Skil Band saw Parts — Browse All Models

How to replace the drive belt in a Skil band saw

• Unplug the band saw’s power cord from the wall outlet.
• Open the upper and lower cabinet doors. Rotate the blade’s quick-release lever to release the blade tension. Loosen the top and bottom mounting screws on the drive motor and pivot the motor inward to release the drive belt tension. Remove the drive belt from the motor pulley.
• Use snap ring pliers to remove the C-clip from the lower wheel shaft. Slide the lower wheel off its shaft and remove the drive belt. Position the drive belt on the lower wheel pulley and, while sliding the wheel onto the shaft, wrap the drive belt over the motor shaft. Reinstall the C-clip on the lower wheel shaft. Push the drive motor outward to apply tension to the drive belt and tighten the mounting screws on the drive motor.
• Reposition the blade on the upper and lower drive wheels. Rotate the blade quick release lever to apply blade tension. Close the cabinet doors. Restore power.

Troubleshooting your Skil band saw when its motor won't start

A bad power supply, broken power cord, failed on/off switch or bad drive motor can prevent the band saw from starting. Check the power supply first. Plug a shop light or other electrical tool into the electrical outlet that you're using for the band saw to make sure the outlet works. If the electrical outlet is dead, reset the house circuit breaker for the outlet. If the outlet still doesn't work, try using a different outlet to power the band saw.

If the electrical outlet is okay, unplug the band saw and check the power cord for damage. Replace the cord if it's damaged. If the power cord is okay, use a multimeter to check for continuity through the on/off switch with the switch turned on (with the band saw still unplugged). The meter should measure near 0 ohms of resistance through the switch. If the meter measures infinite resistance, replace the switch because it's preventing the drive motor from getting power.

If the on/off switch is okay, check the wire harness connections between the switch and the drive motor. Reconnect any loose wires and repair any broken wires. If the wiring connections are okay, then you'll likely need to replace the drive motor because it doesn't run even though it should be getting electrical current through the power cord, on/off switch and wires.