According to my bathroom scale, the bigfoot weighs 20 pounds, and the makita comes in at just under 40. Big difference, which is why we got the bigfoot. The smaller saw is easier to steer, and for a lot of cuts, like tenon shoulders and cheeks, 4" is enough. Also, when cutting 10" timbers, one can cut full depth with the makita on one side, then roll the timber, and cut the other side with the bigfoot. If there's a chunk of 10x10 dropping to the floor, it's much nicer (and safer, IMHO) to be holding 20 fewer pounds in your hands.
That said, the bigfoot is not all it could be. The castings have some rough edges that need to be filed down to prevent minor cuts and scrapes to your hands. Also, the blade guard is poorly designed and is always getting hung up as you start your cut. That's my $.02.
Mark, regarding braces, I recently picked up a 5HP radial arm saw (on ebay, of course) with a 16" blade (5" depth of cut). With a series of stop blocks, we can cut a big pile of braces in short order with excellent accruacy. CB.
