change circular saw blade

Changing your circular saw blade once in a while is very important because they don’t stay sharp forever. They get dull after some use, and dull blades are a pain in the behind.

Whatever type of saw you’re using, whether it’s a circular saw, a compound miter saw or even a table saw, it’s only as good as its blade.

With a bad or dull blade, you’ll find it very difficult to use it to work. Using it will become hard and painstaking, even though every other part is as good as new.

Apart from that, dull blades don’t produce clean accurate cuts, they produce rough inaccurate cuts. So, it’s very important to sharpen your blades or change them entirely if you want to make clean accurate cuts for your projects.

When to change it

There’re several reasons why you might need to change your circular saw blade.

The first one is when the blade is dull. If the blade is dull, it will become difficult to cut through through the wood.

The side of the blade will start to burn through the wood instead of cut through it easily. When you notice this, then you know you need to change the blade.

how to change a circular saw blade

Another reason why you might want to change your circular saw blade is when you’re working on different materials and you’re using different blades.

Circular saws can be used to cut different types of materials. You just have to change the blade to the specific blade that matches that material.

A blade meant for cutting wood will not be good for cutting granite.

So, if you don’t have two different circular saws for the two materials, then you have to switch the blades each time you want to cut another material.

Additionally, even if you’re not cutting different materials, you might also need to change blades depending on the type of cut you want to make.

There are different blades for rough cuts, finish cuts, cross cuts and even rip cuts. So, if you have only one circular saw, then you might need to change the blades depending on the type of cut you’re trying to make.

Step 1: Unplug the power cord or remove the battery

unplugged circular saw

This is a very important step for obvious reasons. You don’t want the saw accidentally starting when you have your hands there trying to swap the blades.

Do this before any other thing. If you have a corded model, unplug it from the power outlet. If you have a cordless one, remove the batteries.

This is very important. Don’t skip this step.

Related: 7 Best Skilsaw Circular Saws For Professional Woodworkers

Step 2: Make sure you have the right replacement blade

circular saw blades

A 10 inche blade circular saw needs a 10 inche blade and a 7-1/4 inche blade unit should have a 7-1/4 inch blade.

Don’t try to be smart and try to fit a 10 inch blade into a 7-1/4 inch circular saw or vise versa. Use the appropriate type and size of blade.

Step 3: Secure the blade guard and arbor

Every circular saw comes with a blade guard that covers the blade. You need to place your saw on a solid surface and pull back the blade guard to expose the blade.

Next, engage the arbor lock if your circular saw came with one. If yours don’t have an arbor lock, press the blade against a wooden surface to secure it in place.

Related: The 10 Best Plunge-Cut Track Saws for Straight Rip Cuts

Step 3: Loosen the arbor nut from it

The next step is to loosen the arbor nut using the wrench that came with your saw. On a direct drive circular saw, you need to rotate the wrench in a counter-clockwise direction to loosen the nut and rotate clockwise for a worm drive unit.

Slide the blade out once you’ve loosened the nut.

Step 4: Replace the worn out blade with your new blade

Once the old dull blade is off, you can slide in the new blade into the arbor, slut in the nut and tighten it. Take note not to over tighten the arbor nut, as the nut tends to tighten even further as you make cuts with it.

So, there’s little risk of under tightening the nut. Just tighten it firmly, and you’ve successfully replaced your circular saw blade.

Step 5: Test it

testing circular saw

Once the new blade is in place, replace the battery or plug the cord into your power outlet and give it a test run to make sure everything is secure and running properly.

If it is, then you’ve changed your circular saw blade successfully.

Conclusion

Depending on the type, quality or brand of circular saw you’re using, there may be a slight difference on how you change the blade.

But in general, the process remains the same. Also make sure to consult the manual that comes with it for the exact steps to change the blade.

If you’re still having doubts, you can also consult the manufacturer for further instructions or take it to a nearby service center.

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