I am a retired (10 years ago) Maintenance Technician and just bought a 40V Ryobi Pole Saw. While searching on TH-cam for practical information on the pole saw I came across this video. Very informative and brought me back to the old days when I really needed to dig deep into equipment to determine why a piece of equipment failed. Watching your video made me realize how much I enjoyed pulling things apart to find out what made them work or not work. Trust me, years from now when you have a lot more income and it's easier to just replace broken power tools, think back to this video. You are very mechanically talented. I really enjoyed this video. I was as surprised as you when you discovered the the hidden fuse. I suspect, Ryobi cared only about protecting that battery and didn't care if most consumers thought that the tool needed replacements.
Mine stopped working but Home Depot wanted to charge me $33 just to look at it and then I'd have to pay to fix it. I ended up buying another one but the old one I'll see if I can take it to the lawnmower shop and see if they can fix it. If not... I'm out of $100 ...
For anyone replacing this fuse when you do cut and replace the wire with one longer that you can connect to the motor but put your new in-line fuse near the motor so you don't have to remove the lower half again.
Sir, you got to be careful since overloading a motor could lead also to overloading the battery and you could damage the battery to the point it could blow. Me, as an electric engineer myself would recommend you to search for that fuse and replace it. You could modify it a little to be within the top cavity so it is easier in the future to replace in case it blows again, but certainly you should not leave it without that protection.
100% .....'Slow Blow Fuse' or most likely a 'Thermal Fuse'. ....Overheated the Motor . Lol, prolly why his Multimeter doesn't work which he should have been using in the first place....B+ for efforts though.
Thanks for making this video!! helped alot, first off its a 30Amp fuse. I used 30 amp automotive fuse. worked great! if you don't feel like replacing fuse, just change top part of tool. use part number from below link to find at other sites on net. BUT you you are cheap like me, i took long threaded rod, and worked it down to bottom of handle and used rubber mallet and hammer the end out. do NOT drill out pop rivets, doesn't work. plastic piece just pops out of end, there is key on wide notch at connector end. the middle will pop out if you knock it out. has just plastic tabs holding it in. refer to video to see wiring assembly removed. very glad I had this video the see how things go back together. soldier longer wire back were you remove fuse about 6" long and then soldier fuse near end of tube at motor end. I fixed 2 pole saws. both have been running great for about 2 months. thanks again!!!
Thank you!!! I bet this is a common failure for this saw. Ryobi---redesign this! I own this saw and I thank you for taking your time to share this video.
Thank you very much for your interest in taking up this project and sharing it. My corded Ryobi 8" pole chainsaw needed a chain replacement and after chain replacement it worked as usual. I found that the oil seal rubber gasket is torn in a small portion and oil leaks. I have to replace the gasket for normal use. Prior to that I need to keep adding oil to keep the chain lubricated. However, out of my curiosity, I have been looking for a video to see what is inside of it, i.e., a complete disassemble video. I found your video - exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for your service to this DIY community.
Can't thank you enough for locating those two screws under the damn sticker! Little things like that are what save stress and tool damage.... Great video and needed when my two electrodes became detached from the motor.....
At 3:46, the retainer clip does not need to be removed. The motor assembly will stay with the upper housing, no problem. At 9:47, the pop rivets do not need to be removed. Once the wires are disconnected from the motor, the plug at the screw end can be pushed out. Use a 1/4 in dowel to push from the other end. Be sure to mark the position and insert it the way it cam out, or the polarity will be reversed (with a permanent marker, put an arrow on the end of the connector which points toward the wider notch). The entire power pole section can be replaced for about $12 (plus shipping) from online suppliers.
Very neat video.Thks for the break down and explaining what the parts do. This is my first pole saw & I luv how easy it is to adjust the chain. tensioner.
Helpful vid! Just bought mine today & haven’t used it yet. I like to watch vids on products that might have an issue, so I know what to do the 1st time out. (Nov 21 -2020) Hopefully this helps some buying Ryobi products: (Below) Ryobi customer service & warranty (3yrs) dept is great. I have muti of tools (lawn & garden to work / Carpenter power tools) & had to make a claim. Within 4 day after my call to warranty dept., got my new 40V charger in the mail! (No returns - just, it’s in the mail!)
Luckily I just need to replace just the pole assembly and I needed to know how to get to the power attachment. Thank you for making this an easy fix and letting me know what tools to use to get inside.
I really appreciated this video. I personally would have added a fuse holder at the outside of the pole under the casing near the motor. Perhaps research the potential replacement fuse and have a pop in fuse instead. Then only have to take the casing off, replace the fuse, test, put back together.
Wow!! Who'd a thunk they would put an inline fuse in the handle. I agree it's a terrible place for it. Deceptive. Cudo's to you for digging in DEEP and sharing this info with us!!! Subbed!!!
what in the actual f???? a fuse I have to drill through rivets to replace? I'm in the same situation with my saw not starting, and I have always kept it oiled. I bet it's a blown fuse too. Unbelievably lame. Thank you so much for this video man!
Follow up from me. I opened my broken one, made in 2016, up today and there was no fuse inline inside the portion where you found one. It's possible there's one inside the handle side (didn't have a multimeter to test with), but my hunch is that the fuse was a revision of the design sometime after mine was made. Mine also has phillips head screws rather than torx FWIW. I'd love to think that there is an even newer revision with a user accessible fuse, but I'll have to think hard on if I want to replace it with the same tool...
Good troubleshooting. The reason why fuse blown is because when the cutting is stuck (motor stopped), you will need to immediately untangle the wood you are cutting and the saw tooth. Most of the time the saw is stuck when the halfway cutting wood jamming the saw. When jammed, keep holding the power trigger will cause current overload. So you can tell Ryobi knows the issue, but instead of using an intelligent design (like at a buzzer to warn user, and a bridge diode to open the circuit), they just add an inline fuse. You think how many people trash the whole thing because of a hidden blown fuse?
I am highly impressed with your investigation. Ryobi is certainly a brand that offers a lot of value, decent performance, a huge line up, and generally fairly priced. But sometime you have to wonder what the heck they were thinking, putting a fuse in this hidden, hard to get place like that. Hiding screws under a label ? Choosing to use a rivet to seal access to inner tube ? Really? It sure looks like they want you to replace the whole tool with a new one All this for a 1$ part ? Shame on you, Ryobi !
Great stuff, can't believe the way this was designed. Why in the world didn't Ryobi design a way to access the fuse and change it out?? You have a real talent for fixing mechanical devises. I was a Jet mechanic in the USAF and appreciate folks who can figure stuff out. Our motto was and remains" If it's in the air, we put it there".
I'm an IT guy and a lot of "IT" guys actually suck at troubleshooting. You -- are a natural. Well done. And since my dad has one of these, I'll be able to pass your fix along. And as a side question .. I'm looking at possibly getting a DeWalt Pole Saw and a number of users have complained the saw suddenly quits and thay can't figure out why (nor get it to work). This makes me wonder if the issue you identified and remediated is a common issue on unrelated models. Fascinating. Great work.
Fuses are used to either protect the source (battery) or the load (motor). It's hard to believe Ryobi design engineers placed a fuse in the circuit for the hell of it. It's always best to play it safe and just replace the fuse.
The fuse was actually protecting the battery, if the motor is stuck when cutting, it essentially is short circuiting the battery (and motor). The location of the fuse however should be at an accessible port.
I love taking stuff to bits and fixing them. If I screw up, they're broken anyway, and you can always reuse some recycled parts. Nothing surprises me much, but 2 screws under the decals - classic. 🇬🇧
Without a fuse in the system, if there is a short in the motor, or an overload (the likely cause of this) the wires and motor will heat up and potentially start a fire or burn out the motor windings. The fuse is not there just to protect the tool, but also the operator. Also, without the fuse, the break-point in the case of overload will likely be the motor windings, not the feed-wiring. This makes a $50 part - the motor (assuming you can source it) the part that gets replaced, rather than a $1 fuse (or
fantastic! I just replaced motor and pump assembly, to no avail. now I will take apart again and replace fuse to see what happens. to think I was taking it to the trash.....but ran out of time and had to hit the road. thank you so much for posting this video.
The decal peels off. You might be able to reapply it. Also you don't need to remove the pin to get it open. Mine came open as soon as all the screws were out. Also didn't need anything to pry it open. Pretty easy!
I just recently bought a string trimmer /edger on FB market that has the same attachments and I'm wondering if this saw pole will fit on that as well? Since it is not an expand it. Please dona review or anyone has idea about it. Thanks great video bu the way!
