Broken Dreams (Makita Miter Saw)

[Eric Stiles]

My Makita LS1214FL sliding miter saw arrived today. I bought 1 of the Ridgid tables to go with it too. However, my excitement turned to dismay when I pulled the saw out of the box and realized the handle was broken. The seam is split open and the trigger is stuck in the on position. I sent an email to Amazon. I'm not sure if I need to get a new one from Amazon or send it to a Makita repairshop. Either way I won't be able to use my new toy for at least another week. At least it is a good sale and worth waiting for.

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[Jerry Evans]

that really sucks....sorry to hear that...sounds like my luck too

[Eric Stiles]

Amazon has shipped a new saw already. It should be here by Tuesday. This is the first problem I have ever had with an Amazon order and I must say that I am impressed with their customer service so far. I sent them an email before I went to bed last night and I had a tracking number when I awoke this morning. Not bad.

[David Wambolt]

My LS1214FL arrives today via UPS. Hopefully it makes it in one piece, but if not I'll be doing the exact same thing you did. Amazon is usually very good about making good on damaged items.

[Mike Shoemaker]

Hope the new one arrives ok. No fun having a new toy and can't play with it

[Tim Malyszko]

Amazon has shipped a new saw already. It should be here by Tuesday. This is the first problem I have ever had with an Amazon order and I must say that I am impressed with their customer service so far. I sent them an email before I went to bed last night and I had a tracking number when I awoke this morning. Not bad.


They are making you return the broken one, correct?

[Paul Johnstone]

They are making you return the broken one, correct?

Yes, that is their procedure. They send you a label so you can ship it back for free if it is broken.

Can't say that I blame them.. Sadly, in today's world, they'd get scammed heavily if they didn't force you to mail the broken one back in.

[glenn bradley]

Amazon has shipping issues but they seem to respond to problems right away. Glad they took care of you.

[David Wambolt]

Got mine today - damaged as well. Mine had the lamp assembly ripped completely out of the handle. I've sent an email to Amazon and demanded at the mininum 2-Day AIR service. AIR usually will get the packages to you in better condition than ground. My box looks like someone with an F350 drove right over it.

[Luke McFadden]

I pretty much live off of Amazon. Have never been treated poorly, and always feel that they have gone above and beyond. But I've been getting a lot of broken items lately. I ordered a 15 router bit kit in a cheap wooden box, and the box was shattered to pieces when it arrived last week. I'll be getting my replacement bits tomorrow.

[Ted Miller]

Ditto what Luke said but after thouseands of dollars of purchases I had one item broke and I delt with the manu since it shipped from the manu and they credit my order. Never had a problem with Amazon yet, knock on hardwood...

[Bobby Nicks]

My Makita LS1214FL sliding miter saw was also damaged. Where the stop that controls how far down the blade comes, well where that stop meets the frame, the frame was crack all the way threw.
Called Amazon and a new one is on the way, just hope it gets here all together. Beginning to wonder how well these saws are made with all the damage I'm hearing about. The box my saw came in was not damaged at all. The box was OK.

Bob

[David Wambolt]

I've had countless things arrive damaged from Amazon. The issue with online vendors (and it's as much my fault as any because I know what I'm about to say) is that these 'boxes' many items are packaged in are designed to be transported in bulk from the distributor to the vendor. Then from the vendor to you vehicle. It's not made to be tossed off the top of a pallet or thrown into the delivery truck, then punted into my driveway. UPS is probably the worst offender. Air Shipments are usually okay, ground shipments are many times just destoryed. That's why I pay for Amazon Prime, because when you're buying 6-12k in merchandise a year from Amazon, it pays to get the items shipped via the best method possible.

My Makita LS1214FL box had a big rip in it. I don't know if the saw was more extensively damaged than just the handle assembly because I didn't even bother pulling it out of the box. Amazon now offers Prime shipping on the saw which was not available when I ordered it. I paid $4.99 to ensure UPS broke it I guess. Anyhow, the new saw should ship out on Monday and I'll have it on Wednesday 2-Day air. I'm hoping it's in good shape. Looks like a nice saw, nicer than the C10FSH it's replacing. However looks are not everything. Overall, just from looking it over in the box, ignoring the broken bits, it seems nice.

