Thread: Best sliding compound mitre saw

Originally Posted by Mick72

Looking at the makita ls1016 or the kapex. Is the kapex worth the extra money?. What do other forum members think of these two saws or should I be looking at others? I will probably wait for the Sydney show before I buy.

DEFINITELY wait for the show. And make sure you take some nontrivial pieces of different types of timber to try out on both machines. A lot of the superior features of the kapex won't be obvious until you try adjusting fences and see whether they wobble. Actually use the hold-down clamp to do some cuts and you'll see some differences in how easy/quick they are compared to each other. And test the ease and sureness of the bevel settings, etc. And the number of teeth on the standard blade. (Makita started giving only a lesser-toothed blade some time ago.)

Many important things can't be tested just by looking at the tool and
listening to salesmen.

That said, I have a Makita ls1016 but wish I had bought kapex.
OTOH, as another member here pointed out, it's debatable whether
the extra quality of the kapex is worth the extra $$$'s.

In any case, you should be able to get the Makita ls1016 a lot cheaper
than normal.

Oh, and skip the overpriced laser feature unless you really really want it.

For peace of mind, also test drive the Bosch and Hitachi offerings.

And try to lift each one of them. There's some weight difference
(though of course that might not matter, depending on your usage).

As strangerep said it is dependant on your usage
If your making high end furniture as a buissness go festool, If you have the money to through around go festool, if you like to brag go festool, if you can in any way justify the money sitting there go festool but if you want a good reliable saw that will last you years cut clean and true each time and leave money over for a great set of blades go with the makita
I have noticed that a great many tradesmen use the makita option , so if your going to use the saw on site go makita

I bought a Kapex at the Perth Wood Show a few years ago and got 10-15% discount because they didn't have to take it back to the shop. It's a beautiful piece of work - cuts dead square out of the box and the laser is a great time saver. I had become fed up with tools that weren't accurate and decided to spoil myself and have one really good tool. The trouble with Festool is that when you have one you want to get all the others!!

I think the Makita would be better for site work as it is not as complicated as the Kapex and has a very good reputation.

But if it will sit in your shed and you can spare the cash - go with the Kapex.

Go for the cheaper one Mick! Save yourself a few dollars for a holiday!!!

Love the Wife.......

Thanks for the replies guys. I will have to turn off the instant email notification for future threads. What are the extra features of the kapex that the makita does not have and is it really that much more accurate?

I bought a SCM a couple of years ago. At the time I compared Makita, DeWalt and Bosch. This was in the 305mm size. All were around 1K with the Bosch just under and the other two more expensive.

I went with the Bosch because I liked it best. I was quite prepared to spend the extra if I thought it was warranted. I can't recall exactly why I preferred the Bosch. It may have been to do with the fence and the stops for repetitive cutting.

You are looking at a smaller model, but the story may be similar. Certainly worth considering and comparing when the opportunity presents.

I have been very pleased with the machine, it has done a lot of work and never missed a beat during extensive renovations on our ancient house. The Bosch is belt drive so is less likely to overload the motor if you ask too much of it.

Regards
Paul

Originally Posted by Josie7

Go for the cheaper one Mick! Save yourself a few dollars for a holiday!!!

Love the Wife.......

Welcome to our forum Josie!

Don't see too many husband & Wife contributors around these parts.

(Mick's tool spending just took a huge crash & burn)

If you don't buy kapex have a look at the milwaukee?

MS305DB Milwaukee 305mm Slide Compound Mitre Saw


Power Tools - Miter Saws - 12" Dual-Bevel Sliding Compound Miter Saw
link to vid.


You cant go wrong with the kapex.
Regards,

Frank

Originally Posted by Tankstand

Welcome to our forum Josie!

Don't see too many husband & Wife contributors around these parts.

(Mick's tool spending just took a huge crash & burn)

Welcome Josie. Well spotted Tankstand. I took the reference to the wife as a command not a signature.

With a vigilance like that you could be head hunted by the moderators.

Regards
Paul

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like the kapex appears more popular due to extra features but the makita may be better for sight work(maybe more robust). Is the kapex more accurate as extra features such as angle guide and laser don't interest me that much but accuracy is exactly what I am looking for? Thanks

I have a makita LS1214, I know there is a newer model out, not sure if it's the one your referring to. It's a great saw and very accurate. Out of the box it was accurate, however it's easy to adjust if it isn't.
I made an auxiliary fence and it cuts perfectly!

If money wasn't an issue, I'd go the kapex purely because I love festool, but if your looking for an accurate saw, the makita should be looked at.

Festool came out with the kapex 88 last year, which is about $400 cheaper. It hasn't got the laser, angle finder and a few other features.

Andy

I have the Makita and don't reckon I'm missing out at all by not having the Kapex.

Dust extraction is always the big selling point of the Festool range and with a dusty connected to the back of the Makita instead of the useless dust bag that it comes with I don't generally see any dust.

It's accurate straight out of the box and is very easy to adjust. I don't have the laser guide and don't have a problem with that.

It has a larger mitre depth of cut than the Kapex, albeit 89mm compared to 91mm.

I have swapped the blade over for one with more teeth and if you're using just for fine furniture work you could get that done when you buy it. The supplied blade is perfectly fine for general time cross cutting though.

I should qualify this opinion in so much as I don't use it for commercial or trade work, just home use.

The $900 difference in price will buy you
a portable stand $189
a spare blade $100
and a makita vacuum with the auto start features $590 SYDNEY TOOLS - Makita Dust Extraction System Vacuum - 1200W Hi Power + Accessory Kit

Hi guys, what are the differences between the two kapex saws and is the ks120 worth the extra money compared to the 88. Thanks

I have had a LS1214 (makita) for over 4 yrs and its bulletproof. in my experience the ww shows dont give that much of a discount. dont wait. if you need it get it.

IMHO.