How to Change a Miter Saw Blade | Ryobi 12" Chop Saw Blade Swap

This is a video teaching how to change the blade out of a 12" sliding Ryobi Miter (Chop) Saw. It's really easy to do, so don't let it intimidate you!
One thing I forgot to mention: UNPLUG THE TOOL BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE THE BLADE!!! Unless you like losing fingers and massive amounts of blood loss, but hey, it's up to you.
In the video you see me putting on an Avanti blade. They make decent blades, and are normally sold at Home Depot in a 2 pack for a pretty good price. I use those blades mostly for lvp and laminate floorings as well as rougher carpentry work. When I want to do some nice trim work or finer woodworking I normally switch over to the red blade, which is a Diablo. They make a great blade at a pretty decent price considering the quality of the cuts you can get for them. If you're looking to get either of these blades here are some links to where you can find them:
Diablo:
amzn.to/2OR0L1Q
Avanti:
amzn.to/3wYkcqC
Please know that I am affiliated with Amazon and may receive a commission from any purchases you make from the link above.
I've used this saw a bunch, from doing trim work and furniture to laying floors and a lot of things in between. If you happen to want to buy this saw, here's a link to where you can purchase it at.
www.homedepot....

[@ericlapham7555]

Great Simple INstruction. First time I have changed a blade on my Ryobi and was going to remove the center screw which would have frustrated me to no end to get it back in position. Thank you for the instructions and for the tip to move the correct screw.

[@berlinbuilds]

Thank you! I’m glad this was useful. When I was first doing this I used to remove the center screw and it was such a pain!

[@nancynorlin9277]

This was a life saver. After reading the manual several times, I was still scratching my head! You described the process clearly and concisely and I had my blade changed in no time. Thanks!

[@berlinbuilds]

Thank you! I’m glad this helped you out! Happy cutting!

[@jonathancleck5385]

Much more thorough and detailed than the Ryobi official video for this same task! Thank you for the clarity and detail!

[@berlinbuilds]

Hey thanks! I tried to make it easy!

[@treebrookwoodworks2225]

I was specifically looking for a video on changing the blade on a Ryobi miter saw and your video came up in the search. I want to say thank you for taking the time to make this video and explaining how to get this done. It was pretty darn simple. I think I had the blade changed in about 10 minutes. Thanks once again! - Louis

[@berlinbuilds]

I'm glad this helped out! Happy woodworking to you! Thanks for your comment.

[@phakeAccount]

Thank you so much! I was attempting to swap out the stock blade for a metal-cutting blade and the first thing I did was try unscrewing the very screw you said not to touch. It didn't do anything thankfully so I came across your video and got everything swapped perfectly. Thank you!

[@berlinbuilds]

I'm glad you didn't end up undoing that screw! I'm glad this was helpful! Happy cutting!

[@John-xg9qn]

Very helpful - I just bought the same saw at a yard sale, with no manual. Glad to have found you!

[@berlinbuilds]

I’m glad this helped!! It’s a good saw 👍

[@SirSosa]

Thank you! Righty Loosy did the trick for me, awkward setup, appreciate your video

[@berlinbuilds]

Yeah, it's a weird one that really goes against the grain! Happy cutting!

[@ivanrubio8724]

Thansk for the video. I was trying to loosen it to the left. Boggles the mind is putting it lightly.

[@berlinbuilds]

I’m glad this helped you! Yeah, righty tighty is pretty engrained 😂

[@pinktabbypaperie6057]

Great video. Feel like I can safely change my blade myself now! Thanks!

[@berlinbuilds]

Glad to help! It can seem a little daunting at first but it's nothing too crazy!

[@scottwalker7939]

I have this exact saw. looking how to switch out blade. Boom! your video popped up.. Thank You

[@berlinbuilds]

Happy to help!

[@genkisudo]

THANKS!!! I literally was about to toss my miter saw because it was so loose, and had no idea to change it.

[@berlinbuilds]

I’m glad you didn’t chuck it! Happy cutting!