I have spent a great deal of money with Amazon... A LOT.. a whole lot. :) They have usually taken care of me, but they also make some odd mistakes. For example this week I had a package arrive from Amazon which was supposed to contain a 3" and 6" Kreg Square head driver bits for my Kreg K3 Master system. The box was perfectly sealed but emtpy. All it had was my invoice and those bubble bags. I emailed Amazon and they credited me back instead of shipping a replacement, because they stated the item was no longer available. It's IN STOCK from them on their website. It was under $6, no big deal. But here's a list of items that I can recall in the last year or two that I've received damaged from Amazon:

Delta 348G 14" Metal/Wood Bandsaw (Credited)
Makita LS1214FL Miter Saw (Replaced)
Hitachi C10FSH Miter Saw (Replaced)
Bessey Clamps (Replaced)
Samsung 32" LCD (First one stollen in transit, second one damaged slightly on corner), (Replaced, credited for slight damage on second TV)
Jet Dust Collector (Credited)
Kreg Bandsaw Fence (box was completely empty, just a huge hole in the end). Refused package. (Replaced)

I'm probably missing a couple of things. Amazon either credited me for the damage or sent a replacement item in all cases. They don't shy away from the customer, though sometimes you get a hard headed CSR who wants to play hard ball. I play hard ball right back and when you're spending that much with a single vendor, I put my foot down and demand better service. It's usually not Amazon's fault, but they need to be responsible for the items they sell. If it's not shippable without damage, don't sell it. I don't know how they absorb the losses on these damaged pieces of equipment. It would seem spending a bit more in packaging OR in a better delivery method versus getting an item back destroyed would be better business. Perhaps they deal with carrier in terms of insurance, or sell back the damaged goods to the manufacturer to be refurbished.

I just sent them another email because they want me to ship the first LS1214FL miter saw back which is not a problem, but the box has a huge hole on it. I told them that the saw probably won't be in the box when it arrives back to them because it was barely in the box when it arrived to me. So I'm not sure if they will send another box or just instruct me to ship it as is. I wouldn't worry about the quality of the saw. They simply are not packaged in a way to prevent damage. Many people get lucky, but many of us do not.

[Dar Lounsbury]

My Makita LS1214LF CSMS arrived today. Oh joy. I opened the box to find the laser/light switch housing had been erased from the trigger handle. No joy. Also, the fence and clamp were packed just loose in the box, able to fly around and do damage. Switch is all I saw but machine is still in box.

E-mailed Amazon, too early for a response yet but I would assume that they will replace without difficulty. I have heard of 4 or 5 saws arriving damaged. Why should I expect the next one to be OK? Sort of like the lotto, maybe the next will be the winner. I have not done much business with Amazon but everyone seems to have nothing but good to say about them.

I wonder if a sea going container with 50 or 100 of these in it got dropped. When I worked in the bike shop, containers got dropped and there would be 30 to 50 motorcycles available very cheap as they were a mess. Like dropping a egg, things get scrambled.

UPS can't really be this bad, or can they? :( :confused:

[rodney mitchell]

Good grief, mine hasn't arrived yet. It sounds like a LOT of them are arriving damaged.

RM

[Mike Goetzke]

Got mine today - damaged as well. Mine had the lamp assembly ripped completely out of the handle. I've sent an email to Amazon and demanded at the mininum 2-Day AIR service. AIR usually will get the packages to you in better condition than ground. My box looks like someone with an F350 drove right over it.

I heard once from Biesemeyer CS that in rush shippments there is a higher risk of damaging your goods than there is in using standard shipment.

I better go check mine closer! I got mine a couple of weeks ago. I came by UPS but need to be signed for. My wife even got the driver to put it in the garage. I was worried when I saw the staples in the top were loose but the saw looked O.K.. Then whe I went to throw out the box I noticed the staples had pulled out of the bottom too....how did that thing stay in the box???

BTY - I got to put the saw to use last weekend for about 100 linear feet of baseboard trim. I took my time to set up the laser and although some don't like them it worked flawlessly. I did have to do a fair share of right/left bevel cuts and the laser really comes in handy here. After this job I could imagine the advantage of having the bevel lock at the front of the saw (like the Bosch) if you did this for a living - overall I'm very impressed with this saw.

