Replaced a broken Harbor Freight Miter Saw switch

Replaced a broken Harbor Freight Miter Saw switch on my Model number 98199 with one from Amazon. See link below.
One comment I received indicates he bought the switch I linked below and it had the Brake on the right and Power on Left just like his original switch. The one I bought had Brake on left. Power on the right. I recommend testing any switch you buy with a multimeter. If your replacement switch has continuity on the left without the trigger pulled, then that should be the brake location on the left side. That continuity, in my case on the left, should open or no continuity when trigger is pulled. On my replacement switch I had No continuity on the right when trigger is NOT pulled, the continuity would occur on the right when I pulled the trigger, so that was where the power wiring goes. I hope this helps to determine where to put the brake wires and where to put the power wires on a replacement switch.
I first bought the wrong switch from Amazon. Listed as Superior Electric AMT-SW38A, SW38A Aftermarket Trigger Switch (Eaton Style) Large Button 24/12A 125/250V, which is just a 4 pole ON/OFF switch. I sent it back because it is not made for a saw with an electronic Brake. Do not hook this SW38A switch up to the Brake wires because the Brake and the motor will both be on at the same time. This will cause big time problems. This SW38A switch can work as just an ON/OFF switch if you just wire it to the Black power wire and White common. Do Not wire the Brake wires to this switch. I connected my Black and White wires together with a small bolt and nut and plugged the power cord in to verify I had a bad switch and to verify these two wires were indeed the black power wire and the White common wire.
Later, I bought the correct SW38C switch, which is made for an electric brake. Amazon listed this switch as, Electric SW38C Aftermarket Trigger Switch (Eaton Style) Replaces DeWalt 391926-01 and 391926-00.
Here is the Amazon link to the SW38C switch, $12.69
www.amazon.com...
I did have to use a Dremel cutoff wheel to remove a partition inside the Model 98199 Miter Saw handle so the new switch would fit better. Also used the Dremel cut off wheel to remove a very small portion of the handle sidewall where the partition had been. The whole project took less than half an hour to complete
I just rerouted the wires so the Black power wire and White common wire were going to the right side of the SW38C switch and the two smaller White Brake wires were going to the left side of the switch. I did not have to cut or length the wires. I did remove the pigtail connectors from the SW38C switch and just screwed down the miter saw original wire connectors to the SW38C switch.
Hope this video helps someone that has a miter saw switch problem.

[@mrwonderfulone]

Saw this video about 24 hours ago. Paid extra for next day delivery. Part is in and the saw is working again. Thank you. For others it should be noted that the linked to part is the same orientation as the original. Power on left, brake on right. So no problem routing wires as in Johns case and others in the comments. The only modification needed is a little nub of plastic inside the handle that I clipped, first with small wire snip, then scraped a bit more with a razor knife. As for wiring. The pair of white wires go on right as on the original. The other two, one black, one white go on the left, one of which comes directly from the wall power and the other goes directly to the motor. Switch turns on. Power goes to motor. Happy wood working!

[@johntube2525]

Thanks for the information that the trigger you bought using my link has the power on the left and brake on the right. This is VERY IMPORTANT information. This indicates to me that it is VERY IMPORTANT that one should do a continuity test to see which post have continuity when the trigger is not pulled, (this would be the brake circuit). And which post have continuity when the trigger is pulled, ( this would be the power circuit posts) . I have added this information to the description, based on your comment. Hopefully the description and your comment and my reply will help others figure out where the brake wires go and where the power wires go. Thanks again for commenting on your experience with your replacement switch. Or, that it is very important to study the circuit diagram on the replacement switch. If you pause my video around 3:20 you will see the circuity of my replacement switch. Note: It is hard to see, but there is a solid line showing posts labeled 2 located on the left of my switch have continuity all the time until the trigger is pulled. When trigger is pulled there is a dashed line indicating something pushes open the circuit at 2. So no more continuity across post 2 (where Brake wires should be). Trigger pulled and the circuit is closed across posts 1, (where the power should be). So the Circuit diagram on my replacement switch showed Brake on Left and Power on Right. Hopefully your circuit diagram on your switch showed the proper brake and power wire circuit orientations. If your case, Power on Left and brake on right. However as I said above. It just goes to show that one should check which post have continuity when the trigger is not pulled, but no longer has continuity once the trigger is pulled, (Brake circuit). And which ones do not have continuity until the trigger is pulled, (Power circuit). Very good comment! Thanks for watching and most import, commenting about your experience.

