How to Repair Your Power Tools

Today on gardenfork.tv Power Tool Repair Female: What do you have there? Eric: This is called a reciprocating saw. The generic term is called a saw zaw but saw zaw is actually a brand name from Milwaukee tools, it has a reciprocating saw called the saw zaw which is really nice. Mine is a Sears cragsman model which is very nice as well. And my trigger switch is broken. These are really, really great tools for like cutting plumbing pipe or joints out of a roof or ceiling or they are great for demoing stuff. What is really nice is you have to get it up in somewhere, the blades bend so you can shove it up in somewhere and its goes around and cuts. They will snap eventually but I mean the blades are essentially disposable. Anyway the switch stopped working. So I went on to the Sears website and you can order parts there, believe it or not. So, I have ordered a switch. It was really, really easy. Yes, I think the switch is $3. The shipping costs more than the switch did. Today, we are going show you how to replace a switch on your power tools. A lot of times people’s tools break. And, you can fix them. Female: You can find them on the street. Eric: Yes. I found stuff on the street and fixed it. We are going to talk about that later how we found a lamp on the street which needs a new receptacle. We are going to do that too. Female: The world is going to see that lamp? Eric: You do not have to like the lamp, it is a good example. It is a good example of how to recycle instead of throwing stuff out, you can fix it and then maybe someone else will want generally. Female: Is this plugged in? Eric: No! No! You have to make sure it is unplugged. And you see here, right around the switch is-- Female: The washing machines on, and it is about to go into that washing machine mode. Eric: That is okay. So we are going to take these screws out, to get to our switch here. Female: You can do that. Eric: Maybe. Sometimes these screws are really in there. So, you take all the screws out. And sometimes, it is not obvious. Sometimes the screws are hidden underneath labels like this label here. Female: That middle label? Eric: This is a plastic label on a case and there might be a screw underneath here hiding to get case off. I do not think there is, in this case. All right, so all the screws are out. Female: They are in the inside. Eric: Now, when you pop this open, you have got to be careful because sometimes there is stuff in there that there are springs and stuff that might go flying. So try to find an obvious place to pop the case, like right there. Female: Here, this is a classic case of I told you so. Eric: Oh, I forgot to take some more screws out. We are going to fix the washer. We are going to figure out what is wrong with that washer. So, I forgot to take out some screws. There were screws on the back here. They are on the other side of the saw here. Okay now, perfect world this should pop out. My world looks good. Oh, there you go! Something went flying. You have got to be careful. This is the switch here. Female: That is what we are fixing it. Eric: That is what we are fixing. And this is a throttle, a speed setting which does not need to be fixed. And this is the power coming in. Female: Okay it never occurred to me-- Eric: It is easy to do. Female: What is going on with those wires? Eric: I do not know. It is a little tricky. I cannot really see how you get them out, is the question. Female: You are sure— Eric: Okay we have jeweler’s screw drivers. Female: Does everybody have those? Eric: Oh, everyone have got little screw drivers. I think these might have what is called stab locks. This is being held in here by a little spring tension, so you just press in here. Female: With your jeweler something? Eric: With your jeweler screwdriver, oh, I think that is exactly. I think I am going to have to break down and put on my-- Female: I get something to write about. Eric: I am looking at the new switch trying to figure out how that old switch works. Female: See the new switch. Okay what happened? Eric: I was trying