[David Wambolt]

I've had the best luck with AIR shipments. Perhaps that's just my experience, but I believe the package is handled less times when sent via AIR. The less times it's moved, the better.

I have a Bosch 4212L with the up front bevel controls and it's sweet. The Bosch is a very nice saw. It lacks two features that would make it a perfect non-slider in my opinion.

1. Move the laser to a fixed location on the saw head and allow it to be powered on at all times, instead of being the more cheesy and cheap arbor mount style.
2. Equip the saw with soft start.

Otherwise, the saw cuts excellent. I didn't need the Makita, but it was a $100 upgrade over my C10FSH excluding the rebate. The Makita will be my shop saw and my Bosch will be the one I take where I need it. Neither are a light weight though.

[Eric Stiles]

I recieved my replacement saw from Amazon today. The handle was laying loose in the box. I reassembled the saw and everything seemed to be working correctly, however this is the first sliding miter saw I've ever operated so what do I know. Being the man that I am I grabbed a piece of scrap wood and jumped in. To make a very, very short story even shorter, the saw grabbed the scrap wood and gave me a new tatoo dead in the center of my forehead. After wiping away the blood and picking my ego up off the floor I decided to throw in the towel for the night.

Now I sit here wondering if the saw is defective or if I am just plain stupid. Honestly I'm leaning toward the later right now. I guess I'll sit down and read the manual this evening. Maybe I can do it without giving myself a papercut. Anyway these immortal words keep ringing in my head:


"Before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses."

[Mike Goetzke]

I recieved my replacement saw from Amazon today. The handle was laying loose in the box. I reassembled the saw and everything seemed to be working correctly, however this is the first sliding miter saw I've ever operated so what do I know. Being the man that I am I grabbed a piece of scrap wood and jumped in. To make a very, very short story even shorter, the saw grabbed the scrap wood and gave me a new tatoo dead in the center of my forehead. After wiping away the blood and picking my ego up off the floor I decided to throw in the towel for the night.

Now I sit here wondering if the saw is defective or if I am just plain stupid. Honestly I'm leaning toward the later right now. I guess I'll sit down and read the manual this evening. Maybe I can do it without giving myself a papercut. Anyway these immortal words keep ringing in my head:


"Before we use any power tools, let's take a moment to talk about shop safety. Be sure to read, understand, and follow all the safety rules that come with your power tools. Knowing how to use your power tools properly will greatly reduce the risk of personal injury. And remember this: there is no more important safety rule than to wear these — safety glasses."

Wow - glad you didn't get hurt too bad.

I'm just a hobbiest but did you support the piece well (even clamp it)? And from experience the cut off will be launched if it isn't supported by the fence. It's really not a good idea to cut short pieces that can't be clamped on a miter saw.

Good luck today!

Mike

[Eric Stiles]

Just hurt my ego. I went down and cut a few more boards this morning. Everything went fine. Now I know why they put those clamps on the saw.

BTW...All my stupidity aside - this is an awesome saw. 1000% better than my old 10" delta.

[David Wambolt]

I got my replacement saw today, it was also damaged in shipping. It looked 100x better than the first, but the casting had a crack in it below the head stop on the left rear of the motor assembly. It seems something was sat or dropped onto the top of the box which pushed the head of the saw downwards, breaking the casting since it was already in it's stopped position. The top of my box had all of the staples ripped out and had been retaped. Round three, fight!

[glenn bradley]

Sliding saws cut from front to back unlike a RAS. Blade should be negative hook. Glad you weren't hurt worse. Take care and enjoy.

[Bobby Nicks]

I got my replacement saw today, it was also damaged in shipping. It looked 100x better than the first, but the casting had a crack in it below the head stop on the left rear of the motor assembly. It seems something was sat or dropped onto the top of the box which pushed the head of the saw downwards, breaking the casting since it was already in it's stopped position. The top of my box had all of the staples ripped out and had been retaped. Round three, fight!

That's the same damage that my saw had. Like something heavy was dropped on the box causing the head to go down cracking the casting.

