Don't be stupid like I was

I just got done modifying a 4 1/2 inch grinder to put in a new switch after finding the thing ran fine when wires were run straight to the motor. After it was reassembled, I discovered it still didn't work. The bad switch wasn't. The cord was. The lesson learned was that you need to check all the way up the line to make sure you know what is causing the problem.
 
Or me...I once sent a fence charger to a repair center only to find out the fuses were in the plug. OH the charge was $.06 plus shipping bet they laughed!
 
Yep, place I used to work,the lady was going to throw away a paper shredder because it wouldn't cut off. She gave it to me,when I got it home, I discovered some paper shreds hung in the sensor. Cleaned it out and now have a good shredder.
 
I don"t think you were being stupid! We"ve all been there and more than once. More than likely your being human just like the rest of us. But your post is a good reminder.
 
Hi Paul,

Testing certainly ought to be the first step, but it doesn't always isolate the problem. In the past couple of years I’ve had two situations where a bad power cord was the source of the problem despite testing out good at the switch. A Makita hypoid saw stopped working between one pull of the trigger and the next. Opening it up I determined that I had power to the switch. I couldn’t find the problem so I put it away until I had more time to work with it. Later it checked out the same, but it turned out to be a bad power cord, anyway. The braided copper wire in one of the conductors must have separated but by chance got pushed back together when I checked it at the switch, twice.

Recently, my DeWalt drill would only run when plugged into one outlet in my garage. It wouldn’t run when plugged into any other outlet although other equipment would. Finally, I discovered that it worked in that outlet because there was a shelf in front of it and the cord went over it and down to the outlet. This put it into position for the separated wire near or in the plug to be pushed back together. When the cord would hang from any other outlet, the wire would separate and the drill wouldn’t run.

Stan
 
that's the worst - especially with those nice simple little jobs.

You take the time to order the right parts, you do the job "better than professional".

You get all proud of yourself, thinking "damn I'm good - I can fix ANYTHING".

Then whamo - reality brings you back down a notch.

I think we've all been there.
 
The cords on B&D and DeWalt tools seem to rot early on.I have Ram circular saw I bought in 1958 that still has the original cord.Cord is the first suspect on tools.Variable speed drill switches get a little dust in them and quit working.A little contact cleaner will fix them.
 
Better than the guy who worked for my dad when I was a kid. Electrician in the navy, got home one night where everything we touched turned to a stinky pile of, well, anyhow his wife starts chewing on him because her vacuum won't work, so he pulls out his Gerber multi-tool and cuts the cord, before checking if it was plugged in or not, lighting himself right up.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top