Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
Guys! I am looking to invest in a cordless
mitre saw! Lugging the old DW717 in and out of the van is getting annoying! I am invested in both Makita (9 batteries) and Dewalt (5 batteries) lineups so that narrows my choices down to both companies offerings! The extra rpm and cut capacity of the Makita are appealing but the XPS and overall quality (from what I’ve read and heard) of the Dewalt are great! What do you guys think? Here in Aus the Dewalt
is $600-$700, the Makita is $1000!
Thanks in advance!
marsh942 wrote:
Guys! I am looking to invest in a cordlessmitre saw! Lugging the old DW717 in and out of the van is getting annoying! I am invested in both Makita (9 batteries) and Dewalt (5 batteries) lineups so that narrows my choices down to both companies offerings! The extra rpm and cut capacity of the Makita are appealing but the XPS and overall quality (from what I’ve read and heard) of the Dewalt are great! What do you guys think? Here in Aus the Dewalt
is $600-$700, the Makita is $1000!
Thanks in advance!
I’ve never used either but have contemplated both for myself. I’m pretty sure I would go with the Dewalt myself but that is definitely not based on experience, just what I have read on here and videos I’ve watched. With that price difference I would probably be looking pretty hard at the Dewalt. Keep us posted on what you get!
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If it’s going to see heavy use the Makita will be better, but since you have a corded backup, the Dewalt will work for a lower price and only tie up one battery.
I actually bought both to try them out and ultimately kept the Makita and sold the Dewalt.
They both work very well so you can’t go wrong with either. I like the base of the Dewalt better and I really liked the xps light, although it isn’t as bright as the one you would find on the corded models. It cut 2×4’s well but struggled a bit with hardwoods, but still cut through if you let the blade do the work.
The Makita has a bigger crosscut capacity and the 5800 rpm really makes a difference in cutting power and speed in soft and hardwood. When using them side by side it is apparent that the makita is much more powerful, as it should be with 36v. The Makita dust collection with the bag attached is also much better. I think the faster rpm causes a suction that funnels the dust into the bag better. What I don’t like about the Makita is that there is no laser or led and it has a slightly smaller depth of cut compared to the dewalt.
I do like that dewalt only uses 1 battery but the 2 battery system gives the Makita a ton of power. The differences aren’t enough to make you switch tool companies but if you have both I would recommend the makita for the points above. The Dewalt is a great companion to a corded saw and the Makita is a corded replacement in my opinion.
Thanks for the replies! I would mostly be cutting teak/merbau/modwood decking/cladding, 100-200mm x 20mm Tasmanian oak and some 90x45mm framing or 70x22mm battens. Very rarely some hardwood stair treads (200x45mm as an average). Quality of cut would be pretty critical and dust extraction is definitely an important feature as I’d like to reduce clean up time. Some reviews would sway me towards the dewalt although it sounded like it was struggling with some of the hardwoods tested. Decisions decisions! The dw717 is a great saw, excellent in fact but lifting it in and out of the van isn’t ideal and the dust extraction is very average.
I would go with the Makita based on what I have seen and heard. The Makita cuts very well for a cordless tool.
I wish I could weight in. They both have good features, it looks like the Makita has the extra capacity and power but the Dewalt has the more solid looking base and the XPS lighting feature and of the research I did prior to buying my Kapex, the Dewalt corded saw features kept it close in my final decision. The Dewalt saw has an incredibly stable well built base. I will say the Makita has the four pole slider which looks really solid and is featured on a couple of their saws already. It sounds like your a pro and the run time offered by both batteries might be something your looking into. Looks like a toss up to me. Dewalt = Win. Makita = Win. 🙂
I have the DeWalt and got to learn about it from the media event I attended. I don’t know anything about the makita.
One thing to mention about the DeWalt is that they made a saw blade just for that unit. It was designed to prolong the life of the battery. Off the top of my head, I’m not sure what made it different, but if you switch the type of blade at some point, you may see some decline in performance. Like I said, I’m not sure about the makita. They may have the same setup.
tugnut1 wrote:
28 minutes ago, tugnut1 said:I have the DeWalt and got to learn about it from the media event I attended. I don’t know anything about the makita.
One thing to mention about the DeWalt is that they made a saw blade just for that unit. It was designed to prolong the life of the battery. Off the top of my head, I’m not sure what made it different, but if you switch the type of blade at some point, you may see some decline in performance. Like I said, I’m not sure about the makita. They may have the same setup.
I didn’t know this. Interesting. The makita blade I’ve seen on the saw and advertised with the saw are available off the shelf, the
same as the 7 1/2″ blades as they use on
the small corded saw. Those dewalt blades I’m guessing will be a special order item here in Aus. Do they make them in 24 tooth only, do you know?
tugnut1 wrote:
I have the DeWalt and got to learn about it from the media event I attended. I don’t know anything about the makita.