My replacement is supposed to arrive today. Hope I'm lucky this time.

Bob

[David Wambolt]

Amazon refused to ship another saw and sent me a canned email stating this was a wide spread problem and they needed to remedy it first. I sent them a stern email saying get me another saw, or I'll no longer be an Amazon.com customer. I also had them refer to my purchase history which they replied was "exceptional" and I was now a "valuable" customer. They made a one time exception and a third saw is enroute. Oh boy, I can hardly wait.

The bottom line is, between the first two saws I can make one good one by simply pulling the brushes and swapping the motor/handle assembly. My first saw has no casting damage, but a broken lamp assembly. The second saw has the cracked casting, but the handle is just fine. So push come to shove, I will have a working saw during this last attempt.

[rodney mitchell]

David, that is unbelievable. This is the first time I have ever ordered anything that I am literally expecting it to be damaged. I am still waiting on my original shipment.

Rodney

[David Wambolt]

Rodney,

When you see the packaging, you'll understand even better the problems with shipping this saw. This is an area where Makita falls behind other vendors. When I ordered my Bosch 4212L, it came in a box roughly the same size as the Makita, packed in soft dense foam (not that brittle stuff). It was in perfect condition. For the Makita, there is a gap between the top of the box and the saw assembly. All they have to prevent shifting of the saw is some small pieces of cardboard. Great for general transport, not good for UPS. I opened that box last night and was relieved to see everything where it should be. Even the extension supports were still in the right place, not just floating around in the box like my first saw. The 'woohoo' ended when I pulled it out of the box. I can and can't believe it. If I did not sell my C10FSH, I would have just gotten a refund at this point. It's a nice saw, but I can tell I'm going to hate the miter gauge placement. The saw slides very nicely and the table swings very easily.

[rodney mitchell]

David, It is just such a waste that they don't package it better. That is a very expensive, precision tool. Instead of being excited about mine coming in, I am actually kind of dreading opening up the box.

RM

[Stan Welborn]

Mine was recieved in great shape, but I can tell you, from somebody who spent 20years working for UPS, the packaging is crap. So much so, I doubt UPS honors any damage claims on this unit. Deliverying 15 million packages a day, the average for lost, late, or damaged shipments is well less than 1 claim in 10,000 packages. (or it was 7 yrs ago) What do you think the ratio of damages for this saw is? One in 10?:eek:

[Bobby Nicks]

Well my 2nd saw just arrived and it's worst than the first one. The box is beat all to hell, the cover is off the back of the motor with all the wires exposed, the safety button (switch) on the handle is missing and isn't in the box. That’s just looking in the box without removing the saw.

Now I have 2 saws to send back. I don't want another one, I'll take a refund.

Bob

[Kevin Murdock]

Well my 2nd saw just arrived and it's worst than the first one. The box is beat all to hell, the cover is off the back of the motor with all the wires exposed, the safety button (switch) on the handle is missing and isn't in the box. That’s just looking in the box without removing the saw.

Now I have 2 saws to send back. I don't want another one, I'll take a refund.

Bob


Yikes... that's not good.

I live in Cary, NC as well and I ordered one from Amazon and it came last week... but I've just been too busy to open the box.

I better open it up and check it soon.

/Kevin

[Brian Rice]

My first 14" Makita CMS came with a severely damaged box which either opened in transit and was taped shut or was repackaged by sender with a rebuilt or damaged unit. I called Amazon and asked if I should open the box or return it. They said to return it and are sending me a UPS label for the return.
In the meantime, they sent me another saw via 2 day delivery which my wife tells me arrived in a perfect box. I was very impressed with the no hassle return policy of Amazon. I have had other saws delivered by UPS/amazon with no problems. I am wondering if the vendor is sending out repackaged saws in previously opened boxes versus UPS delivery damage. I get a lot of stuff via UPS and it comes through just fine.
I will be home soon to inspect the saw. Hopefully I will have a working one between the 2 in the boxes. As I recall, the original Makita packaging is quite good and idiot proof.
I would not give up on Amazon, I am impressed with their 'no questions aksed' return policy. If you do not like it, send it back and get it locally. Brian

[Joe McMahon]

I ordered the Makita LS1214FL sliding compound saw when it was on sale for $452. UPS delivered it today while I was out and it was signed for by my 80 year old mother-in-law.