[@alchemyphoenix2374]

I never would have guessed that it was reverse threaded. I almost broke my hand trying to get that nut off!

[@berlinbuilds]

Haha, I’m sorry to hear that! The first couple of times can be frustrating 😂

[@youwishiwood]

You made my life easier! Thank you

[@berlinbuilds]

You’re welcome! I’m glad this helped!

[@markatkinson299]

Great video. It worked exactly as described. You have a good way of explaining things.

[@berlinbuilds]

Thank you! I’m glad this could help! Happy cutting!

[@pazangalang]

Awesome! So clear and helpful, thanks. Gunna check to see if you have a video about changing the brake pads.

[@berlinbuilds]

Thank you! Sorry I don’t have one on the brake pads!

[@whitneyhodgkins1114]

This video was a lifesaver. Thank you so much.

[@berlinbuilds]

Thank you! I'm glad it helped you out!

[@josephporter7593]

This was EXACTLY what I needed.thank you!

[@berlinbuilds]

You're so welcome!

[@sipntools]

Totally worked and I changed out my miter saw blade

[@berlinbuilds]

Awesome! I’m glad this helped!

[@dougyoung349]

Many compliments and thanks but NO ONE mentioned the need to unplug the saw from the power !

[@berlinbuilds]

I know! 🤣 I realized it too late that I didn’t add that in. Definitely something important to do!

[@denaadavid]

Thank you so much! I'm about to cut metal for the first time to make a light fixture. I hope it goes well!

[@berlinbuilds]

Best of luck on your project!

[@denaadavid]

@@berlinbuilds It came out great I called my neighbor and he came over and changed out the blade for me because it was way too cold in that garage for me to do all that 😂

[@berlinbuilds]

I’m glad it turned out great! And that you have good neighbors!

[@gerardthomas4753]

Good looks!

[@berlinbuilds]

Thanks!

[@someillanfamilytapes5749]

The “righty loosey” thing would have driven me mad if it hadn’t occurred to me to watch this video first. Thank you!

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem! It’s totally counter intuitive!

[@Oh6Torch]

I had to use an impact wrench to get mine off. That Allen wrench is a joke. I distorted the damn thing on the 1st try. It had no chance of slipping/stripping with a 14mm socket. Thanks for sharing your video.

[@berlinbuilds]

Dang that’s a smart way to do it! I’ll have to remember that!

[@Oh6Torch]

@@berlinbuilds I’m just glad that I stumbled upon your video and didn’t go hard-core in the traditional way. Righty tidy, lefty loosey.

[@berlinbuilds]

@@Oh6Torch oh gosh yeah that could have been awful!

[@ricardoherrera4236]

Thanks man, that was really helpful.

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem! Glad to help!

[@MrJedijunkie]

Thanks for that tutorial. I am just learning how to work with power tools so this video helped alot. Maybe u can do one for table saws. I got one for Christmas last year and have not been able to use it yet.

[@berlinbuilds]

Hey! Welcome to power tools! They’re a little too much fun sometimes. I did do one on table saws a little bit ago. If you go to my channel page you should be able to find it. Best of luck with your projects 👍

[@E.Carrillo]

Thank you sir! for posting this!! Appreciate it...

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem! Glad to help out! Thanks!

[@HaydenTubbs]

Great info, thanks!

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem!

[@alexdobsky348]

Thanks for the help!

[@berlinbuilds]

Happy to help!

[@RM-vf7fl]

Nicely done. Great video. Thank you

[@berlinbuilds]

Thank you! I hope it helped!

[@raatchn]

Thank you! This was super helpful!!

[@berlinbuilds]

You’re welcome! I’m glad this helped!

[@jeffvoght1632]

Excellent! Thank you.

[@lisaberg1853]

2nd time I've watched this, came in handy both times!! Fixed. Thank you!

[@berlinbuilds]

Awesome! I'm glad to help! Best of luck on all of your projects!

[@waterartist59]

Thank you!

[@berlinbuilds]

You’re welcome!