One thing to mention about the DeWalt is that they made a saw blade just for that unit. It was designed to prolong the life of the battery. Off the top of my head, I’m not sure what made it different, but if you switch the type of blade at some point, you may see some decline in performance. Like I said, I’m not sure about the makita. They may have the same setup.
Makes me wonder if I shouldn’t just slap a diablo on every saw I buy before I even test out the blade that came with it from the factory.
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tugnut1 wrote:
2 hours ago, tugnut1 said:One thing to mention about the DeWalt is that they made a saw blade just for that unit. It was designed to prolong the life of the battery. Off the top of my head, I’m not sure what made it different, but if you switch the type of blade at some point, you may see some decline in performance. Like I said, I’m not sure about the makita. They may have the same setup.
There’s tests out there that have proven this to be a load, Diablo is king. In a test on youtube the Diablo increased the cut quantity of 2×4 something like 50 times, having trouble finding it now though, it’s been a while. I ran the stock blade for a week just to have a feel for what it was they were trying to market (Dewalt truly makes some awful saw blades so I was intrigued) and found it good to use for cutting things you would normally NOT do with a quality blade like cut PVC (I find it melts a bit and coats the sides of a blade making it reduce cut quality and is very difficult to remove). Switching to the Diablo proved to me that it’s superior in every metric, especially cutting PT lumber which I do frequently.
That said, battery life on a tool like this is the absolutely last thing I care about. I’d gladly take 50% more cut power and RPM for half of the battery life. I can swap batteries, I can’t give the saw more power.
kruton wrote:
2 hours ago, kruton said:Makes me wonder if I shouldn’t just slap a diablo on every saw I buy before I even test out the blade that came with it from the factory.
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That is my new approach. I put a Diablo blade on my new Bosch glide miter before I ever made a cut.
I don’t even consider the manufacture blades that come with
Jimbo
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This is a tool supplier here in Australia who show the DLS714 (xsl02) in use on YouTube. The cut quality doesn’t look great. A lot of tear out on the face. If you search for DLS714 it can be found near the top and its 1:56. Hmmm. Unsure if im
allowed to post the link here?
marsh942 wrote:
This is a tool supplier here in Australia who show the DLS714 (xsl02) in use on YouTube. The cut quality doesn’t look great. A lot of tear out on the face. If you search for DLS714 it can be found near the top and its 1:56. Hmmm. Unsure if imallowed to post the link here?
Just keep this in mind when posting links is all:
http://www.professional-power-tool-guide.com/power-tool-forum/index.php?/topic/7495-Rule—-Update
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Is this the video?
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KnarlyCarl wrote:
5 minutes ago, KnarlyCarl said:Just keep this in mind when posting links is all:
http://www.professional-power-tool-guide.com/power-tool-forum/index.php?/topic/7495-Rule—-Update
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Is this the video?
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Thanks for the heads up! Yeah that’s the one, that cut quality just seems a bit off, interesting to see if a better blade helps.
Yeah, I watch the Our Build stuff frequently, great channel and excellent reviews! @james10million I’ve watched that video 3-4 times!
Thanks for the shout out mate!
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marsh942 wrote:
Thanks for the heads up! Yeah that’s the one, that cut quality just seems a bit off, interesting to see if a better blade helps.
Yeah, I watch the Our Build stuff frequently, great channel and excellent reviews! @james10million I’ve watched that video 3-4 times!
KnarlyCarl wrote:
Even better, thanks to@james10million–
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Haha, cheers mate, it’s a powerful saw!
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james10million wrote:
Thanks for the shout out mate!Sent from my 0PJA10 using Tapatalk
Good stuff man.
Hey do you get customers permission before shooting your vids on their property?
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James10million,
seeing how you have reviewed both the Makita and the Metabo cordless miter saw which one do you prefer?
Took the plunge this afternoon! Had a very quick play, first impressions are great! Cut quality was better than I thought!
That puppy is on my list, but its a long list… one day…
marsh942 wrote:
3 hours ago, marsh942 said:Took the plunge this afternoon! Had a very quick play, first impressions are great! Cut quality was better than I thought!
Wow! Awesome!
I only managed a quick 10 min play with it with a few work mates, all of them very impressed after scepticism at the beginning! Saw felt great to use, nice action although different from usual with the 4 rail system! Like I said, the quality of cut, although some basic pre-primed pine skirting and basic 4×2 framing timber, was superb even on the standard 24 toother! One of my work mates has the old DLS713 and although it does the trick and gets there in the end he was less than happy after seeing the new beast!
