I bought this saw a while back and mainly cut 1x lumber, but have periodically cut 2x lumber. It seems to bog a good bit cutting 2x4 lumber and I don't recall having to go this slow. I did tighten the belt yesterday and that seems to have helped. Now it's not making the belt slip and causing the wood to burn, but it still boggs down 50 percent or so. Maybe it's all you can expect out of the 1-3/4hp motor. You can't really push the stock through at a steady pace and it makes it hard to get a smooth cut.