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Makita Table Saws

Check the woodworking forums and you’ll find many Makita advocates who praise their products for power and durability.  They cater to the portable saw crowd exclusively, with no true contractor or cabinet table saws in their product line.  What’s more, they only feature three different portable bench top models – the 2703, the 2704, and the 2705.

So how can they be so highly regarded with only three basic offerings?  Let’s look at these models to see what we can find out.

The Makita 2703 15 Amp 10 Inch Bench Top Table Saw

With a weight of only 40 pounds users love this saw for jobsite work.  The 15 amp motor delivers about 4,600 Rpm to provide plenty of cutting power.  The saw also features an electric brake for quicker adjustments between cuts as well as increased safety.  Even though this is a very light saw, reviewers claim the quality of the Makita motor yields much lower vibration than one might expect.  On the downside, reviewers find both the rip fence and the miter gauge lacking in precision cutting tasks.

All three Makita table saw models are bench top but there are several options available for adding a stand.  The 2703X1, 2704X1, and 2705X1 come with a basic metal stationary stand.  The stand is made of magnesium which keeps the weight down but a lot of professional users appear to prefer buying the base 2703 model and then adding a heftier stand, like the Rousseau 2700XL.  This stand features a right hand extension table and some interesting optional add-ons, like router and outfeed tables.  While this table folds down easily, users who want maximum portability can go with Makita’s 194093-8 Portable Table Saw Stand, which comes with wheels.

The Makita 2704 15 Amp 10 Inch Contractor Table Saw

Since this saw comes as a bench top with a variety of stand options available, it’s a bit puzzling why Makita would call this a “contractor” saw.  Perhaps the reason is the addition of the right hand extension, which allows cutting of 4 x 8 sheets of plywood.  The 2704 has been discontinued in favor of the newer 2705, which has some new safety features we’ll talk about in a moment.  Reviewers find the Makita 2704 maintained the basic features of the 2703 while increasing its size and heft.  It has a wider cutting capacity and is sturdier.  It also has increased the rpm a bit, from 4,600 to 4,800.  Check the woodworking discussion forums and you’ll find many users compare this saw very favorably to the DeWalt DW744 table saw, especially in terms of its ability to take a beating.

The Makita 2705 15 Amp 10 Inch Contractor Table Saw

Makita has added significant safety features to this model.  The blade guard can be raised from either side and can be removed and reattached without any tools.  In addition, the saw comes with a three position adjustable riving knife.  There are dual anti-kickback prawls which can be moved independently.  For dado cuts, you don’t need to remove the throat plate to adjust the prawls and riving knife.  This saw is also a bit heftier, at about 67 pounds, due to the addition of cast iron in the frame design.  Some reviewers complain this diminishes the saw’s portability while others like the increased stability.   Finally, Makita still hasn’t added a better quality rip fence with the 2705 and even their most devoted supporters can’t seem to figure out why they can’t get this right!