Your trusty old circular saw is your best friend when it comes to cutting materials with a specific dimension. They get the job done and they do it perfectly, but as time goes by these things start malfunctioning.
So if you are wondering why does my circular saw keep stopping? Well, there are a few reasons which could have caused this but don’t worry, it can be fixed quite easily.
In this mega guide, we’re going to show you exactly why your circular saws keep stopping in the middle, and we will guide you on how to fix it!
So without further delay, let’s jump right in…
Reasons for Circular Saw Stopping
Circular saws can cut lumber, masonry, metals, roofing materials, and a variety of other things with the right blade. But you can’t really cut anything when it keeps stopping in the middle of using it, now can you?
Before we go onto discussing how you can fix this problem, you need to know the reasons for your circular saw problems. Based on my experience, there are primarily two reasons for a circular saw to stop during operation.
One reason is the blade being damaged and the other is motor malfunctioning. However, there might be other reasons like cable problems and voltage shortage. But we’re going to focus on these two main reasons.
Reason 1: Blade Problem
The Circular saw blades problem is the most common reason for circular saw stopping during operation. Bad or dull blades won’t let the saw do its work. You’ll see that working with a bad blade becomes hard and quite painful.
Eventually, the circular saw will stop working even when all other parts are in good condition. Regardless of how you see it, your saw is only good as the blade you’re using.
Solution for a Blade Problem
There’s no solution to this problem other than changing the blade itself. Changing the blade of a circular saw isn’t hard. It’ll be even clearer when we walk you through the whole process.
But before all that, there’s something you need to know. This time make sure that you buy a good quality blade.
Have you ever noticed that some people don’t change their blades for a long time? Well, the reason is they use a good blade. So, do your research and get a good one.
Now, let’s talk about how you can change the blades by yourself…
| Circular Saw Blade |
| Our Top Pick: DEWALT Circular Blade (Link from Amazon) |
Step 1: Disconnect or Remove the Battery from the Saw
For obvious reasons, you don’t want to skip this step. It’s very dangerous to work on a circular saw that’s plugged in or has batteries in it.
So before you do anything, cut the power and unplug the circular saw. If your circular saw is cordless, take out the batteries.
Step 2: Check If Your Blade is the Right Size
A common mistake that many people tend to make when it comes to power tools such as a circular saw involves attempting to use blades larger than those intended for the tool’s design specifications. Inevitably, this results in issues ranging from malfunctions during usage all the way up to accidents caused by unsafe work practices due to poor working conditions resulting from these mismatched parts being used together.
That’s why you shouldn’t try to play too smart in this situation. If your circular saw needs a 10-inch blade, it needs to have that to function properly.
The case is similar when working with a 7¼-inch circular saw. So, don’t forget to buy the right-sized blade for your circular saw.
Step 3: Remove the Blade Guard
Every circular saw should have a blade guard installed on it. It ensures that you don’t accidentally come in contact with the blade. But in order to install a new blade, you have to remove the blade guard.
First, place the circular saw on a flat and solid surface, somewhere it won’t budge. Next, pull out the blade guard which will expose the blade.
Now, you have to turn on the arbor lock. Although a lot of manufacturers don’t include an arbor lock in their circular saw. So, if that’s your case, you can place the circular saw blade up against a piece of wood to make sure it stays in its place.
Step 4: Loosen up the Arbor Nut
The next step of the process is to loosen up the arbor nut using a wrench. You don’t need to buy a wrench for this purpose. As a matter of fact, if you check the box of the circular saw, there should be a wrench made for loosening up the arbor nut.
If your circular saw is direct drive, you have to turn the wrench in a counterclockwise motion. And if it’s a worm drive circular saw, rotate it clockwise. It’s simple, right?
Finally, take out the blade once the nut is loosened enough.
Step 5: Put in the New Blade
Now that you’ve removed the old and dull blade, you can put the new blade in its place. To do so, slide in your brand new blade inside the arbor.
Then, put in the nuts and tighten them. As with any nut, remember not to tighten those too much. The nuts tighten themselves when the saw is running, so no extra tightening is required.
On the other hand, under-tightening is risky too. Just make sure that nuts are firm enough and you are good to go.
Step 6: Check if it’s Okay
Once you’ve replaced the blade, put in a new set of batteries, or plug it in your power outlet. Now, turn on the power to see if everything is running smoothly.
And that’s it. You’ve successfully replaced the blade of your circular saw.
Reason 2: Motor Problem
The second reason for a circular saw stopping in the middle is motor problems. If you’re cutting hard material, you need a powerful circular saw. But sometimes you can’t cut hard materials even with a powerful motor.
That’s when you know that your circular saw has a motor problem. Now if your circular saw stops all of a sudden, you’ll need to figure out if it’s the motor or your entire machine.
Solution for Motor Problem
For your convenience, we’ve made a list of things that you need to check. Troubleshoot each and every one of these and eventually, you’ll find what is causing the problem.
1. The Blade
When a circular saw’s motor keeps malfunctioning, most of the time a faulty blade is the main reason. So we’ve already shown you how to fix this.
Well, it’s not really a fix since you just have to replace the blade. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to do it in no time with our guided instructions.
2. The Circular Saw Motor Brass
Sometimes, the motor brass too can cause a malfunctioning motor. If your circular saw is a bit old, chances are the motor brass is damaged. A circular saw with damaged motor brass will struggle to cut anything.
So, what you need to do is to open up the motor and check if everything is okay or not. If you see that the motor brass is damaged, throw it away.
Well, you can try fixing and going full DIY on it but trust us on this. You don’t want to do all that hard work when you can buy a new one for a few bucks. That’s why you should replace it instead of going all out at fixing the motor brass.
| Circular Saw Motor Brass |
| Our Top Pick: Dewalt 145323-06 (Link from Amazon) |
3. The Grease
Old grease is kind of like poison for machinery. When you put in new grease, everything works just fine. But as time passes the grease gets old.
After a while, it gets solidified. Hardened grease becomes junk, making the machinery operate slowly. Sometimes, it shuts down the entire machine. In this case, your circular saw will stop out of nowhere.
New grease is always good for machines. So, try to grow a habit of changing the grease in all your machines regularly. This way they’ll last a lot longer and perform a lot better.
Now, for replacing the grease in the motor, take out the bolts of your circular saw’s shell so that you can reach the central core of the motor.
If you see that the grease is living it’s last few days, it’s time to change it. Always use good quality lithium grease. You’ll find boatloads of grease online. That’s why we make sure you read the reviews and buy the best one.
| Lithium grease |
| Our Top Picks: Permatex 80345 (Link from Amazon) |
After you’ve applied the grease on the motor, attach the nuts again. Your circular saw should be as good as new again.
4. The Motor Arbor
This is the last thing you should check for if your circular saw stops functioning.
The arbor is there to keep the blade in its position with a few nuts and washers. And it does quite a decent job. But the problems occur when it gets worn out after years of usage. Then, it struggles to hold the blade in its place.
So, buy a new motor arbor if you see that the old ones are worn out. However, remember to put the nuts and washers in the right place.
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Before We Go
Well, that’s it for this post. So the next time when someone asks, why does my circular saw keep stopping? You’ll know what to do.
Nevertheless, always take care of your machines. A little care can go a long way in this case.
