You feel frustration because your saw doesn’t cut cleanly; you have to go over it again and again. Instead, it cuts badly, leaving a fuzzy edge; it binds in the wood; it chatters as it goes through the material. Most owners think their motor has gone bad.
Wrong: It’s almost always a dull blade. Replacing the blade on a Hercules miter saw seems like such an ordeal until you actualy do it. Then you find out how easy it is.
It takes ten minutes. Two tools. Precision return with a new blade.
How To Replace Blade On Hercules Miter Saw
Why Your Saw Is Cutting Poorly
Safety Precautions Before Starting
First of all, consider safety. Always unplug the saw from the wall socket. Turning the switch to “off” doesn’t stop it; the blade will continue to have power and may snap.
Second, stabilize the arm. There should be some kind of latch or lever that keeps the assembly locked in place on most models. Set the lock to keep the arm from swinging down during operation.
Unexpected movement of the arm can result in injury based off gravity.
Removing the Blade Guard
Next, remove the guard assembly. To release the lower guard, slide the bar over or press the release buttons and the lower guard will pop loose.
Be careful here, as the spring come off with the guard and could fly away. Once you have removed the guard you will notice the arbor nut holding the blade to the shaft of the motor. For the Hercules saws this is simply a standard hex nut and you tighten in the opposite direction from how the blades turns.
Loosening the Arbor Nut
Place your socket wrench (or hex key) into the middle of the blade. Use one hand to stabilize the blade, then use the other to grip the wrench and twist counter clockwise until the nut loosen up. If you find that the nut is seized, tap on the end of the wrench with a hammer.
Don’t hit too hard, because this will ruin the points where the hex meets the tool. Once you’ve loosened the nut, unscrew it by hand, and then pull off the outer washer. Tuck these little guys away somewhere out of the way.
The last thing you want to do is lose them in the sawdust! Remove the old blade from the arbor shaft. Use a rag to wipe down the shaft to clean away any rust or resin.
This buildup lead to poor cut quality and wobble.
Installing the New Blade
Now, place the new blade onto the shaft and line up its tooth direction. Look at the rim of the blade for arrows.
This is the direction the blades should face when you turn the saw on. If you install it backwards, it’s a critical error. Replace the washer and start screwing the nut back on by hand until it just begins to get tight.
Hold the blade firmly and tighten down the nut by turning it clockwise. Make sure the nut is snug, don’t crank it down so tight it puts stress on the bearing of the motor. Then replace the guard assembly and make sure it’s locked in place.
Plug in the saw. Done. Your project will go faster because the saw runs smooth and quiet.