Makita MLT100 table saw
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woodworker73
New member
Many thanks to you all guys.
Now my I'm in very very trouble between these 2 table saws..... :?: :?:
Have a nice weekend.
Ciao
Now my I'm in very very trouble between these 2 table saws..... :?: :?:
Have a nice weekend.
Ciao
I do think the type of motor would have a bearing on the decision if it were me.
Playing as I do in a home workshop noise is an issue.
I was looking at the Axi saw last week in their store and it certainely looks like a heavy, well made piece of kit.
I am watching with interest which one you chose as I will probably be buying a better TS soon to replace my budget Axi one.
Mick
Playing as I do in a home workshop noise is an issue.
I was looking at the Axi saw last week in their store and it certainely looks like a heavy, well made piece of kit.
I am watching with interest which one you chose as I will probably be buying a better TS soon to replace my budget Axi one.
Mick
CroppyBoy1798
Established Member
When I say 'vibration', maybe that was the wrong phrase to use, the saw isnt actually shaking, but, making a vibrating sound..........if you know what I mean :? , as if something is shaking or rattling. It could be something simple but I just never bothered look into it yet.
If it helps, when I made my decisions the Axminster was a clear winner with the exception of power and depth of cut. Portability is obviously an issue as well if you need it but for workshop use being portable is possibly a downside.
With regards to power, I have cut the full depth on the Axi in Oak with no problems - as another poster has said they wouldnt try this on the Makita.
Depth of cut is an issue with the Axi - I have already come across times when I would prefer the extra depth - but decided that the quieter motor, cast top and larger tables where more important to me.
With regards to power, I have cut the full depth on the Axi in Oak with no problems - as another poster has said they wouldnt try this on the Makita.
Depth of cut is an issue with the Axi - I have already come across times when I would prefer the extra depth - but decided that the quieter motor, cast top and larger tables where more important to me.
CroppyBoy1798
Established Member
I personally wouldnt try cut 90mm of oak (thats the saws max cut), but then thats probably out of my own fear of tablesaws 
, I'd imagine it could cut it alright. The largest cut of hardwood I've done to date was 50mm beech and it sailed through that without a problem.
Personaly if I had a slightly larger shop and had a pernament spot for a tablesaw I'd be going with the Axi. The reason for the Makita was that I needed something resonably light that could be moved about the shop or stored out of the way if I needed extra floor space, or, if needs be be brought outside.
, I'd imagine it could cut it alright. The largest cut of hardwood I've done to date was 50mm beech and it sailed through that without a problem.Personaly if I had a slightly larger shop and had a pernament spot for a tablesaw I'd be going with the Axi. The reason for the Makita was that I needed something resonably light that could be moved about the shop or stored out of the way if I needed extra floor space, or, if needs be be brought outside.
againstthegrain
Established Member
I have just taken delivery of a Makita MLT100 and as earlier contributors saw, it is a sturdy piece of machinery.
However the 90 deg and 45 deg angles need to be adjusted and there is a hole in the table top which accesses grub screws to change the default angles.
What Makita's instruction book does not tell you is what tool you use to adjust this grub screw. I tried screwdrivers to no avail.
Makita's helpful service department then told me that you need a 3mm allen key (which does not come with the saw).
Hope you find this helpful
Againsthegrain
However the 90 deg and 45 deg angles need to be adjusted and there is a hole in the table top which accesses grub screws to change the default angles.
What Makita's instruction book does not tell you is what tool you use to adjust this grub screw. I tried screwdrivers to no avail.
Makita's helpful service department then told me that you need a 3mm allen key (which does not come with the saw).
Hope you find this helpful
Againsthegrain
Hi everybody !
my name is Ben, and I'm a french luthier amateur.
I found these thread after a google search for these makita table saw. I found a lot of great advices here and I'd like to thank the members and especially CroppyBoy1798 for his pics... :wink:
I'm interested in these table saw, mostly to prepare acoustic guitars back and sides sets (see the picture in the dave's post below )
So, I would like to know if these saw could manage to resaw hard and figured woods (rosewood, pear, koa, ziricote, etc...).
The purpose is to saw 35x4.5x0.4" (90x10x1cm) in two halves for the sides and 20x8x0.4" (50x20x1cm) for the back and top. Of course, I'll finishit with a japanese saw (ryoba).
The most important point is the accuracy of the 90° angle to not spoil wood...
Thanks by advance for your advice and sorry for my poor english...
Have a nice evening,
Jojo
my name is Ben, and I'm a french luthier amateur.
I found these thread after a google search for these makita table saw. I found a lot of great advices here and I'd like to thank the members and especially CroppyBoy1798 for his pics... :wink:
I'm interested in these table saw, mostly to prepare acoustic guitars back and sides sets (see the picture in the dave's post below )
So, I would like to know if these saw could manage to resaw hard and figured woods (rosewood, pear, koa, ziricote, etc...).
