Just finished replacing a quik lok blade clamp on my Milwaukee Sawzall and replacing the blade clamp on a Craftsman industrial reciprocating saw. Got me wondering who out there does their own repairs? What tools have you repaired, and what types of repairs did you do?
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i have replaced several switches on different tools and the motors on some batery powered tools, there are schematics on line and it is easy to look up the part you need and oder it over the net
I replace everthing that I can. I also repair my own motorcycle. I've never had it to a stealer, er dealer. This stuff isn't rocket science.
Wayne
I do as many tool repairs as I can, for the most part the reapirs are two wire stuff (three if you count the ground)
Switches on cordless tools? well mostly it's only me that uses the tools, so the switches get worn to my "pull" characteristics. Lend em to someone else, and they got a different pull pattern. Generally within a month I'm replacing switches. Best I can figure, if the tool don't fire up right away, the other folks just pull harder. Switches get trashed.
For repairs, I stop by the tool repair depot, pick up the parts, and install em myself. Saves a minimum 4 day downtime, and a duplicate trip. Of course, if the tools is offshore, ain't no gaurantee you can even get replacement parts.
What tools have I repaired? umpteen laminate trimmers, routers, mostly brushes. That goes for a number of other tools.7 1/4 skill saws aint likely worth repairing, 8"+ likely is.
Crapsman router- had to turn the armature on the metal lathe, but after seeing the guts of it, after I got it working I dumped the puppy ASAP. Piece of crap.
95% of my tools is 15 years old and not failing. (except the freaking batteries for the cordless tools)phasing out cordless tools I is.
But, from past expierience, the blade holders on jig saws/recip saws do take a lot of Sh*t and abuse, so it would be prudent to have a replacement holder in reseve...they don't cost but a few bucks, and you keep em in the same drawer as your blades...ie close at hand; no lost time.
Heck, for the time involved in taking the tool to be fixed, paying the fixitational fees, taking the trip to pick it up, by the time the actual costs are added to the lost income opportunities, it often times exceeds the cost of a duplicate tool, and if yer a garage sale afficiando, makes picking up a duplicate tool for 20 bucks or so a real bargain. If you haven't guessed, most of my tools are indeed duplicated. Duplicated to the point where I can be working at two sites, yet still have the shop functional.
Tool repair is and always has been a fact of life for the tradesman. Way back when a good carpenter would sharpen his own saws, and from the knowledge passed on to me, it used to be that the carpenter who could sharpen saws was always the last person to get laid off when a project finished. Nowadays, it might be the carpenter who has the most current industrial first aid ticket. But the fella who could make things work was always valued.
Curiously enuf, some of my xmas-new years down time is gonna be devoted to consolidating spare blades into one box. I just KNOW that I've got to do this, just to help keep costs down...and the work happening.
Eric
in Calgary
If I can't fix it myself, it
If I can't fix it myself, it goes into the trash. I can usually buy a new one for what a repair guy will charge. I've fixed numerous switches and replaced bearings in drills, routers, angle grinders, etc. I've replace starting capacitors on my Unisaw motor as well as the arbor bearings. No one trained me, its just simple figuring it out.