very disappointed Makita MLT100 :(

[giantbeat]

I bought one of these saws last year, 15months or so ago for the home workshop, it was my first small hobby saw, but from its spec looked stacked with the features im used to on my bigg saw at work & being a makita i figured it would be good for the home workshop.

i was quite happy with it when it arrived through slightly disspointed at how flimsy the thing felt, the riving knife seemed too short for the housing & the blade guard came loose on the first operation, but i figued with some setup time i would get it running ok.... i now regret that & should have just sent it back.... having gone back and read other reviews, im not the only person whos had serious issues with it.

i really only have had use of it since januray, when started sorting my cellar into the workshop, but considering it had light use (trimming chipboard, the odd bit of ply when making up afew benches & last week chopping a fence post to length) im shocked that today the motor started throwing blue sparks out of it & completely filling the place with smoke... i now dare not turn it back on.

its looking like a £400 mistake & i think im going to shop around for a new saw as this model just does not give me confidnece of its safe operation, even if i get it fixed.

so any siuggestions for a good saw with sliding table for £400 ish?

 

[jordec66]

I have read a lot of disappointing reviews in the past few months regarding Makita tools, I bought the drill driver and impact driver for light site use, the impact is fine but the torque on the driver packed up in no time. I certainly won't be buying Makita again.

 

[dj.]

I have to admit I`d never heard of the MLT100 so had to google it, frankly I`m amazed you managed to cut a fence post on it as it looks like a toy.
Personally I think I`d spend £400 on a decent tracksaw, ideal for sheet materials, with a homemade jig you can make the track into a T square for cross cutting & a couple of battens & some packers allow you to rip lengths of timber more accurately than that table saw would.


Regards.

dj.

 

[giantbeat]

I have to admit I`d never heard of the MLT100 so had to google it, frankly I`m amazed you managed to cut a fence post on it as it looks like a toy.
Personally I think I`d spend £400 on a decent tracksaw, ideal for sheet materials, with a homemade jig you can make the track into a T square for cross cutting & a couple of battens & some packers allow you to rip lengths of timber more accurately than that table saw would.


Regards.

dj.

HI dJ, i have to admit the outer moulded housing is very toy like as its a cheap plastic frame... but i bought it as i needed a compact tablesaw that has some of the features of larger saws, i dont actuly cut much sheet materials in what i will be doing, i have only been doing that as im trying to set up my workshop in the new house... so other than the odd diy job my saws usual work would be making drums (musical) as thats what i do.... a track saw would be useless to me as i cant cut staves or drum shells to size on them, the makita i had only done some setup tests & the odd trial cut with my jogs but it was plenty accurate for this
its a shame its not been made well enough for me to get onto that job. i was planning on doing my first oak stave shell in the home workshop today.

 

[giantbeat]

I have read a lot of disappointing reviews in the past few months regarding Makita tools, I bought the drill driver and impact driver for light site use, the impact is fine but the torque on the driver packed up in no time. I certainly won't be buying Makita again.

i have new & old makita at my home & buysiness workshop... mostly drills, drivers, sanders & routers, i bought a snader 4 months back and its great everything i would have expected from makita... im just gutted this product is just not up to standard, i hope they are not slipping.

 

[No skills]

Its probably just the same as all other manufacturers (dewalt, bosch etc etc), some products are great and some are poor - add in some variations in manufacture from the factorys and you also get the odd hit and miss tool in the same range.

Not saying it should be like that but it seems to be the case.

I've used my fair share of crap makitas tools and a couple of good ones, the percentage for me is prolly 70-30 overall (to the poorer) - as a result I just wont buy their products anymore.

 

[giantbeat]

Its probably just the same as all other manufacturers (dewalt, bosch etc etc), some products are great and some are poor - add in some variations in manufacture from the factorys and you also get the odd hit and miss tool in the same range.

Not saying it should be like that but it seems to be the case.

I've used my fair share of rubbish makitas tools and a couple of good ones, the percentage for me is prolly 70-30 overall (to the poorer) - as a result I just wont buy their products anymore.

i think im going to join you in that thinking...... shame but this has really put me off.

 

[Graham Orm]

I have to admit I`d never heard of the MLT100 so had to google it, frankly I`m amazed you managed to cut a fence post on it as it looks like a toy.
Personally I think I`d spend £400 on a decent tracksaw, ideal for sheet materials, with a homemade jig you can make the track into a T square for cross cutting & a couple of battens & some packers allow you to rip lengths of timber more accurately than that table saw would.
Regards.

dj.

Looks like a toy? A track saw will rip more accurately than a table saw? :lol: :lol:

 

[jordec66]

I have to admit I`d never heard of the MLT100 so had to google it, frankly I`m amazed you managed to cut a fence post on it as it looks like a toy.
Personally I think I`d spend £400 on a decent tracksaw, ideal for sheet materials, with a homemade jig you can make the track into a T square for cross cutting & a couple of battens & some packers allow you to rip lengths of timber more accurately than that table saw would.
Regards.

dj.

Looks like a toy? A track saw will rip more accurately than a table saw? :lol: :lol:

My festool track saw is easily as accurate as the table saw for a one off, the advantage of the table saw is repeatability.

 

[dj.]

I have to admit I`d never heard of the MLT100 so had to google it, frankly I`m amazed you managed to cut a fence post on it as it looks like a toy.
Personally I think I`d spend £400 on a decent tracksaw, ideal for sheet materials, with a homemade jig you can make the track into a T square for cross cutting & a couple of battens & some packers allow you to rip lengths of timber more accurately than that table saw would.
Regards.

dj.

Looks like a toy? A track saw will rip more accurately than a table saw? :lol: :lol:

I think you`ll find I said "that table saw" & not as your comment suggests, any table saw.
I`m fully aware that a decent table saw would be far preferable to a track saw for ripping timber, but the MLT100 would definitely not be what I classed as a decent table saw, hence my reference to it being a toy.

regards.

dj.

 

[JanneKi]

If it's only 15 months old, take it back! The EU legislation helps here, even if the warranty is only for 12 months, the manufacturer is responsible of their product (virhevastuulaki in Finnish, can't find a handy translation) for the expected life time. For all consumer goods EU has typically stated it's minimum 24 months. So, they have to replace it, fix it or give you your money back. People must complain more, thats the only way to get the manufacturers to improve their products.

On the general topic of Makita, I've mostly heard only good things about their products - they still keep some kind of quality on their tools, even if they are quite often now made in China. It's actually darn difficult to buy a tool nowadays that is NOT made in China...

 

[Steve Maskery]

You an get perfect repeatability with a tracksaw, just by using a setting gauge rather than relying on pencil marks. I have one on one of my DVDs and I published a later model in BW a while back. Look through your back-issues, I'm afraid I don't have mine to hand.
S