We have a Delta 36-5100 Contractor saw at work, probably about 2 years old. Lately we have been ripping down a lot of 2x4s for our shipping crates, and even with a brand new rip blade the motor will bog down and stop completely unless I feed the wood REALLY slow. Even then it will overheat and cut off after about 20-30 minutes of work. '
These are clean, straight SPF (spruce / white pine / fir) 2x4s. I have double-checked that the fence is parallel to the blade. There doesn't seem to be any wobble / runout in the arbor, and I took apart the motor housing to check for any sawdust buildup (there was actually a lot in there, but cleaning it out made no difference). Again, brand new rip blade right out of the package.
I hate this saw for this and many other reasons. I'm actually hoping that the motor burns out completely so we can finally get rid of it, because that's the only way my boss will approve a new saw. This thing won't die though, it seems to be hell-bent on doing a bad job forever. Has anyone else had this issue? Am I just expecting too much from a 13-amp saw, or is there anything I can do for better performance? Any help much appreciated.