LC1230 12" Metal Cutting Saw

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.

I have used a couple of cold-cut saws (as well as several abrasive saws) over the years, and this is the best I have used. It is solid without being impossible to move, with almost no blade wander (some run-out existed on both of the other saws I tried - Dewalt and Milwaukee), which, combined with the excellent Makita blade, gives notably smoother and more precise cuts. The miter guage is surprisingly accurate (but if you need finer than 2 degree precision on angles other than 0 and 45, use a good guage like a Starret). After about 6 months and perhaps 3,000 cuts through tubing and channel - much of it 2", 3/16 thickness steel - the blade is starting to perform less well - leaving a notable burr which was not present previously. However, given that the saw has now probably cut well more than 1,000 linear feet of 1/8 and 3/16 steel, I am very happy with the performance of both the saw and blade. My only very mild criticisms: the safety lock occasionally sticks and the arm needs to be wiggled a bit to allow the arm to be pulled down. The chip catcher only gets about 50% of the steel shavings that are created (hey, that is much better than catching none) - it is good to have a magnet around to gather them up later. Finally, as others have noted, the chain that holds the arm down for transport is less convenient than the pins that are common on many miter saws. None of these issues reduces my overall affection for the saw. In summary, great saw, great blade, good price.

I should have purchased this saw a long time ago for my metal fabricating needs. This saw cuts mild steel in the same way my woddworking chop saw sheers through maple or any other hardwood. The cut is absolutely perfect and I do not get any type of blade wandering like i would get from my older abrasive style chop saw. The other really nice thing about this saw is how much cleaner it leaves the shop. The little basket catches most of the debris and only a very small amount of shavings are left flying off to the sides. This saw has some very nice features that my old saw did not have. The nicest feature, other than how cleanly this saw curs through steel, is the adjustable fence and how easily you can adjust it. The locking mechanism slides in and out of the left side of the table when you need to make changes. A simple 30 degree loosing and you can go from a 90 to a 45 in seconds and re lock the blade. You do not need to get out a wrench or any other tool to perform this task. I also like that the lever slides in out of the way for storage. I also like the quick release for the tightening wheel, which allows you to slide the clamp back without having to unthread. I did not receive any discount, products, or any other compensation for my review of this saw. This Makita saw cuts steel like a warm knife through butter. I wish I had purchased this saw a long time ago for the simple fact that it is so much easier to use than my old saw and produces perfect cuts every time.

Just realized I bought this saw 10 years ago. It's a unit. With a good blade, it cuts clean and quick. I've been through half a dozen blades which doesn't seem like a lot but the cost/benefit is way ahead versus friction blades. There are newer ones out there with better mitering capabilities but for most cutting, this is satisfactory. Albeit, it was much cheaper 10 years ago, not sure if I could justify the purchase nowadays where there are more affordable and capable saws.

This saw is really expensive but after trying an abrasive saw and then this, there's no comparison. An abrasive saw throws a shower of sparks everywhere and makes a nasty, smeary cut, but the worst part is that the cuts aren't square because the wheel deflects. With this thing, I dialled in a 45-deg bevel and got a nice square cut with ZERO gap all around when fit up for welding. The cool-to-the-touch parts and minimal deburring are a nice bonus. The chip cup collects about 60% of the chips (and they come off hot), but at least they aren't abrasive dust that permanently stains any concrete it lands on. Overall this thing is built much nicer than a typical cutoff saw too -- the table is a rigid aluminum casting and not a flimsy stamped steel thing, and the vise is a big beefy piece of machined steel that holds your angle properly. Caveat: The included blade is for steel, but not stainless. If you're cutting stainless box section as I was, you need the (very expensive) stainless blade. And that blade is very short-lived (like 20 cuts). That makes the package less than ideal for stainless, to say the least. For regular steel, it might be awesome...I haven't tried it yet.

