The best stand without wheels. The stand (made by Rousseau) converts the benchtop saw into the heart of a portable woodworking shop. Makita has the most solid system for cutting full sheets of plywood on the best tabletop worksurface with the longest rip fence. It’s also the most expensive saw. On the downside, the miter gauge and blade guard are disappointing. The miter-gauge slots are too small for an aftermarket miter gauge, and the gauge that comes with the saw feels more like a toy than a tool. The guard won’t flip back out of the way, and it’s cumbersome to install and remove. Onboard tool storage is poor.
Fine Woodworking Recommended Products
Rikon 10-3061 10-in. Deluxe Bandsaw
The 1⁄2-hp motor has all the power needed to resaw at its maximum capacity of 5 in.
The saw has two speeds: 3,280 sfpm (surface feet per minute) for wood and 1,515 sfpm for soft metals and some plastics.
Makita LS1219L Miter Saw
This is the saw I want in my shop. For one, it’s easy to use. All of the controls are easy to reach and manipulate, and the glide mechanism is both robust and smooth. The handle works well for righties and lefties. Then there are added bonuses that no other saw has. For instance, its hold-down is superb, as it can move to different locations, hinges for a greater range of coverage, and actually holds down the work. In addition, the saw has two points of dust collection, letting it firmly beat the rest of the field. The one downside was the saw’s laser, which was so faint we had to turn off the shop lights to see it. Still, all these pluses in a package that fits tight to the wall? That’s a winner for me.
Grizzly G0495X Industrial Helical Cutterhead 8-in. Jointer
Regardless of the board’s grain, this jointer produced excellent results. Its fence was totally flat, worked smoothly, and locked well, staying in place even after jointing multiple edges. Getting the fence to 90° was very easy, but the 90° stop was a little tricky to set and the fence did not go back to square when using it. For those who would use it, there is also a digital depth-of-cut scale.
Editor Test Results:
Table Flatness | N/A |
Parallel Test | N/A |
Arbor Runout | N/A |
Noise Level | 90 db. |
Manufacturer Specifications:
Manufacturer | Makita |
Manufacturer's Web Site | www.makita.com |
Manufacturer's Phone Number | 800-462-5482 |
Max Rip Capacity | N/A |
Dust Collection | N/A |
Fence | Stock |
Horsepower | N/A |
Amps | 15 amps |
Volts | N/A |
Table Size | 27 in. by 21 in. |
Blade Size | 10 in. |
Blade Tilt | N/A |
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