Triton TRA001 Collet Pin not engaging?

Bob M said:

I should further explain. I had the same issue. Have you tried to remove the router from the table and check to engage the collet pin. I had the same issue. When I removed the router from the table it worked fine. I carefully reinstalled the router in the table and it worked fine.
If you do this and still have the problem I would contact Triton Customer care.

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Hi all, firstly I noted I posted this thread under the wrong sub category as I did it on my mobile at first and didn't see - apologies.

Just some feedback, my problem is sorted. My original question was that I could not see how the pin mechanics engage to be able to address it as I could only view it from the top position. I did exactly what Bob suggested, I had to dismount the router from the table, and once I had it out I figured out that the baseplate has a lip that engages a push pin when fully engaged. This push pin should engage the arbor pin which it wasn't doing (I assume there's a spring between them)
I then simply blew any dirt out with compressed air, and sprayed a bit of WD40 and "Bob's your uncle" - excuse the pun - sorted!...

PS - By the way, I'm from South Africa and our official Triton agents stopped importing a few years back which is a pity. So when you guys refer to the Triton Customer Care Centre, I assume there's one online or do you have to phone in?

I actually purchased my router online from Amazon UK (230V), and am at the mercy of prayer if it ever breaks. I however decided to buy the Triton (at risk), having done all my homework, that it was probably one of the better table mounted routers as it was designed to be mounted easily, and the above the table one spanner bit change was the game changer for me. I am absolutely pleased with it. I also have a Festool 1400 for hand routing and a Makita 700 trim router - so I'm fully committed and hope to learn a lot from this forum
enjoy

Hi Bob, Glad that you got your Triton working to your satisfaction, but I will explain the issue for you as discovered by us Aussies some years ago. When run in a table for a long time, the alignment tubes that the router plunges on get dust in them, which naturally falls to the bottom of the tube, for one tube, into the return spring removal cap and for the other, into the plastics of the motor housing. Once you accumulate enough dust, raising the collet above the table starts to compact the dust in the housing, and eventually it will compact it enough to prevent the router from being raised far enough to fully engage the spindle lock, and it will do what yours did, partly engage and skip when loaded.
When you remove the router from the table, the dust breaks down and falls down the tubes as dust freeing everything up, but if not removed, it will repeat the issue reasonably quickly as it is still there and more will be added.
Regular maintenance helps solve the problem if you clear the dust from the tubes, but also take the table insert and plastic glide base off the router. This should expose the open tube ends in the router base. Set the router upright and plunge up and down a number of times to break up the compacted dust and drop it through the tubes onto whatever the router is being plunged against. Once free of dust, get some strong tape and tape over the tube ends and the base casting, then refit the table insert etc. The tape prevents new dust getting into the tubes and the problem either goes away completely, or it takes a much longer time to accumulate enough dust to recreate it.
Hope this helps.