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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
talk about adding to the confusion, i ordered the exact sw38c switch you have linked but i didn't receive an hy38 switch, the package for the switch i received had the sw38c and the same dewalt reference numbers except says reversed terminals and the switch inside is the same Jiaben brand as the original harbor freight switch and has almost the exact same part number as the HF switch and has the two switch off on the right and switch on on the left just like the original HF switch, still have to dremel out some plastic to make it fit, crazy lucky i guess.....
Thanks for the info regarding the link I provided to try and help people find the switch I bought. I did click on the link and the switch definitely looks different than the one in my video. Mine had the 4 quick connect tabs screwed into the switch. They still do not show the picture of which poles are energized once the switch is pulled. Someone else had the same problem and I put a paragraph in my description to suggest everyone do a continuity test to see which poles have continuity when trigger is pulled. Now I have tried to change the title of the video, asking people to read description where I have indicated others have bought using the provided link and received a different switch where power and brake where located different my link.
@@johntube2525 i missed where you said to check continuity i just checked it out of habit of course it would have been a real problem if i had just reversed the wires without checking it first, what i think is funny is regardless of what the packaging label says, the switch itself is from the same manufacturer that made the HF switch and the switches part number is almost identical to the HF switch part number. we all owe you a debt of gratitude though because if it weren't for your video i know my saw still wouldn't be fixed, you got us going in the right direction, one thing i would suggest you do though is add to your description that if the switch packaging says "REVERSED TERMINALS" then the wires don't have to be switched, they can be connected just like they are on the HF switch. thanks again, sure is nice to have my saw back......
Maybe watching my first video where I first found out my saw would not work would help you. title of that first video on TH-cam is: Trouble shooting non working Harbor Freight Miter Saw th-cam.com/video/pWsCQIO0aSM/w-d-xo.html 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!
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
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
talk about adding to the confusion, i ordered the exact sw38c switch you have linked but i didn't receive an hy38 switch, the package for the switch i received had the sw38c and the same dewalt reference numbers except says reversed terminals and the switch inside is the same Jiaben brand as the original harbor freight switch and has almost the exact same part number as the HF switch and has the two switch off on the right and switch on on the left just like the original HF switch, still have to dremel out some plastic to make it fit, crazy lucky i guess.....
Thanks for the info regarding the link I provided to try and help people find the switch I bought. I did click on the link and the switch definitely looks different than the one in my video. Mine had the 4 quick connect tabs screwed into the switch. They still do not show the picture of which poles are energized once the switch is pulled.
Someone else had the same problem and I put a paragraph in my description to suggest everyone do a continuity test to see which poles have continuity when trigger is pulled. Now I have tried to change the title of the video, asking people to read description where I have indicated others have bought using the provided link and received a different switch where power and brake where located different my link.
@@johntube2525 i missed where you said to check continuity i just checked it out of habit of course it would have been a real problem if i had just reversed the wires without checking it first, what i think is funny is regardless of what the packaging label says, the switch itself is from the same manufacturer that made the HF switch and the switches part number is almost identical to the HF switch part number. we all owe you a debt of gratitude though because if it weren't for your video i know my saw still wouldn't be fixed, you got us going in the right direction, one thing i would suggest you do though is add to your description that if the switch packaging says "REVERSED TERMINALS" then the wires don't have to be switched, they can be connected just like they are on the HF switch. thanks again, sure is nice to have my saw back......
Thanks for the tutorial. worked like a charm!
thank you for sharing the switch info helps a lot
How do you know which wires go on what terminal for the brake wires
Maybe watching my first video where I first found out my saw would not work would help you. title of that first video on TH-cam is:
Trouble shooting non working Harbor Freight Miter Saw
th-cam.com/video/pWsCQIO0aSM/w-d-xo.html
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!
Thanks OLD SCHOOL genius
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
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!