reible

The speed controller seems a bit out of line since the router sells new for less the $150 at Amazon........ includes free shipping from them.

Now that you are getting a new one how about taking the old one apart and having a look inside for dust/chips/anything out of the ordinary, check things like that the brushes move easily back and forth, the electical connections etc.

How about the cord when it has run to the stopping point.... does it feel warm/hot? What if you pulled the bit and just let it run for 15 or 20 minutes? Might be interesting to see what happens without a heavy load.

Hey what about giving it some lighter work to do.... you know maybe doing some rounding over or something where it is not working so hard....... maybe it could be of some value in the shop just not for the heavy work??????

OK I'll stop beating a dead router and get some much needed sleep...

Ed

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Mike

Terry, let us know what you decide to do. This is just a thought but... isn't it possible to bypass the speed control and run strictly by way of the power switch? This might put your router back into service with no cost.

__________________
Mike
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Visteonguy

Well I just turned on the router since its still in the router table and let it rout air,,,, took about 5 minuts to shut down for the first time,,, it sat for 2 days,, so I am pretty sure that if I let it set for 15 or so minutes and try again it will be about a minute or less to shut down again,,, I have had a few buddies say the bull_____ gets pretty thick in here some times,,,,, gee maybe they are right,,,, sure put a load on that router this morning cutting air.
I could feel no heat in the cord and just a bit of warmth in the metal part of the housing, I have removed the brushes to mic them and they did not stick at all in the housing,,, So I am comming to the conclusion that its electrical in nature,,, aka speed controller,,, I looked at a site called, wwwtoolpartsdirect.com and they had a good picture of a breakdown. ( Its also where I got the price of $104.42 for the dogon thing). It showed the speed controller circut,,, shows 2 wires coming out of the black box,,, but not quite where they go,,, but I will try that, Mike, wire it up direct to the switch and see if it takes off, But it will take a day or two to get to it,,, right now I am on my way to a wood working buddy's place with my portable saw mill to slice up some nice trees we cut down,,, Converting the old milk house on his barn into a Kilm to dry wood. Got to replenish my stach of hardwood to rout with my new router ( But I am pretty sure it won't be a green one)
Thank though for all your help and suggestions.

Routerbit

I have had good success "discussing" the failure of a product with its company
reps. Received free repairs or good discounts on, or free replacement parts.
In your case, I would share your usage conditions and "suggest" to them such a
failure should not have happened. Also mention, since the newer routers have a
five year warranty, you believe, in all fairness, they should replace the defective
part free.
One other thing, mention you have been discussing this issue on an internet forum
and this is what has been recommended. Knowing your dirty laundry is being shared
on the web might shake some of the coins in the pockets in your favor.
You have nothing to lose.

reible

I like how you think! Great idea and don't forget to mention over 5000 members......

Ed

Visteonguy

Well, good idea, Router Bit,,,,,... I will let you know the results as soon as I am contacted,...
Thanks for the idea,
Terry

Visteonguy

.This is the letter I sent to Hitachi, asking them if there was anything they could do with the router. So now I guess we will see if Hitachi is the kind of company that will stand behind their products when they prematurely fail or just in it to make the money and shurg their shoulders and turn their backs on their customers when there is a problem.

[You know, Jermaine, I have to tell you that I am very disapointed in this router. I bought it because I seen it used on the PBS show "Router Workshop".... and when I seen reviews in the wood working magazines that I receive, that this particular router scored very high in the results of the product testing. I have 7 routers of several manufactures, yours is mounted in my router table and stays there. When I bought it in 2001, there was a 1 year warranty, now I see they have a 5 year warranty,,,, the very same machine.
This router was truly not worked to death by any means,,, some times it was not even turned on for the better part of a year,,, My wood working is just one of my hobbies and I have not made all that many projects since I bought the router.
I have been discussing this problem with the router on a woodworking web site, ( www.routerforum.com ) that has over 5000 members, and it was recommended to me by some of the members, that Hitachi is a first class company, and I should contact them to see if they would take that into consideration.
With the relatively low hours of use on the router, this speed controller circuit should not have failed in this short of time period. And also since this machine is the exact same machine that is sold today,,,, with a 5 year warranty, it seems in all fairness that maybe something can be done about replacing the speed control circuit ?
There are quite a few people reading the story of this router on that web site,,, It may be worth a lot of good publicity for Hitachi, if they show that they stand behind their products and do not turn their backs on their customers. I also believe that it would show that Hitachi is confident in their engineering and prove that their machines are indeed world class tools that customers would be proud and confident to own.

So, Jermaine, do you think there may be a little wiggle room on that warranty ?


Sooooooooo,,,, now we wait and see.

Glenmore

Visteonguy keep us informed what they do for you. I've been thinking of picking up one of these models. The price is inticing. I know about the bad taste in mouth about other certain models from other manufactures. I hope you get the result that you are looking for.

Visteonguy

I will post what ever I recieve for a reply,,,, although I am hoping they do the respectable thing and stand behing their products.

__________________
Terry

It seems like every where I go,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, there I am...

Julie

Interesting story, Terry. I have the Hitachi M12V, too, and I'm interested in the outcome. So far, I've had no problems, love the router!

~Julie~