Makita 5007MGA 7-1/4 Inch Magnesium Circular Saw Review

The Makita 5007MGA 7 And A Quarter Inch Magnesium circular saw is the same as the Makita 5007MG with the addition of a brake. With the brake, this version of the saw is almost perfect. This saw has the power even pros will need. You’ll see that this review is very similar to that of the Makita 5007MG model.

Table of Contents
1. Motor Power
2. Blade and Bevel Capacity
3. Base Plate and Guard
4. Adjusters
5. Cut Line Visibility and LED
6. Handle
7. Carrying Case
8. Rip Fence
9. Shortcomings
10. What Others Are Saying
11. Bottom Line
12. Price

Motor Power

The Makita 5007MGA has a 15 Amp motor.  It cuts most stock with relative ease. The motor performs on par with other saws in its class. At no load, the blade will turn at 5,800 RPM .

Blade and Bevel Capacity

This saw has a 7 1/4″ blade diameter.  Like most circular saws, the included blade is okay, but you will want to upgrade to a higher quality blade when you can.  We have the same complaint about changing the blade on this saw as we have with most others – we hate the allen/hex wrenches you have to use, and the included one is terrible for changing blades. We have switched to more of a T-shaped wrench to change saw blades. Little hex wrenches that are stored on the saw tend to vibrate out of their storage places too. The saw has a shaft lock for easier blade changing, but it’s not as easy to engage as ones on some other saws.

The saw will bevel to 56°, and cuts to a depth of 2 1/2″ at 90° and 1 3/4″ at 45°. A cool feature is that the saw has positive stops for the bevel at 22 1/2°, 45° and 56°, which makes it easy to do beveled cuts at those angles. (You set it at 56° when you want to be able to set the bevel angle anywhere.) Overall, this circular saw is one of the easiest to bevel.

Base Plate and Guard

The base plate/shoe is solid cast magnesium which you may like better than stamped aluminum.  It’s extremely rugged. The blade guard works smoothly. We read some reviews online that complained the guard stuck when cutting 2x lumber at an angle (bevel), but did not experience that ourselves.

Adjusters

The depth control and bevel control are levers that are adequate. The are okay to operate and lock down easily. Our biggest complaint with this saw is that the number indictors are stuck on to the saw instead of etched in. Granted, they are stuck on very, very securely, but they are going to get scratched and nicked up over a lifetime of use.

Cut Line Visibility and LED

Cut line visibility is good but not great. It’s certainly comparable to other sidewinder saws. This class of Makita circular saw includes an LED that illuminates the cut line. This is a nice feature if you find yourself working in low light situations. The LED is always on when the saw is plugged in, so it also serves as a power indicator.

Handle

The rubber coated handle provides some cushioning to your hand and good ergonomics. The handle won’t get too slippery when your hand sweats.

Carrying Case

There is a carrying/storage case included with this saw. It’s a sturdy plastic case.

Rip Fence

We don’t have a lot of use for the included rip fence, preferring to build our own cross-cutting and ripping circular saw guides. Your mileage may vary though. We’d prefer to make this an optional accessory and lower the price of the saw.

Shortcomings

This saw doesn’t have any significant shortcomings since this model includes a brake. We are a little disappointed at the numeric indicators for beveling and depth control, but that’s a minor issue.

What Others Are Saying

This saw is very highly reviewed at both amazon.com and homedepot.com, with many “best circular saw I have ever used” comments.

Bottom Line

The Makita 5007MGA 7 And A Quarter Inch Magnesium circular saw is a very nice circular saw.  There are a couple of minor things that we wish Makita had designed differently, but overall this saw is highly recommended. 5 out of 5.

Price

Amazon puts a lot of effort into keeping their pricing competitive. As of the date of this review, the price was very attractive and they offered free or discounted shipping. Click to check today’s price and see if that’s still the case: