Every tool page on our website also includes a discussion feature specific to that tool, a place where tool users can ask questions, share experiences, and offer advice.

Discussion features are located at the top of every tool page, and can be viewed by clicking the “Discussion” tab. There is also a discussion box at the bottom of each tool page.

Each page’s discussion feature has three options:

1. Repair Advice for that tool,
2. Repair Questions for that tool, and
3. Reviews of that tool.

Here’s what the discussion feature box looks like:

These information tools put power in our customer’s hands by creating a space where professionals and other tool users can “talk shop” on their own terms, get to the bottom of tricky issues, and give each other a heads up on product performance.

Reviews on tools and machines are especially helpful for potential tool buyers, because several perspectives of in-the-field customer experience come together to lay down the final word.

Makita products are some of our most heavily-reviewed tools and machines, and they also have received some of the highest compliments from users. We highlight three very favorable reviews below that got our attention:

• “thompson” had some words to share about his Makita HM1100C Demolition Hammer in his review post.
  

“I own several different models but this is the one all my employees love…and they have demolished more concrete and dug more holes using a spade bit than you can imagine,” he wrote. “ I would buy more if they ever stopped making them and store them.”

• “kmontana” had some strong words about his Makita 9527PB Grinder’s excellent performance record.

“Very good tool have had it for 5-6 years never no problem. And I have used the xxxxx out of it.”

• The Makita RBC251 String Trimmer has also received great reviews, and from more than one poster.

“Ted,” an experienced trimmer user says, “The [Makita RBC251 Trimmer] is very easy to work on, fires right up, and gets the job done. It is light and powerful. I highly recommend.”

“I bought this string trimmer weed eater over 10 years ago & has been by far the best weed eater I’ve ever used,” said “Todd M.”

And, professional cutter “Winston” added, “This has to be the best and the lightest trimmer I have ever purchased.”

Thanks for the great reviews everyone, including all those not highlighted here. We’re sure your advice will help other tool users get a more accurate idea of what they’re getting into with a new tool purchase.

Of course, not all tool reviews are positive ones, and opinions often differ; sometimes a lot. The same tool or machine can be a nightmare for one user, and a perfect buy for another. “Different strokes for different folks.” “It takes all kinds.” etc.

At eReplacementParts.com, we simply see the value in customer voices having a place to be heard and shared. Even in the territory of opinion, trends often develop (for bad or for good), and product reviews can at least be a starting point for heading in the right direction.

Although we try to see each repair and replacement as a positive opportunity to improve the performance and extend the life of a tool, we also recognize that an out-of-commission tool or machine is, indeed, a problem.

With that in mind, we continue to implement information tools on our website (like our discussion boards and repair forum), to put as many solutions into the hands of our customers as possible.

Discussion features are available at the top and bottom of each tool/machine parts page, with questions, advice, and reviews specific to that tool.

eReplacementParts.com’s Power Tool Repair Forum is the perfect place for repairmen and tool users to put their heads together and really get to the bottom of tough repair and service issues. And we have more features on the way.

Although we make every effort to respond promptly to each thread or post, our discussion and forum features are truly designed to be used by our customers. Many eReplacementParts.com customers have extensive experience repairing power tools and machines, offer innovative advice, and just know how talk good shop.

Since we’re on the subject, we’d like to give a shout-out and “Thank You” to a couple Power Tool Repair Forum posters who, in just this last week, helped their fellow repairmen out by offering their knowledge and experience. We can’t always personally thank each helpful or courteous poster, but you know who you are, and you have our thanks as well.

Here’s our highlighted Power Tool Repair Forum posters:

• Thanks to “CHARLES88″ for returning to the forum after his repair. Your detailed and encouraging post about your Ryobi RY41002 string trimmer switch replacement will definitely save others some headaches down the road.
  

• Also, thanks to posters “Terry P” and “qdea” for your helpful posts to user “dray.” “Dray’s” DeWALT DW953 chuck removal encountered a very unique problem that needed some unique advice. Much appreciation.
  

