Makita SP6000J 6-1/2-Inch Plunge Circular Saw

I recently purchased this saw from Amazon. I'm quite happy with it in spite of a couple of problems. First, upon receipt the base was warped. When I set the saw on the track there was a pronounced rocking chair effect. Turns out a couple of screws in the base had been over tightened. Since I (knowingly) bought a saw that had been previously purchased and then returned to Amazon, it's possible this problem did not originate with the manufacturer (although the saw did not appear to have been used). It took me a while to figure out what the problem was, but once I did, it was an easy fix. Second, there is a button/pin you push in to use the saw's pre-cut feature and then pull back out to make the final cut. It pushes in just fine but when you try to pull it back out the small red rubbery cap pulls off. This is a real annoyance. You have to pinch the sides of the button to hold it in place while you pull. There doesn't seem to be an easy fix for this. Since the button is soft, I don't think any glue of cement will help. You just have to remember to pinch as you pull. You could remove the pin from the saw, drill a small hole in it, tap it, and install a screw to hold the cap on but this would be a lot of bother. Third, and last, the blade I received does not cut melamine well. It chips badly on the underside. I replaced it with a Tenryu melamine blade which cuts beautifully with virtually no chipping. The Tenryu blade is slightly smaller than the Makita blade but the pre-cut feature still works although you may need to press down in the saw a little to keep the pre-cut from occasionally skipping. I sharpen my own saw blades so, when I next sharpen blades, I'll resharpen the Makita blade and see if I can get it to cut better. So far I've cut 45 melamine cabinet doors with this saw. I've not yet cut anything but melamine. The chipping caused by the Makita blade resulted in a great deal of ugliness an it all needed fixing which was tedious. Anyway, after a little tweaking, I love the SP6000. I can't well compare it to other track saws since it's the only one I've used. I love how I can accurately cut full 4x8 sheets w/o a lot of lifting and fighting with bulk and weight. My great wish is that I could find a VERY ACCURATE square with which I could easily and accurately layout four foot cross cuts in full sheets. There are gizmos you can attach to the track that are supposed to help you do this but they are so short that I can't see how they could be accurate over a four foot span. There are large collapsible four foot squares but they are for laying out floor tile or other similar tasks where "close enough" is all you need. "Close enough" won't work for cabinetry. Framing squares are neither accurate enough or long enough to work well. Does anyone have any helpful comments they might make?

Absolutely love this saw. It has completely changed my shop. Build quality is great and the price in comparison to other top track saws is great. Great product!

Wow! This is my first track saw and now I wonder what took me so long. I had attempted to make my own guide rail for my craftsman circular saw but it just didn't work well. I purchased this saw along with the Makita 55 inch guiderail and DeWalt clamps. After receiving the Makita saw and the guide rail I put it to immediate use building some cabinets. The cuts were easy, smooth, and spot on. The operation of the saw is flawless and it runs on rail so smoothly its almost like it's not cutting. I also purchased the DeWalt guide rail clamps. They are they quick type clamp and complement the guide rail although the rail does stay put as advertised without the clamps. My shop vac does not fit the dust collection outlet very well so it is a little cumbersome for me to hold the hose while I saw. It does keep the dust down very well though. I hope to rectify this soon. This saw was about $100 less than the DeWalt and $200 less than the Festool. I can't imagine them performing that much better than this to justify the cost - at least for a hobbyist. I even was impressed by the case it comes in. Everything looks very professional. I plan to add another 55 inch rail with connectors so I can rip full sheets of 4x8 plywood with ease.

I have had a lot of different saw guides in the past all various sizes most were just a straight edge type that you placed saw against. One was actually a track type that saw mounted to a plate and plate followed track. None of them were accurate 100% of the time. I was always skeptical mainly due to the high cost of these types of track saws. But I was wrong in thinking that. When you pair this saw with the Makita tracks it is hard to beat. The cost is minimal when you figure the accuracy’s, the fast setup, the consistent cuts and the ridged construction. I had been looking at much higher priced track saws but went with Makita and glad I did My only con although it’s irrelevant to me is I’m 70 was brought up in schools for 12+ years learning fractions, inches and feet all the markings on this thing are in millimeters. As the old saying goes, Hard to train an old dog need tricks

Exceeded my expectations in quality of cut. I cut 3/4 plywood in one pass and got a perfect cut with zero tear-out. The connectors for my two 55-inch rails was flawless and provided a smooth transission from one rail to the other. There was no sign of being underpowered but I took two passes on hardwood. So far, I'm extremely happy with my seventh Makita tool. I'd recommend it to anyone whose budget won't allow a Festool track saw whose price is hundreds more. I did not opt for the brushless track saw due to cost.

I'm having a few issues. I've used friend's Festool saws and have been very impressed. I read that the Makita is rated even better than the Festool, so I'm sure my problems are "user error". For starters, there's no mention anywhere in the manual that the "first cut" actually cuts into the rubber "guide strip". So there was a sheet of plywood ruined since I had lined up the guide on the factory edge. My saw also jiggles a bit in the track. There are 2 cams which seem like they are adjustable to get rid of this jiggle, but whether I tighten or loosen them, they don't seem to have any effect on this slight jiggle. When they're loosened, the cam guides seem to slide out to the point where they would help tighten the wiggle, but as soon as I tighten the knob, they suck back in and don't seem to help. Another problem I had, once I realized that the first cut makes your permanent guide edge, is that, in addition to the slight wiggle I have in my track, When any part of the saw plate extends past the edge of the guide, it no longer maintains it's straight line. So now, I not only have a slightly wiggly rubber guide edge through the length of the guide, the beginning and end taper off significantly, because the saw won't stay straight when any part of it is off the track. This is also my fault, probably, because I had my blade set at 7/8" in order to cut through 3/4" ply. I guess my main complaint is that, in addition to not being able to get rid of the jiggle, is that it sure would have been nice, after dropping $500 on the combo kit, if the manual had said something, anything, about what you should do first to not only make sure the saw is seated properly in the guide, but also that the first cut should be full depth in order to cut your new guide edge from start to finish. There's nothing in the manual that came with this kit about any of that. So now, I'm stuck with a guide that has a sloppy edge. Maybe I can get a replacement edge and do it again. I'm still at a loss how to get rid of the play between my saw and track and can't seem to find anything online. I still manage to get good cuts and it beats the hell out of using a regular skill saw.

Works well

I bought this saw primarily to break down plywood. My "shop" is my carport, so I have to move all of my equipment out of my garage to make sawdust. That has necessitated my using a contractor's size table saw, which is fine for most applications, but is not so great for cutting plywood sheets. I've wanted a track saw for a while, and finally decided to pull the trigger. I agonized over whether or not to get the Festool, but ultimately decided I couldn't justify the cost. The Makita works just fine and makes really clean and accurate cuts. I recently had to trim a new door and the track saw is the perfect tool for the job - very accurate and no tearout. I bought an extra 55" guide rail, an extra connector and the clamps. The guide rail does stay in place, but I was glad to have the clamps when I was trimming that expensive door. Also, the guide rail works as a great straight edge when I need one for jointing boards on the table saw!