The purpose is to saw 35x4.5x0.4" (90x10x1cm) in two halves for the sides and 20x8x0.4" (50x20x1cm) for the back and top. Of course, I'll finishit with a japanese saw (ryoba).
The most important point is the accuracy of the 90° angle to not spoil wood...
Thanks by advance for your advice and sorry for my poor english...
Have a nice evening,
Jojo
DaveL
Established Member
Hi Bren,
Welcome to the forum.
Your picture has been caught by our spam trap, this will stop when you have a few more posts to your name, here it is:
Sorry but I cannot answer your question about the saw.
Welcome to the forum.
Your picture has been caught by our spam trap, this will stop when you have a few more posts to your name, here it is:
Sorry but I cannot answer your question about the saw.
liminxin1964
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The mitre guage is pretty hefty, solid and easy to work with (nice big push handle). There is however a slight bit of play in the rail, its not much, but there is a tiny little bit of movement.
I used masking tape at each end of bar to get the problem fixed. It seems work well.
The saw is about 0.05 mm off the parallel. I find it is hard to access the far side of the fixing point may need to take the top off the base. Does anyone have the same problem?
I have been using it for 4 weeks and very happy about it . I bought it in Sydney Australia paid $540.
I used masking tape at each end of bar to get the problem fixed. It seems work well.
The saw is about 0.05 mm off the parallel. I find it is hard to access the far side of the fixing point may need to take the top off the base. Does anyone have the same problem?
I have been using it for 4 weeks and very happy about it . I bought it in Sydney Australia paid $540.
Hi All,
I'm a newbie on this forum as well as in woodworking. I've recently purchased a Makita MLT100 at an online toolshop here in The Netherlands. As noted in many other posts about this machine, I've also found tiny issues in accuracy, the moving rip fence, riving knife that sticks out above the blade, etc. All of these which I can either live with or customize to suit my needs.
I do however have 2 concerns and would like some advice/guidance.
First up is the riving knife. Having never owned a table saw before, I had to educate myself about the purpose and use of this oddly shaped piece of steel. Safety first, especially for a newbie that will probably do some things the wrong way around for the first bit. I fully understand what it's for, other than holding the plexiglass blade guard. I do however have one problem with this particular riving knife, it sticks out above the blade, to such a degree that you cannot cut slots/rabbets without removing it. With that said, is it advisable to remove the riving knife when you need to cut these slots, or would it be even better to change the current riving knife (by means of grinding etc.) to have a profile that is blade height? (obviously losing the blade guard mount)
What is the general experience regarding this by current owners of the saw?
Second, I have done a few minor cuts in the last few weeks. Mainly cross cuts in cheap pine, and one rip cut in a 100cm long piece of beech. During these cuts I started to smell something burning, a very distinct electric burn type smell. I've had no weird noises, other than the normal racket, or vibrations in the machine. Neither have I actually seen any smoke coming from the machine. When I noticed this the first time, I immediately switched off the machine, inspected for any smoke/fire but nothing. Started it up again and the smell was gone. 2 or 3 cuts later, smell was back. So this has been coming and going every 2/3 cuts. Have anyone else experienced this as well? Could it be the electric brake just stinking the machine up?
Thanks in advance,
Jan
I'm a newbie on this forum as well as in woodworking. I've recently purchased a Makita MLT100 at an online toolshop here in The Netherlands. As noted in many other posts about this machine, I've also found tiny issues in accuracy, the moving rip fence, riving knife that sticks out above the blade, etc. All of these which I can either live with or customize to suit my needs.
I do however have 2 concerns and would like some advice/guidance.
First up is the riving knife. Having never owned a table saw before, I had to educate myself about the purpose and use of this oddly shaped piece of steel. Safety first, especially for a newbie that will probably do some things the wrong way around for the first bit. I fully understand what it's for, other than holding the plexiglass blade guard. I do however have one problem with this particular riving knife, it sticks out above the blade, to such a degree that you cannot cut slots/rabbets without removing it. With that said, is it advisable to remove the riving knife when you need to cut these slots, or would it be even better to change the current riving knife (by means of grinding etc.) to have a profile that is blade height? (obviously losing the blade guard mount)
What is the general experience regarding this by current owners of the saw?
Second, I have done a few minor cuts in the last few weeks. Mainly cross cuts in cheap pine, and one rip cut in a 100cm long piece of beech. During these cuts I started to smell something burning, a very distinct electric burn type smell. I've had no weird noises, other than the normal racket, or vibrations in the machine. Neither have I actually seen any smoke coming from the machine. When I noticed this the first time, I immediately switched off the machine, inspected for any smoke/fire but nothing. Started it up again and the smell was gone. 2 or 3 cuts later, smell was back. So this has been coming and going every 2/3 cuts. Have anyone else experienced this as well? Could it be the electric brake just stinking the machine up?
