Makita 2705 Review

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Introduction

So today, we are going to carry on looking at small portable table saws and see what Makita offer in this area. Now Makita have been been making tools for over 100 years now and they have a reputation for making excellent quality accurate tools that are used by professionals all over the world.

When it comes to portable saws, Makita have 2 offerings. the 2705 and the 2705X1. These are exactly the same saw, however the X1 package comes with Makita’s very clever folding stand system that I will cover a bit later on.

Size and Weight

At the 65.5 lb’s the Makita 2705 is a little heavier than other saws in this category. (The DeWalt DWE7480 come in at 48 lbs) but is still a very manageable weight to carry from job site to job site. Having that extra weight may even be a good thing for you as it will give more stability to saw when cutting larger stock. the table size is a very respectable 24-4/8″ x 22-1/4″ and with the right hand side extension table you can get a max cut of 25″ which means you can use this saw to rip 6×4 sheets of stock.

The precision machined table top, creates a great flat table surface that stays flat during operation and allows for even greater accuracy

Motor

This saw packs a very impressive 15 amp brush motor which runs at a faster 4800 RPM for improved performance and has an electronic brake. The motor in this saw is capable of powering a 13/16″ dado blade, which is very unusual in a saw of this size. so if this is a feature that you really need, then this may well be the saw for you. This saw will easily rip thick stock in one pass and I am glad Makita have given attention to the motor with this saw as it definitely is probably one of the most powerful in the portable table saw range

Blade & Riving Knife

The 2705 has a tool less blade guard system and the riving knife/spreader has three different positions for through, non-through, and dado cuts–and you can adjusts this without removing the throat plate.

As with most saws, the Makita 2705 comes with a 32 tooth carbide tipped blade. It comes factory sharp and will do a decent job, but as with most blades that ship from the factory this always seems to be an area where most manufacturers try to save a few bucks. Bare in mind that you may want to grab yourself a quality aftermarket blade to really get the best from your table saw.

Fence

A shoddy fence will always let down an otherwise accurate and well made saw, so its important for saw manufacturers to pay attention to the fence. And this is something that Makita has done. The fence on this saw is up there with the fence on the Bosch 4100-09. it sets easily and accurately again and again. I have seen a few comments from users of this saw that the fence wasn’t set properly out of the box, but this is easily fixed with some adjustments and should give you consistently accurate results. The machined table top comes with a 3/8″ x 3/4″ T-slot miter gauge grooves accepts commercial accessories with T-formed shanks for versatile cutting.

Conclusions

I really like the Makita 2705 as a portable table saw. It is about 16 lbs heavier than other saws in this range, but for me that’s not a bad thing. the fact that it has an amazing rip capacity and powerful motor than can easily rip thick stock and even accommodate a dado blade, this ticks a lot of boxes. and hopefully will for you too. I also like the safety features that you get with this saw

See the Makita website for more details on this saw

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