Reciprocating saws are put through a lot of friction and force throughout regular use. Having a blade that doesn’t waver and come out of place easily is great for that very reason.
Too much of anything is still bad, though. If you have a DeWALT reciprocating saw with a blade that’s not moving at all, even when you want it to, these three tips below will solve this common problem for sure!
3 Ways To Fix A Blade Not Moving On Your DeWALT Reciprocating Saw
- Use Penetrating Oil
Blades only stick to place on reciprocating saws because of rusting, chipping, or other kinds of damage that can affect the movement and shape of parts. That’s why penetrating oil is a great fix.
“Penetrating oil” gets its name from how it specifically targets cracks and loose places to seep inside. This makes it ideal for the tool, where it can go all over even with the blade attached.
That means applying penetrating oil will help it get all under the blade, getting it loose. The penetrating oil will target any irregular surface issues, like rusting. It’ll get rid of whatever’s holding the blade.
Look at the picture up there. The marked area is where you’ll want to apply the penetrating oil, so it can get between the head and blade of the reciprocating saw.
After applying the oil, wait for a few minutes. Try to remove the blade as you normally would after that, and it should come right off easily if the issue isn’t too serious.
- Upside-Down Method
I’ve had this happen to me a couple of different times. Both those times, the same method helped me. I like to call this the “upside-down method” because it involves holding the tool upside down.
While holding the blade upside down, I pull the release lever that would normally loosen the blade and move it out of the tool. Ideally, that would be enough to remove it.
Never that easy though, is it? So, next thing you’ll want to do is to take a hammer, and use it to gently hit the blade. Preferably, hit it around the area I’ll highlight in the image below.
Whatever is holding down so tight will start to loosen up because of the hits from a hammer. The resulting friction will slowly help get the blade out of place, and a few hits should be enough to do the job.
Remember to not use the hammer at full force. Gentle taps will do. If the area I highlighted didn’t work, you could try hitting the tip of the blade. That should also move it enough to loosen the tool’s grip.
- Hold The Release Lever and Run It
The last tip I have to share will 100% get the blade out of your DeWALT reciprocating saw. But, be very careful while doing it. This fix involves running the saw while holding the release lever.
When it’s running, it should wriggle around on its own enough that it will come out of the tool. Without the lever holding it down, running the tool will cause enough friction for it to slip out.
Extend your arms out fully while holding the DeWALT reciprocating saw after pulling the release lever. Now run the saw for just a few seconds, and watch it pop right out!
The blade will force its way out with nowhere to go and all the force acting on it from behind. It’s a sure-fire way to get rid of stuck blades, and something that I can guarantee will work!
