How to Change a Miter Saw Blade in 5 Simple Steps

Looking for a step-by-step guide on how to change a miter saw blade?

Congratulations! you have just stepped into the right place. In this article, I will teach you how to remove your old miter saw blade and install a new one the right way.

The best thing is once you read this article, you will be able to change the blade of any kind of miter saw.

Sounds interesting right? I know you must be waiting impatiently therefore, I won’t keep you waiting anymore. So let’s get into it.

That’s all you don’t need to apply any rocket science while switching a miter saw blade with a new one.

However, that’s not all and there are definitely some other issues that you can face while changing a miter saw blade for the first time.

If you want to avoid making any mistakes and be on the safe side during this whole process then keep on reading

Tools Used in this Tutorial

For the demonstration of this tutorial, I have used the following tools. I hope you will have most of these mentioned tools by the time you are reading this guide. However, if you don’t have some of them then you can buy them through my links.

• Screwdriver
• Allen Wrench Keys
• A Miter Saw
• A Miter Saw Blade

How to Change Miter saw Blade

Here is an easy way to replace the blade on your miter saw. Keep in mind this is a general tutorial and the steps mentioned in this guide are applied to almost any miter saw.

Step 1 Removing the Blade Guard 

The first thing you need to do is to remove the blade guard from the way. Miter saws blades are protected by this blade guard which helps not only keep the blade secured but also prevent accidents on the job site. 

First, you need to pull it back until you can easily access the screw beneath it. Once you can access the screw, use your screwdriver to remove the blade guard hardware. 

Step 2 Lock the Blade 

Most miter saws come with a blade locking pin. It helps to lock the blade and prevents it from moving freely when not in use. This proves quite helpful when you want to detach or mount the blade on the saw. 

If your saw has a blade mounting pin press it and rotate the blade until the pin locks in and the blade is not able to rotate anymore. 

If the saw lacks a locking pin then no need to panic. You can still hold the blade and prevent it from rotating with the help of scrap wood. 

Step 3 Remove the Mounting Bolt of the Blade

Once your blade is stopped perfectly you need to remove the mounting bolt of the blade. You can do this with the help of a blade wrench or an Allen key without any issue at all. 

All you need to do is to turn the bolt in a clockwise rotation. Once the bolt is loose you can remove it with your hand and put it away from the saw. 

Step 4 Remove the Blade 

Once the mounting bolt of the blade is removed you should be able to remove the whole blade without any issue. 

First, remove the blade flange and then the blade itself. It is very easy and there is no technical skill involved in removing the blade. 

Step 5 Install a New Saw Blade 

Once the old blade is removed you can now install a new saw blade that can help you finish your project. First of all, mount the blade carefully and then reinstall the blade flange followed by the mounting bolt.

Step 6 Put Everything back in its place

After successfully mounting the new blade and installing the flange you should tighten the mounting bolt. After that, you’ll need to put the blade guard back in its place. 

Tighten all the screws and unlock the safety pin to release the blade. In the end, you’ll be able to use your newly mounted saw blade without any issues at all. 

Are Miter Saw Blades Interchangeable?

Yes, miter saw blades are interchangeable, which makes them quite fantastic tools. You can attach different kinds of blades to your saw for handling different situations.

Most people usually use woodworking blades for woodworking projects. However, you can install a carbide or diamond blade which can convert a miter saw to cut metal.

Apart from metal, miter saws are quite useful for PVC, aluminum, and even tiles sometimes. Having that said, I wouldn’t recommend cutting tile on the miter saw.

It is due to a few reasons; the first one is that tiles produce a lot of dust, which is harmful to health. Apart from that, it can be really messy, and the next thing is that the miter saws are quite powerful.

It can break the tile and may even sometime throw away the shards of tiles in different directions.

When to Change a Miter Saw Blade

knowing when to change your miter saw blade is very crucial to the project. If you have a dull blade, then you won’t be able to produce accurate cuts as efficiently as possible.

It may ruin the whole project, and you may have to start over again. Or it will take longer than usual and require additional effort depending on what the case may be.

However, if you are a beginner, you may not know exactly when to change your saw blade. If that’s the case, then you should look for a few signs. It will tell you when it is time to replace your miter saw blade with a new one.

You need to pay attention to working on your saw. If it isn’t as smooth as it was before, then your blade is dull. You will need to remove it and replace it with a new one.

A good saw blade should be smooth and shouldn’t require a lot of effort during the project. Apart from that, you can easily tell if your blade is dull or not by looking at the excess chipping of the wood.

