Just talked to a Makita person re whether or not they intend to put out
their sliding compound miter saws with a laser line guide and the answer was
no.

The rep said they did extensive testing and weren't satisfied that the line
stays accurate. I thought this was a good thing because it shows they care
more about selling a quality product than adding the laser as a buyer
incentive.

What does this say for the other laser guides that are out there, including
the add-on one now available?

I have a 12" Makita laid away and that's why I asked if they would be adding
the laser feature. May as well go ahead and get it anyway. I like their
honest answer!!

Keeter P.

I don't believe their answer. To me that is a salesman's answer. They
don't have it so they belittle anyone that does. I added a laser to my
older ls011 I think is the number. Anyway the laser is accurate at the
top of the stroke... it changes as the saw is brought down...(I hear all
of the type that mount to the blade do this... boy did it **** me off at
first thinking my saw was crap) BUTTT that is fine... I have learned to
deal with it... and for most work it is way more accurate than without
it. The only place I am uncomfortable with it's accuracy is with
compound miters...

Keith wrote:

Just talked to a Makita person re whether or not they intend to put out
their sliding compound miter saws with a laser line guide and the answer was
no.

The rep said they did extensive testing and weren't satisfied that the line
stays accurate. I thought this was a good thing because it shows they care
more about selling a quality product than adding the laser as a buyer
incentive.

What does this say for the other laser guides that are out there, including
the add-on one now available?

I have a 12" Makita laid away and that's why I asked if they would be adding
the laser feature. May as well go ahead and get it anyway. I like their
honest answer!!

Keeter P.

Re your respected comment....I guess this confirms what they say???

"Anyway the laser is accurate at the
top of the stroke... it changes as the saw is brought down"

K.

"Keith" wrote in message
...
Re your respected comment....I guess this confirms what they say???

"Anyway the laser is accurate at the
top of the stroke... it changes as the saw is brought down"

K.

The problem I have with lasers is that you can't see a pencil line when the
laser shines on it. I often make fine adjustments to my work piece, Often
I'll cut to one side of the line or the other. Sometimes I want to cut down
the center of the line. I'm talking 1/32 or smaller adjustments. I hate not
being able to see the line when cutting.
I always lift the guard out of the way so I can view my line and the blade.
I just can't see the use for a laser.
For people who never lift the guard I guess it's the only way to line up the
cut.

TaskMule wrote:

"Keith" wrote in message
...
Re your respected comment....I guess this confirms what they say???

"Anyway the laser is accurate at the
top of the stroke... it changes as the saw is brought down"

K.

The problem I have with lasers is that you can't see a pencil line when the
laser shines on it. I often make fine adjustments to my work piece, Often
I'll cut to one side of the line or the other. Sometimes I want to cut down
the center of the line. I'm talking 1/32 or smaller adjustments. I hate not
being able to see the line when cutting.
I always lift the guard out of the way so I can view my line and the blade.
I just can't see the use for a laser.
For people who never lift the guard I guess it's the only way to line up the
cut.

I've never had the opportunity to try to use one w/ the laser, but I've
always been curious about whether they were actually very accurate for
precision fits, as well. I can see it being a time-saver for
framing-type cuts, but no substitute for either a stop block or the
actual line for precision it would seem to me. The fuzziness of the
edge alone (at least in all the pictures I've seen) would seem to be
self-defeating for precision.

That is for the blade mounted laser. The fixed type that are in the top
of the housing I've heard resolve this issue. So the Delta w/dual lines
(nice), and Crapsman shouldn't have this problem. I am not sure why,
just that I've heard they don't have this problem, and confirmed with
others that have the blade mounted that I am not alone.

I can say it is more than framing accurate...
But for the very precise use a test cut and stop block.... Which
eliminates more than laser error (minuscule ) compared to marking error,
and (my sighting error). Yes the laser line is more than a hair wide, so
your accuracy is compromised by that... but so is your line unless you
strike it with a marking knife.... Funny I used to use a knife all the
time... but I can't see the damn knife mark half the time anymore.... So
how many times do you need the most accurate cutoffs??? Is it for
repetitive cuts... 2 sides of a table ... use a stop block, you won't
have any question... or leave a hair extra and use a shooting board.

Keith wrote:

Re your respected comment....I guess this confirms what they say???

"Anyway the laser is accurate at the
top of the stroke... it changes as the saw is brought down"

K.

