Tools, Sharpening and Power Machinery - Chop Saw Motor Trips Breaker

My brothers gave me a Ridgid chop saw that stopped working. Its new and they said if I can fix it, its mine. They used it once and since then it will trip the breaker as soon as you pull the switch. I know they should bring it back, but they are carpenters and don't think like that, they just buy new ones. Anyways, my question is, Could it be bad brushes that trip the circuit or should I be pulling the motor out and giving it the sniff test?

many of these saws use an electronic brake. I would suspect that before the brushes on a newish unit. The blade is not frozen/jammed, correct?

If the blade is jammed I wonder if the blade lock is on.

Also, if the saw is indeed within the warranty what are the chances you could get the receipt.

This motor dosn't even try. If the blade was locked, I'd think you'de here maybe a hum for a second or two before the breaker tripped. This is acting as if the trigger on the saw is the breaker. When you pull it, the circuits off. No delay. My initial thought is the motor must be fried somehow.

The brakes on most of them are just half wave rectifiers that turn the moving armature from a motor to a generator in reverse, so I am inclined to believe there is a pinched wire near the motor or the switch. It may be worth it to explode the handle and see what you can see. Let us know what you find.

well I got some time to open it up today. I pulled out the armature which was fine but the stator had some black copper that if you rubbed was clean again (burnt insulation rubbing off). It was kind of bubbly in a spot and even the zip ties keeping the hot and neutral wire in place appeared to have melted through. I guess this is the indication of a fried motor. I wonder how this could have happened? Then again, I am sure my brothers wern't very kind to this saw, even if the did only use it once. Well, I guess its off to the scrap yard now for metal. Thanks guys!