• And lastly, thanks to “crossleymarko” for saying “thank you” in your post, twice! Once in advance and once just after adjusting that Black and Decker TS400 Jig Saw. Gratitude right back at you.
  

For most of our customers, addressing the problem of a broken tool only involves simple solution steps. And when a repair issues gets hairy, those information resources really pick up the slack.

However, we understand that circumstances surrounding our customer’s situations differ from one customer to the next, and that, sometimes, a simple tool repair issue is complicated for reasons outside the jurisdiction of our professional experience.

If your tool or machine service issue is one of those particularly “sticky” situations, the kind that our brand of advice can’t address, then we offer the following “Problem Solving Flowchart” as a guide:

The month of October actually serves as a great season for do-it-yourself-ers who also happen to be Halloween festival enthusiasts. Think about all of those homemade haunted houses and creative yard displays you’ve seen over the years, all the plywood, drill-driving, sawing, and gluing. Some communities even hold competitions between homeowners to judge whose ideas are the most creative.

All of this activity doesn’t even include costumes, the most indispensable of Halloween celebration gear. Plenty of people make a project out of their costumes alone. How-to guides, tips, and ideas can be found most anywhere this time of year for just about any costume idea you can think of.

Take this “How to: Make a Chainsaw Arm” article on instructables.com, inspired by the chainsaw-armed Ash Williams of the Evil Dead and Army of Darkness movies.

Their article provides steps for imaginative zombie slayers to build their own (pretend) gore-apparatus out of simple materials like an empty orange juice container, a dowel, some wooden board, paint, and a bike chain. In light of chainsaw safety, we appreciate this kind of advice as opposed to trick-or-treaters wildly swinging actual chainsaws over their heads out of holiday and/or cinematic zeal. Other suggestions for chainsaw arms simply recommend adapting a toy chainsaw for the costume.

Some quick search engine searches will reveal ideas like wobbly walkways for trick-or-treaters, pvc pipe-stuffed bodies, creepy optical illusions, and even hydraulically-powered, corpse-ejecting coffins. Most of these projects will require a power tool or two.

Whatever your endeavor this October, eReplacementParts.com offers its tool and machine parts services to its customers, keeping those power tools running great during this or any other DIY season. If winning that costume or yard competition means that your power tools and machines are in good order, we hope you get first place.

“I know,” (I might say to myself) “the internet! Surely I can find the size, shape, and material of the exact cutting line I need on the internet, and with just a simple search!”

Not a bad idea actually. It’s true that the availability of everything, tool and machine parts included, has been made very convenient by the internet. Most of the time, ending up at the right website is nothing more than some carefully chosen search words.

But (of course there’s a “but”), what if those wisely, logically chosen words were, say, “weed wacker string,” to find that cutting line? Well, depending on the search engine used, and depending on what you click, you might end up, here:

http://www.gotofmi.com/upbaclkerowe.html,

Fantastic Musical Instruments, who sell, among other things, Weedwacker nylon bass strings. And nope, not that kind of weed whacker.

This might not make a lot of sense at first. Why would a company sell a style of bass strings and call them “Weedwacker” strings? Well, the answer has to do with the kind of music they’re used for, rockabilly. What’s rockabilly? We’ll let Wikipedia take care of that one, except to say that it has its roots in bluegrass music (like the “weed” in “Weedwacker” bass strings), and that rockabilly bassists tend to play a lot of slap style bass. Pretty clever actually.

Here’s what those bass strings look like:

Mixing up bass strings for trimmer line all the way through to an online purchase might sound like a long shot, but with a bass string brand like “Weedwacker,” you might be surprised. If more musical instrument components had tool and machine part namesakes (and visa versa), there’d be rockabilly musicians playing percussion on power tool housings and construction workers mixing paint with drum sticks in no time.

