Makita Plunge Saw keeps cutting into guide rail.

Sure, here's a photo of where the saw starts to cut into the track.

What's interesting is when I move the saw back and forth along the track without cutting, the blade does not make contact with the aluminum, it follows where the rubber strip would normally be cut.

So something is happening during the process of cutting that's causing the blade to move in. I want to point out that I'm not clamping the track, which perhaps is causing it to shift.

Can you adjust the saw blade distance to the edge of the track? I don't see your rubber strip. I have both a Dewalt and a Festool system. I know that with my Festool that I can dial the distance in to the edge of the track so if you have more than one saw you can set them up to use the same track and the strips will be accurate. I'm wondering if your blade might be too close to your guide rail and maybe catching it. This may what is occurring in point #1 above where you have a little play in the track. I would keep using the messed up track and practicing with some scrap wood until you get everything dialed in and your are satisfied with how it works. Once its all working throw in a new blade and pull out the new track. Dust collection is one of the thing that really sets these saws apart. It's nice to have such a clean work area. Also dust under the track will cause it to slide and move.

It sounds like you may be new to track saws. We all were once. Another common issue is you may notice a curve in the middle of your cut. Your material MUST be supported along the entire length. Cutting a sheet of plywood on a couple of sawhorses doesn't work anymore. If your material sags in the middle your cut will be bowed. What many people do is buy a 1-1/2 or 2" thick of foam insulation and put it on the ground and cut their material on top of that. I don't like to get down on my knees or bend over so I made a frame out of 2×4's that sit on edge that sits on top of saw horses that is stiff that I use when ripping long sheets.

The fact that you are able to push the saw into the track where the blade will touch makes me believe the saw needs to be adjusted as I mention. If you look at the bottom of the saw there are hard stops along the guide rib preventing further motion toward the track. If the knobs are loose as you mention it will let the saw drift away from the track, not toward it. Having the knobs loose will let the saw shift and is likely causing the kickback as Mark said.

With both knobs loose set the saw on the track and slowly tighten until the saw is holding to the guide rib with no side to side movement. I verify this by pushing back and forth on the edges of the bottom plate. If you hear a clicking sound that is movement of the plate on the track, tighten the knob slightly to remove slack. As I close in on this, I am turning the knob very slightly, maybe half of a notch on the knob. Start at one end of the saw. Once that end is where you want it, do the other. Once both are done check the saw by sliding on the track. You may need to go back and do it again if the saw is too tight on the track.

Once you have the saw fitting correctly on the track, plunge the saw, without power, and verify the distance of the blade from the aluminum track. You may need to do this on the edge of your bench or possibly turn the saw over and place the track on top of it to get a good view. As previously mentioned, I would like to have the blade at least 1/16" away from the aluminum.

If you are plunging the saw into the cut, you always run a risk of kick back. Ideally, you want to have the saw plunged prior to entering the material being cut. Once you get comfortable with how the saw reacts, then you can start using it for plunge cuts when necessary. It is very important that the blade be up to speed and that you have a secure grip on the saw with both hands prior to plunging the blade. In some cases it is beneficial to have a stop clamped to the track behind the plate when plunge cutting. Festool makes a device for this but I am not sure it will fit on the Makita track without modifications due to the anti-tip lip on the Makita track. If you have access to a 3d printer, there are some available on Thingiverse.


Here are some I found on ebay which look to be 3d printed for the Makita track.


Again, feel free to message for additional help. The Makita track saw is a fantastic tool which I find to be very helpful on most projects and has changed the way I approach many cutting tasks. Hopefully we can get yours working correctly and increase your comfort level operating the tool.