Spend More For Makita LS1013FL?

[Kevin Lapham]

I picked up a 12" Ridgid CSMS [MS1290LZA]at HD's for $349 last Friday and while it appears to be a good tool per Tools of the Trade, I am having second thoughts bout it. In fact I have made a couple trips back to various HD's to check out their displays and keep wanting to look at the 10" Makita CSMS LF1013FL. I have what I think are a list of pros/ cons and I am looking for some advice on making a decsision.

Ridgid Pros:
Large Table/ Large Fence
Miter Indicator clearly marked from front of the saw
Miter Control seems to clamp nicely
61 degree bevel range in both directions
Price was $349 plus tax

Cons:
Very Large Footprint/ Heavy
Dust Guard seems bit flimsy
Seems to be a knock off of DeWalt/ Craftsman?
12" Blade with arbor mounted laser


Makita Pros:
Smaller Footprint
Smooth sliding forward and back
10" Blade [interchange with my table saw?]

Cons:
Fence seems very small, cannot be used for crown moulding?
Small bed
Miter indicator around the right side of the saw bed
Miter control looks like it will over time scar the bed and create problems?

Now I do not plan to use any miter saw professionally, and this will replace a 12 year old 10" Delta Miter saw that has seen better days and will be used purely as a chop saw for 2x4 and such. I do however plan to trim out a newly finished basement with the new saw as well as various other trim upgrades that I might make on the first floor of the house. And I want the work I do to look good and I understand the benefit of better tools, but I am having a hard time in my mind justifying $150 difference for a 10" Makita.

I should also add that when I bought the Ridgid CSMS I also bought the Ridgid rolling stand that was also on sale for $99. My thought was that saw was so large I would need it to move it down and back up the stari and after that keep in in the garage. I am unsure if the Makita will mount, or if that only adds to difficulty moving it downstairs. I like the idea though of not being down on the floor every time I go to cut something. But this will do battle in the garage with the Craftsman Radial Arm saw I "bought" and have never put the new bed on and used.

Help......:confused:

[Ben Martin]

Ridgid

Con: Made in the Far East

Makita

Pro: Assembled in the USA

I own the LS1013FL so I will be biased, but I have never once doubted my purchase. IIRC, the 10" Makita has as much capacity of cut as the 12" Ridgid, so think about new blades, blade deflection, etc. As far are crown molding is concerned, it takes 4 screws to install a sacrificial fence on it, so I wouldn't really look at that as a con. I am sure that many more will chime in on the Pros of the Makita, but I haven't used the Ridgid. Just my $0.0002

[Craig Johnson]

I have the Makita LS1040f and while it is not a slider its a great saw.
I researched for about a month before deciding.
Am not dissapointed. Great saw.

[Jim O'Dell]

Yes, the bed on the 12" Ridgid is big, but the Makita 10" slider has the biggest table of any of the 10"ers. If you want to see small, look at the Hitachi slider. I wanted the Makita LS1013FL. It was my first choice. I ended up with the Hitachi, my second choice, because of the price I got it for. If the Makita would have still been on sale at 399.00 at HD, I would have gotten it right after Christmas. As it was, in Feb I think, I was able to get the Hitachi slider for slightly over 2 bills. I've built a mobile cart for it that increases the support on the outside edges to help make up for the small table. It's a good saw, but I'd trade it and 75.00 for the Makita.
I wish Ridgid made a 10" slider. But....
As far as the MSUV, I think you'll find that the Makita will fit on it fine. I almost bought the MSUV last week to put my HF wet tile saw on. Still will one of these days. Jim.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Take the Ridgid back, and get a Makita. I've used Hitachi, Dewalt and my Makita LS1013, and window shopped the Ridgid, and I wouldn't trade the Makita for anything. OK, I'm biased.

Here's why;

The Makita is simple and just works, accuratly, every time. You listed 61 degree angle on the Ridgid as a pro, but I'd argue that it is rather a gimic. How many times will you need that feature to trim out your basement? Unless you live in a triangular house, you really don't need more then 45 or 50, which the Makita easily does. The large table also adds weight, but no real gain in capacity. In fact, I bet that if you compare the two's capacity, the smaller Makita will be extreemely close on crosscut, mine will go 12" plus a little.

The shorter fence on the Makita is a moot point as well, because the easiest way to cut crown that I know involves a sacrifical fence anyhow. If you don't want to use a sacrificial fence, that Mak will still cut crown.

I don't think you will want to swap blades to your tablesaw, and I doubt the arbor is the same.

