Wood router cuts out under load ..... help !!!!

Crazy Horse · Aug 5, 2019

I posted this on Tool Talk as well, maybe some of you do not visit there so here goes.

I have an older Ryobi wood router, model R165 (1 3/4 HP) which is probably over 20 years of age ..... BUT has had very little use (like most home owner routers I suspect). I went to use it yesterday and it fires right up but after a few seconds under load (and not much of a load at all) the router cuts out and stops. There is no reset button on it, at least none that I can find. After about 20 minutes or so, it will fire up again but the shut down happens again after trying to use it.

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome. A repair at a shop is senseless, I suspect you could get to the cost of a new one pretty quick these days.

Janicholson · Aug 5, 2019

Will it run for a longer time unloaded?
Will the collet turn by hand when it is in the wont run condition (unplugged)
Does it consume electricity when stopped?
Does it smell hot?

Stuck brush in a holder
Bad switch
Bad ball bearing

20 years ago Ryobi was learning how to make tools. They have since gotten quit a bit better. Jim

jeffcat · Aug 5, 2019

Also the thermal cutout. If you go online you should be able to find the manuels. They will give a part number.

Russ from MN · Aug 5, 2019

I would blow the dust out of it and check the brushes, might be something simple! I have a Ryobi grinder that I bought at Big Bear in St Cloud about 35 years ago, and it's still going strong, Contrary to what Jim says, I think they have been a quality tool for a long time! I usually agree with Jim!

Janicholson · Aug 5, 2019

Not that all were bad, I had a different experience with both corded drills, and reciprocating saws. The drill shucked teeth in in the reduction gears, and the saw got loose and unusable at the blade mount bushing. Oh well. Jim

db4600 · Aug 5, 2019

I just got rid of a flannel shirt I bought at Big-Bear. You can look at that one 2 ways.

As for the router. Check the brushes and a good cleaning. I have a Porter-Cable that is finicky that way.

davyfireball · Aug 5, 2019

The bearings are probably dry. After it starts up the armature gets warm and locks up

BarnyardEngineering · Aug 5, 2019

Sounds heat related to me. Suspect switches and any electronics in the thing. Worst case it's a winding that's opening up. It's junk at that point.

Crazy Horse · Aug 5, 2019

JAN: I was going to answer question one ...... and now the router won't even fire up. For #2 ..... yes, the collet will turn and spin easily when unplugged. Not sure how to tell if it is consuming electricity when stopped. I don't remember it smelling hot when I last used it which would have been three years ago. BUT my wife says she remembers this one acting up then. This Ryobi is the table-mounted one I use, I also have a Craftsman that I just use for regular jobs, not table mounted. I mounted the Craftsman up to the router table yesterday and finished my job. It's a time-consuming procedure though, I have always found that having two of them (one on the little router table and the other not mounted) is pretty handy.

kcm.MN · Aug 5, 2019

I wrote up a reply earlier, but internet is cutting out. Verizon been working on it for couple weeks.

First was mentioned the brushes. Some debris could have gotten in there, or the brushes just stuck.

Another possibility is that bugs have gotten in and 1. either built mud nests or cocoons that are causing problems, or 2. bugs, themselves, are causing problems.

Another possibility is a loose connection within the router.

The last possibility was incoming power supply. Your manual states that router will overheat if incoming voltage drops more than 10%. Doesn't sound like what's happening here, especially as you used another router in the same setup.

If you can't find the problem, best to get another router. One with soft start would be nice.

RJKeith · Aug 5, 2019

All electric motors have some sort of thermal overload protection. It sounds like that is cutting the motor out to me. Try running the motor without load and see if it happens. Next measure the current (amps draw) under load. Is it greater than or less than what is listed on the nameplate? If less than, your overload contacts are probably bad. If greater than consider if you are asking the router to do more than it should. If the answer is no, the router should be able to do the work, then check brushes, windings, etc. A connection or winding has probably gone bad so the other windings are drawing more current, which means more heating. That's what I would look for.

Bob · Aug 5, 2019

(quoted from post at 11:03:25 08/05/19) All electric motors have some sort of thermal overload protection. It sounds like that is cutting the motor out to me. Try running the motor without load and see if it happens. Next measure the current (amps draw) under load. Is it greater than or less than what is listed on the nameplate? If less than, your overload contacts are probably bad. If greater than consider if you are asking the router to do more than it should. If the answer is no, the router should be able to do the work, then check brushes, windings, etc. A connection or winding has probably gone bad so the other windings are drawing more current, which means more heating. That's what I would look for.

"All electric motors have some sort of thermal overload protection."

RJ, I agree with you 100%.

Odd thing, though, is that most things that can hurt you if they start back up unexpectedly have a manual reset thermal protector, Seems odd that a router would reset on it's own.

Russ from MN · Aug 5, 2019

Yes, some were OK, and we probably don't use our tools as much as you, I have 4 small grinders now, and I don't use the same one for very long. My wife has her own Ryobi cordless drill that has been very good for 25 years, but it doesn't get used very much. We just got done putting a new steel roof on an old cabin and she put in a lot of screws as long as we pre-drill the holes and I put up good scaffolding!

Stephen Newell · Aug 5, 2019

I don't know, I've been a professional cabinetmaker for 46 years and I've never seen a router with a reset button.

Stephen Newell · Aug 5, 2019

You might clean the commutator and put new brushes on it.

Bob · Aug 5, 2019

(quoted from post at 19:27:49 08/05/19) I don't know, I've been a professional cabinetmaker for 46 years and I've never seen a router with a reset button.

"I've never seen a router with a reset button"

That being said, have you ever experienced a router shutting off due to over temperature, then starting back up on it's own?

Stephen Newell · Aug 6, 2019

I've never gotten one hot enough to shut off. I turn them off myself first.

Crazy Horse · Aug 6, 2019

Thanks for all the replies .... this on again, off again router is too finicky for me to mess with. I don't have the electrical expertise to trouble shoot and taking it to a shop would probably be half the cost of a new router just to open it up. I have a Craftsman router that I will use for both hand-held jobs and then bolt it up to the table when needed, only takes a few minutes. I'm always a bit scared when using those routers, 25000 rpm's can do some quick damage if a guy slips up.

Wood router cuts out under load ..... help !!!!

Crazy Horse

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