Overloaded angle grinder

case_sensitive

Not sure if this is the right home for this, mods feel free to move if there's a better spot.

I have finished stripping an old Focus, and having removed everything that makes it mobile, it now needed to be cut up into carry-able pieces to be weighed in.

I borrowed a mate's expensive Hilti 12" grinder, (which turned out to be 9"!), and it overloaded within a minute. I thought I'd overheated it maybe. Anyway, a day later and it still wouldn't budge, so I bought a Lidl €45 job and it worked until I'd worn down the 5 discs I had for it.

The matter of what to do with the expensive Hilti unit though. It was is a 110V unit, so I bought a second hand transformer from adverts to drive it. So, there's a possibility that it's the tranny that's not doing. Its no-load voltage is about 8-11V DC, but I don't have another 110v volt tool or tranny to check.

The two little doors on the side have what look like they might be fuses, and I've since discovered are called carbon brushes. Anyone ever had this happen? How did you get out of it?

Fat Nav

The transformer should have a reset button on it (just press it and it should work again)
I seriously doubt that you have overloaded the hilti as its almost indestructible.

AMKC

I don,t think the brushes on the grinder is the problem as these take time to wear down. It should be easy enough to take them out and check to see if they are both even or if one is worn more then the other which can happen. Brushes are how electricity is transferred to the electric motor and causes the motor to then rotate. There is no actual physicall contact between the motor and the brushes but they do wear down over time.
Have you checked the transformer to see is there a button on the side of it anywhere. That might have just tripped. Its there to protect the transformer and stop it from being overloaded. I am guessing the angle grinder fromm Lidl is 230v.

CJhaughey

Were you using an extension lead on a spool with the grinder?
They melt if you don't unwind the spool all the way before using them with high loads.
If it isn't that then you need to check the plug and make sure thats OK and not defective.
After that then start with the transformer and grinder.

case_sensitive

AMKC wrote: »

I am guessing the angle grinder fromm Lidl is 230v.

Yeah the Lidl one bypasses the transformer alright.

CJhaughey wrote:

Were you using an extension lead on a spool with the grinder?
They melt if you don't unwind the spool all the way before using them with high loads.
If it isn't that then you need to check the plug and make sure thats OK and not defective.
After that then start with the transformer and grinder.

I had a 30m extension reel in front of transformer, but it was spooled all the way out. And it drove the lidl one grand afterwards.


Haven't located a reset on the transformer, but hopefully that's it, I'll see about maybe borrowing someone else's.

arthur daly

As a matter of curiosity why dont you just have it collected by a scrap truck?

case_sensitive

arthur daly wrote: »

As a matter of curiosity why dont you just have it collected by a scrap truck?

Yeah, at this point, mostly stubbornness. I got the last one hauled off, and it took me a few attempts to find one who didn't want to be paid to take it away. Having done all the hard work; stripped every wire, fuel line and brake pipe off it, I would like to get paid for the metal in the car. The hassle is almost certainly not worth it though.

case_sensitive

Success! As many suggested, the transformer overloaded, rather than the grinder. It doesn't have a reset switch, but opening it up revealed a pair of 13A fuses, one of which was blown. Simple fix, but really should have a tripswitch instead. If I ever get round to it, could make for an interesting hack.