@ Whit Holder,
if I am trying to do overhead cuts and other not so save maneuvers
than the weight and size of the Makita is certainly a good feature for a saw that size.
For the most part the beams are cut on horses at a comfortable height. So the "heavy weight" MAfell or Holzher( only offered in Germany) are not that awkward to handle especially since they are very well balanced. Not so the Makita partially because it so/ too slim. A circular saw is mostly used to make straight cuts wether they are at a 90 degree angle or any other angle within the tilting range of a saw. For tenons I would use a handheld bandsaw or a smaller circular anyway.
Then there is the fact that the Makitas might be less expensive but seem not to like heavy use. We have burned up a lot of them where I used to worked in Germany. Just where not made for the task. The Holzher on the other hand(similar to the Mafell) would not give up. My experience with Makita tools is that they don't feel right in your hands, do not run smooth, have a lot of torque but unfortunately do not last very long. You get what you pay for.
Which should not stop anyone from buying them since apparently they seem to be very popular. My impression, reading the posts here and in other Forums, is that besides the fact that there are not a lot of tools to choose from in this category the Makita seems to be the best bang for the buck but if Mafell for example had tools in the same price range everybody would be buying Mafell.