Wow! I already love this saw! After years of using my trusty DeWalt chop saw, I finally bit the bullet and spent the money on this Makita, and I wish I had bought one of these years ago. This thing makes cuts with darn near surgical precision - especially miters, which are always a little off with an abrasive saw - and best of all, the cuts are perfectly clean and ready to weld. No more grinding slag off the material and then having to make sure everything's square, and there's so little heat you can touch the material with your bare hands right after you make your cut! It's also quick. It cuts through 2" sch. 40 pipe in just seconds (even on a 45 degree miter), and it cuts 1/8" tubing about as quickly as a miter saw goes through a 2x4! The angle clamp is fairly accurate, but as with pretty much any saw under $1000 you should always double check your angle with a square or other tool if you want to be precise. At first I didn't like the chain they use to lock the blade down (as opposed to a pin), but it turns out to be handy for things like checking your blade angle, because you can bring the blade only part way down and hook the chain on, which makes it easier to get your square in there and see what you're doing. One of the first things I'm going to do is build a mobile stand for it (search WeldingWeb.com for some really neat ideas). I want to have this saw handy at all times, because it's such a pleasure to cut with it! In other words... I'm really, really happy with the Makita LC1230!

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.

Achtung - die Fotos im Internet täuschen teilweise etwas - das ist eine wirklich große Säge (305mm Sägeblatt)!!! Wie schon in anderen Bewertungen geschrieben - normale Wohnungssicherungen reichen nicht aus. Da läuft die Säge nicht einmal an - man hört nur ein "klack" und schon ist die Sicherung wieder raus... Entweder man nutzt Sicherungen mit eine geringerer Auslöseempfindlichkeit (B, C) oder man kauft sich einen Anlaufstrombegrenzer. Ich habe diesen bei dem Elektrohändler, der mit CON... beginnt gekauft. Kostet zwar noch einmal 50 EUR extra - man ist dann aber mit der Säge unabhängiger und kann sie auch woanders einsetzen, wo die Sicherungen nicht angepasst sind. Mit angeschlossenem Anlaufstrombegrenzer kann man dann loslegen. Die Säge wird in einem doppelten Karton mit einer Schutzbrille geliefert. Trotzt recht guter Verkleidung und einem schalen Plexiglasstreifen vor dem Sägeblatt ist diese aber auch nötig. Die Metallpartikel (schaut eher aus wie Granulat - wie sehr grober Sand - keine spitzen, langen Spähne) fliegen doch ordentlich herum und landen bei weitem nicht alle in der an der Rückseite befindlichen Spanlade. Die Verarbeitung ist - Makita eben - bis auf einen Punkt ok. Der Mechanismus, der die Säge entriegelt, um sie absenken zu können, stößt leider leicht an die Abdeckung des Sägeblattes (bzw. an eine an dieser hervorstehenden Kante) an. Ich hatte noch 2 weitere Sägen dieses Typs bei mir stehen, die dies auch mal mehr mal weniger hatten). Beeinträchtigt die Funktion zwar nicht aber es gibt mit Absenken immer ein metallisches Geräusch. Sehr gefällt mit der Schnellentriegelungsmechanismus, um den "Schraubstock" schnell zu verstellen. Einfach den Hebel umlegen und man muss nicht durch das gesamte Gewinde kurbeln sondern kann es einfach verschieben. Ebenfalls sehr gut funktioniert der Winkeleinstellmechanismus. Allerdings ist der Hebel bei der Auslieferung derart fest angezogen, dass ich bei allen Sägen wirklich Angst hatte etwas abzubrechen wenn ich noch fester ziehe - und die Säge ist mit rd. 20kg wirklich schon sehr massiv aufgebaut. Das Sägen selber ist wirklich eine Freude wenn man davor Metall mit einer Flex abgelängt hat. Saubere, vollig kalte Schnitte innerhalb von Sekunden. Einmal kurz mit dem Entgrater drüber gefahren und man hat ein perfektes Bauteil. Insbesondere wenn man danach schweißen will und saubere Winkel braucht ist die Säge eine unglaubliche Erleichterung. Zur Haltbarkeit des Sägeblatts kann ich noch nichts sagen, da ich sie noch nicht lang habe und auch nur hobbymäßig einsetze.

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.

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

J'en avais marre de prendre des risques à couper le métal à la meuleuse avec tous les risques associés. Après réception de cette scie, un bonheur ! Ca coupe vite, et bien. Alors attention, si vous coupez du tube plein de 40mm, il y'aura une très légère déviation, mais sur du tube creux ou du profilé, c'est à angle droit et on économise bien du temps ! Le réceptacle à copeaux est efficace et économise le temps de ménage. Bon, ca reste cher, mais c'est un confort !