Power Saws Reviews

I have owned this little baby for about 7 months now. I have used it on a lot of different material, from steel to concrete to pavement ect... . I tell you, it really cuts great. I have never had a problem with this saw. I highly recommend this saw.

Ive been doing serious projects on boats, houses for 15 years, this saw is perfect for over your head tight places or just cutting on your work bench. I have a skill worm 77, a makita 8 inch saw, when I open my tool drawer I reach for my makita 5 1/2 inch saw.

This is a great circular saw-especially for the price. It includes a rip guide and an extra blade-try beating that with any other good brand!

It's nothing too fancy, but it has everything you need. It's very well balanced, it's strong, and it's a whole lot quieter than other saws (with ear plugs it's almost pleasant sounding).

I tried a left handed PC that just didn't work for me. Buying this I thought it would be comparable, but I ended up liking everything about this saw better. The blade that it came with made smoother cuts and it just feels better in your hands. Heck, the lcd light has even come in handy a time or two.

Bottom line-there's nothing not to like about this saw and there's no better deal out there for a top notch saw.

If you are looking for a great saw with the blade on the left side, this is the one. As a carpenter I use the saw day in and day out. It has a nice feel and balance. There's plenty of power with the 15 amp motor. My favorite feature is the lever angle adjustment. No more fiddling with a little knob when I go to change angles. My supervisor tried out the saw and wishes that he would have gotten this one instead of his DeWalt. Way to go Makita on a great saw.

I bought one on a special as the 5000NBK came out with a light, as I do not work in the dark and my eye sight is 20-20 the 5000NB fit my needs and budget very well. It is powerful, smooth and easy to handle. It just fits my hand and there is no fighting to keep it on the marked line. The lazer light line saws were not to my liking and this saw does all of my fine cutting, so if you see one on closeout, don't hesitate to add it to your toolbox. You won't find a better saw at a better price!
Art Groth

This is the best recipicating saw ever. We had recently purchased a fixer up house and it helped us out in every aspect. We owed cheaper name brands and they just didn't hold up to the power that this one has.

I have owned this saw for the last few years. It is the perfect tool for my application. Being a cabinetmaker, I am often using smaller mouldings on my installations, and this saw was perfect for my needs. It was light weight, very accurate and had a great capacity for larger mouldings.
Everyone who used this tool on jobsites just loved it! Three of the contractors that I work with even purchased one for themselves.
But, all good things must come to an end. For last week my beloved 7 1/2" miter saw was stolen from a jobsite along with a few other choice tools!
O.K. just contact Amazon and order another one right? Wrong! Makita discontinued it. I even called Makita directly to try and find one anywhere in the USA. No luck!
So I ask you Makita ! WHY ?.................

working with large dimension roughsawn lumber is very hard on tools. The makita has been an incredible saw. Not only can I cut a full dimension 6x6, but the cut is dead on accurate and smooth as glass (compliments the included makita blade. others dont' match. 9 months of continuous hard use and the saw has not given me any trouble and still cuts crown moulding perfectly. This saw, though expensive, is worth every penny. my only suggestion is a more effective dust bag. It works, but fills up way too quickly. buy this saw, you won't be dissapointed.

I researched 12" sliders for several weeks. I read the reviews from several web sites, borrowed a saw to test, went to the stores to see them in person, asked my friends who are brand loyal. Each saw had their strong points, but it comes down to this - What will you primarily us the saw for? I do mostly finish work, custom trim, occasionally larger construction. I need precision and portability.
For comparison, I have a Hitachi 10FCH, a straight forward compound miter saw with laser. The laser is mounted on the lower part of the saw arm, and works extremely well. The saw is light enough to carry up several flights of stairs without too much grief, and it has proven to be very accurate for trim and crown. I've used it outside in the Florida summer and New York winter, never skipped a beat, never bogged down. The dust bag catches about 85% of the saw dust.
I needed a saw to do bigger moldings, nested crown, finish cabinetry work, as well as rough construction tasks. I preferred the larger base of the Makita, versus the DeWalt's mini swivel. Delicate trim, wider nested crown - much easier to work with on a broader base. The slide out table extensions are a nice plus (they only adjust about 3"), extra handles for carrying as well. It's worth noting that the swivel action is the smoothest of them all. The slide action is ridiculously smooth as well, and rock steady.
I need to carry it in and out of customer's homes. Not going to happen with the Rigid or Hitachi (although they may make excellent jobsite saws - large base, front controls, and massive - like tying to carry a buffalo). The soft start feature is really nice, it doesn't jump the material off your mark. The direct drive motor is bull-strong, and very quiet compared to the screaming howl of the DeWalt. A customer friendly attribute.
It needs to work outside occasionally. The only non-mandatory thing on this saw is the laser. To be perfectly honest, I'm not that impressed with it. (My Hitachi is dead nuts on, no matter where the blade is). To set a standard measure point, the blade must be in the raised position - that puts the laser module more than 14" from the work surface, so as you bring the blade down 6-plus inches of travel- the laser line moves a touch to the left. A little frustrating when working with stupid expensive hardwood molding that I'm trying to trim a 16th off of. Sort of eliminates the point of having it in the first place. It does work, it just takes getting used to. It is well constructed, very durable all around. I feel comfortable that it will last out in the unexpected rain and around new construction sites. No bells and whistles or cheesy plastic knobs to break off. My dad has the 10" slider version, 5 years old and it's as accurate as the day he got it. Although I am a big fan and user of Bosch tools, on their 5412L it just seemed that I would break something.
The dust bag gets about 50% on a good day, depending on the blade type and material being cut. The blade that comes with the saw - a 70 tooth crosscut - is really nice. I use a 96 tooth Diablo blade for really fine miter cuts, and it basically makes powder, so only a vacuum can help there. The fence is tall and sturdy enough, although I do like the DeWalt sliding design better.
All in all, a great saw. Durable, very smooth, not extremely heavy, quieter than most saws, and capable of handling everything that I throw at it. I use it on a TracRac T3 stand, which I'm thrilled with as well. The laser just takes getting used to. It could use front controls for the bevel, but the current design works and has durability on its side. I had no quality control issues, it came shipped in an intact box. Being assembled in the USA is a nice plus.

We have used ours for 3 years now and it has to be the best tools we have for yard work. It will actually cut down trees (small ones). It trims, it de-limbs, cuts firewood, clears brush, cooks dinner (grin). We were a little skeptical when we bought it but it has turned into one of our most used tools. It works as described and more. It is also very tough (It gets dropped a lot) and has never failed. We bought an extra battery and recommend that for long days in the yard. The NiMH battery lasts over an hour of heavy use. I would give it 6 stars if I could.