Hey everyone, I'm a bit worried about my miter saw. A year ago, I bought a 12" Metabo sliding miter saw with a dual bevel. Initially, it cut fine for my rough carpentry needs, but now that I'm trying to do more detailed work, I've noticed the blade wasn't square. I adjusted an allen bolt at the back, as suggested in the manual, and it finally cut square. However, while using it to square edges on a cutting board, I saw some green plastic and metal chips flying out of the dust port. Now, the blade isn't aligned correctly: when pushed all the way back against the fence, there's a significant gap to the guard, and when I pull the saw forward, it shifts right. I didn't change any other settings apart from that one bolt. I'm concerned I might have ruined the saw, or maybe it was never set up right from the start. Has anyone had experience with similar issues or with Metabo's warranty? Your advice would be really helpful!
2 Answers
Don’t panic just yet! It’s pretty common for miter saws to have this kind of issue, especially if they weren’t calibrated properly from the factory. I’d recommend double-checking the alignment without the blade installed first; sometimes debris or a misaligned part can cause those shifting issues you’re seeing. If it is indeed misaligned from factory settings, Metabo's warranty should cover it, so reaching out to them would be a good move!
It sounds like that set screw you adjusted is for the 90-degree stop. That adjustment shouldn’t mess with the blade's alignment in terms of left or right. I suggest closely examining the sliding mechanism while moving the blade forward, especially where it seems to shift. You might find something loose or misaligned at the hinge or frame where the carriage slides. Identifying that will be the key to fixing the alignment issue!