I picked one of these up about 6 months ago from Amazon. I have been very pleased with it so far, I'm not a contractor, so I use it for general projects around the house, shelves and such. Its built well, plentry of power, smooth, no complaints, intending on using it for a long time.

i am very pleased with the peformance and accuracy of this saw. adjustments are fast and extremely accurate, making it a pleasure to operate. the miters are perfect every time, and the blade cuts so smooth you never have to do any sanding.

I just bought this item a few weeks ago and right out of the box I plugged it up and tried it out and the very first thing was the light flickered for 1 split second and never again came on. I just finished contacting Makita about this and they want me to return the entire saw for something that could be as easy as replacing the bulb. I will have to see about getting a replacement bulb but they refused to send me a new one to have the entire saw replaced.

However, the saw did work well after a full weekend of being broken in with installing new hardwood floors. But save your money on the light and buy one without.

I have used this saw professionally for several jobs over the past few months. It is very accurate right out of the box; in fact, I have never made any adjustments to it at all. The light that comes on the saw is more handy than just handy; it really helps, even when it seems light enough on the job-site. It takes away shadows so you can see exactly what you are cutting. It also makes cutting outside at night no different than day-time cutting. The only problem with this saw is the fence on the right side is too short. It's almost non-existent. If you are going to be doing any type/size of crown, get the 12inch. From what I can tell, they put a tall enough fence on both sides of the 12inch saw, and for some reason not on the 10inch. I have had some trouble trying to get crown put up because of this. I have used to solutions: 1) I use the "tilt" feature for left outside corners, etc. 2) I attached a piece of plywood to the saw to extend the height on both sides. Both solutions worked fine, and I was able to get the jobs done, but it took a little longer, and made me swear a little more than usual.

I recently purchased a LS1013F compound miter saw. As night fell in Oregon I scrambled for more lighting on my job site. I never thought I would use the built in light on my saw very often, I use it every night. For the do-it-yourselfer working from 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm almost every night the light is essential. That was the only surprise. I knew when I ordered my saw I would get the best. In ordering this saw I got perfect calibration and operator ease. All with durabuility unmatched by anything in my shop. In fact my children will thank me for buing this saw when they inherit it from me years down the road. It will outlast and outperform anything in my shop anyday.

Finishing my projects with Makita perfection and ease.
Gabriel

i've using this saw for 2 years + and i love how comfotabble it is use and the slide is without a doubt the best out there . the problems start when u try cut 1/2 a degree or even 1 degree off the positive mitre stops . i usually fit 1 staircase every 10 days or so which angle is usually between 40 and 42 degrees
I CAN NO LONGER LOCK THE SAW CLOSE TO THOSE ANGLES.
also the positive stops wear out over a short period of time so there is always 1/2 depree or more of play at o,221/2,45etc
i'm going to try the bosch next (without the laser)

I have a Dewalt model 705 miter saw that i've been using for the past 3 years and I finally decide to get a dual sliding miter saw.I been using other makita tools before but i havent tried yet their miter saw so I got one from Amazon and to my surprise it took a bit quicker to arrive than the expected delivery, The package looks alright and square and seems to be no damage as what have had other experienced. So I was pretty much okay w/ that. Now for the performance, I mounted a New Freud 40T Gen.Purpose blade as Idont want the crap blade that came w/ it. A Made in China thin Can!! The cuts from an any angle is superb w/o even undergoing minor calibration under a new saw blade.The saw performed excellent cross cuts along w/ Freud matching saw blades. The review also help me a lot in choosing this saw and I know makita Tools are one of the best. I also personally recommend that you use a matching Freud Crosscut saw blade to achieved ultimate performance.

I can't say enough bad things about this saw.It is a huge piece of cockie! Stay away from this.Nothing is well designed or well thought out.

Absolutely perfect for miter and bevel cuts. The only problems I've faced have stemmed from attempts to use it as a miniature radial arm saw, and it didn't take much thinking to fix those problems.

I've been looking to buy a sliding dual bevel compound miter saw for over a year. I've talked to contractor friends of mine that have used Makita, Dewalt, Bosch, and Porter Cable. All of them said the Makita was the best. I recently bought the LS1013F as an early X-mas gift. I have already used this saw to cut crown and chair rail molding. It is dead nuts accurate for bevel and miter right out of the box. They must have changed their packing because the saw in perfect condition and was well insulated from damage. It should be noted that there was some dings on the outside of the box from UPS. I also have to compliment Amazon. I've looked all over the internet and locally at these machines. The price was excellent, plus free shipping, plus the 14.4 drill/light combo. What a deal. Also the saw and drill/light combo arrived in 4 days. I'm not used to that fast of service from the supersaver shipping but I'll take it.

