[OP]
Member
I got a used 7518 router and the speed controller stopped working. Always at high speed now. Ive blown it out and cycled the switch several times with no luck.
Ive searched and can see that replacing a couple of caps on the speed controller board frequently fixed the soft start controller.
I cant find any info on what caps to replace on the board.
Do you know where I can find a visual pointing out the caps to replace, 22uf 25v caps?
thanks!
Contributor
I looked at a picture online and there are just two radial caps. Both are near the control pot. About the size of a bean. I would get a higher voltage cap since it will not cost any more.
Bill D
On edit: Ebay cost is 50 cents more to get two 250 volt caps
Last edited by Bill Dufour; 10-07-2019 at 9:53 AM.
[OP]
Member
20191007_075123_resized.jpg
Thank you for the reply. I think I may have a different board. This one has the slide speed selection switch. The picture shows the caps you mention but they are underneath a metal plate that swaged into the board. I dont think the caps are easily accessed. Is this the same board your referring to? Thanks again!
Contributor
Looks different then what I saw. Is that metal a heat sink with stuff bolted to it or just a protective thing. You might cut the caps out then unsolder from the bottom. it will be a tricky to solder in new leads and mount the caps remotely. Can the plate be removed then reattached or even consider drilling a access hole above each cap.
The one I saw was just the board with no plate. then it was shoved into a cardboard box and sandwiched under the endcap.
Bil lD
Contributor
The slider selection switch on my 7518 doesn't work properly either. I'm wondering what it would cost to ship my 7518 to an authorized PC repair location to have it fixed.
Scott Vroom
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Friend of the Creek
Well the speed control module is $105 with shipping and labor on top of that. I think I would replace the unit and get all fresh before I would send it in for repair.
Chuck
Last edited by Chuck Saunders; 10-08-2019 at 9:29 AM. Reason: fixed typo
[OP]
Member
The 7518 metal plate is a heat sink and there is a large semiconductor device attached on it with thermal compound. No electronics or anything else on the plate. Serves as heat sink and probably protective covering for the board. It slides into a pocket into side of the unit and has a carboard protective cover. If I put it in speed 1 it starts slow, move to speed 2 speeds up, back to 1 almost stops then goes to max speed. The other speeds dont seem to work at all....always at max. Hardly worth replacing it when it costs over $100. I find a used 7518 before replacing the board. However if you do replace it, its trivial to replace...dont need service dept to do it. Rather then replace it or buy a used 7518, what I did do was cut the wiring and bypass the speed controller altogether so its wired at max speed and got a $15 Harbor Freight speed controller thats now attached to the outside of the router table cabinet and pre-cabled with AC cords so its plug and play . Its worked fine for the little Ive used it. Fastest speed is still the same to my ear. Adjusts the speed from 0 to max. No soft start but its in a table so no need for soft start. Ive read a lot of "anecdotal" thoughts on the chinese made cheap device, but so far its great and for $15 I can return in 90 days so whats to lose! Only question would be reliability of the device and ill know soon enough as I use the router a lot. But if its worked so well the short time ive used it I would have high confidence its a keeper.
I have 2 router tables. One with M12v and 2nd now with 7518 with a Bench Dog Pro Lift. It was used and a very fair price on it and it was a bit of a impulse buy since Ive always wanted a lift and that now I wish I had resisted. The Bench Dog Pro lift is a very well designed and stout with cast iron insert....very impressed. The 7518 router on the other hand Im not impressed with. The Hitachi M12V which is a much better engineered router with great collet. Using the 1/2 collet that came with the 7518 was absolutely frightening. I replaced it with a Precisebits collet which is an exceptional piece of engineering. I think now Ill try to sell the 7518/lift. I hear the M12v2 cranked without need for external lift.
Thanks for the help on guiding me through the 7518 issue!
Contributor
New motor is $286 and unless they've redesigned the problematic switch (lot's of failures documented on this forum), I'll be looking at another router. Could you recommend another 3hp variable speed router motor?Originally Posted by Chuck Saunders
Scott Vroom
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
I have a Milwaukee 5625-20, which is their big boy and I like it a lot. It lives in the router table, but it is much nicer to handle than my mid sized PC router that's several years old. It does have variable speed & soft start.
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