Mine ran 5 minutes. It had almost no grease in the gear head. If you buy one of these, be sure to grease the head before you run it. You can't buy the gears - so - what else to do but scrap it.
I dont have much need for a die grinder but I've run into the occasional situation where I sure wish I had one. I don't want to spend a lot of money but I definitely think I can justify buying one of these now that I see how it's built. Seems like harbor freight has a consistent problem with not lubricating moving parts.
I bought two of these. One had what I suspect was soft gears, ran 5 minutes as I said below and is not rebuildable. The gear on the armature is destroyed but the other gear has no damage at all. The second grinder would stop running every time you touched it to a work surface (it had no torque). On a positive note, the reason I bought it was that a friend has one that he swears by. He demonstrated that he couldn't stall it by pressing hard against a wooden surface with a sanding disc. He has had it for a few years and said it was one of the best air tools he has ever bought. So - apparently something has changed. Perhaps the manufacturer is using cheaper materials or skipping heat treatments or something. Or perhaps it is a crap shoot and some of them work well. I don't enjoy writing bad reviews but after two duds I'm not convinced this is a good product.
@@lunarvvolf9606 Will do. I haven't had a need for one again but I'm probably gonna give it another try. This time I'll know about the locktite and grease. The one I destroyed had almost no grease in it.
I'm confused about the thing you threaded in with the screwdriver in the center of that is like a screw what does that do I just bought mine and it's loose should it be tightened down snug or what is the procedure
The main gear, the part that’s internal of the handling part, I have no idea what’s it called, mine won’t spin or turn, feels like it’s locked up the gears are not chipped, just the main spinning thingy wont move
Though it's true these are a very basic construction and rebuildible, but.....if the seals inside are defective, you can't buy them. Orings maybe, but I doubt the diaphragm is shot, good luck finding another one. Also I hear it's got a leak. Was that where you didn't put any thread tape? It is weird it wouldn't spin, unless it was frozen due to lack of grease. It is a shame u can't just buy kits to rebuild them. They are made really well and ashame that throwing them away is an answer at all. But for 15 bucks, most people feel like, why go to the trouble. As long as you oil and grease them, there's no reason to trash them. I just gave 80 bucks for an Ingersoll Rand 2 inch. And I'd be damned if I'd throw it away due to some seal failure. They better have a reasonably priced kit to repair it. Thanks 👍
When I plug mine in the head starts to spin. It’s a super low rpm I can stop it with my fingers and see the details on the sanding paper it’s so slow. How do I get it to stop doing that. It should be off all together when I let off the throttle.
It sounds like you've got an air bleed somewhere . It should stop altogether. I would take it apart and check all the seals for cracks etc... It's a cheap grinder so in the end it might be more profitable to just get a newer one preferably of higher quality. Also I think there is an adjustment screw or nut somewhere on it (haven't used mine in months) so you might play with that.
Open it up clean it up real good. Lube it also as best as you can. And It will feel like a new tool! While at it, if any O-rings look suspicious just get news ones. One other thing slightly more time consuming but most times worth the difference. Deburr and polish mating surfaces! ;-) Now that's entering "hot rod" field of action. LOL :-O But trust me on this you're entering very expensive tools area! Yes, it might be polishing a turd. But more often than not it will perform as the top models! And it's just time...
If the gears are toast then it's time to buy a new one. The gears are pretty tough on these things so it's usually a matter of some tension adjustment. I haven't seen a grinder with torn up gears but that's not to say that some don't exist.
Take a look at the video demonstrating clean and strip pads polishing away rust and auto body paint from a car hood. th-cam.com/video/d6XnIg1yECQ/w-d-xo.html
All very relative! It really depends on how "Chinese" it is in the first place! There's rather decent Chinese tools. I have several that have been on service for decades now! No complains at all. If you're a professional where any down time is critical. Yes, spend your money on good and tested professional level equipment. At work, an assortment of Wurth, Hilti and Bosch (professional) tend to be the usual choice! But for most hobby & DIY "stuff" the Chinese tools are my pick every time! ;-)
I'm going to try this tomorrow! Thank you bud! I seriously was about to purchase a new one until I figured it out
Mine ran 5 minutes. It had almost no grease in the gear head. If you buy one of these, be sure to grease the head before you run it. You can't buy the gears - so - what else to do but scrap it.
Awesome video. I was able to get mine fixed!
Great help and good commentary.
I dont have much need for a die grinder but I've run into the occasional situation where I sure wish I had one. I don't want to spend a lot of money but I definitely think I can justify buying one of these now that I see how it's built. Seems like harbor freight has a consistent problem with not lubricating moving parts.
