Drill driver knackered?

[John.Stitch]

Axminster £70 drill driver a couple of years old.
A bit gutless but not too bad.
Only used for hobby efforts.
Screwiing 3" no 8 screws into tanelised timber and it was struggling.
The bit stopped turning and after a bit I smelt burnt oil.
Now whenever I screw a screw in it makes a low pitched scream when the going gets tough and it lacks a bit of guts.
Not sure what I have done.
Stripped the gears, burnt the motor or what?
Is it worth looking at or should I bin it?

 

[Paul Barker]

You should't put a drill through that, you should let go of the trigger as soon as it binds.

By overheating it you have probably burned the enamel of the winding wire which gives the motor it's magnetic power. Though it may work there will be very poor isulation resistance, so the electric current which is meant to flow along the wire leaks out from it, so less power results. In the end the insulation will break down totally and you have a dead motor.

Drills cool by turning, when making a drill work on something it is not designed for it turns too slowly overheats becomes less powerful then dies.

A drill which you have done this to is no use it could be sold as spares or repair because the trigger and chuck may be of benefit to someone. Of course if it were a main brand it would attract more value the chuck or the trigger could be sold seperately. As it is generic it is unlikely to be worth the listing fee. Wheelie bin job.

 

[Paul Barker]

Out of interest I serviced the boiler of the tool buyer for a chain of diy retail stores. We had a lengthy chat about his tools I am very familiar with everything his stores stock. I told him about the difference I experienced between cheap branded drills and the professional drills I have owned for years and put through an imense amount of work. There is a great difference between the professional products they aren't all alike. But there is a greater gulf between a cheap drill and any professional drill.

He said (and this is very telling) "the brushes in our cheap brand tools are specified for 14 hrs life, we know that a diy person will use it for a few hours put it away in the shed for years"

That explains my experience.

Even if you buy a battered pro tool off ebay it will outlive any new tool of those specifications, and brushes will be available if ever required which is unlikely.

 

[John.Stitch]

Thank you for your detailed response Paul, and for your other comments, I am very grateful.