Have you installed bearings in a DW625 router?

[David Rose]

The bearings from DW are pretty inexpensive (about $15 for both) for the 625 router. As normal though I suspect that the inner and or outer races or both may be a pretty tight fit. I have one of the 3-legged screw type pullers but I don't know if it is made for bearings or something else shaft mounted. Just hoping someone may have done this...

David

[Jamie Buxton]

David --

I haven't installed bearings on a DW625, but I have done it to a half-dozen other routers, including a DW621 and a DW670. Based on that experience, I bet you can do it to your router with nothing more specialized than that bearing-puller you mention. In my experience, the tight fit is between the inner race of the bearing and the shaft of the motor -- that's the one where you may need the puller. The other trick is finding some way to hold the brushes away from the rotor when you remove it -- sometimes a jammed-in toothpick does the job. The whole job will take you perhaps an hour and a little strong language.

In all the times I've replaced router bearings, it has always been the front bearing which is dead. ("front" means "nearest the bit")

(Have you found the spot on the DeWalt web site which lets you order parts? It is very convenient. You can get eaxctly what you need, delivered to your door.)

Jamie

[David Rose]

Jamie, the Dewalt site is where I got the bearing prices. It is a good site for this sort of thing. I haven't tried ordering from them yet. The diagram makes things look straight forward, but you know how that goes. :D

Your experience is what I wanted. Thanks for the toothpic trick.

I haven't pulled the router down yet. It is possible that there could just be gunk or resin slowing things down, but I never seem to be blessed in that way. I just expect the worst and am sometimes pleasantly surprised. ...but not often... :) Well, I was surprised that the bearings did not cost more. :)

David


David --

I haven't installed bearings on a DW625, but I have done it to a half-dozen other routers, including a DW621 and a DW670. Based on that experience, I bet you can do it to your router with nothing more specialized than that bearing-puller you mention. In my experience, the tight fit is between the inner race of the bearing and the shaft of the motor -- that's the one where you may need the puller. The other trick is finding some way to hold the brushes away from the rotor when you remove it -- sometimes a jammed-in toothpick does the job. The whole job will take you perhaps an hour and a little strong language.

In all the times I've replaced router bearings, it has always been the front bearing which is dead. ("front" means "nearest the bit")

(Have you found the spot on the DeWalt web site which lets you order parts? It is very convenient. You can get eaxctly what you need, delivered to your door.)

Jamie

[Jamie Buxton]

David ---

Yeah, you can hope for gunk slowing things down, but I've never had it. In my experience, it is always the front bearing going out -- y'know, the difficult repair, not the easy one.

For me, one common bad symptom is unusual noises in the router. Under power, it screams a little more (or sometimes a lot more) than usual. Or when you turn off the power, it slows to a stop quicker than it used to. Usually when it gets to this point, I can rotate the armature with my fingers and feel something like grit in the bearings. Any of those symptoms means that it is time to replace the front bearing.

I've been using routers for about 25 years. In that time, I'd say the average front bearing life is something between one and two years. I've been through a Makita plunge, a Bosch plunge, three DeWalt 621 plunges, and a DeWalt laminate trimmer. They all needed bearings.

Jamie

[Carl Eyman]

After my first router (a Craftsman Industrial) gave up the ghost and I'd bought a PC. I tried replacing the bearings in the Craftsman. Took out the old (easy) bought new ones at bearing shop, (<$10) and reinstalled. works like a charm. I advise always trying to replace bearings. They are often the only problem, usually are a standard size,so usually are cheap.

[David Rose]

Hmmm... Not exactly all the symptoms, but I still suspect the bearing. I don't feel the dry/broken bearing feel nor do I have the screeching. It is just very difficult to rotate by hand holding the nut, it brakes like it has a power brake, and it runs at what seems like a slower than normal speed and kind of pulses up and down a little in speed. The stiffness makes me think it's not the speed control though. I think I may have caught it earlier than I normally would find a bad bearing. I'll pull it down in the next couple of days and see what turns and what doesn't.

David


David ---

Yeah, you can hope for gunk slowing things down, but I've never had it. In my experience, it is always the front bearing going out -- y'know, the difficult repair, not the easy one.

For me, one common bad symptom is unusual noises in the router. Under power, it screams a little more (or sometimes a lot more) than usual. Or when you turn off the power, it slows to a stop quicker than it used to. Usually when it gets to this point, I can rotate the armature with my fingers and feel something like grit in the bearings. Any of those symptoms means that it is time to replace the front bearing.

I've been using routers for about 25 years. In that time, I'd say the average front bearing life is something between one and two years. I've been through a Makita plunge, a Bosch plunge, three DeWalt 621 plunges, and a DeWalt laminate trimmer. They all needed bearings.

Jamie

[David Rose]

Thanks Carl. That's kind of what I am figuring.

David


After my first router (a Craftsman Industrial) gave up the ghost and I'd bought a PC. I tried replacing the bearings in the Craftsman. Took out the old (easy) bought new ones at bearing shop, (<$10) and reinstalled. works like a charm. I advise always trying to replace bearings. They are often the only problem, usually are a standard size,so usually are cheap.