We all love our tools. But love requires commitment and when it comes to power tools, that commitment means regular care, cleaning and maintenance.
Different care requirements apply depending on the type of power tool and its particular format, e.g. brushed/brushless, corded/cordless.
In this blog, we give our top tips to help you keep your tools tip-top – so have a read. Your tools will love you for it.
Before you startPrior to carrying out maintenance on power tools, bear these 4 points in mind:
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Cleaning & inspecting
Whatever your tool, one thing always applies: Clean it regularly, especially after use and before storage.
- Clean the housing. It’s easy to do, too. Just use a damp rag to clean off moulded plastic or PVC parts. Don’t clean your power tools with water and detergent, as these may seep into the tool’s housing, which could damage the electrics. It (almost) goes without saying: Don’t submerge your tool in liquid.
- Eliminate dust: Use a workshop vacuum to suck up what you can. Clean the vents with compressed air; it may help to actually run the tool while you do this.
Cleaning is a great time to inspect your tools and all their parts: Check all moving parts, making sure that they move safely, smoothly and straight; this includes gears, v-belts, pulleys etc. Listen for noises and note any wobbles. All fastenings should be sturdy and connected. Be sure to check power cables and plugs for signs of wear or damage.
Please note: If anything’s broken, don’t attempt to repair it unless you’re qualified to do so; instead, take your tool to a qualified repairperson.
After you've cleaned and inspected your tool, it's a good time to lubricate it. Proper lubrication helps prevents rust, corrosion, overheating and chafing. The moving parts of your power tools may need to be lubricated regularly (although not all power tools require lubrication after purchase). Learn how to correctly lubricate your tool by consulting the tool’s instruction manual.
Tool types & their individual needs
Maintenance depends not just on the type of tool, but the format: corded vs cordless and brushed vs brushless. Below we go through each category and the special requirements.
Corded
As we all know, you should never use a corded power tool if its cable is damaged; nor should you ever use an extension lead that’s damaged. To make sure that your cable stays in tip-top condition, read our handy tips:
- Make sure your power tool cable is long enough to avoid stress on the connections and the plug. If it isn’t, get the proper extension lead.
- Keep any power cable/extension lead out of the way, where it won’t get walked on, driven on or otherwise pinched or crushed. If the cable has to cross a walkway, cover it with a rubber protector strip; if it has to cross a road, use a heavy-duty cable ramp.
- If using a cable drum extension lead, it should be completely unwound to avoid overheating.
- Always check the extension lead plug contains the correctly rated fuse for the equipment being used.
- When using bladed power tools, consider fitting an overhead cable carrier to keep the cable safely out of the blade’s cutting path.
- Store any cables safely: Bundle them loosely and store them in a container that will protect them from being stressed; don’t coil them too tightly. Use a cable tidy to keep cables from becoming tangled.
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Cordless
Keep in mind that most lithium-ion batteries will generally last 800–1,000 charges, so you want to maximise their life. To do this, follow these steps:
Avoid fully depleting your lithium-ion battery, as deep-draining is bad for your battery. Be sure to keep an eye on your battery’s power indicator, and change to a new battery when required. Never store a completely drained battery.
Keep your battery dry. Moisture can damage the electronics and circuitry inside, causing resistance, which reduces battery output. Immediately wipe away any moisture on the tool or battery, and store your battery away from humidity. If you’re working in bad weather, keep batteries in their storage case when they’re not in use to help protect them from moisture.
Keep your battery cool: Excessive heat is bad for lithium-ion batteries. Temperatures much above 25° C will degrade a battery, while temperatures much above 35° C will cause rapid damage. Follow these precautions:
- Avoid leaving it in direct sunlight for extended periods of time when outside on a jobsite, and don’t store the power tool and its battery in the car on a hot day.
- During use and charging, heat builds up inside the battery pack and can damage the pack cells. Help reduce heat build-up by allowing the battery to cool after charging it and during use.
Avoid extreme cold: Remember, while cool is good for batteries, extreme cold is bad. Storing lithium-ion batteries at below-freezing temperatures can crack some parts of the battery and separate them from surrounding materials, reducing their electric storage capacity.
Use the correct charger: A cheap universal charger might save you some money initially, but it could kill your batteries sooner. Investing in a properly matching charger for your battery optimises safety, cycle life and run-time.
Select the right battery. When it comes to choosing a lithium-ion battery for your tasks, make sure that the battery has the appropriate number of amps for the application and power tool it’s being used with. Choosing a lower capacity battery such as a 3.0 or 4.0 Ah for a high-voltage tool will require frequent charging, which will decrease the lifespan of the battery.
Store your battery carefully. This can help to prevent the kind of damage that shortens their lives. Store batteries in padded bags or their original box (usually with a tool) and, if you can, replace the plastic cap that covered their contacts when you first bought them.
Find the answer to all of your cordless tool needs with help from UK Planet Tools. We've got all the major brands like Makita, DeWALT, Milwaukee & Bosch, plus chargers and batteries too. |
Brushed power tools
Brushed motors use "brushes" to carry the electrical charge between the stationary and moving parts of the motor; this generates more friction, and friction creates heat. As excessive heat degrades materials more easily, you need to take extra care to make sure that your brushed tools stay cool. Find out how:
- Don’t overwork your tool. This will put a lot of stress on its motor and can cause it to overheat. Overworking a tool can occur when you are trying to work through a difficult material such as concrete or very hard wood. Overheating can also happen if you use a tool too long without stopping.
- If your tool seems like it’s getting hot, stop. Take a break and allow it to cool down. You can help to speed up the cooling process by running the tool on no-load speed; that way, the fan can run at maximum speed to provide maximum cooling, without working the motor hard.
- Brushed tools need bigger air vents to maximise air flow's cooling effect on the motor – so take extra care to ensure that the air vents stay dust-free.
Long use will eventually wear down the carbon brushes, and worn carbon brushes are one of the major reasons that brushed tools fail. The good news is that changing carbon brushes is fairly quick, cheap and easy to do. To learn how, check out our blog on Changing carbon brushes.
Brushless power tools
Since their introduction more than 10 years ago, brushless tools – though more expensive – have been claiming a growing share of the power tool market. And for good reason: A brushless motor isn’t just more energy efficient, it requires less maintenance, too, thanks to the absence of brushes and resulting lower friction levels.
See our wide range of brushless power tools here at UK Planet Tools. Choose from drills & drivers, angle grinders, saws and more. |