Saw Stalling?

[Dedpedal]

As some of y’all know I recently purchased a used 3100. I tried it out the other day cutting a rip on a 2x4 and it struggled to the point that it stalled. I hit the power off, removed the board and restarted it. The next cut it stalled again. At this point I just went back to my trusty 3000 to finish what I started.

what would cause this issue? Worn brushes? Bad armature?
any help is appreciated!

[dbhost]

My BT3100 did the same thing when I first bought it, to the point I bought a used motor from a member here. As a reminder my saw had been in a shop that had a fire, and even though the fire was away from where the saw was, it is possible heat got to the windings etc...

Well I did 2 things that seemed to clear it up...

#1. Pull and inspect the brushes, with them out used compressed air to blow out all the built up sawdust out of the motor housing, that took a while... And since the brushes were fine, I reinstalled them...
#2. My saw had the power switch remote mounted on the rail just by the SMT. I sprayed contact cleaner in the contacts, replaced the switch as the saw came with a spare, and made sure all the electrical connections were clean, and tight.

The connections to the switch were somewhat loose-ish, as were the connections for the power cable inside the saw.

I honestly don't know what of my steps fixed it, but there it is...

[Black walnut]

Dave beat me to it. I would say check brushes and check connections. Sharp thin kerf blade? Everything in alignment? Proper power source, likely not your issue if you are using the same for your BT3K.

[Jim Frye]

Brushes first. Dirt build up inside the armature next. Blade sharpness next. Using a splitter? Even though all of the BT3K machines were rated at 15 amps., there were several different motors used. IIRC, early BT3000s used Singer U.S. made motors.Then Chinese made motors were used, but I don't recall when the switchover was done. The BT3100s were all made in China. I rewired my early build BT3000 with 12 ga. wire from the brushes out through the cord. The saw is plugged into a 12 ga. tool triggered extension cord, and the shop circuit is a 20 amp. 12 ga. setup. The saw will rip 3" hard maple without stalling. My early production BT3100 is never used, so I'm not sure how well it works.

[dbhost]

Actually some of the early BT3000s used 13 amp motors... I know a nit to pick ... I had one that I bought cheap on Craigslist and gave to a friend that was putting together a shop and was dead broke...

[Dedpedal]

My BT3100 did the same thing when I first bought it, to the point I bought a used motor from a member here. As a reminder my saw had been in a shop that had a fire, and even though the fire was away from where the saw was, it is possible heat got to the windings etc...

Well I did 2 things that seemed to clear it up...

#1. Pull and inspect the brushes, with them out used compressed air to blow out all the built up sawdust out of the motor housing, that took a while... And since the brushes were fine, I reinstalled them...
#2. My saw had the power switch remote mounted on the rail just by the SMT. I sprayed contact cleaner in the contacts, replaced the switch as the saw came with a spare, and made sure all the electrical connections were clean, and tight.

The connections to the switch were somewhat loose-ish, as were the connections for the power cable inside the saw.

I honestly don't know what of my steps fixed it, but there it is...

I’ll start with that. Thanks!

[Dedpedal]

I think the brushes that were recently replaced were in another saw

[Dedpedal]

I took the brushes out of an old one I had under the workbench,cleaned them up and now it runs like a champ.

[dbhost]

A good question though, does anyone know of a good reliable source for BT3x00 parts including brushes? We should probably have a list... Of course if you have enough of the original brushes left, you may be able to match up with brushes from your local Ace Hardware store...

[Black walnut]

dbhost like this https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...nt-parts-forum

Reliable sources can change weekly. What is reliable today may be sold out and discoed tomorrow. Our part forum is probably the best place for members to post what and where they have been successful in obtaining parts as needed. I would guess that brushes might be able to be matched by a powertool parts warehouse. If you know the dimensions of the brush it would be simple to solder the lead to an existing end contact plate. Other parts look for used. Some parts can be made by a hobby machinist. At some point saw replacement becomes the most affordable option. I hope I never have to face that day.

[dbhost]

Black walnut Don't forget some of the parts can be 3D printed. That is how I came up with the safety orange SMT fence ends for my saw... My originals were uh... clipped.