Kity 636 motor burn out

[kevinh]

Hi there,

I recently picked up a fairly well used Kity 636 thickness planer. It was supposed to be a bit of a stop-gap till I could raise the funds to afford something with a bit more grunt and I was hoping I'd get a couple of years out of it.

But lo and behold last week during a moderatley long session (motor running for about an hour) there was magic smoke and a bad smell. Turned it off straight away, gave it the once over to check for anything obvious and when I tried to restart it there was a low hum and no movement.

I've been told that the armature needs replacing and that it's not the biggest job in the world. My question is though, if I repair it will the same thing just happen again the next time I'm running the planer for a while? Should I cut my loses and get something with a better rated motor? Are these just very light-duty machines for hobbiests?

The annoying thing is I was singing it's praises to myself just before it cut out as it was planing some very figured maple very little tear-out...

So do I repair it or sell it or both?

Thanks!

 

[sunnybob]

Did the person who told you the armature needed replacing actually test the motor?

Not to get your hopes up too much, but that kind of diagnosis can not be done long distance.

It may (MAY) be a capacitor problem.
It may be a wiring problem.
It may even be an armature problem though.

Has it been taken out and checked?
I would go for capacitor first. its easy to check with a very cheap multitester, and its pretty cheap to replace.

 

[flh801978]

The armature is just a lump of iron and alloy
The stator will be burnt out on that motor
As bob says check capacitor first

Ian

 

[Eric The Viking]

+1 for the cap.
Have a sniff around the machine (with the plug removed!). Burned wiring smell lingers, so you should be able to see evidence of what has failed.

I've had a couple of Kity motors, of around the same age (say about 15 years old): on a 419 tablesaw and 439 planer. Both have been well made. They don't have commutators; they are sealed, so it is quite unlikely to be a coil failure (OK, not impossible, but still), as they can't ingest anything.

Take it to a motor rewind specialist if in doubt.

 

[Myfordman]

Most makes of motor have a similar relationship between frame size and output power and so interchange easily.
BUT Kity tend to use a smaller frame size for a given power and so replacements don't tend to fit well needing pulley bored out and shorter belts etc even if there is enough room for a standard frame size replacement. Bearing all that in mind a rewind might be cheaper in the long run.
Been there and done it. I won't go near kity repairs now.

Incidentally whoever suggested an armature replacement should be expunged from the list of people who you consult for electric motor advice in future. They clearly don't know the buttocks from their arm joints lol

 

[kevinh]

:lol: Thanks lads. I'll have him disbarred from my advice-giving committee! (And he seemed so sure... :roll: )

I'll see if I can find a place that does rewinds so and then maybe keep an eye out for something with a bit more muscle (stop-gap #2). There is an old Multico for sale not too far away, and it's 16A plug suggests it might stand me in better stead...