I’ll make this short, this is a great machine for the money, is heavy, precise and reliable.If you are looking to tackle DIY projects and home improvements this is more than enough, on the other hand if you a professional doing heavy duty industrial work or production for a living then look somewhere else on the $3,000 - 10,000 price range unit, that’ll be more productive and capable.Bottom line is this little machine is a beast, the motor is very powerful, the quality is top notch and the reviews speak for itself.The only drawback that I can mention (if is one) Is the metal chip collector, is not good at all. once you start cutting the metal chips are gonna be everywhere, but Again this is not a $3000 machine, so before you decide to buy it check reviews and do the homework and if the chip collector is something that is very important for you (either because you are planning to work in the kitchen while cooking or in the closet ) then move on and spend real money for something more fancy.Otherwise this is a perfect machine to make things happen and to get it done.The blade is expensive ? yes it is... but it will give you a very very clean and precise cuts regardless of the thickness.This machine worth every penny no questions ask...

As a metal fabricator/ mechanic you count on good tools to make fast work of tasks at hand. After buying and recieving this saw just a few hours ago, and using it to cut a few items. Me and My son both looked at each other and said WOW! We should have gotten this saw years ago. I have been in the past cutting metal with a torch, plasma cutting, and cut-off wheels on grinders. Making perfect cuts depends on a guide bar for the torch or plasma, but then you need to grind slag off the edges. Cut-off wheels are good on thin or small items and you have to change them because they wear to a small diameter. This saw is almost like cutting wooden 2x4s on a miter saw just at a slow speed. For example a 2x2 box tubing that is 1/4" wall thickness takes about a minute to cut through. And the cut is clean, burr free and straight. There are always things to pick on and wish it was made differently. Like most other reveiwers the chain to secure the saw in a down position is old fashion but minor. I wish the vise was more beefy, but it works good for the job and it is easy to adjust for miter cuts. A few reveiwers mentioned that the stock that was being clamped while doing a miter 45 degree cut would move a little as the vise was tighten. Most saws do that and I have found that if you put some adhesive sand paper on the back support of the vise. It will hold the stock you are cutting from slipping while you are tightening the vise. I will be using this saw alot in the future building metal gates and frames. That's why I decided to buy a cold cut metal saw. I just wished I did it a long time ago. It would have made many jobs in the past years a lot easier and quicker. The Amazon price, fast shipping, and great service makes it a really pleasure shopping for good tools.

I got this today so I have not used it much other than to test it out. For years I've been using an inexpensive cutoff saw that uses an abrasive disk rather than a carbide blade. It got the job done, but it was hard to get square cuts, plus there was a fair amount of work to clean up the edges. First things I noticed about this saw are how fast it cuts, how clean the cut edge is, and they are square. As expected, there are few sparks (a real plus here in the dry Northwest) and the dust factor, as compared to an abrasive disk, is non existent. I also like the fact that the base is cast and more substantial than the less expensive saws. It should provide a good stable platform. I also like the side lever for loosening the nut for the fence, much more user friendly as apposed to rounding up wrenches. It is heavier than my last (and now dead) saw so I'll probably put it on a rolling stand to make it easier to move and access. While the cost is considerably more than what I paid for my old saw, I feel that it's a very good value when you factor in the benefits I've already noted. Makita has a good reputation for reliability so I expect to get many years of use out of this saw.

Looked at a number of reviews, videos, compared all the features. The Makita was the quietest of the bunch, it is very well made with a solid cast aluminum base, cast iron rear vise jaw, well machined quick adjust screw, very well made metal blade guard that pivots out of the way but stays attached when you need to change the blade. There is a spring loaded blade damper that rides on the side of the blade that I didn't see on other saws. It has the power to do the job. Every aspect is robust Using a non ferrous blade, it chopped through 3"x4" 7075 solid aluminum bar with ease. It beats my band saw by a mile in cutting speed. I've seen folks nit pick the chain used to keep it in a stowed position. What they don't realize is that the chain allows you partially hold the saw in the down position so that you can use a combination square to square up the rear vise jaw with the side of the blade. The metal chip catcher box is adequate but fills quickly if you're cutting thick material. I have no issue with the handle design, it's as ergonomic as any other . I was a bit worried that it may not have enough capacity being a 12" verses a 14" saw but it's not an issue, I'm very pleased with my purchase. Be sure to order some stick lube and if you plan to cut something other than steel, a non ferrous blade.

Habe mir die Maschine zugelegt, um endlich gerade Schnitte bei Rohren hinzubekommen, die man dann auch ordentlich verschweißen kann. Bei meinen ersten Tests, war ich bisher sehr zufrieden, die Maschine geht durch Metall wie ein warmes Messer durch Butter. Allerdings habe ich festgestellt, dass man nicht zu sehr drücken sollte und das Werkstück wirklich gut festziehen muss, da man sonst eine leichte Biegung im Schnitt hat, was natürlich beim Aufeinanderschweißen von zwei Schnitten eine störende Fuge wird.Wie schon bei den vorherigen Rezensionen kann ich auch bestätigen, dass man eine stärkere Sicherung benötigt, ich habe mir dafür einen Adapter zur Starkstromdose dazugekauft. Ebenso kann ich bestätigen, dass der Entriegelungsmechanismus etwas an der Sägeblattabdeckung streift, was mich aber nur geringfügig stört.Jetzt hoffe ich nur, dass mir die Maschine lange Freude machen wird!

