[Shop-talk] HF Double Cut Saw

[Randall]

> I can't speak to the motors burning out,

I have several HF electric tools that have performed well for quite a few
years.  I really didn't expect the angle grinder to last, as it sounds
hideous, kind of like a buzz saw cutting through a bee hive, but it is still
going strong over 20 years later.

But the first die grinder I got from HF died within seconds.  A quick
inspection showed that one of the field wires had gotten tangled in the
rotor.  This was not a matter of incorrect break-in or operator abuse;
obviously a manufacturing defect, and clearly the motor had never been
tested.

So IMO it's just the luck of the draw.  The designs are OK, materials
marginal; but quality control is totally non-existent.  The replacement die
grinder worked just fine.

Oh, and IMO the break-in instructions that were quoted are of questionable
benefit at best.  They might possibly contribute to longer brush and/or
commutator life; but brushes are a consumable anyway and I don't recall ever
having an electric motor disabled because the commutator was worn beyond
use.  Even worn out brushes are pretty rare in my experience (mostly in 50+
year old equipment, like the original generator on my 56 TR3).

-- Randall