SMH. I must admit that until today I've been a pretty ardent defender of Ryobi tools as good value. Putting a undocumented fuse in a non-user accessible location is pretty terrible. I guess I get to tear mine apart and replace the fuse. I definitely won't be rebuying this tool if I can't fix it with your guide. Anyone know if the fuse is marked with a rating and what it is if so?
thank you sir for your willingness to look further than the problem. i live in brisbane, australia. i am looking to buying a chain saw head for which i am told will fit my pole lopper. speaking to a lady at bunnings here and she has gone thru 3 heads, she said 'the heads died' maybe what you have found, she somehow overloaded the fuse while cutting. and nobody knew about the $10 fuse, thank you once again. if i bump into again at bunnings i will ask her about the heads and what did she do with them.
I got one of these about a year ago and it did quite well on two long 5" branches; my two complaints; the pole is wabbly at the joints, and the oil tank is quite small- check your oil often!
Milwaukee, Homelite and Ryobi are made by the same parent company (Techtronic Industries, TTI), wether they also share designs remains to be seen. The also make Hoover, Oreck, Dirt Devil, Hart as well.
This saved me - got mine fixed by removing fuse! Pro-tip: I took a shortcut, instead of disassembling and messing w rivets, I took a grinder and notched a channel in pole (near lower icon of the 5 colored warning symbols) to expose the fuse then I cut out fuse, connected the remaining wire ends - no splicing or soldering! - and elec tape it up then elec tape around my channel in the pole. Bingo bango…
I hope no one does this... You should have at least reinforced that section of the pole, now that you've compromised its structural integrity. It will not hold up nearly as long as it could have.
The fuse could be attached right before the motor. That way it’d be easily accessible and could be changed. You really should put the fuse back because you can cause serious damage if it overloads again w no fuse. Just my opinion of course
You can just peel the label out and put back. Be careful putting the guide dowels together and not pinch the red or black wire. Jus saying I pinched the red but it good. I did find a tiny rectangle rubber band. I don’t know where it came from.
There was this small thing called a global pandemic and lockdowns at the time of making this video.. I chose to use what I had available at the time. While it wasn't as fancy as a tester it still worked to demonstrate what was faulty with this tool.
Just had this happen today. My question is what capacity battery were you using when the fuse blew. I seems to ship with a tiny 1.8 Ah battery, I was using a 4.0 Ah battery for longer runtime. If the fuse was 3.0 Ah may be more apt to blow? However any battery can surge higher than rating so maybe a moot point. Now my idea, Is there a micro circuit breaker that can be added to the shaft that held the fuse (drill, mod, add)?
He certainly has an aversion to LUBRICANTS too. That gearbox won't last long now that he's cleaned all the grease off, and reassembled it bone dry. The user manual says "Use high temperature and high velocity compound grease in the gearbox". PS: Total bullshit on the story that all the oil drained out when he hung it. ROFL.
hey u skipped past the part where the previously riveted electronic connector was put back into place, after you removed the fuse and lengthened the wires to attach to motor. Im not talking about the motor end part, Im asking about the tube part that holds the other length of tube together with the electronic connector inside (that originally had the rivets in it that you drilled out). I want to know how you secured the electric connector that previously was riveted.
That electrical connecter you're referring to just pushes and it pops back into place. If you look at 10:28 when I remove it you can see it has a locking tab. Then at 17:33 you can see my different approach to riveting the gray collar back on that goes overtop that electrical connector. I'm probably making that sound more confusing than it really is but hopefully that helps.
@@WeakestofWeeks Crap looked at mine and its different than yours...The location where the power cord connects to the unit is like a black cup. I guess to protect your hand from touching it it pulls out some...Pole part is different as well..it was raining so I didnt get to write the model number down yet..But symptoms are same..no power at all I think this is the same model www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-8-in-6-Amp-Pole-Saw-RY43160A/203159669
Agree. Shame on you Ryobi. A good ploy to increase sales of (pricey) spares just because of a blown, cheap little fuse!. A responsible company would make that fuse readily accessible. Thanks for putting this out there. You potentially saved a lot of cash for people with a failed unit. Maybe a wise thing to ask a qualified electrician to do the repair if you lack the nous to do it yourself. I took delivery of mine today here in the UK and I'll remember your video if anything like this happens to mine. Great video, well presented.
Got one of these and myn leaks oil shit is annoying idk what to do I’m over using it sense when I put it away any left over oil in that’s lefts leaks out and drains out
I have a corded version from 2016 which still works fine with thankfully no issues with the motor. . My only problem, however, is with the chain which has a tendency to come off during use.
