First saw arrived with a cracked base. I found this a bit shocking since it was very solidly built. I attributed this to a lousy packing job which could not tolerate a drop from a truck ( I assume this happened)....Replacement was fast and no hassle -LOVE AMAZON !!! SAW IS INCREDIBLE...cuts wood like butter, accurate scale of degrees, easy to adjust, heavy but not too heavy to move to site of cutting. Manual is not detailed enought you will need to get a wood trim book.

All in All a great saw and great value....

David - Interior Designer

I have owned this saw for about a month now and I love it. I have used it to trim out my house with perfect results. There is absolutely no play in this saw. Every cut is identical to the last. It is easy to set up and use. The motor has ample power. My only complaint is that the motor is not angled up for easier viewing of the work.

I've had my Makita LS1221 miter saw for almost a year now. To say the least, I am very happy with my purchase. The cut was perfect, right out of the box, and continues to be so even now. The blade was a better quality than what I thought would be on it and it still gives me the cleanest miter cuts I've ever seen. This saw is smooth and powerful enough to go through any of the hardwoods I use. My only regret is that I didn't spend the extra money and purchase the LS1212 (sliding compound).

I found the Makita LS1221 to be very accurate and powerful. The miter table to the base were near perfect alignment and the fences were very square to the table. The saw is in no way flimsy. Adjusting the bevel and the miter angles are fairly easy. The miter gage is very easy to read. The bevel gage however does not offer enough contrast, especially after the smallest amount of saw dust gathers on it. The lever for locking the bevel gage should be in the front of the saw. The motor makes an annoying sound when it is first started and is positioned directly on the right side of the saw making it difficult to see what you are cutting as the cut proceeds through the wood. Changing the blade is very difficult because there is no way to support the blade fence out of the way to clear the arbor nut.
This however, should not be a problem for anyone who has three hands.