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How to change a table saw blade: unplug, then refit

Updated: 22 October 2026

The new 254 mm blade is on the bench and the saw is still plugged in. How to change a table saw blade starts with making the saw dead, then raising the blade, then following the thread printed for that model. There is no single nut direction that covers every UK bench saw. When the blade is back on, the riving knife and the guard go back before the first cut. Prices and fit checks for the blade itself are on the [254 mm x 30 mm circular saw blade comparison](/hub/saw-accessories/254mm-x-30mm-circular-saw-blade). This page is the sequence. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Listings were read on 20 October 2026.

The new 254 mm blade is on the bench and the saw is still plugged in. How to change a table saw blade starts with making the saw dead, then raising the blade, then following the thread printed for that model.

Our top picks

Trend Trend CSB/25424 24-tooth blade

Best overall

Trend Trend CSB/25424 24-tooth blade
5.6/10about £27.40
View offer
Saxton Blades Saxton TCT25460T 60-tooth blade

Rank 2

Saxton Blades Saxton TCT25460T 60-tooth blade
8.1/10about £18.99
View offer
METAK METAK MTM25448 48-tooth blade

Alternative

METAK METAK MTM25448 48-tooth blade
4.6/10about £23.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Isolate before the spanner
  2. 2.The thread is printed on that saw
  3. 3.Teeth, flanges and the ring
  4. 4.Knife back on, then a free spin

Isolate before the spanner

HSE guidance in HSG85 is to disconnect a mains tool and keep that isolation secure. Switch off and unplug, and do not put the plug back until the blade, the knife and the guard are on. These saws are 220–240 V. Pulling the plug is what Einhell prints for the TC-TS 254 U, and it is the same step on a saw with a 13 A plug. If the saw is on an isolator, lock it off and keep the key. A front switch is not isolation. Raise the blade only after the saw is dead, then remove the insert, the splitter and the guard. You cannot see the flanges or the arrow through the insert. Carbide tips cut skin as easily as MDF.

The thread is printed on that saw

Einhell's TC-TS 254 U tells you to undo the screw in the direction of rotation of the blade. That is one saw, not a universal rule. Hold the blade so the spanner does not cross the teeth. Axminster's AP305SBD nut is left-hand and turns with the blade rotation to undo. The AT254LTS thread is left-handed too. The AP254TS is different: it tightens clockwise and caps the blade at 250 mm, so a 254 mm blade does not belong on it. Do not merge those models because they share a brand. If the nut will not move and the manual does not state the thread, stop. Do not put a tube on the spanner. A cracked plate, or teeth missing on arrival, is the same stop. Call a professional if the saw is work equipment and the knife, the brake or the extraction is missing.
Trend Trend CSB/25424 24-tooth blade

Testsieger

Trend Trend CSB/25424 24-tooth blade
5.6/10about £27.40
View offer

Teeth, flanges and the ring

Clean both flanges. Resin and a trapped chip will make a true blade look bent. Einhell says the teeth point forwards. Match the arrow on the blade to the arrow on the saw. A blade fitted backwards will still spin, and it will burn the cut. The ring has to match the arbor and sit under the flange. A 25 mm ring is not a 25.4 mm arbor. Saxton includes 16 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm, Starrett includes 16 mm, 19 mm and 25 mm, BGS states only 25 mm, and METAK states 25.4 mm. Trend and BATIOPV state no rings. If the ring stands proud of the plate, the flange clamps the ring and the blade can slip. Tighten in that saw's clamping direction, then look at the arrow again.

Knife back on, then a free spin

Put the splitter back before any timber touches the blade. Einhell wants a gap of 3 mm to 8 mm and prints a splitter of 2.0 mm. Refit the guard. Turn the blade by hand at 90° and at 45°. If it ticks, stop. Do not find that contact at 4,250 rpm, which is Einhell's idle speed, not a figure on these blades. Whether the knife is thicker than the plate and thinner than the kerf is on the riving knife page. Leaving the knife off because the blade is thin is how a rip closes on the back of the teeth. On work equipment, fit the knife, the brake and the extraction. Do not sweep wood dust. Use at least a Class M vacuum. Hardwood dust can cause nasal cancer. The first cut is a short offcut with the guard down.

Common questions

Do I unplug a benchtop saw the way I unplug a handheld saw?
Yes. Switch off and take the plug out, and keep it out until the blade, the knife and the guard are back. If the saw is on a locked isolator, lock it off and keep the key. A front switch is not enough while someone else can reach it. These machines are 220–240 V.
Which way does the Einhell TC-TS 254 U nut turn?
Einhell says to undo the screw in the direction of rotation of the blade, after the plug is out and the insert, splitter and guard are off. That instruction is for the TC-TS 254 U. It does not tell you the thread on a different brand. Refit the splitter so the gap is 3 mm to 8 mm.
Is every Axminster nut left-hand?
No. The AP305SBD nut is a left-hand thread, and it turns with the blade rotation to undo. The AT254LTS manual also says the thread is left-handed. The AP254TS tightens clockwise and limits the blade to 250 mm. Do not use one Axminster sentence on another Axminster saw.
What if the nut will not move and the manual does not state the thread?
Stop. Do not add a tube to the spanner, and do not guess clockwise because the last saw undid that way. If the saw is work equipment, or the thread is not printed, call a professional. A cracked plate or several missing carbide tips is the same kind of stop.
What do I check before the first cut?
The plug is still out. The nut is tight in that saw's clamping direction. Any ring is under the flange. The knife and guard are on, and the blade spins free by hand at 90° and at 45°. Then a short offcut.

Related pages

254 mm x 30 mm circular saw blade buying guide

254 mm x 30 mm circular saw blade

Best 254 mm circular saw blade: rip, sheet or mixed

Riving knife too thick for the saw blade: 8 mm rule

24 tooth or 80 tooth circular saw blade for your cut

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the eight amazon.co.uk listings captured on 20 October 2026. HSE knife and wood-dust guidance applies where the saw is work equipment. It is not a certificate for a domestic blade. No listing here is a laboratory test.

  1. HSE, Circular saw benches (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. HSE WIS16, Circular saw benches (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. HSE L114, Safe use of woodworking machinery (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. HSE, Wood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. HSE WD3, Hardwood dust (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. BSI, BS EN 847-1:2017 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. Einhell TC-TS 254 U manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Axminster AP254TS manual (retrieved 20 October 2026)