Minimax FS41 Elite trouble - need assist!

[Len Rosenberg]

Today I was using my Minimax FS41 Elite in planer mode and did not set the depth correctly, when I fed the wood in it took a very deep cut, ran for about a foot, then bogged down and stopped. I have not been able to turn it back on. The circuit breaker is not tripped, and the power switch is set to on, but the round white power indicator is not lit. I let is set for 1.5 hours thinking it might be a thermal overload shut off, but it still won't turn on. Hoping it is just a blown fuse rather than a burnt out motor. Any suggestions welcome. Hope to hear from Erik Loza, my original Minimax sales rep (yes, quite a while ago :)). Thanks!

Len

[Ralph Okonieski]

I have a minimax combo, not an fs41, so your machine might be completely different. There is an emergency stop button on it. Was that emergency stop button pushed or turned the machine off? When my emergency stop is tripped, the on/off switch just turns, very much unlike it’s normal feel.

[Len Rosenberg]

Thanks Ralph, it isn't the emergency stop button. I opened the electrical control panel and there is a pointer knob that has three settings, on, tripped and off. It is pointing to tripped. When I turn it to on, it just springs back to tripped. Will wait for instructions, not going to experiment here.

[Rod Sheridan]

Len, go to the off position, then the on position……Regards, Rod

[Len Rosenberg]

Thanks Rod. I tried that. It allowed me to set the pointer knob to "on", but after plugging in the cord and turning the main on/off switch to on, still no power to the machine. The power indicator is still unlit.

[Rick Potter]

Is one of the emergency stop buttons still turned off?

[Rod Sheridan]

Reset the breaker in your distribution panel, it’s possible it is tripped also…Rod

[Brian Holcombe]

I would check to see if it turns over manually (with the electrical locked out) maybe something is jammed or broken.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Len, I owned that same machine for long time, I have never tripped the thermal limiter. Kind of curious how one resets it. My machine has a depth of cut limiter (steel flat bar in front of the kickback pawls) for the planer, maybe the newer models don’t have such a feature?

Almost hate to suggest this, but did you call Minimax/SCM?

[Robert LaPlaca]

Len, did you check to make sure all emergency stop switches were reset? My machine has on one the front panel and one of the back of the machine also..

[Erik Loza]

Hi Len. As others said, I would manually cycle the wall breaker even though it doesn’t appear tripped. This exact thing happened to one of our A/C units last weekend. Start with the obvious. I don’t think think there are any other internal fuses aside from that main contactor in your machine. I suppose it is possible you fried the switch but seems very unlikely. Likewise sure the motor is unaffected. Sorry, I am out of the industry now but SCM’s help line should be on their website. Best of luck with it.

Erik

[Phil Gaudio]

Today I was using my Minimax FS41 Elite in planer mode and did not set the depth correctly, when I fed the wood in it took a very deep cut, ran for about a foot, then bogged down and stopped. I have not been able to turn it back on. The circuit breaker is not tripped, and the power switch is set to on, but the round white power indicator is not lit. I let is set for 1.5 hours thinking it might be a thermal overload shut off, but it still won't turn on. Hoping it is just a blown fuse rather than a burnt out motor. Any suggestions welcome. Hope to hear from Erik Loza, my original Minimax sales rep (yes, quite a while ago :)). Thanks!

Len

Not sure if you have the FS41E or the FS41ES: I have the FS41E and there are indeed fuses. They reside behind the main power panel on the side of the unit (behind the main power rotary switch). In the third picture, you can see three tabs that swing out, each housing a fuse. Even if you have the FS41ES, I suspect your protection circuitry may be similar/identical.That black dial just below the fuse housing is the motor circuit breaker. You may want to verify that the circuit breaker is not tripped and that the fuses are all good. The black dial shown in the 3rd picture is in the non-tripped position. I believe (I am guessing here) that if/when it does trip, the position of that dial will be different.

[Len Rosenberg]

Thanks Rick, Brian, Robert, Erik and Phil. Tried all your suggestions, none worked. Although not sure how to tell if one of the fuses is blown, would it be discolored? All three look new. Phil, thanks very much for the photos, I would not have known where to find the fuses. I have a service call in to SCM. Will report back.
Len

[Robert LaPlaca]

Phil, thanks for the pictures. I never knew the FS41E had fuses, my machine is 2004 vintage so I am going to have to open the main power panel and see what it looks like inside, as externally my main power panel looks quite different.

[Rick Potter]

Makes me wonder if I have any on my CU300. I will keep that in mind if the need arises.

[Mike Henderson]

Thanks Rick, Brian, Robert, Erik and Phil. Tried all your suggestions, none worked. Although not sure how to tell if one of the fuses is blown, would it be discolored? All three look new. Phil, thanks very much for the photos, I would not have known where to find the fuses. I have a service call in to SCM. Will report back.
Len

You need a cheap VOM (volt ohm meter). With that, you can check for continuity across the fuse. You can also test to see if you have power in various places in the machine.

Mike

[Richard Coers]

No thermal reset buttons on the motor?

[Brian Holcombe]

Start checking electrical components until you find the failure source. I’d take a look at the capacitors, fuses and breakers first.

[Malcolm McLeod]

You need a cheap VOM (volt ohm meter). With that, you can check for continuity across the fuse. You can also test to see if you have power in various places in the machine.

Mike

+1 on the VOM - troubleshooting this will be incredibly difficult, and potentially dangerous without one.

Mr. Rosenberg, the mechanical overload event you describe would be very unlikely to damage the control circuitry; more likely the main power delivery has tripped. So, keep cutting your problem in half.... are you sure you have power (voltage) being delivered to the machine? Can you put a meter in the supply plug and check for voltage? Or, plug in another machine and see if it powers up? No power? :: fix the CB in your supply panel.

You now know the supply 'half' of the system is good; on to the 'consumer' half - and it has a power 'half' and a control 'half'.

Once supply is confirmed, plug in your FS41 and try it. Still not spinning? Open the main panel and find the start contactor (K3041 in Mr. Gaudio's pic). There is a small black 'button' in the center; using an insulated screwdriver, press this in/down firmly and hold for 2-3seconds. If it doesn't start, unplug the machine and check the main fuses - (FU1 in Mr. G's pics) - set a VOM for continuity/resistance, pull the fuses and measure resistance across each. Expect less than 1 ohm if they are good. If blown, replace and try again. If they blow again, the issue is probably IN the motor (...suggest a motor shop at that point).

If the main motor starts with the contactor 'button', you have no power delivery issue, and so the control circuit is likely bad. Check FU3 or its equal. Check that all the E-Stop buttons are out (reset) and that any limit switches on guards and tables are properly positioned. I would need the electrical schematic to help further troubleshoot the control circuit effectively.

[Len Rosenberg]

The problem was a faulty circuit breaker that tripped but did not appear tripped and could not be re-set. Nothing wrong with the machine which works fine after installation of a new circuit breaker and re-set of the FS41 overload switch. Thank you all very much for all the advice and suggestions. I certainly learned a lot about the FS41. This is a great forum and community!!
Len

[Rick Potter]

Whew!!

Reminds me of a while back when my big band waw wouldn't start, and it turned out that I had not pulled the emergency off switch hard enough to reset it.

Once again it is the simple things...