Makita 5477NB Review
Editor Rating: 4.7/5
Excellent
Makita 5477NB
Reviewed by: Timothy Henderson
Published on: October 6, 2017
Last modified:
- Design
- Functionality
- Price
Makita 5477NB Review Summary:
The Makita 5477NB is a light weight and powerful hypoid circular saw with a great ergonomic design and large cutting capacity. This make the 5477NB a top pick for both professional and DIY use.
5477NB Specifications:
- Weight – 14 pounds
- Dimensions – 21 x 9 x 12 inches
- Power source – Corded
- Voltage – 120V
- Wattage – 2300 W
Makita 5477NB – The Basics
If you’re looking for sheer power and better surface contact, hypoid saws are the way to go. This particular one features a 15-amp motor which delivers 4500 RPM under no load. As you can tell, it will rip through wood of any density without breaking a sweat. On top of that, the precision and stability are quite good meaning even absolute beginners can use this machine without having to worry about complexity.
The thing that makes hypoid saws different from the others is the gear system. Because these gears have a greater surface contact in comparison to conventional circular saws, the machine can deliver more power and surface contact. However, all of these advantages come with a price, and it’s a pretty hefty one.
Makita 5477NB Features
The design
When talking about Makita’s design one cannot point out too many new things. This brand has been issuing power tools for years, and they all have quite a similar design as far as the aesthetics go. On the other hand, ergonomic features are the thing that counts the most with these tools. Luckily, this particular model has pretty neat ergonomics thanks to the combination of hard plastic and rubber.
Both the hand grips of the 5477NB are rubberized in order to decrease the amount of vibration and improve comfort. While the grips feel solid and reliable, we would have liked to see it feature slightly softer rubber. It may be a matter of personal preferences, but softer grips usually don’t have as much of an impact as the harder ones.
Bevel capacity is 0-51.5 degrees with positive stops at 45 and 51.5 degrees. As you can tell, it’s a perfect piece of equipment for cutting truss and cross-cuts.
The build quality is pretty good. The unit consists of metal and plastic components. Also, the gears have been heat-treated meaning they should last for a long time. The best thing about the gears is the fact that they don’t require any maintenance whatsoever.
Safety
There aren’t many obvious safety features, but you can rest assured that this unit is as safe as possible, as long as you go by the rules. First of all, do not take off the blade guards or alter any of the safety features. It should be common sense, but a lot of people mess with the auxiliary parts in order to decrease downtime. Needless to say, it’s not worth it, especially if you consider the fact that the changing of factory safety features can cause fatal consequences.
5477NB Pros:
Affordable
High quality
Good design
Cons:
Tends to vibrate
Somewhat heavy
Things we liked about it
While there are plenty of things to like, we liked the power, versatility, and most importantly – the price. As far as the power goes, it’s quite self-explanatory why we liked it so much. You can rest assured that it will cut through anything you put in front of it as long as you’re using the proper blade. The absence of bogging is quite appreciated both by professionals and hobbyists.
Furthermore, the ease of use is also worth mentioning. The user manual is comprehensive and well-written; therefore, even if you never used a corded saw you shouldn’t have any major issues with this one. It doesn’t come with a ton of auxiliary parts and tools. Instead, all you have to do in order to use it right out of the box is adjust the levers, blade, and that’s it.
Things we didn’t like
Some people consider it heavy. While this may be a matter of personal preferences, we did indeed found it heavier than usual. However, that doesn’t mean it’s unusable or bad. Some other models weigh less than this particular one, but those are worm-drive models with alloy gears. As far as the hypoid ones go, you won’t find a significantly lighter unit than this one. The weight variations are usually between 1 and 2 pounds.
What Users Say About The Makita 5477NB
The best thing about this particular unit is the fact that it’s suitable both for DIY enthusiasts and professional artisans. Therefore, both of these groups have a pretty good general opinion about the Makita 5477NB. It isn’t the best thing on the market, but it’s definitely a worthy substitution for your old circular saw.
Conclusion
As you can see, the 5477NB model represents a decent power tool that is efficient and yet quite affordable. People are usually reluctant when it comes to investing money in affordable tools, but you can rest assured that this one is not a cheap copy. In fact, if you’re familiar with Makita, then you know how thorough they are when it comes to the build quality and quality control.
As we said, one cannot expect a perfect tool for this kind of money. There are some shortcomings that we didn’t quite like, but it’s nothing you can’t overcome in a matter of hours or days. It all comes down to getting used to using a brand new tool. If this particular model isn’t your cup of tea, don’t hesitate to check our other full reviews out.
Types of Saws We Reviewed
