How To Change The Brushless Of Your Power Tool

Repairing your broken or damaged power tool instead of replacing it with a new one is always a great idea as it doesn’t only save you a lot of money but also contributes towards a greener and healthier world. Every power tool that is manufactured leaves a carbon footprint of its existence and some day when it becomes completely useless for the operator it requires a part of a land, albeit a small one, to be disposed off adding to the misery of the planet earth. It’s a simple equation, the more number of power tools that need to be dumped, the greater the negative environmental effect. That’s why proponents of greener environment are always more inclined towards the idea of repairing your power tool instead of buying a new one.

One of the most common problems that your power tool has to deal with is faulty or damaged carbon brushes. Carbon brushes are responsible for carrying the electrical energy from the motor to the rest of the business parts of the tool. Consider them a bridge between the motor of your power tool and other working parts. Because of this important and demanding role, performance of carbon brushes decreases over time depending upon the usage and nature of applications. Because of that the performance of your power tool takes a hit and if you don’t replace them at that moment, there comes a time when your tool completely stops functioning.

Now when that time comes, buying a new tool is always an easier but costly choice. Apart from that you would also be contributing towards a larger carbon footprint as discussed earlier. So, instead of replacing the tool you should look for a place where they sell spare parts. For instance, if your tool is from Milwaukee you would want to look for a retail or online store where they sell Milwaukee replacement parts. There are various online shopping portals that offer replacement parts from dozens of brands such as Paslode replacement parts, Panasonic replacement parts, DeWalt parts, Makita parts and more. Now, before starting the replacement process, always ensure three things.

* You have the right carbon brushes. Brushes are specific to their electric motors so you can’t fit any brush you want. If your power tool is manufactured by Panasonic then only Panasonic replacement parts will fit.
* Take out the manual and read the given instructions for brush replacement. If you don’t have the manual or you can’t find the related information in the manual, go online to get the instructions. It will give you a general idea.
* Unplug the power tool. Ensure that it is not connected to a power source.

Now, you need to find the carbon brushes on the electric motor of your power tool, usually they are approximately 1″ in length and have a rectangular shape featuring a coil spring tail (with time carbon wears down so the spring tail ensures that there is a constant connection between the motor and the brush). Carbon brushes slide into guide sleeves so they can maintain their position on either side of the power tool motor. It might be a bit difficult to find carbon brushes in an old power tool, however, latest tools have external carbon brushes so the user can easily find and replace them when needed. Remember whatever you are removing from the tool, you have to replace it with the exact same part – and that will also help you in reassembly of the power tool. Locate the carbon brushes, take out the brush caps with extreme care, remove the old brushes by sliding them out and slide the new ones in you just bought. When replacing the carbon brushes, make sure that the brush is in contact with the commutator of the armature.

Carpenter and builder Rob Robillard from http://www.AConcordCarpenter.com reviews the DEWALT DWS355 20-Volt Brushless Multi-Tool

Read the detailed review here: http://www.aconcordcarpenter.com/dewalt-20v-oscillating-multi-tool-dcs355d1.html

Visit Rob’s website where he shares his industry training and experience to provide solutions to your problems and to make appropriate PRO recommendations for purchasing products, tools and accessories.

DEWALT recently released the DEWALT 20V Oscillating Multi-Tool DCS355D1 to compliment their 20 volt platform and Extreme Runtime [XR] tools.

The exciting part of this and many of the more recent tool releases is that tool manufacturers are now making cordless tools that can compete with corded tool power. This multi-tool is no exception.

As a fan and user of adult tool I have to say “well, it’s about time, but I’m not disappointed.” They far surpassed what I thought they were going to do.
DEWALT DCS355D1 OverviewDEWALT 20V Oscillating Multi-Tool DCS355D1

The DEWALT DCS355D1 measures 12″ long and weighs 3.22 pounds with the battery. The tool is variable speed and operates at 0-20,000 opm (oscillations/min) and best of all has, in my opinion, the fastest accessory change system out there. This tool has corded power in a cordless tool — impressive. A super bright LED comes on when the trigger is activated and stay on an additional 20 seconds.

DEWALTS accessory change system is basically a spring powered lever. It allows the user to change blades and attachments quickly without tools or small, loose pins to worry about. This tool directly competes with the Bosch accessory lever.

We found the accessory change to be the fastest accessory change system on the market. The spring clamps the blade securely and allows for the blade to be moved to different positions to accommodate the cutting application.

What’s With The Trigger?

One of the coolest features on this tool is the DUAL-GRIP variable-speed trigger. We found that this trigger gives the user the precise control needed without having the remove your hands and adjusting a variable speed dial.

Add to this a bright LED light with 20-second delay and you have “precision cutting, corded power all illuminated!”
Video Review:

Tool Guide System

Finally a tool company that gives you an accessory without us having to go track it down. DEWALT provides a tool guide system with their multi-tool.

The guide works well and allows users to set the depth of cut or height for accurate repeatability when making a series of cuts.

I prefer to leave the tool guide attached to the tool as opposed to leaving it in the tool bag. The problem is the guide prohibits me from burying the blade and getting a full blade depth of cut on some cutting applications. I would love for DEWALT to figure out a way to allow users to keep the guide on the tool but not be in the way of full blade depth cuts.
Using the DEWALT 20V Oscillating Multi-Tool DCS355D1

We only used this tool for cutting. As re-modeler and carpenters we rarely use the sanding and scraping features. What I can tell you is that the DCS355D1 cuts fast and furious. Most recently I used the DCS355D1 to cut cedar clapboards to allow four pre-made window surrounds to be installed.
Overall Impression:

We were amazed at the power, balance and run-time this tool had. I also love the paddle switch.

The DCS355D1 provides the same performance that a corded tool does but without the hassle of the cord. We were overall impressed with the DCS355D1 and although we plan to continue our job-site testing the run-time was never an issue. We went three days on one battery and we using the tool, on and off, all day long — well done!
DEWALT 29-Piece Accessory Set includes:

(1) Bi-metal plunge cut blade
(1) Fast-cut wood blade
(1) Sanding pad
(25) sheets of sand paper
(1) Universal accessory adapter

How Much and Where To Buy?

The DCS355D1 kit will sell at tool distributors and hardware stores for approximately 9.00 and the bare tool for 9.

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