Thanks. I just brought 2 back.
I bought two of these. One had what I suspect was soft gears, ran 5 minutes as I said below and is not rebuildable. The gear on the armature is destroyed but the other gear has no damage at all. The second grinder would stop running every time you touched it to a work surface (it had no torque). On a positive note, the reason I bought it was that a friend has one that he swears by. He demonstrated that he couldn't stall it by pressing hard against a wooden surface with a sanding disc. He has had it for a few years and said it was one of the best air tools he has ever bought. So - apparently something has changed. Perhaps the manufacturer is using cheaper materials or skipping heat treatments or something. Or perhaps it is a crap shoot and some of them work well. I don't enjoy writing bad reviews but after two duds I'm not convinced this is a good product.
@@lunarvvolf9606 Will do. I haven't had a need for one again but I'm probably gonna give it another try. This time I'll know about the locktite and grease. The one I destroyed had almost no grease in it.
I'm confused about the thing you threaded in with the screwdriver in the center of that is like a screw what does that do I just bought mine and it's loose should it be tightened down snug or what is the procedure
I have a Mac one I bought for 20$ from someone and I feel air coming out of top of the head, any ideas? its the AG14AH Angle head die grinder
Check the seals around the head. The only way to know for sure is a total breakdown.
The main gear, the part that’s internal of the handling part, I have no idea what’s it called, mine won’t spin or turn, feels like it’s locked up the gears are not chipped, just the main spinning thingy wont move
It needed lubricant, fml
I enjoyed the video. Are the spindle parts replaceable? If so, where can I get them?
I don’t think the spindle parts are available unless you have another one to part out lying around
@@jasonwilliams8321 Okay. I'm seeking to machine and remake the part that is broken. I'll let you know how it turned out.
Though it's true these are a very basic construction and rebuildible, but.....if the seals inside are defective, you can't buy them. Orings maybe, but I doubt the diaphragm is shot, good luck finding another one. Also I hear it's got a leak. Was that where you didn't put any thread tape?
It is weird it wouldn't spin, unless it was frozen due to lack of grease. It is a shame u can't just buy kits to rebuild them. They are made really well and ashame that throwing them away is an answer at all. But for 15 bucks, most people feel like, why go to the trouble. As long as you oil and grease them, there's no reason to trash them. I just gave 80 bucks for an Ingersoll Rand 2 inch. And I'd be damned if I'd throw it away due to some seal failure. They better have a reasonably priced kit to repair it.
Thanks 👍
When I plug mine in the head starts to spin. It’s a super low rpm I can stop it with my fingers and see the details on the sanding paper it’s so slow. How do I get it to stop doing that. It should be off all together when I let off the throttle.
It sounds like you've got an air bleed somewhere . It should stop altogether. I would take it apart and check all the seals for cracks etc... It's a cheap grinder so in the end it might be more profitable to just get a newer one preferably of higher quality. Also I think there is an adjustment screw or nut somewhere on it (haven't used mine in months) so you might play with that.
Open it up clean it up real good. Lube it also as best as you can. And It will feel like a new tool! While at it, if any O-rings look suspicious just get news ones.
One other thing slightly more time consuming but most times worth the difference. Deburr and polish mating surfaces! ;-) Now that's entering "hot rod" field of action. LOL :-O But trust me on this you're entering very expensive tools area!
Yes, it might be polishing a turd. But more often than not it will perform as the top models! And it's just time...
What about the gear replacement?
If the gears are toast then it's time to buy a new one. The gears are pretty tough on these things so it's usually a matter of some tension adjustment. I haven't seen a grinder with torn up gears but that's not to say that some don't exist.
@@jasonwilliams8321 you didn't adjust yours properly.
@@burtreynolds3143 would you care to share this information?
This thing sheered all the gears in the first 10min of use. Harbor freight garbage..
Take a look at the video demonstrating clean and strip pads polishing away rust and auto body paint from a car hood. th-cam.com/video/d6XnIg1yECQ/w-d-xo.html
For $14 I’ll throw it away every day and never buy harbor freight junk again
Buy American or buy Chinese and spend twice the amount trying to fix it
All very relative! It really depends on how "Chinese" it is in the first place! There's rather decent Chinese tools. I have several that have been on service for decades now! No complains at all.
If you're a professional where any down time is critical. Yes, spend your money on good and tested professional level equipment. At work, an assortment of Wurth, Hilti and Bosch (professional) tend to be the usual choice!
But for most hobby & DIY "stuff" the Chinese tools are my pick every time! ;-)
Good luck finding an American based company that makes anything anymore.
Video is hard to watch because sound is so low!