Why didn't I buy this Makita years ago. Almost no heat other than in the chips, next to zero sparks, goes thru 1/4 plate and this .120 wall square tube like a samurai sword thru a wayermelon. Perfectly smooth finish like you cleaned it up with a flap disc and absolutely precise ....I even shaved a blades width off a piece I measured 1/32 too long...still perfectly square. The last 20 years I've cut all my stock with a grinder and Zip disk. This saw is going to save me hours of measuring, marking and cutting as well as save my lungs from all that abrasive wheel dust. Don't hesitate, just buy it ! Worth every penny.

I had one before and the amount of time saved with the quick release vice to change the angle is quite substantial in the trade I work in. It’s probably gonna pay for itself in one job. I have a 14” metal devil saw as well but it doesn’t compare to the makita. Mostly cut 1/4” maximum steel but the cuts are so smooth and accurate. It’s been a welcomed investment

I compared this to the 14" Dewalt. For what I do this is perfect: tubing, angle, flat bar all work great. I went with the Makita because some of the Dewalt reviewers note that you may trip a standard 15 Amp breaker as the Dewalt draws slightly more on startup.But the Makita has more than enough power for a residential hobby shop or commercial shop. The only reason I see missing the extra 2" on the Dewalt is for mitres, and if I need to do these I use a horizontal bandsaw anyways. The 14" blades are more difficult and expensive than the 12", so there's that as a consideration. This Makita replaced my 20 year old Makita abrasive chop box. The difference is night and day. The thing cuts like a hot knife through butter, with almost 0 sparks, and no dust. The cut is cool to the touch and the material edges are weld ready for 90% of your applications. Are the cuts perfectly square? No. But neither were those on the abrasive chop box—which always needed sanding. As a fabricator I cut a lot of tubing, and the Makita LC1230 cuts clean enough to use the pieces in my jigs or table clamps right from the saw to the welding process without a trip to the disk sander. Nice.The mitre adjustment handle is terrific; you don't need a wrench to set angles anymore. The removable chip collector box is great, but know that it doesn't collect 100% of chips of course. To maximize the effectiveness and convenience of this saw, ensure it gets bolted down to a solid table. If possible mount it such that you can place a chip tray underneath it to catch both chips and off cuts. This really speeds up operations. Another tip is to actually read the manual. If you are used to abrasive saws, there is a difference in how you place your material in the vise; it is important for both blade life and safety to understand how different shapes of stock react to the blade's angle of attack. The manual uses illustrations to explain it well; it really is worth grasping this concept as it differs from abrasive chop boxes. Also note that you don't need to torque down on the vise as much as you may think.The only complaint I have—and it isn't really a complaint...more of a learning—is that, while abrasive saws make lots of sparks and black dust, this saw makes thousands of sharp tiny metal shavings that you'll track everywhere into your house or truck if you don't blow off your work boots, pants, hair, etc. These are especially dangerous for pets. So sweep your shop after using this tool, brush yourself off frequently, and overlap your pants around the tongue of your boots so the metal shards don't find their way into your socks (which they will). Also, WRT PPE, I recommend a face shield instead of just goggles with this tool. Abrasives don't shoot anything with enough mass to really do much harm, and even the sparks are all in one direction. But these new saws can fire back the shavings towards exposed parts of your face and neck. You're not going to experience a sucking chest wound or anything serious if this occurs, but it can be distracting when it happens. Now that I am accustomed to these qualities of the new saw, it's routine to take the necessary precautions and they are no big deal.After almost 6 months of use I am a convert to these saws over the old fashioned abrasives. They are 3 times the cost, but the time savings and safety improvement (no sparks) are worth every penny. I gave my Makita abrasive saw to a friend. It was still working perfectly after 20 years, and I hope to see the same longevity from this model.I recommend this saw if your needs are similar to mine.Note: Two of the criteria Amazon has for evaluating this tool in a review are "Warmth" and "Thickness." I'm not sure what to say about "Warmth" especially. I guess it gives me a warm feeling when I use it. I just hope they don't ask me to rate "Blade Sharpness" on the winter boots I bought recently.

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

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...

Sick of my old abrasive chop saw for cutting metal, took forever and the cuts were always inaccurate. Then I bought this saw. It's great. So far I have made 45 degree cuts on 1.5 inch square tube and 1/4 x 1 1/4 flat bar and the cuts are bang on. Set it to 45 degrees (check it with a combination square to get it perfect) clamp it in and start cutting. Like it says in the instructions, let the saw do the work, don't force it, and your cuts will be exact.Great addition to my shop.

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.

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.

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!