• Store idle tools out of reach of children and other untrained persons. Tools are dan-
gerous in the hands of untrained users.
• Maintain tools with care. Keep cutting tools sharp and clean. Properly maintained
tools, with sharp cutting edges are less likely to bind and are easier to control.
• Check for misalignment or binding of moving parts, breakage of parts, and any
other condition that may affect the tools operation. If damaged, have the tool serv-
iced before using. Many accidents are caused by poorly maintained tools.
• Use only accessories that are recommended by the manufacturer for your model.
Accessories that may be suitable for one tool, may become hazardous when used on
another tool.
SERVICE
• Tool service must be performed only by qualified repair personnel. Service or main-
tenance performed by unqualified personnel could result in a risk of injury.
• When servicing a tool, use only identical replacement parts. Follow instructions in
the maintenance section of this manual. Use of unauthorized parts or failure to follow
maintenance instructions may create a risk of electric shock or injury.
Additional Safety Instructions for Circular Saws
DANGER! Keep hands away from cutting area and blade. Keep your second hand on
auxiliary handle, or motor housing. If both hands are holding the saw, they cannot be cut
by the blade.
CAUTION: Blades coast after turn off.
• Keep your body positioned to either side of the blade, but not in line with the saw
blade. KICKBACK could cause the saw to jump backwards (see Causes and Operator
Prevention of Kickback and KICKBACK).
• Do not reach underneath the work. The guard can not protect you from the blade below
the work.
• Check lower guard for proper closing before each use. Do not operate saw if lower
guard does not move freely and close instantly. Never clamp or tie the lower guard
into the open position. If saw is accidentally dropped, the lower guard may be bent. Raise
the lower guard with the retracting handle and make sure it moves freely and does not
touch the blade or any other part, at all angles and depth of cut.
• Check the operation and condition of the lower guard spring. If the guard and the
spring are not operating properly, they must be serviced before use. Lower guard may
operate sluggishly due to damaged parts, gummy deposits, or a buildup of debris.
• Lower guard should be retracted manually only for special cuts such as “pocket
cuts” and “compound cuts.” Raise lower guard by retracting handle. As soon as
blade enters the material, lower guard must be released. For all other sawing, the lower
guard should be allowed to operate automatically.
• Always observe that the lower guard is covering the blade before placing saw down
on bench or floor. An unprotected, coasting blade will cause the saw to walk backwards,
cutting whatever is in its path. Be aware of the time it takes for the blade to stop after switch
is released.
• NEVER hold piece being cut in your hands or across your leg. It is important to sup-
port the work properly to minimize body exposure, blade binding, or loss of control.
• Hold tool by insulated gripping surfaces when performing an operation where the
cutting tool may contact hidden wiring or its own cord. Contact with a “live” wire will
also make exposed metal parts of the tool “live” and shock the operator.
• When ripping, always use a rip fence or straight edge guide. This improves the accu-
racy of cut and reduces the chance for blade binding.
• Always use blades with correct size and shape (diamond vs. round) arbor holes.
Blades that do not match the mounting hardware of the saw will run eccentrically, causing
loss of control.
• Never use damaged or incorrect blade washers or bolts. The blade washers and bolt
were specially designed for your saw, for optimum performance and safety of operation.
• Avoid cutting nails. Inspect for and remove all nails from lumber before cutting.
CAUSES AND OPERATOR PREVENTION OF KICKBACK
• Kickback is a sudden reaction to a pinched, bound or misaligned saw blade, causing an
uncontrolled saw to lift up and out of the workpiece toward the operator.
• When the blade is pinched or bound tightly by the kerf closing down, the blade stalls and
the motor reaction drives the unit rapidly back toward the operator.
• If the blade becomes twisted or misaligned in the cut, the teeth at the back edge of the
blade can dig into the top surface of the wood causing the blade to climb out of the kerf and
jump back toward operator.
