Radial Arm Saw not cutting well

You said you checked the blade alignment... how about the sharpness of the blade? And, while we're at it... is the blade installed correctly?

Perhaps, but it could just as easily be the circuit that it's plugged into. What you describe is more or less normal behavior when trying to use a tool that needs a 20-amp circuit, on a 15-amp circuit.

Only if something's wrong. :-) Is it possible that the motor is wired (internally) for 240V and it's plugged into a 120V circuit?

Not even gonna think about starting *that* discussion, thank you very much.

Wouldn't that simply cause the brasker to trip???

My guess it that the blade is dull. (or, (drumroll please...) on backwards) RAS are generally less powerful than TS, but even a feeble RAS should be able to cut a 2x4 easily enough. It is unlikely the motor would run at all if something were wrong with it.

Make sure you have the blade on right, and then buy a decent blade. You can always use it on your new TS.

A small overload takes a while to trip a breaker. In the meanwhile the lights get dim and motors slow. But most radial arm saws are only 10-13a, so it probably is not the problem; unless the circuit had other big loads on it.

Not if the motor pulls, say, 18 amps for a few seconds on startup, and 13 while running. Breakers do not normally trip under a small overload that lasts only a short time.

Yes, but that's 10-13 amps _while_running_. A saw that pulls 16 or 18 amps at startup will behave _exactly_ as the OP described., right down to the inability to take heavy cuts without stalling.

It -might- be your motor, but electric motors are usually go/no-go. Does it make horrible squealing noises, like say, a bad bearing?

Make sure the plug and all electrical connections are good. If the motor gets really hot, you may have a short inside. You may want to take the motor apart if you're knowledgable about doing that, or take it to an electric motor shop. It'll still be cheaper than a new saw.

Check the voltage, as someone else has mentioned. It should be stamped on the motor. If it's switchable, make sure it's wired for the voltage you've plugged it into. Also, make sure the motor is rated for 60 Hz (or whatever your local frequency is), and it's not some funky import or custom saw.

You can go to owwm.com to see if they have the manual for your saw there on line. You could've also posted the model here, as others may have one like yours.

This could also be caused by using an extension cord that is not rated for the current. I have an air compressor that will only run right if plugged in directly, or with a 15A extension cord. El cheapo cords won't cut it.

This could also be caused by using an extension cord that is not rated for the current. I have an air compressor that will only run right if plugged in directly, or with a 15A extension cord. El cheapo cords won't cut it.

This could also be caused by using an extension cord that is not rated for the current. I have an air compressor that will only run right if plugged in directly, or with a 15A extension cord. El cheapo cords won't cut it.

Gee, I dunno' about that. I thought the rake angle was set differently for the two types of saws.

-Zz

Yeah, it's like you gotta cut 3 times before it works.

-Zz

Yah, could be except sounds like the father-in-law had the same problem. Maybe cord to motor has broken strands, switch could be bad, are bearings binding? either of these should cause the reset button on the motor to trip. I have a 30+ year old Craftsman RAS that cuts fine only problem is watching that it doesn't pull its' self into the work too fast and stall on heavy stuff, especially Oak. Was going to say it is on a 15 amp circuit but I believe it is now on a 20 amp.

Walt Conner

I would surmise that this could be a bad motor starting capacitor.

Marv

I agree but I was under the impression that you thinking that the saw was pulling 20 amp all the time. I would think that with all the stalling, the motor would blow the breaker.

It is on crosscut blades; -5 for RAS and 10 for TS. But I used 10 on my RAS for a while before I bought a -5 and it wasn't that big a deal. Likewise, a -5 would work on a TS, it just wouldn't cut as fast. Don't know about rip; but it seems like they ought to be the same.

how old is the saw? i got a 1954 dewalt (amf years) for 50 bucks, thought i had a great deal. as it turns out motors peter out over time - sitting idle for years doesn't help. I found a guy in iowa who would recondition it for somewhere around a grand including shipping. hell of a deal. buy a new saw

how old is the saw? i got a 1954 dewalt (amf years) for 50 bucks, thought i had a great deal. as it turns out motors peter out over time - sitting idle for years doesn't help. I found a guy in iowa who would recondition it for somewhere around a grand including shipping. hell of a deal. buy a new saw

Possibly.

Huh?? HP rating dictates that. You have to compare apples to apples. You could just as easily say that a TS is generally less powerful than a RAS.

Not likely. If buying a common TS blade and using on a RAS the results may be the same as described by the OP.