HELP my Shopbot Buddy Router Keeps Breaking.

[Nevermore]

I have a 2 year old Shopbot Buddy with a porter cable 7500 series router. Last week my router started making a lot of noise and smoking then blew a CCMR-15A fuse in the control box. I had to replace the router with another Porter Cable router and replaced the fuse. Today my machine ran fine all day then all of the sudden the router just stopped. The fuse was blown again. I replaced the fuse one more time and there was a small pop sound. I guess the fuse blew on more time. I checked the router with a heavy duty extension cord to see if it would even start up. Nope the router is blown again. What on my machine could be causing the routers to be blowing out like this? Who would I contact to get this looked at? An electrician? Any info a fellow Shopbot owner could give me would be much appreciated.

[Gary Campbell]

Any chance that the problem is the load and RPM combo that you are operating at?

[Nevermore]

Thanks for the quick reply Gary. hmmm you may be right. The first router I worked it pretty hard over the years. I only build certain snapped items on my machine so I don't mess with the RPM much at all. I was running the first router about 19,000 RPMs. This new one I started off on a lower RPM 16,000 just because it was new and I was told its best to run it a little lower at first. Do you think that I was running the router too high RPM for too long?

[bobmoore]

I would start with an amp meter on the router with no load. Then check it under the kind of loads you typically use. An electrician can help you interpret your readings or post them here.

[Nevermore]

Hello Bob...right now my router doesn't turn on at all anymore. Is that normal for the router to completely break once the fuse blows? I would think the fuse would protect the router from taking on any damage from whatever is causing this.

[Tim Lucas]

Have you checked the brushes, I know you said new one but just had to ask

[Nevermore]

Hello Tim ... I took a quick look at the brushes because thats one of the few things I know of that would cause the router to stop like this but they seem fine. I think I ran the new router for about maybe 6 hrs total.

[steve_g]

Have to ask… any chance wiring changes caused 220 to be applied to a 110 router?

SG

[robtown]

Hello Tim ... I took a quick look at the brushes because thats one of the few things I know of that would cause the router to stop like this but they seem fine. I think I ran the new router for about maybe 6 hrs total.
My first PC router lasted about three years, my second a year or so, my third is still going about 7-8 years later.

My current router (the third one) quit a while back, but it turned out to be the on/off switch. I just pulled it and straight wired it, then put a switch to the power cord for the router.

Pull the top of the router and check that you have power to the rocker switch.

[Nevermore]

Thanks robtown I was looking under the on/off toggle and there it was....... it was pinched wire that was causing the short on the new router. I checked everywhere else but this one spot haha. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and help. I really appreciate it.