Cautionary tale about power tool switches
#11
So I'm using my Ryobi drum sander the other day, everything is fine. Turn it off for just a few minutes to adjust the paper (I should start a new thread on that!), turn it back on, nothing. No hum, no clicks, nothing. Like it was unplugged. I try not to freak out, grab the air hose, and start blasting every crevasse I can find. Finally, I squirt air right in around the switch and it turns on after that.

It wasn't until later that it really hit me, when I was first fiddling with it, the switch was in the ON position, and it turns out the only thing between me and spinning 80 grit was a thin layer of dust. Had that dust suddenly decided to allow current to flow, I could have gotten hurt. And imagine if it was a band saw or something. Point being, unplug your tools to work on them... Most of the time it will be 100% unnecessary, but it's a good habit!!
Benny

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#12
I have a ryobi grinder I bought many years ago and I have put hours on it and it still runs fine, but when the switch quit, I just by passed it. You'd better be holding it when you plug it in.

It won't burn up so I can get a new one.
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#13
When the switch failed om my Grizzly drill press, it wouldn't shut off........

Ed
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#14
EdL said:


When the switch failed om my Grizzly drill press, it wouldn't shut off........

Ed




Did you fix it or is it still running?
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#15
I remember ryobi had a recall years ago on their triangular sander for a bad switch. It was a dust sealed switch but the rubber cover did more harm than good so they replaced it with an open switch.

Have had several switches go bad on me. The usual Chinese ones on drill presses etc. The worst ones have been bosch tools. Brand new drill and a fairly new jig saw and another couple drills. Bad switch design they kept for a long time.
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#16
I have an older Delta table saw (34-444) where the switch failed. It had been turned off, and just started anyway. I was in the shop when it started up, so and I went over to look at it: the switch was still in the off position and I needed to unplug it to get it to go off.
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#17
daddo said:


[blockquote]EdL said:


When the switch failed om my Grizzly drill press, it wouldn't shut off........

Ed




Did you fix it or is it still running?


[/blockquote]

Still running, the motor has held up well. One has to be quick to change bits.

Ed
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#18
My DeWalt orbital sander has a mind of its own. I left it sitting on my work bench when we went on vacation. Returned to find it on the floor with rings etched in the floor. Weird. Then it happened to me in the garage when I set it down for a couple minutes. Wore rings in the top of the plastic surface it was sitting on. Assuming the switch is faulty, I never leave it plugged in and go away from it now ... it walks by night to its own delight.


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#19
Not quite the same, but had a depth finder on my boat turn itself on. First time I got up to the lake after a week of work the battery was dead and motor wouldn't turn over. Kicked myself for forgetting to turn off the depthfinder. Next weekend the same and I knew I had turned it off. Sure eneough, charged everything up and went for a boatride. After about 5 minutes the depthfinder turned itself on. Never heard of anything like that before.
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#20
EdL said:


[blockquote]daddo said:


[blockquote]EdL said:


When the switch failed om my Grizzly drill press, it wouldn't shut off........

Ed




Did you fix it or is it still running?


[/blockquote]

Still running, the motor has held up well. One has to be quick to change bits.

Ed


[/blockquote]



That sounds harder than stealing hubcaps off moving cars.
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