Thread: A really good saw: Makita 5900B

I have to agree with you on the makita saw. Mine is about the same age and still going. I have even put discs in it and cut brick pavers. I changed the shaft bearing about 7 years ago and that is all the tlc it has had. I would be surprised if the modern makita is as robust.
Regards
John

Noah may have used a Makita 5900B to build the Ark. Mine is still going as strong as the day I bought it 35 years ago - having cut through every kind of timber (including sleepers) and, with a stone cutting blade, marble slabs and pavers.

My only complaint was that the outer edge of the blade guard had a small radius corner that used to catch on the edge of the timber just as it reached the fully open position, but this was easy to round off a bit and the blade guard has worked very smoothly ever since. Also, the original pressed metal blade was a bit crude (could be set by a blacksmith), but a decent TCT blade was a big improvement.

Overall experience with the Makita 5900B? Very reliable and seems indestructible, but needs a firm two-handed grip to keep that powerful motor and big spinning blade under control.

Ummm Makita 5900B circa 1982 vintage owner here. Still cuttin'. Sleepers, tile, pavers and more.

I bought mine in the mid 80's and sold it with the Triton saw bench I bought if for last year. Just a beautiful, robust hunk of Japanese equipment that never missed a beat.

TT

The lesson I learned from this was patience. My desire for toys is excessive. So I have to save. Now I would like an impact driver. I have several corded drills, a cheap cordless drill and a drill press so the need is not urgent. Last weekend I was at the local toy store and I saw that you could purchase impact drivers for less than $100. Or you can purchase them for several hundred dollars. As my hand was reaching for my wallet to get the cheap and nasty drill I remembered my Makita saw. I have never regretted purchasing a good quality tool. It takes a little longer to buy and costs more when you do but the quality lives on long after the purchase is made. My next project is to renovate another house and I want a drill that will last.

There is a caveat to this however. Simply paying a high price does not automatically ensure quality. Research and buyer diligence is still essential. And sometimes the inexpensive tool can turn out to be an excellent purchase. I have an Ozito random orbit sander that I bought at least 15 years ago. Maybe more. It has sanded a mountain of timber. And it still lives on. I have no idea what I paid for it but it must have been less than $50. The thing is though that when you pick it up it has some mass. I suspect that it has metal gears and bearings. But however it is made, it owes me nothing.

chook,
How right you are about the high cost not always being quality. I think it was easier back when we got our makita saws but now the lines are a lot more blurred. Back then you would not even think of anything from China but now even makita is made there. It is now a bit of a pot luck thing with power tools. A few years back I got a electric chainsaw made in Italy. That has to be better than Chineese I think. They make good cars dont they. 3 cuts on a 12'' log and the gears stripped. took it back for a refund. On the other side of the debate I have a XU1 hammer drill I got 10 years back when I was building a deck and just wanted another drill to run a countersink bit and save bit changes slowing the work. Cost $15. It has gone on to be my goto drill for rough work. It does look like it was a copy of a makita however. With old handtools back in grandads day they got a reputation built up over decades so they knew a sorby, tyzac,preston ect was worth the money. Now power tools change every few months so what to pick is a gamble. Damm this consumer society.
Regards
John

Bought mine in 1978 as a first year apprentice, cost me $125, more than twice my weekly wage at the time. In a previous post on here I wrote similar comments others have written above. The thing is a tractor and can take some serious abuse. The guard sticks and its as ergonomic as a block of firewood but it's always been a goto tool, always reliable. When the old-fashioned (non-carbon tipped) blades became blunt as they frequently did, I reset the teeth on the towball of the ute, then nailed it to a stud or post and filed her up in minutes flat. Mine cut more steel and masonry than it did timber.

Same saw same experiences as those above. Don't recall the exact year but approx mid 70's. Cut hard/soft woods, pavers, concrete with stone blades, built rooms under a high set house, checked out heaps of top/floor plates for studs (yes, I know, old fashioned), built fences again with check outs etc - you get the picture.

had the bearings done sometime in the 90's - does not get near as much use these days but still going strong.

Only problem/complaint, the base. Very prone to rust and then not sliding easily on the job. I fixed this early in the 80's, did a pickle job in vinegar, polished and painted with silver frost - the real stuff, not the silver coloured paint which is all you can get today. Still as good as the day it went on apart from some workwear on the bottom. I did discover early on that a very thin swipe of floor wax made it slide over the timber easily and helped to keep it on track following a line. I did see in later versions that Makita replaced the black steel base with a heavy aluminium base but I never felt the need to change or upgrade.

I also have the 1100B handheld planer which has been equally good.