If you are looking for great quality cuts, minimal mess, and long blade life, this is the saw to buy.An abrasive cut-off saw does not even come close to what this saw offers as a "must have" for any shop.The cuts are fast, clean, straight, and with a consistent kerf. The material stays cool enough to touch after cutting and there is no cutting fluid requirement as with most band saws.As the blade starts to wear, it does leave a small burr/peel at the bottom of the cut, put it can easily be filed off. Cuts are square and do not wander through larger pieces as tends to be the case with an abrasive cut off saw.It cuts faster than both a band saw or abrasive cut-off saw.The heaviest material I have cut has been 2" x 2" x 1/4" HSS and it performed flawlessly. It also cuts larger dimension pieces.The thinnest material I have cut has been 18ga HRFB and it performed flawlessly.I have only used the Makita blades, so I can't speak to how different brands affect cut quality.The cold-cut saw also greatly reduces dust in the shop when compared to an abrasive cut-off saw.It creates small metal filings, most of which are collected in a collection box at the back of the guard, but some filings inevitable end up in the surrounding work area.The filing are very hot when they come out of the saw, and are also very sharp, so appropriate PPE is highly recommended.There is no dust created as there would be with an abrasive cut-off saw.It is very loud, but no louder than an abrasive cut-off saw, and the quick cuts keep the nuisance to a minimum.The blade life on this saw is incredible. An abrasive blade has to be changed as it wears down, sometimes forcing you to switch to a new blade to cut through larger pieces, this saw does not have the problem.The time saved in not switching blades, the waste prevented by not discarding partial discs, and the number of abrasive blades required to make the same number of cuts makes the blades on this tool a bargain.Working in a tube chassis shop, cutting through .095" mild steel and chromoly tubing, one blade lasts over 3 months in a production environment before needing replacement.As a plus, the blades can be sharpened, so it decreases the cost overtime.The clamping system is ok, similar to what you find on an abrasive cut off saw, and you can rely on the accuracy of the dial gauge about as much.The clamp system holds the work piece firmly, so much so that it will tip the saw if the material isn't properly supported at one end.Adjusting the angle is very simple to do, accurate angles aren't going to happen using the dial indicator, but fine adjustment to marked pieces is straight forward and achievable.The overall construction is solid, it mounts easily, and the guard is robust an effective.A chain is used to keep the saw in the "closed" position, it works well, but a pin would have been better for transporting purposes.On that note, it is very portable, and I have not had any issues with it blowing 15amp breakers, though it is typically not sharing an electrical load when in use.I highly recommend this saw for anyone looking for a fast and clean alternative to an abrasive saw, and also as a replacement to a band saw on smaller materials. It is suitable for both a hobby or industrial shop.

Cortes limpios, rápidos, sin rebabas y sin calentar el material... estas son las grandes diferencias en comparación a las cortadoras tradicionales que usan disco abrasivo.Por ejemplo, cortar un angulo de 1 1/2" con la Makita LC1230 te lleva 4 segundos, mientras que con disco abrasivo alrededor de 40 segundos.No sólo es más rápido, sino que el material queda perfectamente limpio, ya que al cortar en frío evita que se generen rebabas en el material, como sí ocurre con las cortadoras tradicionales. Por esta razón, no es necesario pulir con el esmeril la pieza cortada, pues los cortes quedan perfectos al angulo deseado, sea 90°, 45°, etc.Asimismo, es muy cómoda su prensa rápida, también te ahorra mucho tiempo y esfuerzo; aunque esta característica también la encuentras en algunas máquinas de disco abrasivo.Un factor muy importante a considerar es que los discos dentados que usa esta máquina son relativamente caros. Mientras que uno de ellos cuesta alrededor de $2,000.00, un disco abrasivo lo puedes conseguir hasta en $100. Esto es, si estás trabajando y de pronto te falla el disco, debes estar consciente que con la máquina tradicional sales del apuro con poco dinero. Ahora bien, si esto lo tienes muy en cuenta y valoras tu tiempo y esfuerzo, a la larga sabrás que el disco dentado, aunque caro al principio, sale igual en precio a los discos abrasivos porque su vida útil equivale precisamente a 20 discos abrasivos, de acuerdo con las especificaciones de Makita.Otra cosa que muchos me han preguntado es que si se puede usar el disco dentado que usa la LC1230 en una máquina tradicional y la respuesta es NO. Quizá puedas conseguir adaptarlo a tu máquina de siempre, sin embargo los discos dentados están diseñados para máquinas con bajas revoluciones (aproximadamente 3,000 RPM), mientras que las máquinas tradicionales al estar diseñadas para usar discos abrasivos tienen muchas revoluciones por minuto (aproximadamente 10,000 RPM). Así que sería suicida usar un disco dentado con una máquina que debe usar disco abrasivo.Me hubiese gustado que Makita hiciera esta máquina para disco de 14" y no de 12", pues sería más fácil conseguir un disco de repuesto en cualquier otra marca. Aún así, no lo considero motivo suficiente para quitarle una estrella, pues como indiqué en el título la máquina corta como cuchillo en mantequilla.

Very efficient saw, cuts easily through some pretty chunky profiles with minimal heat buildup. Only complaint at this price would be that seeing a scribed line on the workpice is tricky if on the clamp side because of the bulk of the saw body - so try and cut such that unclamped piece that falls away is the bit you want.Chose this over an abrasive saw and don't regret paying a little extra for the hight quality cuts, no cleanup required on the majority of cuts, clamp works well and is much more convincing than I thought it would be.

Va perfecta corta muy bien y su disco dura mucho.corta frió ,no deja rebabas ,luego evita con este disco el polvo que hacen las de resina