Makita SP6000J1 6-1/2" Plunge Circular Saw Kit, with Stackable Tool case and 55" Guide Rail, Blue

Here is my review on the: Makita SP6000J1 6-1/2" Plunge Circular Saw Kit, with Stackable Tool case and 55" Guide Rail I purchased this with my own money. This is the corded model. I don't have a dust collector so I cannot speak to that. In short, I love it and although I have never used Festool I feel this is the tracksaw/railsaw for me. I have no complaints whatsoever with the operation, quality, or overall appearance of this saw. What I love about it is the rail/track is compatible with Festool stuff and unlike DeWalt and many others proprietary in nature. So accessories from Ali Express or Festool or TSO, etc. will all work with this track/rail. I purchased rail clamps but I've never had to use them because the track is grippy! I couldn't believe that when I was considering the purchase of this saw, but keep the back side of the rail and your work blown off with compressed air and you'll have no slipping! I used this Makita system to build kitchen cabinets. And, prior to that, to make a straight edge on 8-foot-long poplar for door and window casings in my cabin. It's a high-quality piece of gear like all Makita stuff is. The track is heavy and nice aluminum. What I did was purchase (2) 55-inch Powertech rails that I keep fastened together for long rips, then I use the 55-inch Makita rail with this set for cross cuts. I bought an inexpensive rail square to help with that which works wonderfully. Very accurate cuts, very easy to accomplish. The hard case is nice to store the saw in. The soft start feature is very nice, the plunge feature works very smoothly. The Makita blade is exceptional. Exceptional. In fact, this blade, along with the rubber strip on the rail prevents tear-out better than some of my very expensive blades used on my Delta 3 h.p. Unisaw. I should have bought this a year or two ago. It's an expensive purchase, yes. But if you use it only 3-4 times (you'll use it much more!) I feel it has paid for itself. I love it. I highly recommend this Makita corded track saw.

I assume the title about covers it : I've owned this saw since 2018 and have made countless hundreds of cuts with it. I've replaced the rubber pads on the bottom of the track but I'm still on the same track. It's done fine and still makes straight cuts. I'm a few blades in now and I don't actually remember if the factory blade was great, though I don't remember it being conspicuously bad either. I just cut through 1 1/2" red oak yesterday. It wasn't super speedy but it got the job done. Maybe the motor has lost some power over the years but not a lot. It was about a hundred dollars cheaper when I bought it (with inflation probably about the same price) but I consider it one of the best woodworking purchases I've ever made. I use this twice as much as my table saw. Even the case has more or less lasted, though some latches have cracked a little.

I purchased the Dewalt and took it back before using it and purchased the Makita instead. My reason for this is that Makita and Fess use the same track design, which means there are more accessories to make this system even better. Dewalt has discontinued many of their accessories, and aftermarket accessories for other track systems in many cases do not work with Dewalt due to their double sided track design. I really wanted a t-square attachment for the track to make setups easier when breaking down sheet goods. You don’t need one, but it is nice to have. Ok, so what about quality? Both the Dewalt and Makita feel like good products. The Dewalt T is heavier, and feels like it is made from some heavier castings. I did not run the Dewalt but I did adjust the saw and check its ability to slide well. The Makita slid across the track much more smoothly than the Dewalt. Adjustments are similar, so I consider them equal here. The Makita has a track retaining latch that keeps the saw from tipping off the track when doing miter cuts. What about accuracy? I had to square up a piece of 3/8” painted furniture grade plywood that arrived in a parallelogram shape from my cabinet company. How a company with huge panel saws and CNC machines cannot cut a square corner is beyond me. This piece was going to skin the back of a peninsula and join to the face frame of a cabinet, so the cut had to be accurate, clean, and straight. The results were absolutely perfect! I think the cabinet company should buy this saw. The quality of the cut was better in every way. I replaced the factory blade with the 56 tooth Makita thin kerf blade before setting up my track. This added some cost, but I think it was worth it. The saw cut very well with this blade. Makita should include this blade standard. It felt like the motor was coasting, which I can in part attribute to the anti friction coating on this blade. I like the plunge movement better on the Makita too. The Dewalt felt a bit unnatural. Makita has a very nice track bag to hold your tracks too. It is extra but I really liked the quality. The box that comes with the saw is also nice, and has a bit of extra room in it to hold a spare balde or two. All I can say is buy this thing. You won’t be disappointed.