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- steveroby
August 28, 2006, 7:51 am

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??

Re: circular saw brushes sparking

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 $$)

Re: circular saw brushes sparking
..

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.
MrT.

Re: circular saw brushes sparking

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.

Re: circular saw brushes sparking

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.

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

Re: circular saw brushes sparking
On Tue, 29 Aug 2006 15:03:29 +1000, Terryc

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.

Re: circular saw brushes sparking
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
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