Use and Care Manual
Table Of Contents
8 - English
OPERATION
Making a cut with a dull, gummed up, or improperly set 
blade.
Supporting the workpiece incorrectly.
Forcing a cut.
Cutting warped or wet lumber.
Operating the tool incorrectly or misusing the tool.
To lessen the chance of kickback, follow these safety 
practices:
Keep the blade at the correct depth setting. Less than a 
full tooth of the blade teeth should be visible below the 
workpiece.
Inspect the workpiece for knots or nails before cutting. 
Never saw into a knot or nail.
Make straight cuts. Always use a straight edge guide 
when rip cutting. This helps prevent twisting the blade.
Use clean, sharp, and properly set blades. Never make 
cuts with dull blades.
Support and clamp the workpiece properly before begin-
ning a cut.
Use steady, even pressure when making a cut. Never 
force a cut.
Do not cut warped or wet lumber.
Always let the blade reach full speed before beginning a 
cut.
Hold the saw firmly with both hands and keep your body 
in a balanced position so as to resist the forces if kickback 
should occur.
 WARNING:
When using the saw, always stay alert and exercise 
control. Do not remove the saw from the workpiece 
while the blade is moving.
SAW BLADES
The best of saw blades will not cut efficiently if they are not 
kept clean, sharp, and properly set. Using a dull blade will 
place a heavy load on the saw and increase the danger of 
kickback. Keep extra blades on hand, so that sharp blades 
are always available.
Gum and wood pitch hardened on blades will slow the saw 
down. Remove saw blade from the saw and use gum and 
pitch remover, hot water, or kerosene to remove these ac-
cumulations. DO NOT USE GASOLINE.
BLADE GUARD SYSTEM
See Figure 9, page 14.
The lower blade guard attached to your circular saw is there 
for your protection and safety. Do not alter it for any reason. 
If it becomes damaged, do not operate the saw until you 
have the guard repaired or replaced. Always leave guard in 
operating position when using the saw.
 DANGER:
When sawing through work, lower blade guard 
does not cover blade on the underside of work. 
Since blade is exposed on underside of work, keep 
hands and fingers away from cutting area. Any part 
of your body coming in contact with moving blade 
will result in serious injury.
 WARNING:
To avoid possible serious injury, never use saw 
when guard is not operating correctly. Check the 
guard for correct operation before each use. The 
guard is operating correctly when it moves freely, 
and instantly returns to the closed position. If you 
drop the saw, check the lower blade guard and 
bumper for damage at all depth settings before 
reuse. 
 WARNING:
Never tie the lower blade guard in a raised position. 
Leaving the blade exposed could lead to serious 
injury. 
If at any time the lower blade guard does not snap closed, 
remove the battery from the saw. Exercise the lower guard 
by moving it rapidly back and forth from the full open posi-
tion to the closed position several times. Normally this will 
restore the guard to its normal operating condition. If it does 
not correct a slow or sluggish closing lower guard, do not 
use the saw. Take it to an authorized factory service center 
for repair.
LOCK-OFF BUTTON
See Figure 10, page 14.
The lock-off button reduces the possibility of accidental 
starting. The lock-off button is located on the handle above 
the switch trigger. The lock-off button must be depressed 
before you pull the switch trigger. The lock resets each time 
the trigger is released.
NOTE: You can depress the lock-off button from either the 
left or right side.










