I have a Sears RAS (built around 1982), which has served me well for 5
or 6 years. Over the last couple of weeks (working in a cold Cleveland
garage), the saw intermittently fails to start. The blade vibrates or
spins very slowly, the lights dim and the motor buzzes, and then the
breaker on the motor opens. Sometimes moving the blade by hand and
restarting gets it going, sometimes not. Some days it works fine, others
it won't go at all.
The blade has never run perfectly true since I got it (off by just under
.03 in despite meticulous adjustment), and a piece of plastic in the
back of the motor has always slightly rubbed the inside of the motor
housing, but these have never kept the motor from starting. The blade
spins freely by hand.
Sears says "no user serviceable parts" in the motor, and wants $379 for
a new motor (obviously not in the cards. . . )
Is this an annoying problem that will continue? Can it be fixed?
Should I be looking now for a new saw?
Thanks in advance. I've lurked on the NG for years, and appreciate all
I've learned.
David
Thanks for the help. I decided to take "no user serviceable parts" as a
challenge rather than a warning and took out the screws. While
compressed air didn't help with the case closed, it solved the problem
when the guts were exposed.
Thanks again.
David
PM6564 wrote:
> "David Shapiro" <DBSRBS@no_spamNetscape.net> wrote in message
> news:Lx7Eb.585152$Fm2.542714@attbi_s04...
>
>
>>Is this an annoying problem that will continue? Can it be fixed?
>>Should I be looking now for a new saw?
>>
>>Thanks in advance. I've lurked on the NG for years, and appreciate all
>>I've learned.
>>
>>David
>>
>
>
> The first thing I would do is blow out the motor. If you don't have a
> compressor, borrow one and blow all the sawdust and crud out of the motor.
> It may just be clogged.
>
>
Had the same problem with my Dewalt RAS a while ago. All it was, was the
starting relay. Got a new one from Dewalt. If your motor has screws and can
be disassembled, then it is serviceable. Does Craftsman have no honor at all
these days?
--
She's got tools, and she knows how to use them.
"David Shapiro" <DBSRBS@no_spamNetscape.net> wrote in message
news:Lx7Eb.585152$Fm2.542714@attbi_s04...
> I have a Sears RAS (built around 1982), which has served me well for 5
> or 6 years. Over the last couple of weeks (working in a cold Cleveland
> garage), the saw intermittently fails to start. The blade vibrates or
> spins very slowly, the lights dim and the motor buzzes, and then the
> breaker on the motor opens. Sometimes moving the blade by hand and
> restarting gets it going, sometimes not. Some days it works fine, others
> it won't go at all.
>
> The blade has never run perfectly true since I got it (off by just under
> .03 in despite meticulous adjustment), and a piece of plastic in the
> back of the motor has always slightly rubbed the inside of the motor
> housing, but these have never kept the motor from starting. The blade
> spins freely by hand.
>
> Sears says "no user serviceable parts" in the motor, and wants $379 for
> a new motor (obviously not in the cards. . . )
>
> Is this an annoying problem that will continue? Can it be fixed?
> Should I be looking now for a new saw?
>
> Thanks in advance. I've lurked on the NG for years, and appreciate all
> I've learned.
>
> David
>
"David Shapiro" <DBSRBS@no_spamNetscape.net> wrote in message
news:Lx7Eb.585152$Fm2.542714@attbi_s04...
> Is this an annoying problem that will continue? Can it be fixed?
> Should I be looking now for a new saw?
>
> Thanks in advance. I've lurked on the NG for years, and appreciate all
> I've learned.
>
> David
>
The first thing I would do is blow out the motor. If you don't have a
compressor, borrow one and blow all the sawdust and crud out of the motor.
It may just be clogged.