Well I burnt up my Dewalt Chop Saw today cutting some 2 x 4 x 3/16 rectangular tubing.

I think maybe I was pushing too hard. Made a nifty plume of smoke :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: out the side of the saw though. :D

Luckily I was still within my 90 days no hassle returns at Lowes, so I got a new one. Any tips for not nuking this one?

check your voltage at the outlet, if its low :nuke:

burn that one up and demand a refund, then get a metal band saw with controlable feed rates, oil lubrication and ability to cut threw metal like butter.:D

Um how about not pushing so hard. :flipoff2:

But really those saws usually last a lot longer than 90 days you may have just got a bad saw.

Originally posted by TrailRunner
burn that one up and demand a refund, then get a metal band saw with controlable feed rates, oil lubrication and ability to cut threw metal like butter.:D

Funny you mention that. When I picked the goods up at the steel supply place today, I had them whack the 24' piece in thirds, and I watched while one of these saws wipped though it like nothing, little noice, no sparks, no hands, and about 10 seconds to cut through it. Wouldn't want to see the price tag though!!!

there must have been a break in the seal......you let the smoke out! When the smoke gets out the device can no longer operate properly or at all! :D Check the seal and install new smoke. Did you catch the smoke when it got out? If not I have some saved that I can mail you :D

LOL i got some smoke too if u need it. we have a horizontal band at school. it works well on the thinner stuff but big stuff takes a while. i like using it over a chop saw tho.

Drew

i have had bad luck using dewalt power tools. i had a 4.5" angle grinder and a drill, niether lasted a year.

I've got one of the harbor freight chop saws, the quality isn't the greatest, but it has died yet and I've beat on it pretty good, many cuts through 2x4x1/4 box, just take your time...

Originally posted by Shrock
Well I burnt up my Dewalt Chop Saw today cutting some 2 x 4 x 3/16 rectangular tubing.

I think maybe I was pushing too hard. Made a nifty plume of smoke :nuke: :nuke: :nuke: out the side of the saw though. :D

Luckily I was still within my 90 days no hassle returns at Lowes, so I got a new one. Any tips for not nuking this one?


I smoked mine also. (14 amp saw) I was still on my first cutting wheel and was cutting a piece of 3" channel. I took it back and they said "no problem" It has a 1 year warranty from DeWalt. They had It back to me in 2 weeks. (bought it from a welding shop)I still have my old Makita (13 amp saw) that I kept for a standby. :D

I had one of the Harbor Freight cheapies (my wife bought it for me at fathers day) that actually lasted 2 years before I smoked the brushes. They come w/ and extra set, so I kept is as a spare. I had a Dewalt for 1 day and returned it, it crapped out on me and never cut a straight line. I bought a Millwake (sp??) and really like it.

I got a Dewalt 4.5" angle grinder it blew up after about a year... of abuse... got me another one.... it's workin good so far

one problem make sure your not running 100ft of extention cord... you loose a lot of voltage.

I have used the same makita cut-off saw 8 years and its nothing to cut 3 or 4 hundred parts a week on it ..... all I have done is beat the sh** out of it and put two power cords on it .... I cut one and ran the last one over with the forklift.... Damm they just don`t work good when there flat.

P.S. If you like watching smoke ,,,, use a long extention cord.
:flipoff2:

I've had my chop saw for nine years with one rebuild a few years ago, when cutting something go into it a little hard and then back off for a second then go in hard again and back off for a second.
repeat as many times as needed, and the saw will last a life time.

ericfilar@fatcity

Originally posted by d.d.machine

P.S. If you like watching smoke ,,,, use a long extention cord.
:flipoff2:

OK we could be getting somewhere on this. I do have a fairly long cord, two actually totalling about 25', but they are brand new very high quality 12ga cords. Do you think that is an issue considering the beefy cords?

get a porta band saw

I worked primarily in one prop making shop from 91 - 98 and still stop in to say hi once in while they've had the same Makita chop saw since I can remember that thing has seen a lot of hours and abuse, not to mention a different crew of workers many times a year and some of them don't give a crap about shop tools, based on that I fully endorse Makita for chop saws, I find they are a little more pricey than the other major brands but worth it.

Milwalkie gets the vote for my fab shop.

I have beat the piss out of their grinders, drills, and chop saws. There chop saw is the only one with a cast steel bed not a tin or thin steel bed. It holds a better clamp style as well, and the spring is a better design.

Fleckster

The cast table sounds like a better deal .I have skill brand, and stamped steel table tweeks slightly when you apply pressure causing unsquare cut. I have thougt about bolting it to a piece of 3/8 plate to stiffen er up. Go cast!

i will speak up for the harbor freight portable band saw, that thing with a bigger motor has been bad ass!! we get some nice blades for it and it goes through anything. we literally have hundreds of hours on that thing and it still keep whacking and the good news is that it cost about 200$. we fried the original motor and installed the bigger crate motor with some different pullys and that sucker is a mean machine again!! go for the harbor freight whacker!!

Originally posted by Shrock


OK we could be getting somewhere on this. I do have a fairly long cord, two actually totalling about 25', but they are brand new very high quality 12ga cords. Do you think that is an issue considering the beefy cords?


Yeah, this could be the problem - when the saw loads down (or any other motor for that matter) it pulls more current to try to keep up, the extention cord can't flow as much as is needed so the motor starts "starving" in a sense and burns up....kinda like the engin in your truck needing more oil pressure at higher RPMs.... Though in this case the cord doesn't seem "too" long, it may be. Can you plug it directly into the outlet or get a 10ga cord? This might prevent damage to the new one....


:usa:

i find that some wheels cut better than others and seem to use less HP. I have a HF that i bought about 12 years ago as a temp. but it just keeps going. Flevovit and thick wheels dont work as well.
14"x7/64" Pearl brand work the best. It like the saw has 2 more HP.

On the subject of blades, I tried one of the more expensive red colored Dewalt blades and it cuts slower than the std black ones. I think it is thicker is why. So far the new saw is doing OK.

I have tons of Dewalt power tools and this is the first problem I've ever had with one, so maybe it was a lemon.