circular saw bad bearings?

[Bart]

my friend just got a new Sears circular saw a few days ago and we're trying to figure out if it has bad bearings or gears.....when you let go of the trigger and it's slowing down then it runs very rough. (this is with the blade spinning freely, not cutting wood)

at full speed it runs pretty much ok and will probably cut wood, although a very small amount of roughness can be felt. it's a $59 model with ball bearings.

we compared with my two Skil saws and they run perfectly smooth while running at full speed and while slowing down to a stop...not a hint of roughness at any speed. (One is a worm drive, the other is a cheap $38 model)

he's trying to decide whether to return the saw to the store but he doesn't want to be unreasonable if this is normal behavior for a new saw, and maybe after it's used for a few weeks it will smooth out...or on the other hand maybe it's defective and should be returned right away

just wondering if anybody else had ever noticed a problem like this... if anybody knows if this is normal for a new saw...or maybe it's not a problem at all and the saw can just stay that way...but from looking at other posts I gather that Sears saws in general have lots of trouble.

Thanks

[DanG]

It will not get better. Take it back and try the saw in the store.

(top posted for your convenience) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) [e-mail]

[Joe]

I have a Sears table saw that eats a set of bearings about every 6 mos. I've ended up replacing them with American made bearings and so far so good. Fafnir is the brand I am using.

..Joe L

[Norman D. Crow]

Maybe, just maybe, it could be the blade. Take blade off and try it, or try another blade. If not, then definitely return it to the store, and make sure you try the new one in the store before you accept it.