• Kickback is the result of tool misuse and/or incorrect operating procedures or conditions
and can be avoided by taking proper precautions as given below:
• Maintain a firm grip with both hands on the saw and position your body and arm to
allow you to resist kickback forces. Kickback forces can be controlled by the operator, if
proper precautions are taken.
• When blade is binding, or when interrupting a cut for any reason, release the trigger
and hold the saw motionless in the material until the blade comes to a complete stop.
Never attempt to remove the saw from the work or pull the saw backward while the
blade is in motion or kickback may occur. Investigate and take corrective actions to elim-
inate the cause of blade binding.
• When restarting a saw in the workpiece, center the saw blade in the kerf and check
that the saw teeth are not engaged into the material. If saw blade is binding, it may walk
up or kickback from the workpiece as the saw is restarted.
• Support large panels to minimize the risk of blade pinching and kickback. Large pan-
els tend to sag under their own weight. Support must be placed under the panel on both
sides, near the line of cut and near the edge of the panel.
• Do not use dull or damaged blade. Unsharpened or improperly set blades produce nar-
row kerf causing excessive friction, blade binding, and kickback.
• Blade depth and bevel adjusting locking levers must be tight and secure before mak-
ing cut. If blade adjustment shifts while cutting, it may cause binding and KICKBACK.
• Use extra caution when making a “Pocket Cut” into existing walls or other blind
areas. The protruding blade may cut objects that can cause kickback.
WARNING: Some dust created by power sanding, sawing, grinding, drilling, and other con-
struction activities contains chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproduc-
tive harm. Some examples of these chemicals are:
• lead from lead-based paints,
• crystalline silica from bricks and cement and other masonry products, and
• arsenic and chromium from chemically-treated lumber (CCA).
Your risk from these exposures varies, depending on how often you do this type of work. To
reduce your exposure to these chemicals: work in a well ventilated area, and work with
approved safety equipment, such as those dust masks that are specially designed to filter out
microscopic particles.
• Avoid prolonged contact with dust from power sanding, sawing, grinding, drilling,
and other construction activities. Wear protective clothing and wash exposed areas
with soap and water. Allowing dust to get into your mouth, eyes, or lay on the skin may
promote absorption of harmful chemicals.
WARNING: Use of this tool can generate and/or disburse dust, which may cause serious
and permanent respiratory or other injury. Always use NIOSH/OSHA approved respiratory pro-
tection appropriate for the dust exposure. Direct particles away from face and body.
WARNING: Always use eye protection. All users and bystanders must wear eye protec-
tion that conforms to ANSI Z87.1.
CAUTION: Wear appropriate personal hearing protection during use. Under some con-
ditions and duration of use, noise from this product may contribute to hearing loss.
CAUTION: When cutting into walls, floors or wherever live electrical wires may be encoun-
tered, DO NOT TOUCH ANY METAL PARTS OF THE TOOL! Hold the tool only by insulated
grasping surfaces to prevent electric shock if you cut into a live wire.
• The label on your tool may include the following symbols. The symbols and their definitions
are as follows:
V ................volts
A ......................amperes
Hz ..............hertz
W ......................watts
min ............minutes
....................alternating current
..............alternating or
..................direct current
..................direct current
n o ......................no load speed
..............Class II Construction
…/min ..............revolutions per minute
..............earthing terminal
....................safety alert symbol
FEATURES
B
A
A. End cap
D. Shoe
B. Trigger switch
E. Blade clamping screw
C. Bevel angle adjustment
F. Lower blade guard
Motor
Your D
WALT tool is powered by a D
WALT motor. Be sure
E
E
your power supply agrees with nameplate marking. 120
Volts AC/DC means your saw will operate on alternating or
direct current. As little as 10% lower voltage can cause loss
D
of power and can result in overheating. All D
WALT tools
E
E
are factory-tested; if this tool does not operate, check the
C
power supply.
F