Dewalt 618 Router Problem

[Gene E Miller]

Greetings & Salutations,

I have a question about my DeWalt 618 Router.

Today while using a 3/8 round over bit with the speed setting
at 4 all at once I heard a pop and the speed went wide open
and I now am not able to adjust the speed setting at all.

When I move the variable speed adjustment wheel nothing
happens.

Has anyone else every experienced this and if so what was
the solution and how expensive was it?

If it is fixable there is a DeWalt service center over in Memphis
that I can take it to.

Just my luck the 3 year limited warranty just ran out in December.

Thanks for any comments or suggestions.

Gene :confused:

[Eduard Nemirovsky]

sorry to hear your problem, but I have same router for last 2-2,5 years without any issue. Once I did call DW support and they been very helpful. o you want to call them and ask? <http://www.dewalt.com/us/service/>

[Walt Stevens]

Gene,
Do you have the router mounted under a table? I have the same router and will soon do an undertable mount for the first time. I'm concerned, because I've read a number of owner comments online that the variable speed mechanism fails quickly when the router is mounted upside down.

Walt

[Gene E Miller]

Gene,
Do you have the router mounted under a table? I have the same router and will soon do an undertable mount for the first time. I'm concerned, because I've read a number of owner comments online that the variable speed mechanism fails quickly when the router is mounted upside down.

Walt

Walt,

That is exactly the way I had it mounted. I was using it in my
router table. I have had the router since Dec 2004 and I would
say 75% of the time it is mounted in the table.

I am going to call the Service Center in Memphis tomorrow but
wanted to see what kind of comments fellow Creeker's hand.

If that is the case when I get it repaired because I do like the router
as it has the 3 bases, fixed which I leave mounted to the table, D-Handle
base and the Plunge base.

Thanks again.
Gene

[J. Z. Guest]

Gene, one of the semiconductors in the speed control circuit blew. I'd bet on it being a FET. I bet there was a distinctive smell right afterwards too.

It sounds like a design flaw. I'd bet that DeWalt designed it for proper cooling airflow when used right-side-up. When used upside down there is probably less fresh cooling air, or less of an escape path for radiant heat.

We'll see what happens with my own 618; I plan to use it in a table quite a bit.

If it happens to mine outside of warranty and DeWalt is going to try to charge me, I'll rip into it myself and see if I can find a higher rated FET that is the right fit.

[Gene E Miller]

Gene, one of the semiconductors in the speed control circuit blew. I'd bet on it being a FET. I bet there was a distinctive smell right afterwards too.

It sounds like a design flaw. I'd bet that DeWalt designed it for proper cooling airflow when used right-side-up. When used upside down there is probably less fresh cooling air, or less of an escape path for radiant heat.

We'll see what happens with my own 618; I plan to use it in a table quite a bit.

If it happens to mine outside of warranty and DeWalt is going to try to charge me, I'll rip into it myself and see if I can find a higher rated FET that is the right fit.

Not sure what an FET is but I will be finding out tomorrow and will
post back after talking with the Service Center.

Gene

[J. Z. Guest]

Not sure what an FET is ...Field Effect Transistor

[Gene E Miller]

Well I took the router motor over to the DeWalt service
center today and their best guess was that the variable
speed control was out.

That was my guess too since it didn't work.

They can only order the entire variable speed control
unit which is about $28 and labor will be $20 - $30 to fix
so I should have it back in about a week.

Gene