Try removing the blade and laying it on a flat surface, first on one side
then on the other side, to check for possible warping due to overheating.
Does the blade have some sort of radial slots to resist such warping ? I
ran onto this problem once with a cheap carbide blade; the warp was
noticeable once the blade was dismounted.

David Merrill

wrote in message
ps.com...
snip ... 7 1/4'' saw can barely cut through
the wood and smokes excessivly.