circular saw brushes sparking

[[email protected]]

Hi there. I'm trying to fix a (Skill) circular saw . There are loud (&
bright) sparks coming from the brushes (so noisey I can no longer use
it). I pulled out the brushes & there is lots of carbon so they are
both still good.
Any ideas of what the problem could be. Could it be faulty supression
caps??

 

[Rheilly Phoull]

Hi there. I'm trying to fix a (Skill) circular saw . There are loud (&
bright) sparks coming from the brushes (so noisey I can no longer use
it). I pulled out the brushes & there is lots of carbon so they are
both still good.
Any ideas of what the problem could be. Could it be faulty supression
caps??

Nigh on certain there are 'shorts' in the armature windings. To test for
that requires a 'growler' which you will find at any reputable repair shop.

 

[two bob]

Hi there. I'm trying to fix a (Skill) circular saw . There are loud (&

bright) sparks coming from the brushes (so noisey I can no longer use
it). I pulled out the brushes & there is lots of carbon so they are
both still good.
Any ideas of what the problem could be. Could it be faulty supression
caps??

Sounds like a stuffed armature. Being a skill, just throw it away and buy
another one. Skill are the 'Bic' of power tools.

 

[Kr]

Hi there. I'm trying to fix a (Skill) circular saw . There are loud (&
bright) sparks coming from the brushes (so noisey I can no longer use
it). I pulled out the brushes & there is lots of carbon so they are
both still good.
Any ideas of what the problem could be. Could it be faulty supression
caps??

Unless you have an extreme build up of carbon dust etc in there (which
is very unlikely to do this) then you most likely have shorts in the
motor windings, which create these sparks from the large current being
drawn when the brushes pass over those sections..

If this is a regular hand held circular saw, I would consider tossing
it and buying a new one, as its unlikely to be viable to have it
repaired, or motor re-wound. In my recent experience, DeWalt make
excellent power tools (if you want to spend the $$)

 

[John Dunkley]

If you was a handy man and wanted to try a fix you could remove the armature
and use a hacksaw blade ground down on one end to a 'hook' and clean between
the armature brass segments with this.

Not for the faint hearted, but could work.

JD

 

[atec77 #]

If you was a handy man and wanted to try a fix you could remove the armature
and use a hacksaw blade ground down on one end to a 'hook' and clean between
the armature brass segments with this.

Not for the faint hearted, but could work.

JD

Very much depends how much use it gets , I might use my circular twine a
year , so far the $38.00 on special GMC is going fine .

 

[Terryc]

In my recent experience, DeWalt make
excellent power tools (if you want to spend the $$)

How many years for how many $$$$

They look to be a lot of money for something that turns up alongside all
the cheap chinese brands in all the local tool shops. where are they made?

 

[Rheilly Phoull]

If you was a handy man and wanted to try a fix you could remove the
armature and use a hacksaw blade ground down on one end to a 'hook'
and clean between the armature brass segments with this.

Not for the faint hearted, but could work.

JD

Cant say I've ever seen a brass commy but that aside, most modern gear
(last 15yrs at least) has "flush" insulation designed to be worn away by the
brushes.

 

[Mr.T]

...

How many years for how many $$$$

Only worthwhile for tradesmen who will use them often enough IMO.
(I have one of their routers, but I doubt I'll ever get my moneys worth out
of it unfortunately

They look to be a lot of money for something that turns up alongside all
the cheap chinese brands in all the local tool shops.

So the shops offer you the alternative. What's your point?
Nobody who has ever used one, would really compare them to the Chinese
brands.
However cheap tools do have their place for weekend handymen.

MrT.

 

[two bob]

In my recent experience, DeWalt make

Only worthwhile for tradesmen who will use them often enough IMO.
(I have one of their routers, but I doubt I'll ever get my moneys worth
out
of it unfortunately


So the shops offer you the alternative. What's your point?
Nobody who has ever used one, would really compare them to the Chinese
brands.
However cheap tools do have their place for weekend handymen.

DeWalt is only a viable tool for tradesmen, or people who have too much
money. If you want a good saw, I would suggest Makita, closely followed by
Ryobi for the home handyman who does a fair amount of work. If it is
required for the once or twicw a year job, then go for the BMG or Skill.

 

[Terryc]

So the shops offer you the alternative. What's your point?

It is hard to see any difference to justify their high price when
compared to the other brands (ignoring yum cha's). I vaguely remember
someone explaining they were asian made now.

I've met a few tradesman who don't feel that way and just find it more
economical to buy middle quality and use them up, then replace them. YMMV.

Nobody who has ever used one, would really compare them to the Chinese
brands.

That is always an interesting exercise; looking at just how badly made
they are.

 

[Terryc]

DeWalt is only a viable tool for tradesmen, or people who have too much
money. If you want a good saw, I would suggest Makita, closely followed by
Ryobi for the home handyman who does a fair amount of work. If it is
required for the once or twicw a year job, then go for the BMG or Skill.

My high torque (triple geared) wrist snapper is Makita and it was/is
worth the money. AEG, Ryobi, ???, ??, ??.

The B&Ds were disasters.

 

[[email protected]]

The cheap Ryobi seems to be the same item as some of the Cheapy
supermarket
special, just a few cosmetic changes. The Ryobi drill press I have is
Exactly the same as the Generic brand apart from 2 small bits of
plastic.

I'll probhably just buy a cheapy replacement. It only gets used 3 or 4
times a year.
The NZ Kmart advertising paower tools (incl saws) for NZ$25. Just how
can they make them that cheap

 

[Kr]

How many years for how many $$$$

They look to be a lot of money for something that turns up alongside all
the cheap chinese brands in all the local tool shops. where are they made?

True.

I bought a DEwalt cordless drill in 1995 for about $450. Its still
running well now, in spite of 11 years of regular use, being dropped
etc. The drill also has a much better feel, and better control than
the cheap ones I had used before and since the time.



At the time they were advertised as being US made. I dont know about
now. I would be very surprised if they (or anything else) werent made
in china.

 

[two bob]

So the shops offer you the alternative. What's your point?

It is hard to see any difference to justify their high price when
compared to the other brands (ignoring yum cha's). I vaguely remember
someone explaining they were asian made now.

I've met a few tradesman who don't feel that way and just find it more
economical to buy middle quality and use them up, then replace them. YMMV.

Most of the tradies I know use Makita tool. With the battery drills, they
use them til the batteries are knackered and buy a new replacement. Then
they keep the new batteries and give the drill away.

 

[two bob]

The cheap Ryobi seems to be the same item as some of the Cheapy

supermarket
special, just a few cosmetic changes. The Ryobi drill press I have is
Exactly the same as the Generic brand apart from 2 small bits of
plastic.

I think GMC were ownde by Ryobi at one stage to sell their lower end tools

 

[Clifford Heath]

The cheap Ryobi seems to be the same item as some of the Cheapy
supermarket special

AIUI, the Ryobi brand was bought by a German who moved manufacturing
to China, and as such the modern Ryobi stuff has no relation to the
older.