Smoke from cordless drill

[turbos]

34 minutes ago, fulton said:

Seems wrong to throw things away, when the older Ni Cad batteries in my Makita drill started to fad it was cheaper to buy a whole new drill than a replacement battery, maybe the new right to repair laws will help.

The starter Drill-Battery-Charger sets are almost always discounted in some way so as to hook you into their range of battery tools, the prices between the each brand level starter kits are quite small in the bigger picture.

The more expensive brands usually have a certain amount of repairability.

If you have the opportunity then go to a local outlet that has a good range on open display and see how they feel in your hand, they all have different ergonomics and balance, this can add or detract more than most people realise from the tools useability.

 

Brian.

[Nick C]

18 hours ago, AY Mod said:

It doesn't sound, or smell, good Tim.

 

If you are replacing it I can recommend this https://www.screwfix.com/p/mac-allister-msdd18-li-2-18v-1-5ah-li-ion-cordless-drill-driver/873fx - after a couple of months reasonable usage I've only had to swap the battery over for the first time today. Gutsy but light.

I've bought a couple of their tools recently, and for DIY level usage they seem pretty good - certainly the plunge saw gets good reviews on YouTube. 

[Hroth]

1 hour ago, GoingUnderground said:

So like almost all of today's electrical appliances, when it gives up the ghost, as yours plainly has, all you can do is dig out the information on how to recycle electrical equipment and follow that.

 

Local council tipping sites probably have a skip for "small electricals" and a bin for small batteries. Ours certainly does. Quickest way to recycle dead stuff.

 

 

[kevinlms]

Just now, turbos said:

The starter Drill-Battery-Charger sets are almost always discounted in some way so as to hook you into their range of battery tools, the prices between the each brand level starter kits are quite small in the bigger picture.

The more expensive brands usually have a certain amount of repairability.

If you have the opportunity then go to a local outlet that has a good range on open display and see how they feel in your hand, they all have different ergonomics and balance, this can add or detract more than most people realise from the tools useability.

 

Brian.

A lot depends on how often you use it. If you spend a full day working with a particular tool, it needs to be a top quality one and spare batteries on hand.

 

I use a Ryobi cordless drill, perhaps once a week to drill a dozen small holes and occasionally a 25mm hole saw through timber. I don't really need a more expensive one and if I need more grunt, I have a Toshiba mains powered SDS drill in the work vehicle.

[shipbadger]

For those with Bosch tools I can recommend this company for spares.  https://www.mtmc.co.uk/Bosch-Spare-Parts__c-p-0-0-12733138.aspx  They can provide for both the green 'domestic' use and blue 'professional' tools.  For those who didn't realise most of the manufacturers provide two ranges, one for the amateur DIY market and the other for those using them for a trade every day.  In the case of Bosch they are coloured green and blue respectively, others use different brand names.  Even the 'professional' tools wear out, we've just replaced the bearings on the angle grinder we use on full size railway wagons where I volunteer.  Needless to say, only take electrical tools apart if you are competent.

 

Tony Comber

[SamThomas]

I have a Bosh Sander that is nearly 40 years old - the toothed drive belt failed (perished).

 

On the offchance I phoned Bosh, spoke to a very helful lady who confirmed it's age & also confirmed that it was too old for parts to be listed on the database. However, she found a parts sheet, identified the part number & sent me two belts for about a fiver including post.

 

For that reason alone I will but Bosh stuff if I have a choice.

 

Gone are the days when every High Street had a "little man with a brown coat" who could repair almost anything.

[Titan]

5 hours ago, kevinlms said:

Those laws will still only apply for tools up to a certain age. If it applied for ever, for a cheap tool, then the cheap tools will disappear off the market and only expensive ones for sale.

 

I think the idea is that manufacturers are legally required to keep stock of all spares for 10 years after the product is last manufactured.  So if you buy a newly introduced product, and it is in production for say a further five years, then the company will be legally obliged to provide spares for that product for fifteen years from the date of your purchase.

 

What is missing from the legislation is that the sum total cost (inc vat) of all spare parts required to build a complete product should be no more than say 200%* of the factory gate price of the complete product, so they can't deliberately inflate spares prices so that it is more economic to buy a new one.

 

* or any other figure you think reasonable.

[SamThomas]

Some of us may be old enough to remember when life was simpler with less technology.

[turbos]

The main thing with battery powered tools is to find a brand that will suit your current and future requirements, you really don’t want to end up with various different chargers and batteries.

The brands to avoid for DIY and model railways are Milwaukee and top end DeWalt, their ideal if you spend your life up on a cherry picker steel erecting or specialist critical engineering etc. but are a bit OTT for our purposes.

There is no perfect or best brand to have, like I’ve already said, find a store that has a good selection on display and find the tool you’ll use the most that feels the most comfortable to hold and is in your price range. If you have a mate, colleague or your workplace has a particular brand and they are happy for you to borrow them then get that brand of drill for the batteries and charger. Otherwise what’s best for you is what you find is best for you.

 

Brian

[manna]

G'Day Folks.

 

Time to 'Down Grade' you drill into a Hammer !

 

manna

[Hibelroad]

Bosch also have a repair service, input the details on line and they will quote the maximum they might charge so you can decide if it’s worth going ahead. 

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks everyone for your comments. In the end, I have purchased a replacement Bosch drill of the same model, so I can at least use the old batteries (although I can't really conceive of any likely scenario where I'll need to get through more than two batteries at once!).

 

I will probably hang on to the old drill and see in due course whether anything can be done.

 

[bradfordbuffer]

On 10/07/2021 at 16:13, Captain Kernow said:

Was using my Bosch 18v cordless drill on the layout this morning, when smoke and an electrical burning smell emanated from the commutator end of the innards.

 

Not knowing much about the innards of these things, I'm guessing it's 'game over' for this most useful tool?

 

Any advice much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Is it dcc fitted?

[figworthy]

9 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

I will probably hang on to the old drill and see in due course whether anything can be done.

 

 

The motor / gearbox / chuck assemblies are useful for motorising lifts and traversers.

 

Adrian