How to change a plunge saw blade: arrows and the ring
Updated: 22 October 2026
The new 160 mm blade is on the bench and the old one is glazed. Changing it is a short job when the saw is dead, the arrows agree, and any 16 mm ring is seated flat. A clean plate still burns or tears if it goes on backwards or the ring rocks. This is how to change a plunge saw blade on a 160 mm by 20 mm wood blade. The listings are on the [160x20 saw blade comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/160x20-saw-blade). The Festool TS 55 manual is the rotation rule. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The new 160 mm blade is on the bench and the old one is glazed. Changing it is a short job when the saw is dead, the arrows agree, and any 16 mm ring is seated flat.
The new 160 mm blade is on the bench and the old one is glazed. Changing it is a short job when the saw is dead, the arrows agree, and any 16 mm ring is seated flat. A clean plate still burns or tears if it goes on backwards or the ring rocks. This is how to change a plunge saw blade on a 160 mm by 20 mm wood blade. The listings are on the 160x20 saw blade comparison. The Festool TS 55 manual is the rotation rule. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | 16 mm ring | Bore | Fitting note | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Trend Trend CSB/160/3PK 48-tooth triple pack | Not listed | 20 mm | Leave any spare ring in the packet | 9.2 | about £34.00 | View offer |
| Alternative |  S&R S&R 48-tooth 160 mm blade | 16 mm in the title | 20 mm | Use the ring only on a 16 mm arbor | 9.0 | about £16.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Saxton Blades Saxton TCT16080T 80-tooth blade | 16 mm included | 20 mm | Some rings need a tap; print on both faces is not an arrow | 9.0 | about £13.99 | View offer |
Make the saw safe to open
Unplug a mains saw before you touch the flange. On a battery plunge saw, take the pack off. Festool’s TS 55 FEQ manual tells you to disconnect power before blade work. The same habit applies to a Makita, Bosch, DeWalt or Metabo plunge saw. Wait until the old blade has stopped.
Cover the old teeth as soon as the plate is off. If employees use the saw, PUWER 1998 applies. A home workshop is not that workplace. You still copy the power-off step.
Match the arrows
Festool’s TS 55 manual says the arrow on the blade and the arrow on the saw must match, and it warns of serious injury if they do not. Fit the blade so they point the same way. Use the lock and the spanner that saw’s own manual names.
A backwards blade still spins. It rubs and burns. A logo is not an arrow. Look for the stamped rotation mark, then tighten the bolt as the saw manual describes. The flange should not rock.
Where the saw has a riving knife, HSE says it should sit within 8 mm of the blade, thicker than the plate and thinner than the kerf. If the new plate is a different width, the knife may foul. Which Festool year takes which kerf is on the 160mm blade for a Festool TS 55.
Seat the 16 mm ring
A 20 mm bore drops onto a 20 mm arbor with no ring. The 16 mm ring is only for a 16 mm shaft. Trend’s 48-tooth listings do not list a ring. Saxton’s bullets and the S&R title do. On a 20 mm arbor, leave the ring in the packet.
The ring has to be tight and flat in the bore before the blade goes on. Some Saxton rings fit after a careful tap, and one 16 mm adaptor was slightly too large. BAUBECK reviews mention a loose adapter. A loose ring lets the plate orbit off centre. Do not file the arbor to suit an oversized ring. Fit the ring, then the blade, then the flange, and spin the plate by hand with the power still off.
Read the first cut
Make a short cut in a scrap of the same sheet, at the depth you actually need. Burning on that first 300 mm usually means the blade is backwards, the feed is crawling, or the edge is already dead. A UK Workshop comment treats slow feed as a cause of scorch. That is a forum rule of thumb. Push at a pace the saw can hold.
Tear-out on the underside of plywood is spelching. A sharp ATB blade and the splinter guard reduce it. They do not stop a chip on melamine. If the show face is chipping, score the line, then look at tooth count on 48-tooth or rip blade.
Stop and call the saw maker’s agent when the guard is bent, the knife is missing, or you would have to grind the guard to make the plate fit. Stop too if the job is metal or cement fibre and the blade is only described for wood.
Common questions
Which way round does the blade go?
Match the arrow on the blade to the arrow on the saw. Festool’s TS 55 manual says they must agree and warns of serious injury if they do not. Use that principle on other brands, with that brand’s own lock and spanner. A logo printed on both faces, which Saxton buyers have reported, is not a rotation mark.
Do I unplug the saw first?
Yes. Mains saws come off the socket. Battery saws lose the pack. Wait until the blade has stopped. Festool states the disconnect step for the TS 55. The same step applies before you open a Makita, Bosch or DeWalt plunge saw.
How tight should a reducing ring be?
Tight enough that it sits flat in the 20 mm bore and does not rattle, and only when the arbor is 16 mm. Saxton reviews include a ring that needed a tap and one adaptor that was slightly too large. BAUBECK reviews include a loose 16 mm adapter. Leave the ring out on a 20 mm arbor.
Why did the first cut burn?
The usual causes in this set are a blade fitted backwards, a feed that is too slow, or an edge that has already died. A short scrap cut shows which. UK Workshop commenters treat a crawl feed as a scorch risk. Check the arrows again before you blame the timber.
Why is the plywood spelching?
The underside fibres are lifting because the teeth are leaving the sheet without support. A sharp blade, the saw’s splinter guard and a steady feed reduce it. An ATB wood blade still chips melamine, which Trend reviewers report. Masking the line or scoring it helps the show face. A dead edge will not.
Can I copy the Festool lever steps onto a Makita or Bosch saw?
Copy the safety points: power off, arrows matching, flange tight, knife able to pass the kerf. The lever, the plunge lock and the splinter-guard clip are in the Festool TS 55 manual for that saw. Another brand uses its own strip-down.
When should I stop and get the saw checked?
Stop when the guard is bent, the riving knife is missing, or the knife will not pass the new plate. Stop when you would have to grind a guard to make the blade fit. Stop when people at work use the saw, because PUWER then applies, and when the blade is only described for wood and the job is metal.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources for this comparison, last checked on 19 October 2026.
- HSE: Circular saw benches and riving knives (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE: Woodworking standards, including BS EN 847-1 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- BSI: BS EN 847-1:2017 circular saw blade safety requirements (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 11 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Festool UK: HW 160×1.8×20 W18 circular saw blade (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Protrade: Festool PW12 160 x 1.8 x 20, saws from 2021 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Festool TS 55 FEQ manual: rotation arrows must match (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- UK Workshop: TS 55 F kerf and riving knife (retrieved 19 October 2026)