I got home and noticed the staples holding the top together were missing and there was a lot of tape holding the top together. One side of the box was wet, soaking wet. As I lifted the box, something metal clanged inside the box. As I set it down, the top popped open.

Inside was the saw. One of the fences was rattling around loose as was a socket wrench. The saw was covered with dust and dirt and it was wet. There was a clear plastic bag with the instructions inside and a broken piece of clear plastic.

A new saw at $452 is a bargain. A damaged saw at $452 is junk. I got on line to call Amazon. You have to give them your number and they call you back. I received a call right away and got a machine voice then a lot of clicks. A distant voice said "Hi dees eez Bub, Ow can I heylp you?"

If his name is Bob, then my name is Rasheed. Obviously I was talking to customer service in New Deli or Bombay. I told him my issue and he responded to my call for help by saying "Da machine computor ez down. You mus call back en two hours." and he hung up.

Next I went on line and was told to pack it up and send it back. I ordered a replacement saw and put a note in the box and proceeded to tape it up. I then had to lug the 75 pound box down the stairs and to my truck for the trip to UPS. I got to UPS and had to drag the same 75 pound box up their steps and through a narrow door. Passing through the door my watch got caught on the door and the band broke. I finally got it inside and after paying $49.20, it is on the way back to Amazon.

My back hurts, my watch is broken, I'm out another $50 and I don't have a saw, I wasted ten minutes of my life on the phone with "Bub" and if I don't get a replacement by April, I will miss the free 18 volt drill offered with the saw.

Several hours later I got an e-mail from Amazon. They say that they will ship a new saw and I will have it in two days. They will credit my account the $49.20.

I'm still pissed about my sore back & broken watch & I ain't none too pleased about Rasheed (Bub), but if they do what they promise, I guess that is about the best anyone could do.

Is it me or has UPS been doing a major screwup as of late? It seems that quite a few of their items arrive pretty banged up.

Sometimes, the Amazon bargain, AIN'T!

[Dar Lounsbury]

I received an email from Amazon stating another saw is already on the way via 2 day delivery. Should be here the 8th. Here is hoping it makes it in one piece.

2 Day or ground, it seems like the same people send it and the same people drive it out to the house. Where does it get handled better? Or just quicker?

Seems like everyone here agrees that UPS are bagage manglers and Fedex is not much different. How does one ship something and EXPECT it to get there OK. Is it all in how it gets packed?

Here I sit with what seems like a mile of crown, casing and base and no saw. Wife is about to rent a $aw or hire a contractor. ugh.

'Ding-Ding' Round Two

[Dar Lounsbury]

Day 2 and the saw arrived as promised. Box had a fist sized hole in side and the had been re-taped and new staples at one end. OK, I'm very doubtful. Surprise, the saw seems intact but I have not plugged it in yet. One little wingnut thingie missing but I still have the other saw. One good saw WILL come from this adventure. Did notice that second saw had one piece of additional cardboard supporting the handle end of the arm. Just missing from the first box or an attemp to fix shipping problem by Makita, you guess.

These things are HEAVY to carry, I will have to get one of the roll around saw stands to move when outside of shop.

Has anyone used the optional stops for crown moulding? Are they worthwhile or just another gadjet. They look helpful. About to make first attemp at crown.

Off to play with new toy.

[David Wambolt]

I got my third saw today and I'm happy to report it arrived undamaged. It was delivered on it's side, with the bottom of the box ripped open, the top of the box just about ripped open, a hole in the box. I saw it was like like.. FUDGE! :)

However after pulling it out of the box there wasn't a scratch to be found. It's time to celebrate. Oh wait... I need to lug two of those saws around so UPS can pick them up. Son of a...

[Ronald Thompson]

Sounds like ALL of them are damaged lately. Got mine sometime last year. It arrived safe, sound and functional. Maybe UPS has it "in" for Amazon.
Who takes the loss for all these damaged items? Some of the boxes sound as if they were damaged in transit, but not all of them.
Ron