Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

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Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

Makita has one of the largest lines of power tools on the market.  They are known for making quality tools that offer best in class performance.  While they are known for a lot of different tools, they really stand out and are known for their cordless line.  When it comes to miter saws, they aren’t always the first company that comes to mind for most contractors.  Well, that’s about to change, so let’s jump into the Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review – Overview

When I first saw the Makita LS1019L in Dallas on our Makita trip, I thought it was cool, but it didn’t make me turn my head.  Not because of the saw or the technology, but because I am stubborn.  At the time I was already sold on the Dewalt DWS780 as being the king of miter saws and for a shop saw, the Bosch CM12SD Glide Saw as it saves room on your work bench.  I didn’t need to be sold on a new saw.

Let me just tell you I was dead wrong.  Now I am not knocking the Dewalt or the Bosch, but the Makita is an incredible saw that in my eyes, is the first to give Dewalt and Bosch a run for their money.  In fact, I am pretty sure the Makita LS1019L is my new favorite miter saw even though it’s a 10″ compared to the 12″ saws.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review – Features

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

What you’re looking at above (The Rail System) is what makes this saw so unique.  Most miter saws have the rails in the back which is fine unless you have a work bench or are working in the back of your trailer or other tight spots.  Rails in the back prevent you from using a miter saw in these confined spaces as the rails will hit the wall in the back.  Bosch released a Glide saw which overcomes tight space obstacles by using an articulating arm.  A great system, but it comes with weight.  With the Makita saw, the rails are mounted on the side so this is perfect even for confined spaces.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

Above you are looking at an innovative way to change your bevel.  Instead of reaching behind the saw to change your bevel, just turn the knob, which is located in the front of the saw.  Once you have your desired bevel either by a positive stop or your choosing, you can lock the handle back in place.  This is such a cool idea and once the bevel position is in place, you can bet it will stay there cut after cut.

The black against the chrome contrast makes it easy to read your bevel angles.  There is even an override button to push your bevel cuts up to 48°.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

One feature I love about this saw is the size of the table or base.  I am so used to a small top so I was happy to see a larger top on this unit.  Even with the large top it only weighs 58 lbs.

The miter capacity is 0-60° left and right.  As with other miter saw this offers positive stops and is locked with the front knob.  This also features an override to zip past the positive stops.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

The 15 Amp motor (3,200RPM) is mounted on an angle and is one of the reasons this saw has a large capacity.  So here are the stats: 6-5/8” Crown Molding (vertically nested) and 5-1/4” baseboard (vertical) cutting capacity.  Does this capacity sound like a 10″ or 12″? Weird because it’s a 10″ saw.

The right sided D-Handle is like other handles we have seen in the miter saw category. However since safety is a concern, we love the design of this push button safety feature. Some miter saws we have tested have an unusual safety switch that is hard to operate. With the Makita LS1019L, the push button is easy to operate with your right thumb.

The saw features a highly visible red laser to help see where you are cutting.  There is an on/off switch located on the top of the saw.  For those who want the laser in the exact spot where they are cutting, you will be disappointed as it’s not designed to be used like that. The laser is designed to be used for a left of cut or right of cut which you can make easy adjustments.  Which I personally like.

The dust management system is built in where you can attach a bag or even better, a dust collection system.  There is a hose provided to allow you to easily hook this up to your dust system.

To unlock the rail system and the chop capability, there is a black knob that you can pull out to set.  Very easy to use and you won’t have any worries about it accidentally getting hit back into a different position.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

The saw is equipped with a large spring that makes moving the saw up and down very easy, smooth and lets you have more control over your cut.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

The miter saw is set up so a user can mount the saw to their bench or a miter saw stand.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

The saw comes with one clamp which is a quality clamp and holds the work in place without it slipping.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

While the fence doesn’t slide outward, it is removable with a simple thumb screw.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

On the top of the saw, you can adjust the depth of cut for trench cuts.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

The blade guard is clear which not only makes seeing your work and cut easier but also allows you to be safer since you are not leaning over to watch the cut.