I love this saw! It cuts perfectly square, straight, and true right out of the box. It is smooth and quiet. Who could ask for more out of a 10" saw? Besides, do you really need a laser beam to make accurate cuts? (I don't)

I looked at all the brands before replacing my Delta. The original sliding compound miter saws were orginally designed for semi-precision construction work and not as accurate for what I wanted in finish work. This Makita is very accurate. The nice thing about the Makita is that the slider is on the bottom, unlike the DeWalt, which means it is not as top heavy and you don't get that "bump" near as much when the saw is fully extended. I also liked the fact that you can "easily" lock the saw between degree marks to get that super accurate cut. I was ready to jump on the bandwagon and buy a Hitachi with a laser. I tried one with a laser and found I could get a more accurate cut, quicker without one. I mark my piece and slide the the blade next to mark and then make my cut. Lasers are over-hyped in my opinion. The top handle makes this unit easy to carry even though it is almost 50 lbs, it is well balanced.
Like most saws, you need to read the manual and all the warning about proper operation. The quality on this saw is first class and you won't go wrong buying it. The only problem I had was that when I received the unit, it looked like the box was dropped and hit by a truck. To my amazement the saw worked fine but was missing a locking knob that must have fell through one of the gapping holes that where in the box. I called Amazon and had to get the part number myself from Makita and then give this info to Amazon. I thought that Tool Crib should have been of better help. I am still waiting for the $2.00 knob. All that aside. Its an excellent saw.

Ive used many different Makita tools since the late 70's. Not all were gems, but the majority of their tools are usually among the best and most durable out there. The LS1013F sliding mitre is one of those tools after using it, you dont know how you did without it. Smooth, well designed and extremly accurate at every angle. Good Job!

I recently purchased this saw (the model w/o the light). Excellent quality and cut precision. Easy to use and powerful. No complaints! My first miter saw, and I'm so glad I purchased this one. The sliding feature is so handy, can cut boards up to 12" long!

I was looking to purchase a 10" sliding dual compound miter saw and I figured if I was gonna pay I might as well buy the best one out there. One big thing I was looking for was a saw that held it's angles. I'm tired of constantly checking my miter angles on my table saw and it was worth paying an extra $100 or $200 for a saw that was good.

I narrowed the best two saws down to the Hitachi C10FSH and the Makita LS1013F.

I went to Lowes and saw that they had the Hitachi C10FSH which let me check it out first hand. The plastic felt cheap and the base was very small. So small infact that the saw can fall over unless its bolted down. This wasn't for me since I need my saw to be portable and sometimes it'll find itself on a flat table and not bolted down. Since it was small it would also not hold wood very well for being cut.

I decided to purchase the Makita after talking with woodworkers. They told me that working on the hitachi was a nightmare.

This saw is GREAT. It is quiet. It is about half as noisy as a 7.5" circular saw. You can use it in a closed garage without ear protection. The dust collection gets about 85% of the saw dust into the bag. The unit feels very sturdy unlike the Hitachi. There are three main adjustment knobs. One to unlock the sliding arm, one to adjust the miter, and one to adjust the bevel. The Makita is silky smooth in all adjustments and is very well balanced. Adjustments are not awkward with this saw. There are many positive stops which are controlled by a front lever.

The saw has a built in handle on top of the unit to allow you to carry it.

All in all I love this saw. I cant find any faults. It's simple to use and adjust and feels strong and sturdy.

Some people say this saw is expensive but you get what you pay for. Get a cheap saw and you'll be checking your adjustments all the time and pieces will fly off. Who wants to bother with stuff like that? You'll have this saw for 30 years.

I did quite abit of research of different model and makes of sliding compound duel bevel miter saws and finally picked the Makita LS1013. It was very accurate right out of the box. I checked all the settings and they were right on! I didn't go only by reviews or ads. I went and talk to people in shops that used these saws. I have as yet heard no bad comments on this model. In fact one cabinet shop owner inform me he was getting rid of all his old saws and replacing with the Makita LS1013.

Great saw!!

I have been a trim carpenter for 4 years, and have used most miter saws out there, from the 8 1/2" Hitachi to the 12" DeWalt, and just about every make of non-sliding saw there is. One guy in my company has been using this saw for several years, and I have always eyed it lovingly. He recently went on vacation, and let me try it out while he was gone. After a couple of days, I had to buy one. I picked it up last night, and let me tell you, it is the smoothest, most accurate saw I have ever owned. Right out of the box, I checked the cut angles, and I have never seen one so true. Not even after screwing around with my old hitachi's fences for way too many hours did I ever get a cut this true. The detents and adjustment knobs are very user friendly, but I have been warned to treat the saw like a new baby. My stair guy has the 1013 and stripped the bevel and miter adjustment knobs. More power would be nice, but I likely will never bog this one down enough to need more. Nice Job, Makita. In the words of Jerry Maguire, "You complete me."

