Item : B0000614UR Customer Reviews Big Saw For Big Cuts by .. BJO (New England) I purchased this saw to cut several 4x4 landscaping timbers to outline a driveway along with a variety of mulch beds. This saw is a beast. The two handles are definitely needed to control it. Positioning the saw to begin the cut and turning it on in conjunction with depressing the safety button is definitely a challenge as other reviewers have stated. However, once you develop a technique it becomes less burdensome. The saw does not have a soft start feature and will jerk when first turned on. It also is equipped with an electric brake which performs as expected. The 32 tooth stock blade is OK for rough cuts. The blade stabilizer is effective in preventing excessive runout. With the stock blade the saw will bog down if you force the cut and not let the tool do its job. But it still is a fine tool for making cuts on wood with such large dimensions. I constructed some jigs to make the alignments of my 90 and 45 degree cuts much easier. Please view this video to see the saw in action using one of these easy to make jigs. http://video.aol.com/video-detail/makita-beam-saw-cutting-with-jig/1638302903. If you have some large timbers or landscaping ties to cut, I would definitely recommend this saw. home maker by .. James E. Scanlon () This saw was the work horse for my new log home. It cuts through the 6by12 logs and beams with ease. I am still in the process of building my home and would recommend this saw to anyone who is doing the same. Big Beam, Makita-Momma-Jama !! by .. Louis P. Epley (Cripple Creek, VA) This is my second beam saw from Makita. It is much better than earlier versions that were a tad sloppy by design and very under powered. This one gets it right, well mostly. The trigger button is very oddly placed and requires two hands to crank it up. I will glue an extension on the button when I can. It's a lot like trying to saw with a VW engine, you really need to be awake and have both hands on the saw. Forget the line drawing, clamp a metal speed square to the work and use it as a guide for the cut edge. My first job was to shoulder knotch 12 beams 8x12x24 feet. I'm glad they were whitepine. The job went well, but the blade that comes with the saw is a utility blade and I would invest in the highest quality fine tooth you can find for the high visibility cuts. It would be nice to get an 8" depth cut, but the 6" it has is fine is fine for most uses.b mans saw by .. David C. Bohmer () the saw performs great.plenty of power great for timber framing and post and beam. only draw back is plate is to narrow Super-size-saw by .. Peter E. Madsen (Carlsbad, CA) This is a great saw for cutting larger dimension material. I have used the older saws that were gold in color and they were not bad but this new model has a better platform and adjustments.I have been cutting 16/quarter mahogany with this saw and it does not bog at a reasonable cutting speed.The blade that comes with the saw is decent, however,I purchased a 60 tooth blade (Amana), from a local tool supply for about $130 and this blade cuts a little smoother. The only thing that I did not like about this saw is the safety button. It is hard to push with the edge of your thumb I modified mine with a half-inch ebony plug epoxied to it. It looks like it came from the factory like that and is, in my opinion, safer to use.