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
I've never had the opportunity to try to use one w/ the laser, but I've
always been curious about whether they were actually very accurate for
precision fits, as well. I can see it being a time-saver for
framing-type cuts, but no substitute for either a stop block or the
actual line for precision it would seem to me. The fuzziness of the
edge alone (at least in all the pictures I've seen) would seem to be
self-defeating for precision.

If I was doing a lot of framing, I'd want the laser for the speed. For fine
work, taking the few seconds to bring the blade down to the mark is a cheap
price to pay for accuracy. The one that require the blade to be running for
the laser to be on sound silly to me. I'll be damned if I'm going to make a
precise alignment with a 12" blade spinning above my hand. My be OK for
chopping a tubafor though.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:15PNd.21730$QS5.17030@trndny06...

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
I've never had the opportunity to try to use one w/ the laser, but I've
always been curious about whether they were actually very accurate for
precision fits, as well. I can see it being a time-saver for
framing-type cuts, but no substitute for either a stop block or the
actual line for precision it would seem to me. The fuzziness of the
edge alone (at least in all the pictures I've seen) would seem to be
self-defeating for precision.

If I was doing a lot of framing, I'd want the laser for the speed. For
fine
work, taking the few seconds to bring the blade down to the mark is a
cheap
price to pay for accuracy. The one that require the blade to be running
for
the laser to be on sound silly to me. I'll be damned if I'm going to make
a
precise alignment with a 12" blade spinning above my hand. My be OK for
chopping a tubafor though.



I agree for framing and siding I would find it usefull. For my shop cabinet
work my 1/72nd pencil lines are obliterated by the 1/16th laser

TaskMule wrote:
....
I agree for framing and siding I would find it usefull. For my shop cabinet
work my 1/72nd pencil lines are obliterated by the 1/16th laser

Is (or can it be) set such that it would hit the edge precisely or is it
(as I have presumed) a fuzzy-enough image that there isn't really that
crisp of a line? If it were set to split the line, I don't think it
would have a chance of anything but "in the ballpark", I agree...

I have no intention of ever paying for one, I'm just curious how well
they might actually work...

I bought a Laserkerf brand laser for my makita 1013 about two years
ago. It's housing mounted and comes with well laid out instructions
for mounting. It's not a perfect system, but it's a nice option that I
use sometimes and am glad to have even though I have a carefully
constructed cutting station. My set-up involves a solid table with 8'
of t-track to one side and 4' to the other side. There are steel rules
epoxied into each track. Replete with flip stops for ease of use and
repeatability. Yet, I do use the laser when I'm cutting to pencil
marks. [BTW, the laser duplicates the saw kerf - either 1/8 or 3/32 -
so the laser doesn't obliterate the pencil line. You put the laser to
the EDGE of the pencil line.] So, I like having the laser. But for
$80 I'm just as happy adding it on myself and letting Makita do what
they do well. That 1013 is a fine saw!
ron

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in message
news:15PNd.21730$QS5.17030@trndny06...


If I was doing a lot of framing, I'd want the laser for the speed. For
fine work, taking the few seconds to bring the blade down to the mark is a
cheap price to pay for accuracy. The one that require the blade to be
running for the laser to be on sound silly to me. I'll be damned if I'm
going to make a precise alignment with a 12" blade spinning above my hand.
My be OK for chopping a tubafor though.


I made a zero clearance insert for mine and I use the kerf slot to align
with the mark on the front edge of the board.

TaskMule wrote:


I agree for framing and siding I would find it usefull. For my shop cabinet
work my 1/72nd pencil lines are obliterated by the 1/16th laser

I actually prefer to cut cabinet and furniture joints that really matter
on my table saw. My SCMS is for framing, cutting rough lumber to
length, etc... A laser would be of little value to me.

Barry

Leon wrote:

I made a zero clearance insert for mine and I use the kerf slot to align
with the mark on the front edge of the board.

Same here.


Barry

I think I'll be sold on the idea when the laser can actually cut the
ood. --dave

"TaskMule" wrote in message
...

"Keith" wrote in message
...
Re your respected comment....I guess this confirms what they say???

"Anyway the laser is accurate at the
top of the stroke... it changes as the saw is brought down"

K.

The problem I have with lasers is that you can't see a pencil line when
the
laser shines on it. I often make fine adjustments to my work piece, Often
I'll cut to one side of the line or the other. Sometimes I want to cut
down
the center of the line. I'm talking 1/32 or smaller adjustments. I hate
not
being able to see the line when cutting.
I always lift the guard out of the way so I can view my line and the
blade.
I just can't see the use for a laser.
For people who never lift the guard I guess it's the only way to line up
the
cut.