# Router stopped and will not restart, is it toast?



## sillac (Oct 31, 2010)

Working with a friends Craftsman router 315.25070, it stopped running in a heavy cut, it was warm but not really hot, and now won't restart. Is there a reset on it? Is it toast? If so, what should I get to replace it? Thanks for any insight any of you can give me.


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## grumpy749 (Nov 22, 2011)

Sounds like you melted some solder in the field windings. If it stinks bad like burnt wiring, its toast. Porter cable makes a great replacement and your buddy will thank you.


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## sillac (Oct 31, 2010)

Thats the thing, there was no smell and the housing wasn't very hot.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Have you checked the brushes ?


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## DanEGood (Jan 15, 2011)

Check the brushes. I've has them fail under a heavy load.


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## Dez (Mar 28, 2007)

Most equipment now days has a thermal breaker. I assume you waited awhile and tried again. At that point I would say it is toast and would tend to agree with Denis!
PC, Makita, Freud, Dewalt and others make good tools.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

look at the brushes and while you are there take the top cover off and look for debris in the switch. If it is like mine it has a cable that goes to a micro switch and it can collect wood chips there causing problems. Just remove the plastic end cap and look into the top end of the motor.


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## canadianchips (Mar 12, 2010)

Those models had trouble with the switch in the handle. Maybe it just needs cleaning. Dust gets in and dosn't let the on-off switch contact properly.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Mine has a cable from the handle to the switch with the switch located in the upper motor housing. It could be anywhere along the cable I suppose but my problem has been in the end of the motor every time. My problem was a little larger than dust. It was small wood chips. They occupy real space.


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## ssnvet (Jan 10, 2012)

I burned up the old one I inherited from my dad (trigger pushes cable to switch in top) years ago. I was pushing it to hard with a 3/4" cutter and the shaft flexed enough to cause the cooling fan blades to colide with the housing…. Not pretty!!

I just recently discovered that I also had a box with just about every Craftsman router accessory they ever made. So I picked up a similar but slightly newer model on ebay (switch is in the trigger handle) for a whopping $19.

If I didn't have all the accessories, I wouldn't have bothered.

IMO, you really need a 1/2" collet for any heavy routing.


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

most likely the brushes.


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## doughan (Apr 22, 2011)

Most people think that routers run on electricity…this is false they run on magic smoke…if the magic smoke comes out they don't run anymore


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

doughan, what you just described is the brushes going,replace the magnetic brushes and, they work again!


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