[@aplitzko]

Thanks for the tutorial. worked like a charm!

[@ER-gq3bw]

Thank for the tutorial. I swapped out my switch. Unfortunately I didn’t have any extra slack on the black wire so I had to extend it.

[@johntube2525]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Yes, the black wire was the one that was almost too short in my case. It was so tight that was why, once I had the switch in place and wired, I did not want to take it back out, just to show what the partition looked like after I had cut it. The black wire would only mount to the right hand side bottom post and I had to screw it down tight, and then stretch it around in the handle to get the new switch into place. It was too short to mount to the right hand side top post and probably should have been extended, so I did not risk pulling it loose inside the motor when stretching it. Good job and I am glad the video helped you.

[@nicolenico7611]

Thank you for this video. I borrowed my mother's miter saw and it randomly stopped working. I will test this and possibly replace the switch. So glad for people like you who break it down for us!

[@johntube2525]

Thanks for watching and commenting. I took my old switch apart, but could not put it back together in a way that it would work. It has points inside that when the trigger is pulled the copper looking points make contact with each other. Perhaps your points are somewhat burnt or worn from use and sometimes make contact and other time do not make a good contact. Mine were burnt looking and after cleaning them I tried to reassemble the old switch, but could not make it work correctly. So I bought the switch listed in the description. Thanks again for watching and commenting. Good luck!

[@nicolenico7611]

I ordered the switch, installed, and nothing. Then I read your comment and took the old switch apart. Saw the worn contacts you spoke of and actually just switched them so now an old is “in contact” with a new switch. Checked the continuity after getting it back together. Everything seemed good. Just reassembled and now we have power! Thanks for adding that tidbit!

[@zauit]

thank you for sharing the switch info helps a lot

[@atamodin]

Thanks OLD SCHOOL genius

[@renee2392]

How do you know which wires go on what terminal for the brake wires

[@johntube2525]

Maybe watching my first video where I first found out my saw would not work would help you. title of that first video on KZbin is: Trouble shooting non working Harbor Freight Miter Saw kzbin.info/www/bejne/pojWdIR_hJWUia8 If not, I will try to explain same as I did on the video. My old switch did not work. The switch I show you in the second video, where you commented, has the right set up for a brake. I would get continuity across the left hand side of that new switch without pulling the trigger, telling me that is for the brake. The right hand side of that new switch had no continuity until I pulled the switch trigger, telling me that was for power to the motor. So if you are replacing a switch, two pair of the wires will go to the left and 2 pair of wires will go to the right. In the video reference above I found out the white and black wire, for my saw, were for the power. I even hot wires them to a typical multi outlet switch and test if the saw worked that way. It did, so I knew they were for the power and the other two pair of wires had to be for the brake. I hope this helps you!

[@johnd911]

So when I get the sw38c, do the wires go on as the original switch? Black on left ,under lever, white on right? I'm confused. Other places say to get a Sw38d

[@johntube2525]

I just do not think I can be any more explicit than what I have already written and stated in my video. Find another video or watch mine several more times where I explain how to check for continuity with trigger pulled and without trigger pulled. If you have continuity without the trigger being pulled then that is where the brake wires should go. If you have no continuity until you pulled the trigger, then while the trigger is being pulled you have continuity then that is where the black power wire and white common wire go. The SW38C switch I received had the brake circuitry on the left and the power circuitry on the right. Some have commented they bought the same switch I bought and it had power on the left and brake on the right. Therefore, I recommended in my description that any switch you buy should be tested as I stated above and in my description to determine which side has what. The one I received had the brake on the left and power on the right. I never bought a SW38d so I cannot say anything about that particular switch. The one I received was SW38c and is still working fine to this day. Good luck!