21829 switch failing

[ofna89]

Has anyone had this happen to their 21829? Mine is 3 months old and last night went to turn off after making a cut and it remained running, had to pull the plug to shut it down.

[LYU370]

Hmmm... They still haven't redesigned it yet I see. Happened to a lot of people's BT3K's. The switch is arced open inside the case. Switch the wires in the back of the switch to the other side, there are two poles on the switch. You can also take it apart and clean it up, and should work fine again for a while. Contact the CPSC to report it, maybe they'll finally get after Ryobi to fix it. While you're cleaning it, grab your soldering gun and some 10-12 ga wire, and solder across the two poles to spread the load.

Mine needs to be cleaned yet again. I'm probably going to replace mine with the Sears switch or maybe the one from woodworker.com

Check these threads for more info:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=28751

http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=2950782&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=5&vc=1

[LCHIEN]

Hmmm... They still haven't redesigned it yet I see. Happened to a lot of people's BT3K's. The switch is arced open inside the case. Switch the wires in the back of the switch to the other side, there are two poles on the switch. You can also take it apart and clean it up, and should work fine again for a while. Contact the CPSC to report it, maybe they'll finally get after Ryobi to fix it. While you're cleaning it, grab your soldering gun and some 10-12 ga wire, and solder across the two poles to spread the load.

Mine needs to be cleaned yet again. I'm probably going to replace mine with the Sears switch or maybe the one from woodworker.com

Check these threads for more info:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=28751

http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthr...=&fpart=5&vc=1

That was not uncommon in the BT3100 late production.
The switch was arcing closed (not open as someone said) so that the
contacts remained on.
I encouraged people to report this to CPSC as a potential hazard.
www.CPSC.GOV
even if no injury resulted (this time).
temporary fix:
take apart switch and "clean" contacts
if you put it back it will probbaly work for a while.
To improve it,
parallel the unused set of contacts (its a dual pole switch) with the existing set so each set carries half the current.

[LinuxRandal]

Don't try to repair the switch. Do report it, but USE the warranty and force Sears to replace it. If they get enough problems, even that could help force a redesign.

[ejs1097]

That was not uncommon in the BT3100 late production.
The switch was arcing closed (not open as someone said) so that the
contacts remained on.
I encouraged people to report this to CPSC as a potential hazard.
www.CPSC.GOV
even if no injury resulted (this time).
temporary fix:
take apart switch and "clean" contacts
if you put it back it will probbaly work for a while.
To improve it,
parallel the unused set of contacts (its a dual pole switch) with the existing set so each set carries half the current.

I'm having the switch problem on my Bt1300-1. Can you explain this in a different light? I'm having trouble understanding. Do you mean after you turn it off, the current is jumping from the 2 'buttons' (in the switch assembly) and bypassing the rocker prongs?

I took the switch apart and from what I can tell there are 2 curved metal prongs that appear to pivot (rock) when the switch is turned on/off. I'm guessing then the prongs are down they contact the 2 metal buttons completing the circuit. The button and prong tip on the right side is blackened.

I put it back together and plug it in, the saw was off. Turned it on and it stayed on

What do you mean by "clean"? Can you be more specific about which contacts to move where, exactly? I saw some unused contacts but I don't like to guess on these things.
Thanks

[LCHIEN]

I'm having the switch problem on my Bt1300-1. Can you explain this in a different light? I'm having trouble understanding. Do you mean after you turn it off, the current is jumping from the 2 'buttons' (in the switch assembly) and bypassing the rocker prongs?

I took the switch apart and from what I can tell there are 2 curved metal prongs that appear to pivot (rock) when the switch is turned on/off. I'm guessing then the prongs are down they contact the 2 metal buttons completing the circuit. The button and prong tip on the right side is blackened.

I put it back together and plug it in, the saw was off. Turned it on and it stayed on

What do you mean by "clean"? Can you be more specific about which contacts to move where, exactly? I saw some unused contacts but I don't like to guess on these things.
Thanks

You got to burnish the blackened contacts, maybe with an emery board or very fine sandpaper. you don't want to take off too much, they are usually plated and you don't want to take off the plating if you can help it but unfortunately the plating is usually what's damaged. The motor being somehwat inductive wants to make an arc when the contacts are opened. some material is transfered in the arc, rmoving plating and welding the contact point together which is why it stays closed (on). Doesn't take much, just enough so the spring forces of the contact can't pull the contacts apart.
You will probably get it to work for a while but with the plating gone down to the base metal it will arc over some more and eventually happen again, I predict. But it may well work for months or even years. And you can fix it again.