Thanks in advance,
Jan
againstthegrain
Established Member
Hi Jan,
I have never noticed ANY type of smell from my Makita saw. I have had one for more than a year now and it has always worked really well.
I think you may be right about the brake. I would speak to the people who sold you the machine!
I agree with you about the riving knife.
You could try to make a spare riving knife out of a piece of similar thickness mild steel, so that you could use this when cutting slots.
To be honest I have removed my riving knife completely for quite a few jobs and have never had any problems. I have also found the supplied blade very good and sharp and it has kept its sharpness. I'm delighted with my saw.
I have never noticed ANY type of smell from my Makita saw. I have had one for more than a year now and it has always worked really well.
I think you may be right about the brake. I would speak to the people who sold you the machine!
I agree with you about the riving knife.
You could try to make a spare riving knife out of a piece of similar thickness mild steel, so that you could use this when cutting slots.
To be honest I have removed my riving knife completely for quite a few jobs and have never had any problems. I have also found the supplied blade very good and sharp and it has kept its sharpness. I'm delighted with my saw.
Hi againstthegrain,
Thanks for the reply! I will do another check, perhaps the brushes have mysteriously worn out. (or I've been sold a "already fixed" machine) I'll contact the supplier as well, they stated that they are a registered repair branch for Makita.
Thanks for the info on the riving knife. I guess for slots etc, provided I build a good sled for the table, I could get away without the knife and still be fairly safe. I'll also look into making a spare knife and perhaps a quick change mechanism to ease changing it.
The blade is indeed very nice. As mentioned I've mainly done cuts in softwood, but the cuts are really smooth and I'm delighted with that!
Out of interest, have you gotten as far as to replace the plastic blade insert provided? I have a voice in my head screaming for a zero tolerance insert. =P~
Thanks for the reply! I will do another check, perhaps the brushes have mysteriously worn out. (or I've been sold a "already fixed" machine) I'll contact the supplier as well, they stated that they are a registered repair branch for Makita.
Thanks for the info on the riving knife. I guess for slots etc, provided I build a good sled for the table, I could get away without the knife and still be fairly safe. I'll also look into making a spare knife and perhaps a quick change mechanism to ease changing it.
The blade is indeed very nice. As mentioned I've mainly done cuts in softwood, but the cuts are really smooth and I'm delighted with that!
Out of interest, have you gotten as far as to replace the plastic blade insert provided? I have a voice in my head screaming for a zero tolerance insert. =P~
againstthegrain
Established Member
Hi again.
No I have not replaced the insert although I did not think it would be too durable. However it shows no signs of wear - so I have not tried to make a replacement.
I do sometimes "loose" small offcuts down the space between the blade and the insert, so ideally the gap should be smaller...
Regards
No I have not replaced the insert although I did not think it would be too durable. However it shows no signs of wear - so I have not tried to make a replacement.
I do sometimes "loose" small offcuts down the space between the blade and the insert, so ideally the gap should be smaller...
Regards
Hi
I'm thinking of buying this saw and from what I have read here it appears to be a reasonable saw for the money. I will be using it to cut mitres and general sawing for small ornamental boxes in various hardwoods, so accuracy and repeatability is important. I also need reasonable portability as I don't have room to leave it set up, so moving it around must not upset the settings/accuracy. So several questions:
1. Does anyone have knowledge of using this saw for this type of work?
2. Is the standard blade any good?
3. Can a 250mm blade be used or does it have to be 260mm? Obviously depth of cut will be compromised.
4. Is the fence parrallel to the blade and is there any runout in the arbor/blade?
5. How easy is it to change blades?
6. Can a zero clearance throat plate be fitted and how easy is this?
7. is the sliding table and mitre gauge any good?
Thanks in anticipation
I'm thinking of buying this saw and from what I have read here it appears to be a reasonable saw for the money. I will be using it to cut mitres and general sawing for small ornamental boxes in various hardwoods, so accuracy and repeatability is important. I also need reasonable portability as I don't have room to leave it set up, so moving it around must not upset the settings/accuracy. So several questions:
1. Does anyone have knowledge of using this saw for this type of work?
2. Is the standard blade any good?
3. Can a 250mm blade be used or does it have to be 260mm? Obviously depth of cut will be compromised.
4. Is the fence parrallel to the blade and is there any runout in the arbor/blade?
5. How easy is it to change blades?
6. Can a zero clearance throat plate be fitted and how easy is this?
7. is the sliding table and mitre gauge any good?
