After using the newer 16" Makita for almost 2 years now, we really like it, especially with the carbide blade. However, the base is total crap. It's a major design flaw, and as stated above, no one is currently making an after-market base for this saw. I'm begging you, someone's got to design and manufacture this base plate! I'd much rather spend $200-300 on a new base than fork over the cash for a major saw upgrade, like a Mafell. Another place to check saw prices is at Baileys.com.