That is insane that Ryobi did that. Ryobi makes money the repair if you take it to them. I have the same one. No issues yet. Fuse is a ceramic style fuse. Still WOW.
These days it is a throw away society. That is why there are people that will take "broken" items thrown out, and repair them. With a little time and effort you have a functioning tool again and you have an understanding of how it functions internally. Side note: I cringed at the "lockdown" comment. All of that nonsense caused irreparable damage to the new generation of children as well as many adults. Never forget.
Thanks for the informative video-I own 2 of these in 40V (same cutting end, slightly different battery & switch section). I was totally unaware of this hidden fuse, and I can't think of a dumber or more inefficient place for a fuse, unless Ryobi's intention was to force consumers to constantly replace their pole saws for what should have been a minor issue. I believe that approach is called planned obsolescence (but at the risk of excessive in-warranty claims). Your rivet idea has a defect that you might not be aware of unless you occasionally add an additional (optional) pole section for further length: there's a lot of stress with a longer pole tending to bend, and the place it shows up is just above the old rivets, above the plastic piece that holds things together. I've had to replace the entire section because of such repetitive bending, although you might get lucky because the top section isn't where the most bending occurs. And one last suggestion: get a VOM meter--it'll be so helpful in determining if there is a continuity issue, and perhaps help more easily identify where it is.
This is NOT planned obsolescence... It's a fuse, a safety device that protects the motor, and there really isn't a better place for it if you look at how the motor housing is designed. Most people wouldn't disassemble it at all, so it wouldn't matter where it was located. I'm willing to bet that Ryobi technical support, or even reading the owners manual, would tell you that the fuse is there. It protects the motor from excessive current draw, like from a chain that isn't properly lubricated and is probably binding, and extends usable life of the tool.
@@JV-io3nn Fuses are great, and I have often replaced them in my equipment. But putting them where they're hard or impossible to access is a VERY poor design element.
@@richardefriend Honestly, it doesn't look like they had a better place for one on this tool. It's easy to say that it should have been up in the head of the unit, by the motor, but there really isn't much space for one without modifying the unit. Even if they had, it still wouldn't change the fact that the vast majority of their customers wouldn't take the time to diagnose the issue.
I went to use my B&D pole saw & it'd stop after 6 or 7 seconds...even w/out touching a branch - oiled & loosened the chain - all that's left is the email to them lol
that little fuse may have prevented the battery from bursting into flames in your hand. do you really think they put it there to sabotage you? They would have used thinner wire and have it burn up if that would have been the idea.
I'm not contesting the point of the fuse. Merely the location of it making it non-serviceable. How people fix there tools is entirely up to them but the point of the video it to show if the tool randomly stopped and is no longer functioning - it very well could be this hidden fuse.
I just bought a Ryobi 10inch 40v pole saw with the larger battery for $219.00. The regular 40v battery is $119.00 but I felt the bigger battery was worth it. Never had or used a chainsaw in my life. Usually used a bow saw. Didn't realize you HAVE TO TIGHTEN THE CHAIN BEFORE YOU USE IT. I cut 4 1/2" branches off a main branch before the chain came loose. Spent 4 hours trying to reattach chain and get saw to work. Motor would try to turn but chain stuck. Took saw apart numerous times to resett chain and get it to move on chain bar. No dice. Still dead. Remember to ALWAYS REMOVE BATTERY BEFORE TOUCHING CHAIN!!! or you risk accidentally hitting switches on your lap and starting motor and possibly cutting yourself. I always make sure any electrical appliance is fully disconnected from its power source or circuit breakers off before any exploration of the device. I realized the chain was binding on the bar. At first I thought the bar had gotten pinched when the chain was thrown. After numerous hours assembling & disassembling I decided to try just moving the chain around the bar away from the motor. WALLAH!!! One of the teeth base on the chain was bent just enough to get wedged in the bar Grove preventing movement. I have to get another chain and find my Dremel Tool to grind down the bent base. I notices doing this will not weaken the chain since it is only 1/16th of an inch to be ground. What a cheap piece of crap the chain is to bend that easily with 2 minutes of use. Ryobi could have made the bar and chain an 1/8th to 1/4" wider for more stability and strength. I don't think the power would be affected for cutting. REMEMBER TO ADJUST YOUR CHAIN TIGHTNESS BEFORE USING & HAVE A SPARE CHAIN. The chains are cheap enough. Maybe that's why they are because they are known to fail. But it wouldn't be a major cost to make a wider BAR & CHAIN. THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE TO MAKE THE MOTOR WHEEL FOR THE CHAIN AND THE COVER WIDER FOR THE EXTRA WIDTH. A PROBABLE $2.00-$5.00 FIX. Maybe just a Thicker Washer added to raise the cover the required width. and a wider wheel. Otherwise I like Ryobi tools. I have a 40v WEED WACKER TRIMER that works fine.