Ok, maybe that’s taking it a little far, but the potential for a mix-up is there. Not to mention how similar trimmer line looks to those bass strings. Here’s some typical trimmer line:

Our customers won’t find Weedwacker bass stings at eReplacementParts.com, although they look like fine bass strings.

They will find over 250,000 individual tool and machine parts, including a wide variety of trimmer line.

Our website’s search features are accurate and fast, with a large, organized inventory system to back it up. Mixing up bass strings for trimmer line isn’t an issue at eReplacementParts.com. What matters to us is getting our customers to the exact tool or machine part they’re looking for, down to every detail (trimmer line color included).

eReplacementParts.com is pleased to announce that our new video, “Replacing Bad, Cut, or Damaged Power Cords” is now available on our YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/eReplacementParts

At present, we have 23 videos with topics ranging from, “How to Remove a Drill Chuck” to the brand and model specific video, “How to Change the Blade Clamp on the Milwaukee Sawzall.” In order to provide customers with the best information available, most of our videos have articles with written instructions that are easily accessible on our website at: http://www.ereplacementparts.com/power-tool-articles-c-8873.html

As we continue to grow, so will the amount of information that we have available through our blog, our website, and our YouTube Channel. We welcome your comments and suggestions! Please let us know if there is an educational  power tool video or article that you would like to see us produce.

The 5412L in Our Shop

Each day our shop repairs a variety of power tools. Some of the power tools we see have maintenance needs, such as replacing a damaged cord, cleaning out debris, lubricating moving parts, or replacing brushes. Other power tools have more complex problems including bad armatures, missing gears, broken safety mechanisms, and just about anything else you may imagine.

Bosh Laser Tracking Dual-Bevel Slide Miter Saw

Model: 5412-L

Today in our repair shop we had the opportunity to perform some simple maintenance issues on a Bosch miter saw. This power tool also arrived with some broken safety parts that required immediate replacement.

This power tool arrived with the following issues:

Temporary Handle Fix

• Broken Linkage
• Broken Lower Handle
• Broken Upper Handle
• Cracked Wheel Guard
• Missing Rubber Rollers (2 were needed for this repair)

Replacement Part Links:

Cracked Wheel Guard

• Linkage: 2610915720
• Lower Handle: 2610915737
• Upper Handle: 2610915738
• Wheel Guard: 2610927694
• Rubber Rollers (2) : 2610915724

Repair Procedure:

1. Remove the broken Linkage
2. Remove the Lower and Upper Handles by removing the screws and the Mounting Hub (the mounting hub is a 2 part metal piece)
   
3. Remove the broken Wheel Guard
4. Attach the new Linkage
5. The Lower and Upper Handles attach together with screws
6. Make sure the wiring for the handle switch fits snug, without kinks
7. Tighten the screws
   
8. Attach the Wheel Guard using the lock nut, if it is too loose, it will rattle. If it is too tight, the Wheel Guard will not slide smoothly
9. Attach one Rubber Roller on each side of the Wheel Guard

When this work is complete, check your angles and make sure your blade lines up square.

(None of these TV shows feature power tools being used for violence)

10. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition: You will probably not learn how to renovate your own home in 7 days, but you may catch the spirit of giving and selflessness in this ironic spin off of a show that emphasized vanity through extreme surgical procedures that often took participants away from their families for months in preparation for “the reveal.”

9. Home Improvement (Every Episode): A fictional TV family, with a DIY Dad, comically demonstrates what NOT to do in your workshop.

8. Dream House: From finding the land to installing the kitchen sink, this show takes you through each step of building your home.

7. Don’t Sweat It: A show that tackles the projects you never seem to finish.

6. Hammer Heads: Three builders come to your home to complete substantial projects in a weekend. Episodes include creating backyard retreats, installing a pool cabana, and creating private spaces for kids sharing one room.

5. The New Yankee Workshop: Norm Abram teaches you master woodworking skills.

4. This Old House: Classic show that introduces old school homes to modern conveniences.

3. Take Home Handyman: A great show that really takes you through the steps of using your power tools, instead of simply showing you the finished product.

