Experience repairing Makita track saw?

[uwkandiko]

Hi All,

I've been using my makita track saw with the festool ct-35 for some time now.  This last job I was on, I noticed some smoking / funny smells coming from the saw.  The bearings didn't sound good so I took it to my local electric motor repair shop where they told me it needed new brushes / bearings.  Since I had been working it pretty hard, I didn't think anything of it and got them replaced.  Fast forward a month when the next time I need to use the saw occurs (I didn't check it after I had picked it up from the repair shop...stupid me) and the thing sounds terrible.  Within 30 seconds of it just running (no load or cutting) it starts smoking and then dies.  I have the motor shop pick up the saw and told them it sounded terrible and then died.

A motor technician called me up saying that I must have plugged it into a 220 outlet or that my electricity had gone bad.  I said I was extremely confused because I had been using the saw on my vacuum for over two years and have plugged many other sanders / routers / etc. into the unit and never had a motor failure.  

I don't really know what to do at this point because they are saying I've overloaded the saw and can prove it by showing me some busted parts.  I'm no electricity expert but I also know that I am running this saw through the festool vacuum.  Has anyone had any repairs done on their Makita track saw or had any problems with a vacuum powered system overloading their saw?

[Steve N]

Just a thought, what gauge wire are the extension cords you are using, and have you recently swapped them? Electric can be ok, tool can be ok, but if the wire won't carry what is needed = problems. Beyond that I would try another repair place, sometimes the people at those places aren't very good. Plug it directly to the wall, and just use the cord from the saw for a bit, no noise and heating up, problem solved.

I am assuming here a sharp blade, nothing binding up (blade will move freely by hand, please unplug first), and the dust chute isn't all clogged up.

[Robert Adams]

Sounds like a commutator or field winding shorting out. Only way to check is by taking it apart and ohming it out.

[Just_Dave]

Two questions.
#1 were you using the saw on a job site? 
Several years ago a bunch of us had tools fried when the electrician mis-wired the spider boxes.  Seems that the 120 outlets were not 120 


#2 Did you take the saw to an authorized Makita repair center?
My experience with Makita repair centers has always been very positive.  Makita is very good about supporting the repair centers and paying them fairly for their time.  Not flat rate like some of the others do.  

My very first suggestion is to take the saw in to a Makita repair center and have them evaluate it.  Expalin the situation honestly and if they are reputable you may find that it won't be as bad as the other guys made it sound.

Find the closest repair center here 

Good luck.

[uwkandiko]

1) No, it is in my workshop.  The CT35 is plugged into a wall and the saw into the vacuum.  Nothing about that has changed for a long time.

2)  I would love to, but the nearest service center is a good 2.5 hours drive from here.  Once I start factoring in time lost / money already spent, I might as well just get a new one.  Sad, I know.  I wanted to support the local motor company, but maybe they are aren't very good at this soft starting motor.  

The blade turned fine, just started sounding bad and then smoke.  Nothing about the electricity seems to be the problem.  In fact, today, I was running multiple routers off the vacuum with no problem.  Maybe just a fluke.  I'll probably end up buying another one shortly.  Just wanted to see what others had for experience.