Lol Ryobi does that in a lot of their tools due to fire safety. A sawzall caught fire due to the fact that it had no CI in it. I don't know who owned it though😙🎶
The first one I had failed in the first 3 months and Home Depot gave me a brand new replacement. Now it is out of warranty and the pole saw failed today. Today took mine apart before finding the same issue with the fuse location. What is with Ryobi's brain thinking? Do they want their tools to get a bad reliability rap sheet, or wish someone to buy a new one - which will probably be a different brand; or are they trying to make money on service repairs. Whatever it is, there should be a complaint to whatever government dept for a recall of them all to have the fuse location moved to an easy access position for replacing. This is bullshit.
That has to be intentional because the rivets make it so it osnt intended to be replaced i bet that os what os wrong with my pole saw but i also had a dust buster just stop working and have had other tools in past do the sake i wonder how many of the tools had something like that in them. Most people probably assime since ryobi isnt as expensive as some other brands that the tool just died for being a cheaper tool and just go buy another or maybe when more expensive tool. It is pretty much a home depot brand so they benefit either way if you buy another or get a more expensive one.... Scams like this seem to be the norm now adays in a country thats government is supposed to protect its citizens from things like this but instead they do more to protect the corporations and give tax cuts as a reward to the greed.
I am a retired (10 years ago) Maintenance Technician and just bought a 40V Ryobi Pole Saw. While searching on TH-cam for practical information on the pole saw I came across this video. Very informative and brought me back to the old days when I really needed to dig deep into equipment to determine why a piece of equipment failed. Watching your video made me realize how much I enjoyed pulling things apart to find out what made them work or not work.
Trust me, years from now when you have a lot more income and it's easier to just replace broken power tools, think back to this video. You are very mechanically talented. I really enjoyed this video. I was as surprised as you when you discovered the the hidden fuse. I suspect, Ryobi cared only about protecting that battery and didn't care if most consumers thought that the tool needed replacements.
Mine stopped working but Home Depot wanted to charge me $33 just to look at it and then I'd have to pay to fix it. I ended up buying another one but the old one I'll see if I can take it to the lawnmower shop and see if they can fix it. If not... I'm out of $100 ...
For anyone replacing this fuse when you do cut and replace the wire with one longer that you can connect to the motor but put your new in-line fuse near the motor so you don't have to remove the lower half again.
I just ran across this video. I'd use an inline automotive fuse right next to the motor like you suggest.
Sir, you got to be careful since overloading a motor could lead also to overloading the battery and you could damage the battery to the point it could blow. Me, as an electric engineer myself would recommend you to search for that fuse and replace it. You could modify it a little to be within the top cavity so it is easier in the future to replace in case it blows again, but certainly you should not leave it without that protection.
I'm going to assume the batteries have a built in BMS to protect them since they're lithium. But yeah, I'd personally install another fuse to be safe.
The battery will just reset itself and you would simply reseat it. Odd thing of an EE to say unless you're long since retired.
I was thinking more along the lines of a stalled motor overheating and causing a fire. They didn't put that fuse there as a joke.
100% .....'Slow Blow Fuse' or most likely a 'Thermal Fuse'. ....Overheated the Motor . Lol, prolly why his Multimeter doesn't work which he should have been using in the first place....B+ for efforts though.
Ryobi batteries are smart because they can be used with old tools that are dum. The fuse is protection for the motor.
Thank you! Mine died today this was the first video, you saved me $100 thanks buddy!!!