2. Toolbelt Diva: Host Norma Vally guides DIY beginners through projects using tools that you are likely to already own.

1. Cool Tools: A cutting edge look at power tools to come and awesome innovations on those we know and trust.

Common Power Tool Problems

• Two things that can be easy and affordable to replace are the brushes and the switch. The only thing that stands between you and the inside of many of your power tools is a screwdriver. For more information, check out our article: Replacement Power Tool Parts: Is it the Carbon Brushes or the Switch?

• Check your cord on your power tools. If you find that your cord has signs of wear or is pulling away from the body of your tool, it’s a good idea to replace the cord for your safety and the heath of the tool. For information on how to complete this project, check out our article about Replacing Bad, Cut, or Damaged Power Cords on Your Power Tools.

• For your cordless power tools, check your battery. To test your battery, use a multitester. If it is time to replace your battery, please check out our article about Cordless Power Tool Battery Disposal and Recycling.

eReplacementParts.com Repair Forum
Many tips and tricks can be found on our Repair Forum, where you are welcome to join, ask questions, and share your knowledge with power tool enthusiasts around the country.

]]> http://www.ereplacementparts.com/blog/2009/06/fix-common-power-tool-problems.html/feed 0 http://www.ereplacementparts.com/blog/2009/06/fridays-top-10-2.html http://www.ereplacementparts.com/blog/2009/06/fridays-top-10-2.html#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 22:13:52 +0000 Lisa http://www.ereplacementparts.com/blog/?p=418 Top 10 Generator Safety Tips:

10. Your generator is for outdoor use only.

9. Use a battery powered carbon monoxide detector when running your generator.

8. Keep your operating and instruction manual in a place that is safe and easy to find. You may want to consider keeping your manual with your generator. if you do not have the generator manual, you may be able to find one for your model on our site or you may check with the manufacturer.

7. Always use fresh gasoline (less than 30 days old). If you have gas in your generator and will not be using it for 30 days or more, add a fuel stabilizer to your gas.

6. Not just any extension cord will do: Make sure you have an extension cord that is grounded and rated for the capacity you need.

5. Avoid coiling your extension cords. A coiled cord will get hot and likely cause burns.

4. Keep a record of your generator’s maintenance.

3. Be aware of your generator’s surroundings. Combustible materials MUST be kept away from your generator. DO NOT store cloths, shop towels, or anything that can burn near your generator. Combustible materials + your running generator = FIRE!

2. Your generator MUST NOT be plugged directly into your home outlet. Follow the instructions in your manual or consult a qualified electrician.

1. Replace worn out or broken generator parts immediately. eReplacementParts.com carries generator replacement parts for the following models:

• Black and Decker
• DeVilbiss
• DeWALT
• Hitachi
• Makita
• Milwaukee
• Porter Cable

Keep your power tools away from the elements, such as moisture, by putting them back in their cases, cabinets, or other safe and clean storage areas you have. Sure, when you are in the middle of a job it is easier to leave things out and ready for the next day, but doing so may put your power tools at risk, especially if you are leaving them outside. If you are working indoors, make sure your work area has good ventilation. Power tools need air too!

SAFETY FIRST!

Power Tool Maintenance

At the end of each day, or job, take some time to clean your power tools before you properly store them. Here are some tips for power tool maintenance that will keep your investments in great shape for a long time:

Power Tool Part Replacement

The power tools of today are designed to last longer and most of the parts are replaceable. Whether you need a replacement part: new cord, a switch, carbon brushes, or a replacement accessory, at eReplacementParts.com we believe in the life of your power tool. The investment you make should not walk out the door when parts are replaceable. We want to make your life easier and it is our goal that you are able to find the power tool replacement parts you need.

eReplacementParts.com Repair Forum

Many tips and tricks can be found on our Repair Forum, where you are welcome to join, ask questions, and share your knowledge with power tool enthusiasts around the country.