Router eats brushes, story at 11

[Garth Almgren]

I've had a Craftsman 1.75 HP fixed-base router for many years, received as a Christmas gift along with a small matching table. It's a rebranded Skil 1810 (http://www.skiltools.com/Tools/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?model=1810) for those that are familiar. Not top of the line or anything close to it, but it got the job done for the most part.

About 5 or 6 years ago, I was routing some slots in a 4x4 post, when I burned out my first set of brushes. Thought that it was odd at the time because I wasn't trying to take too much of a bite at the time, but figured that you can't expect to get much out of a really cheap router. No big deal, replacements are about $10 on eReplacementParts.com.

Fast forward to about a year ago, when I burned out my second set of brushes. I ordered a new set of brushes again from eReplacementParts, and set them along with the router aside for a rainy day (they don't make these brushes easy to replace - stupid Torx!).

That rainy day was last weekend. I tear into the router to find that the brushes aren't exactly worn, but they are physically damaged!

322072
(new ones on the right, busted ones on the left)

What could cause that I wonder, until I give the armature a spin and see this:
322073

:eek:

I guess I found my problem. On the bright side, since they don't seem to make replacement armatures (and it probably wouldn't be worth it if they did), looks like it is time for a new router! :D

[Jesse Busenitz]

I'm bummed.... I was envisioning a wild story of a hand brush going flying across the shop or something.

[Robert Willing]

Looks like the commutator segment did the same thing the fan on mine did years ago.
I had a Craftsman years ago which lasted for about 8 years, and the cooling fan actually flew apart and damaged field windings. I switched to a PC after buying the craftsman replacement, because the clip that held the height was not effective. I have been using the PC now for at least 14 years. I gave up on craftsman better ideas years ago.

[Jim Dwight]

Good chance to get a PC, Bosch, DeWalt, or Milwaukee router. All have good collets and hold up well from what I read. I use PC and Bosch and I have an old Ryobi R-500 in my router table. I would not put Ryobi in the same class but this particular model has given me good service. My Bosch is a little colt which is fine for light work but I have had the collet slip a couple times. I have not had that occur on my PC 690s. I read a lot of good things about the Bosch mid-sized router, however. The only thing I've replaced on my PCs is the start switch on the single speed model. I've had it a couple decades. I also have two cheapo routers, a Craftsman and a J. C. Penneys. I use them when I'm doing something I probably shouldn't do. Like I wanted to make slot in a piece of wood separating two concrete slabs once. Good chance of some concrete dust. I used the Craftsman. Otherwise they sit in the junk drawer. There are Craftsman models which have an OK collet but mine is not one of them.