Smaug jumps in just as others are losing interest...

My Dad was a manager at a Mongomery Wards. Had his choice of hand and
power tools, and could get them *much* under retail. Other than some
inexpensive hand tools, all his tools - hand tools, power tools, etc. -
were from Sears. This was back in mid-60's early 70's when even Monkey
Wards had decent stuff. He spent a lot of time using his RAS, and did a
lot of tinkering with it. I don't know what the original motor was, but I
*think* he replaced it (may have been original) with a 110/220 (voltage was
selected by changing a jumper) and rewired the garage for 220. He said
that 220 provided more torque and the motor ran more quietly. He also
added a DC brake/clutch. The only problem I can remember was that it had
one of those funky little metal "safety keys", which he would remove to
prevent my brothers and I from using the saw when he wasn't around. He
lost the key (Ha!) and replaced the switch with a more conventional heavy-
duty snap-action switch. By that time he could trust us not to cut our
fingers off (at least not more than once...).

Wish I still had that saw, I think would still be going strong. The stuff
I have now is decent; can't really afford the higher quality power tools.
But then you learn a lot when you have to "make do".