I was using my 15 YO Delta miter saw last night when the end cap of the motor housing blew off and landed about a foot from the saw.
The saw seemed to still be working so I made a few more cuts. That's when I noticed a burning smell from the motor housing. That's also when I noticed a wavy washer (spring washer?) on the floor of the shop. The washer fits into a recess in the center of the end cap so that it would be positioned right on the bearing seen in the image.
Little did I know that the plastic end cap actually held the motor in place. Once ithe end cap blew off, the motor appears to have shifted outward. I assume that the partially meshed gears at the blade end of the motor is what caused the burning smell.
In any case, the saw has had a good (and rough) life, so I think I'd rather go with a replace as opposed to a repair. I'd like to get a 10" sliding CMS with a laser guide. However, my biggest issue is the size of my shop. I don't know that I have room for a sliding saw since they are deeper than my current saw. As it is, the Delta just fits on a narrow workbench that runs along the side of my shop. That side is the long dimension and there really is no other place to put the saw.
I'm looking for suggestions as to what to buy. Are there sliding miters that aren't as deep as others? I don't have a particular price point in mind other than I don't think I need a $300+ saw for the types of projects I build.
If a sliding miter is out of the question due to the shop size limitations, who makes a decent fixed 10" CMS?
As always, thanks for your expert advice.