[@ifawoodchickcould874]

Thank you! Very helpful.

[@berlinbuilds]

You’re welcome! Thank you!

[@erikwilkenfeldt252]

thanks bro!

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem!

[@jamesleatherman5738]

Thank you

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem!

[@claytonbiggsbee3539]

THANK YOU

[@berlinbuilds]

You’re welcome!

[@elcontrastador]

I'm looking at getting a table saw and a miter saw. Would you say that, speed aside, that you could do everything with a table saw like the DWE7491RS you reviewed? I'd like to have both, but outside of convenience and speed, I can't think of anything that a miter could do that I couldn't with only the table saw. What am I missing?

[@berlinbuilds]

Theoretically you are correct that you can do just about anything on a table saw that you can do on a miter saw. If you get yourself a good crosscut sled built for a table saw you'd be able to handle a good variety of cuts that you can do on the miter saw. That being said, the biggest trick is if you are cutting a really long piece of a material. It will be really hard to support that properly on a table saw with a crosscut sled. Say for instance you are cutting down a 16' long piece of base or case, you'll have a lot of material hanging off the side of the table saw that will be difficult to support. (Sometimes hanging off on both sides.) So, if you're only going to be cutting down material that is less than 3' I could see you doing it all on the table saw without much issue with proper sleds and jigs. Once you get beyond that length it will get a lot harder as well as a bit more dangerous as you try and control the material overhanging. I'm not sure what you're budget is, but you could invest in a good table saw and build your sleds to make most of your cuts and at the same time pick up a used miter saw (I've seen them go anywhere from $50 - $200 for a decent saw, or you could get a new Ryobi for somewhere in the $160 - $220 range) and use it for when you are cutting down longer pieces of material. Hopefully that helps!

[@elcontrastador]

@@berlinbuilds Thx so much for that thorough and clear response. That answered my question...makes sense.

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem! Glad to help. Happy tool hunting!

[@pnv8477]

Thanks

[@berlinbuilds]

You're welcome!

[@TOKYO64DOTCOM]

Thanks that helped a lot.

[@berlinbuilds]

Glad to help! Thanks!

[@switchhanded]

How often do you need to change the blade? What do you notice in your cuts that tell you that it's time to change it?

[@berlinbuilds]

It depends on a few things. Sometimes you are switching types of blades for different projects, and other times it’s pulling off a dull blade. An easy way to tell if a blade is sharp or dull is to see if it starts burning material as you cut it or if it leaves a lot of chips on what you cut. Better quality blades last longer than cheap ones as well.

[@nandishcs]

Thank you so much

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem! Happy cutting.

[@dollplexus74]

Omg thanks.

[@berlinbuilds]

Haha, no problem 👍

[@luciolalewis1677]

After changing the blade, the button that had to be held down didn’t retract. Now the blade won’t spin at all. Any tips on how to get it to spin again? Thanks

[@berlinbuilds]

Sorry to hear that! I’d try taking the blade off and putting it back on again. I’m wondering if something got a little bound up.

[@danoconnor889]

Perfect. Thanks

[@berlinbuilds]

Glad to help!

[@danoconnor889]

Actually, my miter saw does not seem to have the button to lock the blade? I see nothing to lock the blade. Did Ryobi add that feature with newer models? My Ryobi is probably 20 years old. I don’t want to mess with changing the blade without locking the blade in place

[@danoconnor889]

Found it

[@berlinbuilds]

@@danoconnor889 glad you found it!

[@yolandagofigure]

Do you have to continue holding the button on the side?

[@berlinbuilds]

This is a little late of a reply but yes you’ll need to hold the button down while you are tightening or loosening the blade.

[@RyanHipp]

Took me 10 minutes to realize the allan tool is onboard on the right side of the saw. I’m still struggling getting the nut to crack though.

[@berlinbuilds]

Were you able to get things figured out?

[@graysaw]

It’s called a reverse thread so it won’t work loose

[@berlinbuilds]

Yep! Thank you!

