Makita LS1018n Review

I was recently in the market for finding a new compound miter saw. I looked over a bunch of different products and I ended up going with the Makita LS1018 miter saw. I went with this saw based on its reputation and a bunch of recommendations from some close friends. Below I will discuss my initial impressions and my personal recommendation regarding the saw.

Initial Thoughts:

The saw pretty much had everything that I was looking for and needed. Taking the saw out of the box did not disappoint. I was extremely excited to get it up and running. Looks wise, this saw is pretty good looking. The saw itself offers a transparent blade guard and an oversized trigger switch that also contains a safety button for more easy operation. The machine also offers an aluminum base which gives very good support during cuts. The nice thing about the actual saw is that it features a rear handle bevel lock which allows for simple and easy accessibility for adjusting the bevel. The saw itself cuts at up to 12 inches at 90 degrees and 8.5 inches at 45 degrees. The saw also miters 0 to 47 degrees to the left and 0 to 60 degrees to the right. It also has stops at 0, 15, 22.5, 31.6 and 45 degrees.

First Impressions:

The saw was designed to offer end-users a greater cutting capacity with more accurate cuts. Although not a game changer by any means, this saw did exactly what it was intended to do. What I really liked about this saw was that it was straight forward, accurate, versatile, and lightweight. Not to mention the fact that it was extremely affordable compared to the competition. Another thing I loved about this particular saw is that it did not come with any gimmicks which would do nothing but increase the price of the product. Instead, they focused on putting together a saw that just works. It is around 10 pounds less than its predecessor. However, it wasn’t meant to replace it because this is just a miter saw, whereas its predecessor is meant to serve different needs.

This particular saw utilizes a two rail system. This was sufficient for my needs, but for someone that needs a cut closer to a wall during usage might want to opt for a four rail system saw. The lightweight design offered incredible advantages to me. Firstly, it gave me better carry and transport. It was incredibly easy to carry and maneuver with its newly designed handle which incorporates two separate rubberized grips. As with most miter saws, this saw is heavy, but in comparison to others in its category weighing in at 43.7 pounds, it is a lot more manageable.

Performance:

One of the best parts about this particular saw is that it features a powerful 13-amp soft-start motor. The motor also features a direct drive system that delivers 4,300-RPM. This means that you will ultimately get a power transfer of 100%, along with very smooth start-ups. You will also get constant power, and due to the omission of belts, you won’t have to worry about replacing them. Not to mention, the design of this saw allows for a powerful, yet efficient operating process that will be able to produce both; smooth and accurate results in various materials.

Final Thoughts:

The fact is, this is an excellent miter saw and I was left completely satisfied. It didn’t wow me with huge amounts of features or any crazy bells and whistles, but it did exactly what I wanted it to do. It performed with no hiccups and provided me with a surprisingly light machine that gave me very accurate  cuts. Overall, I would recommend the Makita LS1018 miter saw to anyone that is looking for a miter saw with good performance and accurate cuts. If you are looking for a miter saw with tons of features and a four rail system, be prepared to keep looking and cough up a lot more money. For its price, this saw is an absolute steal.  If you value build quality, ease of use, and accuracy in your saw, you simply can’t do much better than the Makita LS1018 miter saw. For more miter saw reviews click here.