help ive got a makita saw dilemma

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shim20

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hadleigh,suffolk
been looking at getting one im torn between the new ls1018l or the legend ls1013 which looks sturdy and well made and makita have been making them for years, but the newer one has more cutting capacity but im not sure? i wondered what people thought on here
many thanks
ben
 
I have the LS1013. Great saw but useless dust extraction especially with the silly bag but even with extraction dust goes everywhere. I constructed a dust extraction box to shroud mine with extraction from below so most of the saw was covered.

But

Very accurate, good depth stop and very well made.

Mick
 
MickCheese":323g42dr said:
I have the LS1013. Great saw but useless dust extraction especially with the silly bag but even with extraction dust goes everywhere. I constructed a dust extraction box to shroud mine with extraction from below so most of the saw was covered.

But

Very accurate, good depth stop and very well made.

Mick

thanks mick, everyone says good things about the ls1013, and im not sure how well the new ones are made?, but still look like a capable saw, but will it stay accurate in years to come, only time would tell that lol
 
shim20":332g6wyw said:
MickCheese":332g6wyw said:
everyone says good things about the ls1013

I don't and I know many other contractors that don't.

I own both the LS1013 and LS1214. They are both s**te!

They aren't built to be site saws and both have exactly the same problems. The first thing that breaks is the trigger, second is the slide lever, next up is both hold and turn rods give up and don't do as they should, the guards don't lift after a while, and the degree settings on both machines are miles out and are generally pretty rubbish at anything that needs a degree of accuracy.
I had enough of the 1013 a few weeks ago and just threw it into a skip that was on site. If money wasn't so tight, the 1214 would have gone it as well.
 
EddieJ":155ddkyo said:
shim20":155ddkyo said:
MickCheese":155ddkyo said:
everyone says good things about the ls1013

I don't and I know many other contractors that don't.

I own both the LS1013 and LS1214. They are both s**te!

They aren't built to be site saws and both have exactly the same problems. The first thing that breaks is the trigger, second is the slide lever, next up is both hold and turn rods give up and don't do as they should, the degree settings on both are miles out and they are generally pretty rubbish at anything that needs a degree of accuracy.
I had enough of the 1013 a few weeks ago and just threw it into a skip that was on site. If money wasn't so tight, 1214 would have gone it as well.

Eddie

That's really interesting. I don't move mine far from it's bench and it is merely DIY so I will be careful to treat mine with kid gloves from now on.

Mick
 
MickCheese":3cljvkem said:
Eddie

That's really interesting. I don't move mine far from it's bench and it is merely DIY so I will be careful to treat mine with kid gloves from now on.

Mick


I guess that I am being pretty harsh. I think that if left in a workshop situation you wouldn't have any problems. I should have added that I do rate the motor though. Both the 110v and 240v motors are very good and the standard blades I would rate a straight 10/10, although oddly they don't like cutting softwood after having been used on oak.

They really don't make good site saws though. :(

Shim, if you do get one, I think that I still have a new Makita table stand that you are more than welcome to have for the price of the P&P.
 
I had the LS1013 for a few years and mine was brought second hand. Used as a site saw and then as a workshop saw. Always perfect accuracy, the markers was accurate. The only thing that went on mine was the thumb trigger.

As said the DX was pants but nearly everything else was great. Truly a proven great site and workshop saw. The bad things, it was heavy and the depth stop slipped which was cured with a simple nut.

Will you ever need the extra depth? and if you do and its only once a year, would it hurt to saw by hand or use a c/saw? If no to either then go for the 1013.

One other bad thing is most tradesmen already have the 1013 so its hard to get its worth when (if) you sell it.
 
I've had a 2004-model LS1013 for almost two-years now, where I've used it solely in the workshop. It's great. I have occasionally noticed a problem where the brake wouldn't kick in after releasing the trigger but, dust appeared to be the culprit, finding its way in to the housing. Cleaning that out with a vacuum sorted it. :) I've also found that the guard sticks a bit or, doesn't fully retract, leaving a small portion at the back of the blade exposed. Removing that, cleaning off resin and generally giving the moving parts a clean definitely helped.

I've never trusted the scales on any machine and, very recently, invested in a Wixey digital angle gauge (bevel box) that could solve many setting issues.

If I were you, I'd keep looking at the LS1013. There's nothing wrong with looking at the second-hand market, either, where you could save yourself a bit of money. I'm sure I've read some negative comments on the LS1018... It doesn't seem to offer much over the LS1013. Nothing like the LS1016, anyway, which has shorter rails and an (apparently) accurate laser! If I had the money, I'd probably sell my LS1013 and upgrade to the LS1016L... :p
 
EddieJ":1hwwjgt4 said:
shim20":1hwwjgt4 said:
MickCheese":1hwwjgt4 said:
everyone says good things about the ls1013

I don't and I know many other contractors that don't.

I own both the LS1013 and LS1214. They are both s**te!

They aren't built to be site saws and both have exactly the same problems. The first thing that breaks is the trigger, second is the slide lever, next up is both hold and turn rods give up and don't do as they should, the guards don't lift after a while, and the degree settings on both machines are miles out and are generally pretty rubbish at anything that needs a degree of accuracy.
I had enough of the 1013 a few weeks ago and just threw it into a skip that was on site. If money wasn't so tight, the 1214 would have gone it as well.

Have been using a '1013 for more than 5 years with no real probs - had to shim a dummy fence ( have seen this mod on most properly set up scms ) to correct the indexing but thats about it, the dust bag is a joke, but is fairly tidy if is plumbed to a vac.It still runs true and will cut to capacity in any material I've thrown at it. No regrets buying this tool, it has been both a site and workshop saw and has payed its way.
 
thanks all for your replys all really helpful, it will be a mixture of site and workshop but mostly workshop, sounds like il have to treat it carefully,

eddie thanks for the offer of the stand i shall get back to you when i have got one
 
I have had a ls1013 for about 3 years now , used on site all the time with no problems and before that I have used them for the past 20 years I would say. God knows why Eddie doesn't think they are a site saw but everyone is entitled to their own opinion I suppose. All I can say is that everyone I know who has one and uses them ON SITE has no problems whatsoever with them apart from the fact they are a pipper to carry around :lol:

One guy I know had one for about 15 to 20 years I reckon before he had to get a new one and that was only because it had become inaccurate , the motor still worked. Until now i've never heard anyone say anything bad about them.
 
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