The saw features extensions on both sides of the saw to help support your work.  You can move them in and out easily, plus lock them in place using a thumb screw.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review – Performance

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review

So we know this saw has a ton of cool and unique features but how does it perform?  For me, it’s one of the best Miter saws we have tested.  The direct drive motor is not only powerful but extremely smooth to use and operate.  The electric brake is another cool feature to help with the overall safety of this saw.

Our saw was dead on accurate right out of the box which was a nice breath of fresh air.  No fumbling around with lining things up.  We just had to install the blade and we were set to cut.

No matter what you are cutting, this saw is like driving a new Cadillac where everything is running smooth and everything seems well engineered.

The dust management system is one of the best we have seen and that is using the bag or hooked up to a dust collector.  Even cutting a 4×6, the saw was able to collect a majority of the dust.

As you can see even with the bag the saw does an awesome job collecting debris.

As you can see with a dust collection system this is almost efficient enough to use in an operation room.  Okay maybe that is a stretch, but the saw performs when it comes to collecting shavings when attached to a dust extraction system.

One item that makes me question the design of the saw is the fence.  While the saw has an incredible capacity, for some reason you can only remove the fences.  The fences do not slide or flip over to help support your work.  So if you are looking to cut something where you need to bevel with a tall capacity (crown molding), but you need the support of the fence, you might be out of luck.  Sure you can keep one fence in place and remove the other fence, but we would love to see support on both sides during this application.  I really wish they designed this with a sliding fence or some other way to support your work.

Making miter cuts is a breeze and I love the front adjustable bevel.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review – Value

The saw retails for about $550 which is in line or a little higher than some of the other 10″ miter saws.  Considering that this saw might let you keep your heavy 12″ back at the shop makes this a great buy for the price.  The quality of the saw is amazing and for $550 it’s a great buy.

Makita LS1019L Miter Saw Review – Final Thoughts

Overall this is a great saw.  My biggest complaint is the fencing system and not being able to slide the fence to support certain types of applications.

If you aren’t going to be working with wood that will require the support of the fence for bevel cuts, this is a great saw to own. Makita designed a quality and high performance saw that is extremely smooth and powerful.

The dust collection is one of the best we have seen along with it being one of the smoothest saw to operate.  The rail system is located on the side is a genius way to make this the perfect saw even for tight spaces.  I don’t work with crown molding so I think I found my new favorite sliding miter saw.

27 COMMENTS

  1. I am glad to see that the outboard supports can be moved in for transport. On many of their older saws, that I have owned in the past, the supports always ended up collecting dust in a parts drawer because they could not be adjusted, and were just in the way when being shuffled around on or to and from the job site.

    Can’t wait to see the cordless version of this saw.

  2. Not a makita fan, and they have dropped the ball on their miter saws within the last 6 years or so producing garbage (aside form a strong directvdrive motor) but this Saw is the best 10 inch on the market aside from the overpriced festool kapex. I will be picking one up. I like having one 10 inch and one 12. Dws780 is the best 12″ and this here I would consider the best 10.

    • I am a fan of Makita tools and know that even their worst offerings have always been superior to lesser makes like DeWhatever. The opinion of a person who considers Festool products “overpriced” (no, you actually have to pay for quality and engineering, just like how you should have to pay for masterful carpentry/woodworking) and who lauds the offerings of DeWalt who are, at best, a perfectly-suited range of tools for the discerning weekend DIYer or an earnest apprentice. I’m ordering one of these saws, just as soon as I complete this post. Thanks for the HELPFUL reviews.

  3. Thanks. Appreciate comments from a weekend apprentice. Like the large table, easy access bevel handle. Just picked it up. Will let you know how it works

  4. I just purchased one of these this morning to replace a Kapex that died after only 13 months. Please before you consider buying a Kapex go to the Festool Owners Group forums. Motors are burning up, saw is underpowered. I hope I can get it fixed and sell it.

