The ****** is stuck down tight, how do I get it up so I can put a blade on?

if your mechanical minded you can release it with a flat blade screw driver but it will be tight ,you need to release the tention by pushing hard on the pedal ( or use 2 people) and you will see how the ratchet locks the pedal pry up on it while you slowly lift the pedal up .

Sometimes you need to bend the arm to put more pressure on the glass.

If the latch has been pushed down without a blade on it you will need to get a flat head screw driver. Push up the blade lock and put the screwdriver behind the the tongue on the hinge. While pushing up on the latch push the tongue out with the screw driver. If you need any add'l assistance please call the Andis customer service dept at 1-800-558-9441.

"Our fan\'s blade will barely turn. Can it be fixed?"

Of course. Usually the front bearing gets dry and gummy. The fan may run after the armature is warm, but it fails to start when it's cold.

Unplug the fan first, right? Then lay the fan flat.
If you can get access to the shaft near the front bearing, just put a few drops of sewing machine oil on the shaft. Let it sit a while, then put the fan in its normal operating position, plug it in and turn it on.

If you can't get close to that area, you'll need to take the grill off, and remove the blades. Then lay the fan flat and squirt some sewing machine oil on the shaft near the front bearing.
The rear bearing is usually OK, while the front one seems to get dry and gummed up.

With the fan flat, run the motor on and off until it starts spinning freely.
Then replace the blades and the grill.

Failing all this, you might find some retired old timer who still does this type of work.

Dose it spin with the blade off. If so then the blade is bent take the blade off and put it on a flat surface if it dosn't lay flat you need a new blade.Even if you could strighen it enough to rotate it wouldn't cut vary good and wouldn't be safe to use.

Lay it on its side and lean on it while you're holding the spindle lock button in- if you're right handed lay it on its right side with its back to you. Lay your elbow wherever you can on the handle once you get the button pushed and use your right hand for the wrench. If it's in the position I mention you'll push the wrench down to remove the wheel.

You can heat the center of the wheel, the metal part, to expand it a little.. makes it easier to get off sometimes.

The trick is to put the wheel on properly. Put a little NevrSeize on the spindle threads and screw the wheel on. Don't go picking up the grinder and hitting the switch because that will hammer that wheel on. Just screw it on and tighten fairly firmly.It only has to be tight enough to seat well on the spindle- it only turns one way, so as long as the wheel doesn't come off when it's coasting down it's tight enough.

Wear your safety glasses when grinding, them darn sparks are bad for your eyes.

lp

lay the machine on its side motor side facing downwards undo the 2 nuts that hold the cover on then remove cover, pull the chain bar backwards the remove the chain replace the chain making sure that the chain cuts in a clockwise direction then put cover back on, put nuts back on finger tight tension the blade by turning the flat bladed screw clock wise then tighten the 2 nuts up full..

lay the fan flat down on the ground and put ur knees on the legs and with both hands pull the blades up from the middle

This is usually one of a few things. The primary cause is not having the chain tight enough. The other is a bent bar (blade as you put it) If the chain is tight and you've checked the deflection (the distance you can pull the chain away from the bar on the bottom) to be sure you are tightening it enough, then check the bar. You can check the bar for straightness by removing it, laying it on a flat surface and looking to see if there is a gap between the bar and the surface it's on. If the bar is straight, the other possibility is the clutch and sprocket attached to the engine. If the bushings are worn, the clutch bell will wiggle and throw the chain. Hope this helps.

They are garbage.....it's a common problem. Call the manufacturer