Thanks in anticipation
againstthegrain
Established Member
I have had one of these for about two years and have been delighted with it - but I don't think I do your kind of wrok. I use it for general woodcutting - softwood and hardwood - and probably don't have the demands on accuracy that you might have. I have found the sliding table works well and the mitre guage is accurate enough for my needs. The fence is not fixed at both ends so it may not give the accuracy you need. I found the supplied blade was excellent. I have not invested in a replacement - but I am not a cabinetmaker. It is not light - I would not want to carry it around! I have mounted it on a home-made table in my workshop and if I need to move it I use the table's castors... It is easy enough to change the blade - although you need to undo six small screws in the blanking plate to get at the saw's spindle and I now keep spares of these screws since I dropped one in sawdust and never found it again!
I love the saw - the best I have owned - but I'm not making the demands on accuracy that small hardwood boxes would require! So it might not be the thing for you.
I love the saw - the best I have owned - but I'm not making the demands on accuracy that small hardwood boxes would require! So it might not be the thing for you.
Hi Againstthegrain
Many thanks for your helpful comments, I'm hoping to take a trip down to Axminster to look at one today but there's no substitute for 1st hand experience. Just looking doesn't show up the weaknesses. I might also take a look at the Metabo TS250; does anyone know about this saw, same set of questions as for my previous post? It appears to be less saw for more money but that could reflected a quality issue with the Makita??
Happy saw dust making
toymaker
Many thanks for your helpful comments, I'm hoping to take a trip down to Axminster to look at one today but there's no substitute for 1st hand experience. Just looking doesn't show up the weaknesses. I might also take a look at the Metabo TS250; does anyone know about this saw, same set of questions as for my previous post? It appears to be less saw for more money but that could reflected a quality issue with the Makita??
Happy saw dust making
toymaker
tomlt
Established Member
I bought one of these 18 months ago as my first "proper" table saw, I couldn't afford the space of a TS200 and wanted something with a little more cutting depth. I love my MLT100, its been great in all hoesty, but for the money there are some compromises:
1.) The thing is a noisy little so and so, ear defenders are a must!
2.) Dust extraction is pretty poor, you still end up with a small pile under the saw (theres no blade guard extraction which is shame - not surprising at this price).
3.) Rip fence is only secured at one end, but is adjustable in length and squarness to the table, the clamping could be a little more postive, but can be increased with a few slivers of black tape or rubber if needed (not needed to do mine yet).
4.) I've ripped right upto 90mm on it using the supplied blade (which is an excellent narrow kerf) and mines still on this blade after cutting 100's of metres of fencing/trim. I can't comment on hardwoods, but its coped with "wet" timber pretty well so I have no doubt it would be ok.
5.) The sliding table is excellent, and the mitre gauge is pretty good, although the slot can be a bit "loose" in places, but for my needs its always cut within 1mm of my needs.
6.) The spec says you cant rip down the middle of an 8x4 sheet, well my fence goes out to 620mm so thats no problem! (maybe a change on later models?)
7.) As said above, its not light. It comes in a massive box, I got mine with the wheelkit from axminster for about £380 iirc, the height adjustable wheel kit is good and solid, but heavy! Im a big bloke and wouldn't like to try and get this in a van on my own with the stand without some sort of ramp (it must be about 60-70kg with the stand).
8.) It still takes up more room than a I thought (looks much small in the pictures) so if looking for something smaller the bosch or dewalt might be a better choice, but they are more expensive.
Overall I'm very happy for the money, and until I can afford a dedicated cabinet saw it will meet all my needs.
Regards, Tom.
1.) The thing is a noisy little so and so, ear defenders are a must!
2.) Dust extraction is pretty poor, you still end up with a small pile under the saw (theres no blade guard extraction which is shame - not surprising at this price).
3.) Rip fence is only secured at one end, but is adjustable in length and squarness to the table, the clamping could be a little more postive, but can be increased with a few slivers of black tape or rubber if needed (not needed to do mine yet).
4.) I've ripped right upto 90mm on it using the supplied blade (which is an excellent narrow kerf) and mines still on this blade after cutting 100's of metres of fencing/trim. I can't comment on hardwoods, but its coped with "wet" timber pretty well so I have no doubt it would be ok.
5.) The sliding table is excellent, and the mitre gauge is pretty good, although the slot can be a bit "loose" in places, but for my needs its always cut within 1mm of my needs.
6.) The spec says you cant rip down the middle of an 8x4 sheet, well my fence goes out to 620mm so thats no problem! (maybe a change on later models?)
7.) As said above, its not light. It comes in a massive box, I got mine with the wheelkit from axminster for about £380 iirc, the height adjustable wheel kit is good and solid, but heavy! Im a big bloke and wouldn't like to try and get this in a van on my own with the stand without some sort of ramp (it must be about 60-70kg with the stand).
8.) It still takes up more room than a I thought (looks much small in the pictures) so if looking for something smaller the bosch or dewalt might be a better choice, but they are more expensive.
Overall I'm very happy for the money, and until I can afford a dedicated cabinet saw it will meet all my needs.
Regards, Tom.
