Sears Craftsman 12" Band Saw - Troubleshooting

[Fivesayers]

I have a Sears Craftsman 12” Two Speed Band Saw (approx.. 20 years old). Haven’t used it for anything substantial in the last several years other than incidental use. Started working on a couple of projects last week and the saw was performing just fine until yesterday when the blade stopped spinning. It is almost as if there was not enough tension in the blade causing it to slip and stop. The blade turns when the saw is initially turned on but the moment I put the wood to the blade it slows down and comes to a complete stop. Both wheels continue to spin but the blade does not. At my hubby’s suggestion I replaced the blade but still the same thing happens. Not sure where to go next..should I attempt to replace the tires on the wheels (they look fine, no cracking, etc but the saw has been sitting in our garage since I got it (we live in S. Florida) so the heat might have really wreaked havoc on it or should we replace the belt on the motor mount. Any words of wisdom as to which direction to begin are most appreciated.

 

[jakemac]

First you need to determine if the blade is slipping on the guide wheels, or if it's the drive belt that's slipping on the drive pulley or the motor pulley.

That will dictate your next course of action.

You may just need a new drive belt, or it may just be a tensioning issue.

 

[elgato3]

Check the tension of the blade. "Both wheels continue to spin but the blade does not." indicates the tension problem. The saw tension knob is usually on top of the saw. Give it 2-3 turns and try it again.

 

[gus1962]

How are the tires and blade? Are they new? Apply proper tension to keep the blade on the track.