Electric brakes are an important safety feature on circular saws. They stop the blade quickly when you release the trigger, which helps prevent accidents. Most electric brakes are activated by a brake pedal, but some are activated by a hand-held lever. Learn more about how electric brakes work and how to use them safely in this blog post.
What is an electric brake on a circular saw:
Electric brakes are an important safety feature on circular saws. They stop the blade quickly when you release the trigger, which helps prevent accidents.
Most electric brakes are activated by a brake pedal, but some are activated by a hand-held lever.
Types of Electric Brakes
Electric brakes come in two main types: foot pedals and hand levers. Each type has its own benefits and drawbacks. Foot Pedals One benefit of using a foot pedal is that many models block access to the blade or other moving parts when engaged, keeping you safer while changing blades or performing maintenance. Some models have high-friction surfaces for better grip during operation. Hand Levers Hand levers typically don’t block access to moving parts and allow you more freedom in your workspace. However, hand-lever brakes typically do not come with a locking mechanism.
How Electric Brakes Work?
The brake activates when the trigger is released and the blade spins down to a stop quickly without applying significant force on the saw itself.
This helps prevent accidents such as when the saw kicks back, gets stuck in wood, or has debris interfere with its progress or stability while cutting.
How to Operate Electric Brakes?
An electric brake does not begin working until the blade reaches a certain speed. In most cases, this happens after you release the trigger, allowing you two or three seconds before the braking mechanism kicks in.
Be sure to keep your weight over the saw so that it doesn’t bounce around when it stops. It’s also important to ensure there are no loose materials in your workspace that could get caught up in moving parts or interfere with safe operation of your tool.
When finished using a circular saw equipped with an electric brake, turn on the machine for a few seconds to activate the brake and prevent the blade from spinning. Then, unplug your saw and wait for all moving parts to come to a complete stop before removing the blade guard or changing blades.
FAQ’s
What can happen if I don’t have an electric brake on my circular saw?
If your blade is spinning when you let go of the trigger, there’s a chance it will keep going and could cause serious injury. With a circular saw especially, where there are lots of places for fingers to get caught or pinched, this could be extremely dangerous!
How do I use an electric brake on my circular saw safely?
Use this method whenever you’re using your circular saw: Put one foot on the baseplate to secure the tool. Hold down or pull back* on the control handle with one hand. Hold the trigger down with your other hand. Keep an eye on where you’re cutting and let go of both the control handle and the trigger at the same time to stop the blade.
Some circular saws have a safety lock that requires you to push forward or pull back on it in order to move it into position for cutting. In this case, hold down or pull back on the safety lock instead of the control handle, then hold down or pull back on the control handle while holding the trigger down.
When should I use an electric brake?
In general, you should always use an electric brake when using your circular saw, even if it’s just a small job – like trimming a piece of crown molding.
Most electric brakes are activated by a brake pedal, but some are activated by a hand-held lever instead. To activate most electric brakes, you push down or pull back on the control handle with one hand while holding the trigger in with your other hand.
When you let up off of the handle or let go of the trigger, it activates the brake. To release a hand-held lever brake, you have to push the switchback in the opposite direction that you pushed it originally.
Conclusion:
It’s important to be aware of how your circular saw works and to always use an electric brake when cutting, even if it’s just a small project. Be sure to read your owner’s manual for your tools so you know what the right procedure is for each one.