Dang, 6.0 batteries… I’m still on 3.0 and 4.0. Nothing like a brand new toy.
marsh942 wrote:
12 hours ago, marsh942 said:I only managed a quick 10 min play with it with a few work mates, all of them very impressed after scepticism at the beginning! Saw felt great to use, nice action although different from usual with the 4 rail system! Like I said, the quality of cut, although some basic pre-primed pine skirting and basic 4×2 framing timber, was superb even on the standard 24 toother! One of my work mates has the old DLS713 and although it does the trick and gets there in the end he was less than happy after seeing the new beast!
Makita makes blades almost as bad as Dewalt does. Throw a Diablo on that thing the first chance you get and you’re grin will be ear to ear.
Hugh Jass wrote:
1 hour ago, Hugh Jass said:
Makita makes blades almost as bad as Dewalt does. Throw a Diablo on that thing the first chance you get and you’re grin will be ear to ear.
Only problem is the saw blade is 190mm (7 1/2″) and the only Diablo’s I can get are 185mm (7 1/4″). I would need to make an add-on for the rear fence so the blade cuts all the way through (I think?).
Hugh Jass wrote:
1 hour ago, Hugh Jass said:
Makita makes blades almost as bad as Dewalt does. Throw a Diablo on that thing the first chance you get and you’re grin will be ear to ear.
Some of the blades on the newer makita saws are actually better than diablo. I don’t know about the miter saw in particular though.
jeffmcmillan wrote:
32 minutes ago, jeffmcmillan said:Some of the blades on the newer makita saws are actually better than diablo. I don’t know about the miter saw in particular though.
Actually I am a pretty big fan of their blades too.
jeffmcmillan wrote:
52 minutes ago, jeffmcmillan said:Some of the blades on the newer makita saws are actually better than diablo. I don’t know about the miter saw in particular though.
Give me a model number on the blades you like, I’ll do a side by side. I’ve tested just about everything except for commercial grade blades (like Forest) and have been pretty unimpressed with anything after using Diablo.
marsh942 wrote:
1 hour ago, marsh942 said:Only problem is the saw blade is 190mm (7 1/2″) and the only Diablo’s I can get are 185mm (7 1/4″). I would need to make an add-on for the rear fence so the blade cuts all the way through (I think?).
I don’t think so. You’re talking about a radius of only 1/8th of an inch difference, the hook angle at the end of the cut would be different but I still think you’d get a complete cut. I’d be giving it a try though, 7 1/2″ is far less common.
The Makita blades that come with new tools are much better than the ones you buy in a store. For some reason they don’t even sell the same blades in stores that come with the tools. The Makita blades that are mostly for sale here are ‘Bluemak’ and they are nowhere near as good as the plain silver ones that came with my mitresaw, tablesaw, and circular saws. Even the Makita reps I deal with say the same thing, off the shelf Makita blades are crap but the ones that come with the tool are great and I tend to agree.
marsh942 wrote:
6 hours ago, marsh942 said:Only problem is the saw blade is 190mm (7 1/2″) and the only Diablo’s I can get are 185mm (7 1/4″). I would need to make an add-on for the rear fence so the blade cuts all the way through (I think?).
There is a screw that stops the depth of the blade. All you have to do is adjust that screw to lower the blade a little more so that 7 1/4″ blades will work. If you put a 7 1/2″ blade back on later you have to remember to adjust that screw again so you don’t damage the saw.
Marcv76 wrote:
57 minutes ago, Marcv76 said:There is a screw that stops the depth of the blade. All you have to do is adjust that screw to lower the blade a little more so that 7 1/4″ blades will work. If you put a 7 1/2″ blade back on later you have to remember to adjust that screw again so you don’t damage the saw.
Learn something new every day! Diablo blade it is (after I get some use out the standard)! Thanks!! You should put those cut videos up here to show people the cut quality!
Tool Lover 69 wrote:
On 5/14/2016 at 0:14 AM, Tool Lover 69 said:The Makita blades that come with new tools are much better than the ones you buy in a store. For some reason they don’t even sell the same blades in stores that come with the tools. The Makita blades that are mostly for sale here are ‘Bluemak’ and they are nowhere near as good as the plain silver ones that came with my mitresaw, tablesaw, and circular saws. Even the Makita reps I deal with say the same thing, off the shelf Makita blades are crap but the ones that come with the tool are great and I tend to agree.
Well that’s logical, lol. Look down this list and tell me if any of these match what you’re saw came with.
Hugh Jass wrote:
5 hours ago, Hugh Jass said:
Well that’s logical, lol. Look down this list and tell me if any of these match what you’re saw came with.
Nope.