Mitre Saw on Last Legs??

[chrish57]

My Craftsman mitre saw (10" Professional 113.234633C, ~15 years old) seems to be showing its age. The biggest symptom is that the blade brake doesn't work any more. It used to stop the blade very quickly after releasing the trigger, but now the blade spins for 5(?) seconds after I release the trigger.

It also seems to take a few seconds to come up to full speed, and I remember that it spun up much faster when it was newer (didn't we all?).

Other that these nits, it still cuts fine. I pulled the brushes, and based on a quick visual, they seem ok - lots of "meat" left, not too much evidence of arcing.

Are these signs that I should start shopping for a new saw? Is there an adjustment/wear item involved in the blade brake that I should check?

TIA, Chris

[Gordon Shumway]

My opinion of Craftsman is reinforced by the fact that yet another of their poor quality tools is failing prematurely. This time replace it with a quality tool that will last the rest of your life.

My Makita LS1013 is about the same age as your saw. Mine performs as well today as it did when I bought it. Unfortunately, like you, I had to buy it when my 12" Dewalt didn't perform as it should have. My son-in-law now has a Dewalt that is worth every penny he didn't pay for it and he is happy and I'm happy because I don't have it.

G.S.

[Han]

Gordon Shumway wrote in news: [e-mail]:

That is not a Saturday afternoon hobbyist tool at $540!!

[chrish57]

[Gordon Shumway]

It may have been on sale but Craftsman regular prices are not a bargain compared to other quality tools. You get what you pay for. Now your beer budget is going to have to pay for a second saw and that is getting real expensive.

G.S.

[Gordon Shumway]

Maybe not, but buy the time he buys a second saw he will have spent about the same money -- or more.

G.S.

[Doug S]

Sounds like the commutator on the armature needs some work. You need a good fit between the brushes and the commutator for the braking action to work properly, and also for the motor to have good torque. You may need to get the commutator turned and undercut to restore it to good health.

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Sounds like the one he has is still working fine. Why would he be buying a second one?

[Mike O.]

I would go ahead and replace the brushes. Even though they seem to have plenty of meat, they may have been a lot longer when new. That's the cheapest repair you can make and if it gets the brake working you may extend the life a little.

If that fix is only temporary then, as Doug suggested, you may be in for a more extensive repair. If that's the case, a new one probably won't cost much more than the repair.

Mike O.

[Dick Snyder]

Have you looked at your manual to identify the braking mechanism and then looked at the Sears spare parts website

see if you can buy a part to repair the problem?

Dick Snyder

[chrish57]

I can't find anything conveniently labeled "blade brake". I imagine it works by turning the spinning motor into a generator and switching the output to a resistance of some sort, but I don't see any convenient labels for that either.

Guess I'll order a pair of brushes from Sears (~$10 ea).

[HeyBub]

Why pay retail + 50%?

Take the brushes to Graingers and say "Here's a dollar. Gimmie some like this."

[Dick Snyder]

You may well be right. See here:

I can't find anything conveniently labeled "blade brake". I imagine it works by turning the spinning motor into a generator and switching the output to a resistance of some sort, but I don't see any convenient labels for that either.

Guess I'll order a pair of brushes from Sears (~$10 ea).

[Doug Miller]

Make sure that the arbor nut is tight -- if it's loose enough to allow the blade to slip a little bit, that will produce exactly the symptoms you describe -- both of them. DAMHIKT.

[jo4hn]

I'm thinking that you need (read WANT) a new miter saw. The traditional method of convincing self and SWMBO is to invent a project of great benefit to all concerned for which a new miter saw is a necessity (read REQUIRED). Sell the old timer before it breaks and becomes worthless and go buy a good one. You will love it. Mr. Happiness, jo4hn