Now for the single biggest factor, quality and durability. I have had mine for 6 years now, and it has NEVER missed a beat. I use it a lot. I have wore one good blade completely out and have got a good start on tiring out the carbide on the second. I have cut everything from the best grade sappel parts for my wifes jewlery box (need to finish that one:o), to barnwood timbers weighing 50# or so, and most things in between. I have built 11 pieces of furniture with it, a large gazebo, remodeled a basement and two woodshops, added two more good sized offices to the farm shop, and many other little projects that I've forgotten about. Last night I made a miter for a picture frame with it, and it is still exactly as tight and accurate as it was new. I know I can rely on it to cut accurate finish quality miters every project, and it has never let me down.

Not all is bad with the Ridgid though. I bought one of their drill presses, and am pretty impressed with the quality of it. I actually think it is better made then the Delta and Jet I looked at. However, it is very similar to a Craftsman type tool, which may look pretty, but soon falls apart. Ask me what I think of the Ridgid drill press in 6 years.

Oh, did I mention I'm a little biased????

[Joe Von Kaenel]

Kevin,


I have RIDGID table saw which is a great product. I also have a Makita LS1013FL SMC and really love it. It is very accurate and easy to use. I've used the compound mitering for crown molding. The SMC is much more versatile than my old Chop Saw


Joe

[Kevin Lapham]

I followed everyone's advice and took back the Ridgid, and as I put in on the cart I was glad, as I was not going to be happy lugging that big machine around!

The price on the Makita is $499 for the latest [LS1013FL], and I am wondering if the laser is that valuable as I have seen the non laser version for about $200 less. Advice?

[Michael Donahue]

I have the Ridgid that I picked up cheap on Black Friday. It is big and the dust collection is pretty bad, but otherwise it has performed beautifully. It was square out of the box and has handled everything I've thrown at it so far, including cutting 5 pieces of plywood (3/4"x13") simultaneously for the hutch/workcenter I'm building in my shop.

For $350 you really can't beat it (but now it's $550 again).

[Neal Clayton]

I followed everyone's advice and took back the Ridgid, and as I put in on the cart I was glad, as I was not going to be happy lugging that big machine around!

The price on the Makita is $499 for the latest [LS1013FL], and I am wondering if the laser is that valuable as I have seen the non laser version for about $200 less. Advice?

personally i like the laser. i don't even use pencil marks anymore. just align the laser by tape measure and go.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I followed everyone's advice and took back the Ridgid, and as I put in on the cart I was glad, as I was not going to be happy lugging that big machine around!

The price on the Makita is $499 for the latest [LS1013FL], and I am wondering if the laser is that valuable as I have seen the non laser version for about $200 less. Advice?

I don't think the laser is a valuable option personally. Seriously, how hard is it to just lower the blade to the work and see exactly where it will make contact? More accurate too. Lasers used to have a wow factor I suppose, but now everything has a laser, and they are just a little cliche IMHO.

[Kevin Lapham]

Steve,

Thanks for the advice. I can save about $200 off the normal retail by passing on the laser. That alone will pay for the Ridgid Cart and a new blade if needed.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Kevin, I happened to be at Home Depot earlier tonight, and when wandering by the row of SCMS, you have to look. Your post made me do a closer inspection of the Ridgid, again, and while I am a little partial;), I am now even more partial to the Makita.

Enjoy the new saw!

[James Hart]

I'm weighing in a bit late on this. Picked up a Makita 1013FL during the Microsoft Cashback peak. Guy on Ebay selling new, not reconditioned, for $399 plus $50 shipping. At 25% Cashback, $299 plus shipping. Not too bad for a great saw.

Jim

[Larry Edgerton]

Makita, 100%. I was at a HD this weekend looking at saws and I am not sure what model it was but I liked the Makita with the huge round table. Not sure if I would pay for the laser, but I have not tried one since PC came out with it 20 years ago. I did not like it then, I always turned it off.

I have a Makita 12" compound and it has been an awesome saw for what it is used for. It has not missed a beat, has little or no runout, and stays in adjustment. It required less tweaking when new than any chopsaw I have purchased. But...

I actually prefer to use a 10" saw for trim work. There is too much blade deflection with a 12" when doing compound cuts, and a 10" will do everything I need 99.9% of the time. I use a Hitachi 10" slide on the same bench with an old cast iron Delta 10" for most trim jobs, and keep the Makita 12" back at the shop unless really needed.

I just put together a Ridgid band saw for my brother and as far as I am concerned any company that can sell that piece of crap will never get any of my business. What a piece of junk! I have one of the Deltas that they copied, and wow did they miss the mark.

Besides, the Makita is a more pleasant color......:)

[John Hixon]

I, too, really like the laser. I have recently used this saw for a hardwood floor, and all the baseboard and shoe molding. It is correct that for the ultimate accuracy, the laser is not the best option, but for me, the quick and nearly perfect laser is great. I also often use a tape measure on the board and set the board to the laser without marking the board.

I like it.