I have been debating regarding whether to acquire a Makita XGT 8-1/2 ″ cordless miter saw, GSL02, however have actually been leaning towards “no.” It seemed worthwhile to share my decision procedure.
I do not quickly require a cordless miter saw. I thought I desired a semi-fixed shop setup with superb dust collection. But, I don’t have the space for 8 feet of board support inside. For reducing bigger boards, such as 2x building lumber and also likewise sized work surfaces, I set up outside with a cordless miter saw.
Dust collection is extremely crucial to me, but so is mobility.
With the Makita GSL02, I such as the concept of its cutting capacity and transportability. 8-1/2 ″ is an odd size, though.
The Makita XGT GSL02 is a completely foreign design to me. It’s a forward-rail slider with front bevel lock, dual dirt collection ports, and it’s an 8-1/2 ″ moving miter saw with the cutting capability of a 10 ″ gliding miter saw.
Yes– seriously– it practically matches the reducing capacity of Makita’s much bigger and also larger XGT GSL03 moving miter saw.
The 10 ″ has taller fences, yet I wouldn’t require them for most of crosscuts.
That it’s a different design has advantages and disadvantages. I such as checking out brand-new and also different tool designs, therefore it’s primarily a good idea.
I did some light analysis and described a couple of YouTube video clips, therefore I’m familiar with common complaints.
Some people whine about the bevel modification being a plastic element that continuously broke on them, and others had no worry as well as suggested it only breaks with harsh or abusive usage.
Eventually, one of the biggest detractors– for me– is the blade dimension.
The Makita 8-1/2 ″ moving miter saw has impressive cutting capability, yet 8-1/2 ″ blade option is slim.
I discovered two Freud fine-finish blades on– one with a silver surface as well as one with a red coating.
CMT is the only brand name I acknowledged that has a non-ferrous blade, for reducing aluminum extrusions, plastic, and similar products. I discovered the CMT on as well as a few other areas.
For me, that came to be the most significant unfavorable, as it means I would require to keep one more saw around for reducing plastic and light weight aluminum materials.
This is why I have actually really taken pleasure in utilizing Milwaukee’s M18 Fuel cordless 7-1/4 ″ gliding miter saw– it’s portable, light, and also I can constantly locate the blade style I want.
The Milwaukee isn’t short on efficiency, but I have a couple of jobs coming up where I want much better dirt collection, and I might need a bit even more power under the hood. This assisted increase the appeal of Makita’s 8-1/2 ″ saw.
The Makita additionally has a wider miter array, which may come in convenient now and then. I have one project coming up– a little garden trellis– where the 60 ° miter array would certainly assist with forming ground assistance risks.
Theoretically I might relocate to a cordless 10 ″ or 12 ″ saw as my one-and-only, yet they’re all huge as well as hefty. 12 ″ blades are costly. The larger the blade, the larger the possibility for deflection.
I saw news of Makita launching new smaller cordless miter saws overseas, yet there’s no indicator if or when they might be launched right here. Given their layouts, I ‘d say it’s unlikely for them to launch right here at all. Fairly speaking, 8-1/2 ″, 10 ″, as well as 12 ″ cordless miter saw sizes still existing sufficient options for most customers.
And so, I’m stuck. I have solid hesitations about going with an 8-1/2 ″ miter saw. General purpose blades are simple to find, however not specialty blades which I would certainly wish to use on a regular basis enough to make this a strong problem.
I locate myself still half undecided, and also assumed conversation would assist clear up points, at least for now. A visitor placed the idea in my head a few months ago when I requested for evaluation suggestions, as well as it came back since there’s a promo at Acme (finishing 2/21/23) that can knock $75 off the $750 cost.
There’s also promo prices on the 10 ″ sliding miter saw package– Residence Depot has the set for $100 off plus with a free battery, however I figured out that of both the much more mobile 8-1/2 ″ would certainly be better matched– if the blade size can work for me.