If you are cutting the wood and see your saw is chipping the wood instead of cutting it, you need to change your blade. Another simple way to check if the blade is dull is by simply looking at its teeth.

If you see the blade little bit rounded over and doesn’t have a nice sharp edge, it needs replacement.

How Often to Change a Miter Saw Blade

There is no exact time for changing your miter saw blade. It totally depends on how often you use it. If you are a professional carpenter or a contractor, you may need to change your miter saw blade more often.

In contrast, people who use their saws only for DIY projects do not need to change their blades even for months. Generally, you would want to change your saw blade before it starts giving odd results.

Make sure you check it thoroughly before starting a new project. As I mentioned earlier, you need to make sure your saw blade is in working condition.

If your cuts are smooth and clean, then you don’t need to replace them. Normally a saw that is used regularly for wood cutting lasts for about two and a half months.

But again, it depends on the amount of use. The time that I mentioned is only a rough estimate. Your blade may last longer than that, or it may need replacement much quicker than the mentioned time.

What is the Best Blade for a Miter Saw?

After doing a lot of research on the miter saw blades, I found three blades that are quite fantastic. I will mention them here just in case you want to check them out.

• Freud D12100X 12-Inch 100 Tooth Diablo
• Hitachi 725206 10-Inch 72-Teeth Tungsten Carbide Tipped
• Makita A-93681 10-Inch 80 Tooth Micro Polished

I like them because of a few reasons. The Freud D12100X is an amazing 12-inch blade that comes in handy for heady-duty woodworking projects.

It features an ultra-thin structure that helps in producing fast and flawless cuts.

However, the Hitachi and Makita are 10-inch blades. I prefer the Hitachi blade for metal cutting projects because of its fewer teeth. It helps in providing smooth cuts without any issues.

Apart from that, it doesn’t put too much load on the saw’s motor during the cutting. I highly recommend using carbide-tipped blades for such projects. Lastly, for more precise cutting, I recommend the Makita A-93681 miter saw blade.

It possesses micro-grain carbide teeth that help it cut through anything in no time. Apart from that, the blade is capable of producing cuts with ultra-fine accuracy.

It can work efficiently on many different materials, including plywood, aluminum, softwood, and even hardwood.

Can you Sharpen a Miter Saw Blade?

You can sharpen your miter saw blade at home. However, you need to be very careful during the process. For standard woodworking blades, you can use a regular file.

You can also use a Dremel for sharpening your saw blades. It will do the job quite correctly. However, I don’t recommend sharpening the carbide or diamond blades at home unless you are a professional.

Always take these types of blades to a professional for sharpening. I highly recommend taking safety measures before sharpening your miter saws blade at home.

It will minimize the risk of injuries and maintain a safer environment. Also, I find sharpening miter saw blades by hand much more comfortable than using a machine.

Which Way Should the Teeth Face on a Miter Saw?

You should be extremely careful while installing a new miter saw blade. If you take a closer look at the rotation of the miter saw. You will notice that it rotates in a clockwise sense.

Therefore, during the installation of a new miter saw blade, you need to keep that in mind. It would be best if you placed the blade so that its teeth are pointing downwards.

Some people install the blades having their teeth pointing upwards. However, I never recommend this setup as upward-facing teeth are extremely dangerous for the user.

It can cause severe injuries sometimes; therefore, there shouldn’t be any compromise on safety measures.

How Tight Should a Miter Saw Blade be?

Since miter saw blades are reversely threaded, you don’t need to worry too much about tightening them. They tighten themselves during the rotation. However, it would be best if you place them securely to avoid accidents.

You need to tighten them to a normal level and avoid putting too much pressure on the bolt. If you try to overtighten them, chances are the nut bolt may slip, and it will be a complete disaster.

Are miter saw blades reverse threaded?

Yes, Miter saw blades are all reverse threaded which makes them quite amazing. The reverse threaded structure of the arbor allows the blade to self-tighten whenever it rotates.

Final Thoughts

I have explained the process in a step-by-step and easy way that helps you learn how to change blade on miter saw.

After making it this far you should be able to change miter saw blade on your own. It doesn’t matter even if you are a complete beginner you can do the job without any issues.

I have also mentioned some other necessary points that you need to take a look at. Apart from that, it would be best if you follow the exact safety measures before changing a miter saw blade.

“If you would like to add anything to this post or any insight you have on this subject, please feel free to comment below.”