[@rayrainer985]

I picked up the older Blue Ryobi MS181 8 1/4 chop saw. I installed the Diablo 8 1/4 smooth 60 blade but everytime I try to cut with it, it jams up and ends up ruining what I am cutting. I have the blades going down. I didn't have any trouble with the original blade on it but once I installed that diablo blade, it jams up. Any suggestions as to why?

[@berlinbuilds]

I wonder if the blade is seated properly? If it’s installed cockeyed at all you’ll get that binding.

[@rayrainer985]

I am going to answer my own question because I called Diablo and they said this blade is not meant for this Ryobi Miter saw because it only turns at 2000 rpm, while this Diablo blade requires at least 4000 rpm. The original blade to this was a Ryobi 8 1/4 40 tooth but you wouldn't be able to use the specialty blades that are very thin that Diablo makes. I actually still am not sure but it was very scary using the Diablo blade. Luckily I was able to take it back.

[@berlinbuilds]

I’m glad you got it all figured out!

[@AlexWright72]

Yeah so if I'm here watching this video because I already removed that center screw that you told me not to unscrew because I'd be screwed if I did, how the heck do I get the spring back in properly? Can you make *that* video? I'm stuck. I got it back in, but now the blade guard doesn't retract, so apparently I didn't put it in right ...

[@berlinbuilds]

Ah dang. Sorry to hear that! I actually don’t have this saw anymore! The thing to do is find the hole where the spring is supposed to attach and carefully get it in there. Maybe ask someone to help to get another set of hands to help hold it all together. It’s not a fun process, but it isn’t the worst fix you could do!

[@AlexWright72]

@@berlinbuilds thanks! The solution turned out to be remove the rubber stopper to give enough space for the plastic blade guard to move back far enough to get the second spring end into the hole on the metal guard. The first spring end to go in must be the one that goes into the plastic guard. Finally, the three tabs on the large metal washer must line up with the three tabs on the plastic blade guard. Hope this can help someone else!

[@berlinbuilds]

Thanks for taking the time to help someone else!

[@angelaf1971]

What o you do if that little screw is stripped

[@berlinbuilds]

You may need to get a spiral screw extractor and then take the stripped screw to a hardware store to find a replacement that is the same.

[@wiiperico]

Thanks for your video, I have two questions: 1.- Have you tried to cut steel (using a steel cutting blade) with this mitersaw? 2.- How is the quality overall, is the machine still working good? thanks a lot in advance for your answer :)

[@berlinbuilds]

You’re welcome! I never cut steel on it, but I did cut aluminum rods with no issue. I upgraded to a DeWalt when I started to finish work full time and gave this one to my dad. It still runs like a charm and is great for DIY or hobby use 👍

[@wiiperico]

@@berlinbuilds htansk a lot for your feedback, I'm subscribig to your channel now :D

[@amoskel]

I cannot get bolt to loosen. Any ideas?

[@berlinbuilds]

You might be able to help it out with a little WD-40. Also double check that you are turning it to the left, not the right.

[@handcraftedbydenny]

Before watching I had already removed the center screw that holds the spring. What type of magic has to be performed to get that back in? I'm running out of curse words😂

[@berlinbuilds]

Oh snap. That’s not fun. It’s been too long for me to remember since I had to do it last. Someone commented not too long ago how they fixed it. I hope that helps! It was in a reply thread.

[@berlinbuilds]

Best of luck! Use some old timey cusswords like doggone and shucks. They’re a good mix to add into the repertoire 😂

[@rachaelb9164]

Yeah but what if the nut is really just stuck on there?

[@berlinbuilds]

Squirt some WD-40 on it and let it soak in for a couple of minutes

[@marshagrisell3176]

I put a wrench on the nut and hit the handle of the wrench with a hammer. Came loose right away.

[@NateSchmied]

Me watching the video after taking the guard off... 😑😑😑

[@berlinbuilds]

Oh man, that sucks! Sorry! Good luck. I’ve been down that road before 😬

[@CCT.8B]

Thanks for the vid!

[@berlinbuilds]

No problem 👍