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I used to own Dewalt DWE575 (7-1/4, 15 amp) and liked it quite a bit. Unfortunately, my garage got broken into and it was stolen.

I bought a used DWE575SB, which is similar, but with electrical brake. I put on a new blade but it cannot cut through a 2x6 without getting stuck.

The other day I tried to cut through a 1x12 pine board and it couldn't complete the cut. I don't recall the previous one had such issues.

Can I conclude that I bought a lemon and it's at the end of its life?

What other signs should I look out for before spending money on a new saw?

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  • That seems to be a decent consumer-grade saw. It should have no issues cutting a standard 2x6. I'd say it has a problem.
    – jwh20
    Jul 31, 2020 at 22:59
  • Dull blade, perhaps?
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Aug 1, 2020 at 6:36
  • Depending on the price you paid vs the price of replacement, it may be worth sending it to a DeWalt service center for an overhaul. OTOH, I had a bit stuck in a drill and was about to do that. The guy at the service counter looked up an online tutorial for getting the bit out for me and sent me home. ;)
    – FreeMan
    Aug 1, 2020 at 13:36
  • It sounds like the blade is binding. Does the blade spin freely without the motor running? (Check with it unplugged.) Does the blade spin (when powered) without any wobble? (Have a helper hold the saw while you watch the blade if you're uncomfortable checking yourself.) Is the wood well supported on both sides of the cut to prevent the wood from pinching the blade?
    – FreeMan
    Aug 1, 2020 at 13:39

2 Answers 2

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After the saw has failed to complete a cut quickly unplug the power, remove it from the work piece, and test whether the blade still turns freely. That'll check whether there is some drag that develops while the saw is in use. If so, repair might not be economical.

Assuming that it's a normal AC or universal motor (ie, not a brushless DC motor) then it's worth taking a few minutes to inspect the brushes. A motor can start acting weird when the brushes are nearly worn away. A new set of brushes is usually an inexpensive repair.

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  • +1 on the brushes. When you buy a sued saw like that, you don't know how it was used / abused. youtube.com/watch?v=ktqb5zuOk2o
    – JRaef
    Aug 1, 2020 at 1:12
  • Thank you for your answer. I'll look into your suggestions.
    – SAR
    Aug 1, 2020 at 1:31
  • @SAR you may also want to touch the blade immediately after it's stopped spinning to see how hot it is. If it's binding, extra friction will cause the blade to be really hot. TBH, I don't know how hot it would be without binding, but I don't think it should be too hot to touch.
    – FreeMan
    Aug 1, 2020 at 13:41
  • Thanks @Freeman the blade generates significant heat, to the point that it burns the wood it's attempting to cut.
    – SAR
    Aug 4, 2020 at 13:55
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Make sure you don't have the blade in backwards. Every circular saw on Amazon has a few one star reviews from people that put the blade in backwards.

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    Why does that not surprise me?
    – FreeMan
    Aug 1, 2020 at 13:34
  • I may not be the sharpest, but I am not THAT dumb (-;
    – SAR
    Aug 4, 2020 at 17:05

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