confirmed what he said about quality and accuracy.

Reply to
Kaiser

DeWalt stuff is vastly overpriced unreliable garbage. The only reason anyone buys it is because they've been weatching Changing Rooms.

Bosch is a little flakey. They can make good stuff (or they get Scintilla to do it for them), but these days they don't _always_ do it. Caveat emptor.

The new red Milwaukee stuff is pretty nice too.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

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