This is the best bloody csms on the market. I'm a pro and have beat the hell out of my saw for five years; ipe decks, oak floors, PT decks, you name it this saw does it, and it does't break your back from the truck to the site. Do not be fooled, this is THE saw. Sorry to get so dramatic but This is a great saw.

I've had the no-light model for 2 years. The newer model has minor upgrades (i.e. front handel smaller). I bought this saw because its table rotates smoothly, and it still does! No stop or bevel problems ever! The motor has never appeared under powered but I use sharp quality blades. I did not give this 5 stars as I think the RH fence should be included. I added it but it's pricey. I agree that a quick release clamp would be nice too. My table saw now gets much less use, and I find little reason to own a RAS now. I too suspect something fishy about the bad review, could it be from a competitor's sale person. I question a review when someone implies they had problems from the get-go, and failed to return the product. Makita tuff, reliable tools for a quality minded professional! Just picked up their 7 1/4 Hypoid circular saw to replace my worm drive.

I purchased the LS1013F about a month ago and can proudly say that Makita have kicked a winner with this saw. This saw was highly reccommended to me by work colleges as the best miter saw going around and it is!

The base plate is of good size with clear markings for all angles and a handy "click-in" to some more commonly used angles (0,45,22.5 degrees). The flip back guard helps with larger materials and the thin kerf blade cuts all timber like hot butter, the only thing to remember is to flip the guard to the left when cutting left hand bevels!

With the 10" blade, it gives you a 90mm or 4", cut at 90 degrees which is as much as you need. With the "MakLite" fitted to this model, it makes it very easy to use the saw in dim light. It follows the sliding section and can be manuvered to shine in the correct position for your cut.

Overall it is a great saw for all tradesmen and i can reccommend it for buyers in the market.

You and three of your friends own this saw and you all have problems with it?? Did you all buy it on the same day? Didn't you talk to your "friends" before you bought your saw? If a friend of mine bought a [crummy] saw, I would not run out and buy one. I bought this saw last fall and used it to finish an attic in 1x8 pine carsiding. This saw flawlessly handled all of the work, including the trim. The saw is a joy to use and ALL of the movements of the base and the bevel are smooth as silk, even today after several more jobs. While I am not a pro, I just do this work on the side, I have been hauling this thing all over the place and have not treated it kindly at times, and it has held up great. I did saw into the metal fence a bit on a steep angle, my fault as I forgot to move the high portion of the fence out of the way. The blade seems to have held up fine, even after slicing through a half inch of the fence. I do not have the light on my model, but everything else about this saw is all I had hoped for. Don't beleive the reviewer about the grinding, he and his three friends are either fictional or complete idiots.

As a builder I'm very disappointed with Makita's LS1013.This saw is a good saw straight out of the box but it starts developing its design problems quickly. First, the miter table grinds against the base when turned- My LS1013 grinds so badly it leaves metal shavings on my cut table!! The same applies when using the bevel, minus the metal shavings. Three friends of mine with the same saw have the same design complaints with the LS1013. You can't cut a 2x10 or a 2x12 all the way through on a right-sided 45 degree bevel because the saw's motor hits the wood, preventing the blade to cut all the way down. This saw also struggles through 45 degree bevel cuts on 2x material.You will notice the "positive stops" quit working fairly soon as well. The under-powered motor makes this a good saw for trim work only! This is not a rugged saw! I do like the smooth running motor! I recommend calling Makita and asking them if they have fixed the table-grinding problem, they know this is a problem.

I own the version of this saw without the light, so I can't comment on that feature, but I'd imagine it's very helpful.

I can't think of anything missing from this saw. It has a large finely finished rotating table with a clear angle scale, crisp detents at the most important angles, smooth, stable slide action, soft-start and a great blade that leaves a very smooth finish.

The only thing I think Makita should re-consider would be a quick-release vice. The vice provided works well, but I think the type Delta offers on its slider would be better.

This is one of the finest power tools I've ever used.

I bought a LS1013 about five years ago. It was great when I first used it, but after awhile it wouldn't lock on any angle, or bevel, and the arm flexes way to much.

I bought the LS1013 (no light attached) this past spring and I could not be happier. It has performed extremely well for me. I can crosscut a 4x6 like a stick of soft butter. The blade shipped with the saw has worked just fine, cuts nice and smooth. The saw is easy to set-up and square. The dust collection is probably as good as it gets. Let's face it, these things kick up a lot of dust. I don't think there's a saw out there that gets it all. Besides cost, another factor that made me choose this saw over the Dewalt 12", is the cost of the replacement blades. This saw is a GREAT value and a wonderful tool. It takes center stage in my shop.