There are two complete contact sets.
You can (A) reduce the amount of arcing by using both contact sets or (B) you can use the previously unused set.
B is easier because you can simply move the wires to the other side of the switch. But all theings being the same as when the saw was new, This has a good chance of developing the same problem eventually.
If you do A you need to parallel both contacts and each contact will reduce the current carried by half, and maybe this will prevent enough arcing that the contacts won't weld together more than the spring can pull them apart. This requires a little wiring expertise. but 4 inches of wire and some solder will do the job if you know how.

Or you can call sears and try and get a new switch under warranty
If you do the parallel trick with a new switch then you will start with two clean sets of contacts. Or just buy a new switch from www3.sears.com for a 315.218290

Any way you do it I'd go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx
and report that a power tool switch failed to shut off the power tool, a potnetial safety hazard.


Good luck.

[ofna89]

Thanks all, I went ahead and reported this to the cpsc. I went to Sears today cause Im really getting tired if this saw to report the switch failing and they told me to just buy a new switch and put it in. This coming after I told them I have a 3 year extended warranty. Have to go back wednesday cause they never have a manager to speak with when I go there.

[AttilatheHun]

Couldn't happen with a NVR switch as required in EU countries. My BT3000 came fitted with one. Works great. No danger of saw starting unexpectedly, nor of failing to stop - AtH

[LinuxRandal]

Thanks all, I went ahead and reported this to the cpsc. I went to Sears today cause Im really getting tired if this saw to report the switch failing and they told me to just buy a new switch and put it in. This coming after I told them I have a 3 year extended warranty. Have to go back wednesday cause they never have a manager to speak with when I go there.

I would go through their website, and if you know the stores number, report what happened. They should contact you and send one out with appologies.

[ofna89]

This is how bad Sears service has gotten, within the past year I have purchased $3100 worth of tools through them. Ts,band saw,drill press mortiser,compresser,numerous hand tools ect. Needless to say they know me by name now. Im not looking for special attention but courtesy would be nice. I have a two year master protection plan with the table saw. I keep all my receipts in a folder. The saw is only 3 months old and I dont own a pickup so getting the saw to Sears might be hard for me and in that 3 month period I have had some minor problems with it so I told them if I load this up and bring it here its staying here and Ill get my money back. The manager on the floor wouldnt even speak to me, just kept sending an associated back and forth with questions. Putting the switch in my self would void the warranty, so I went to the parts located down the road and talked to the counter associate. Sears no longer has repair in store so they would have to send the saw to Massachusetts to repair the switch. Not only that, they had no record of me purchasing the saw(21829) nor did they have record of the two year master protection plan so good thing I keep receits. Anyway Sears disgust me lately and Ill be done doing business with them in the future. Do you think I have any recourse for being treated this way? Thanks for reading.

[jgrobler]

Very timely. Just tonight my 18 month old BT3100 did the same. After cutting and hitting the switch the motor kept running - I thought I missed the switch, put the workpiece down and found the switch "turned off". Had to pull the plug.

Thanks for the links to the CPSC and advice to remedy the situation.

[ofna89]

I received my switch in the mail on tuesday(took four days to get) and put it in last night(friday) and has worked fine since. Thanks all for the help.

[LinuxRandal]

I was wondering about switching out this switch to a front rail mount switch, like the one that was refered to via a connection to woodnet earlier. OR91712

Seems to me, mount it on the left and should be good to go. Got one for my router table and it was around $27.

[siliconbauhaus]

I thought, judging by your posts you were getting rid of it and to be quite honest I cant blame you for that at all. It sounds like your saw is a lemon and you'll spend more time repairing it than cutting wood.

If I was in the same boat...I'd buy a rigid 3650 ( I think thats the right number )

[LYU370]

I was wondering about switching out this switch to a front rail mount switch, like the one that was refered to via a connection to woodnet earlier. OR91712

Seems to me, mount it on the left and should be good to go. Got one for my router table and it was around $27.

I ordered this to replace the BT3100 switch, as I'm getting tired of cleaning the contacts every few months. Should get it sometime next week.