    • Hey Arthur, Ill buy your Kapex from you since you don’t want it. Festool may have had some issues with some saws, but I have had mine for 11-1/2 years when it finally quit, December 15, 2021. I had 2 Makitas LS1013 had nothing but trouble trying to achieve quality cuts, went and bought Festool Kapex 120 and fell in love with its accurate cutting and ease of use. Oh, about my Kapex, I ordered a new switch, mother board and brushes, and it is running again like a champ! Changed everything myself for $250.00 . Changing parts on them is easy. Festool Kapex made woodworking FUN again!

  5. So, your comment about the tall fences being in the way. The past 2 makita miter saws that I have owned I immediately removed these and never put them back on. I am a professional finish carpenter, I cut and install 7 1/2″ crown on almost every house that we trim. Cut your crown laying flat and you’ll never go back to cutting it standing up. Also, every Makita I’ve owned has a cheat sheet sticker on it somewhere for the crown angles (31.6°, 33.9°). Also always have these positive stops. No use in a tall fence for me.

  6. Did you notice any alignment issues where the saw head and the slide rails don’t align with each other or track parallel to each other…… like the Wood Whisperer found with 2 of these saws?

  7. Did Makita fix the pivot bearing that wears down and catches making it difficult to cut without manually lifting the guard?

  8. Hello. In other articles on this site and in the Internet, I read about this model from the manufacturer Makita LS1221 12-inch Compound Metr. Can anybody tell something about her? It seems to me that it is better than the model described in this article – Makita LS1019L Miter Saw. On your site it is written that it is a very good saw, there are a lot of reviews about it on the Internet, please help with a choice.

  9. I have the Makita LS1016L saw and while I am very happy with it this model looks like it improves in two main areas.
    1) Depth required
    2) Dust Collection.

    The LS1018 never looked like enough of an improvement to justify upgrading but these would help with maximizing shop space as a proper dust hood on the 1016 would take up a lot of space. Do you concur? Maybe I can trade in or sell private my LS1016 to defer some of the cost.

  10. Hi guys…. about a month back I purchased a Brand New Makita Ls1019 compound miter. Since then, I’ve had nothing but trouble with inaccuracy, not to mention the time spent readjusting with every cut. In the beginning, I spent the first hour (after unpacking) doing the best I can adjusting the saw and making the proper Corrections (ie. Adjusting the detent plate, checking for positive zero 90°, checking and double-checking the table, the fence, as well as the saw blade itself). Still, after all that, I cannot seem to cut a perfect square cut on a 45 degree bevel without having to readjust the saw to a negative 1 1/2 degree!!! In other words, if I just finished cutting a perfect 90° square cut and then put my saw on a 45 degree bevel, the cut would be off a degree and a half!!!!!.. this problem actually caused me to cut into one of my kerf boards it was so bad!!!.. I don’t need to tell you that this is very frustrating when you’re beveling every joint on a tongue-and-groove ceiling, not to mention the time invested and having to readjust with every cut! I’m not sure if I missing something here, or the saw is just simply damaged! Either way, I’d like to know if the problem I’m having is rectifiable? I would appreciate any thoughts you may have on the matter! Thank you, sincerely Christopher Engel

    • That does suck and is a pain in the rear. I haven’t heard of this issue happening on a wide scale with other units. Maybe yours is defective. I did have a buddy drop his saw on the ground and could never get it to cut right again. He finally sent it in, Makita fixed it and is working like a champ. However, I am not sure what they fixed. I will see what they fixed.

    • Christopher, did you get the bevel sorted?
      I have a 10″ GlideSaw which does everything great except bevels.
      Cheers Paul

  11. I have been using the 12” version of this saw for 2.5 years as a contractor and hate it as well as the gravity stand that it came with. The releases for the 45 bevel are a pain to access for bevels, the fence won’t stay square and goes out over an 1/8 inch from bottom to top, making deep cuts and compound cuts impossible. Screws constantly work loose in the extensions, and bevel stop for 0 degrees constantly has to be recalibrated. The stand for it has the same issues. Way too gimmicky for someone who has to set up and tear down regularly for work. Was dead accurate for a few days but I will never but a makita mitre saw again. Literally the worst saw I have used as a contractor and I typically run makita tools. Same issues with the table saw they discontinued. Absolutely love their battery power tools, but need work if they want professionals to use their bigger saws long term.

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