It’s always a good idea to keep extra brushes for the router on hand. These are consumable items that will eventually wear out. (and really sucks when its the middle of your project!)
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I know this was posted quite a while ago, @MyersWoodshop, but wondering if you could answer a dumb question for me: how do you know when to replace the brushes? Will the router start making some sort of terrible sound? Or maybe you can inspect them and tell if they are worn out? Thanks in advance!
The router will either stop spinning, or start sparking, or audibly be ‘different’ than when it runs normally. every 100 hours or so of use I’d be ready to change them out.
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@MyersWoodshop I know this is an old thread but quick question for you…. My router started making a clicking noise after 70-80 hours. I bought the brushes you recommended above and replaced them both. The older brushes are definitely worn down compared to the size of the new ones. The router is still sparking internally and making a clicking sound. Any thoughts or recommendations? Thanks in advance.
Hey Tyler,
the commutator of a universal motor always makes sparks.
When the carbon brushes are worn, they are held back by a wire inside the spring to prevent that when the carbon is gone, the spring damages the commutator contacts. So when the carbon is gone, the motor will finally simply cease to run because the carbon brushes cannot reach the commutator anymore. It may have bad contact to the commutator with more sparks and noise that you may hear in the short period of time before the final failure.