I've got a DeWalt 779 miter saw that's about five years old, and it stopped functioning correctly after I changed the blade. I think the manual brake, which is supposed to help tighten the blade, is stuck in the "on" position. I've noticed that I can still tighten and loosen the blade bolt without engaging the brake, and the upper bearing of the belt is completely stuck when the blade is tightened all the way. I've replaced the felt washer and lubricated everything I could, but nothing seems to resolve the issue. Any tips or tricks to fix this?
1 Answer
First off, make sure the saw is unplugged! From what I remember, you should start by removing the belt. After that, try turning the motor by hand to see if everything moves smoothly. Once that's done, check if you can turn the disc by hand. If the disc doesn't budge, it might be stuck. The button for the brake is located on the back of this model and can sometimes jam the shaft. Try removing the disc and gently pushing the button while manually moving the disc to see if it releases. Sometimes it just needs a little wiggle to go back into place!
Thanks for the reminder about disconnecting! I checked the switch and the brushes, and everything seems fine. I'm noticing that the blade's ability to turn seems tied to how tight it's set. I uploaded a couple of videos to show the difference between when the blade is loose and tight. Any thoughts based on that?