Thanks for making this video!! helped alot, first off its a 30Amp fuse. I used 30 amp automotive fuse. worked great! if you don't feel like replacing fuse, just change top part of tool. use part number from below link to find at other sites on net. BUT you you are cheap like me, i took long threaded rod, and worked it down to bottom of handle and used rubber mallet and hammer the end out. do NOT drill out pop rivets, doesn't work. plastic piece just pops out of end, there is key on wide notch at connector end. the middle will pop out if you knock it out. has just plastic tabs holding it in. refer to video to see wiring assembly removed. very glad I had this video the see how things go back together. soldier longer wire back were you remove fuse about 6" long and then soldier fuse near end of tube at motor end. I fixed 2 pole saws. both have been running great for about 2 months. thanks again!!!
Thank you!!! I bet this is a common failure for this saw. Ryobi---redesign this! I own this saw and I thank you for taking your time to share this video.
Thank you very much for your interest in taking up this project and sharing it. My corded Ryobi 8" pole chainsaw needed a chain replacement and after chain replacement it worked as usual. I found that the oil seal rubber gasket is torn in a small portion and oil leaks. I have to replace the gasket for normal use. Prior to that I need to keep adding oil to keep the chain lubricated. However, out of my curiosity, I have been looking for a video to see what is inside of it, i.e., a complete disassemble video. I found your video - exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for your service to this DIY community.
Can't thank you enough for locating those two screws under the damn sticker! Little things like that are what save stress and tool damage.... Great video and needed when my two electrodes became detached from the motor.....
Got literally about 20 of these I was about to toss out and I'm certain now the fuse is the problem. Thank you.
I just wanted to jump in here and say thanks for this video. This fixed our pole saw 100%!
At 3:46, the retainer clip does not need to be removed. The motor assembly will stay with the upper housing, no problem.
At 9:47, the pop rivets do not need to be removed. Once the wires are disconnected from the motor, the plug at the screw end can be pushed out. Use a 1/4 in dowel to push from the other end.
Be sure to mark the position and insert it the way it cam out, or the polarity will be reversed (with a permanent marker, put an arrow on the end of the connector which points toward the wider notch).
The entire power pole section can be replaced for about $12 (plus shipping) from online suppliers.
Very neat video.Thks for the break down and explaining what the parts do. This is my first pole saw & I luv how easy it is to adjust the chain. tensioner.
I couldn't figure out that there were screws under that Ryobi label. Thanks for sharing this!
I just fixed mine after watching this video. Thank you! saved me money!
Just got a free ryobi tool not working. Had the same problem fixed it in an hour works great thanks.
Thanks for the work tearing it down, saved me the time and sweat. Great video
Such a good video my dude, I don't have a pole trimmer yet but this is good to know!
Helpful vid! Just bought mine today & haven’t used it yet. I like to watch vids on products that might have an issue, so I know what to do the 1st time out. (Nov 21 -2020)
Hopefully this helps some buying Ryobi products: (Below)
Ryobi customer service & warranty (3yrs) dept is great. I have muti of tools (lawn & garden to work / Carpenter power tools) & had to make a claim. Within 4 day after my call to warranty dept., got my new 40V charger in the mail! (No returns - just, it’s in the mail!)
You are absolutely amazing, thank you for your great job and video. Hats off to you.
Wow, fair play to you man! And shame on Ryobi for putting the fuse where nobody would be looking for it and just wasting money on a new tool.
Luckily I just need to replace just the pole assembly and I needed to know how to get to the power attachment. Thank you for making this an easy fix and letting me know what tools to use to get inside.
I really appreciated this video. I personally would have added a fuse holder at the outside of the pole under the casing near the motor. Perhaps research the potential replacement fuse and have a pop in fuse instead. Then only have to take the casing off, replace the fuse, test, put back together.
Wow!! Who'd a thunk they would put an inline fuse in the handle. I agree it's a terrible place for it. Deceptive.
Cudo's to you for digging in DEEP and sharing this info with us!!!
Subbed!!!
Years later and much appreciated.
Thanks so much! You saved me that $90 fuse!
what in the actual f???? a fuse I have to drill through rivets to replace? I'm in the same situation with my saw not starting, and I have always kept it oiled. I bet it's a blown fuse too. Unbelievably lame. Thank you so much for this video man!
Follow up from me. I opened my broken one, made in 2016, up today and there was no fuse inline inside the portion where you found one. It's possible there's one inside the handle side (didn't have a multimeter to test with), but my hunch is that the fuse was a revision of the design sometime after mine was made. Mine also has phillips head screws rather than torx FWIW. I'd love to think that there is an even newer revision with a user accessible fuse, but I'll have to think hard on if I want to replace it with the same tool...
Thank you very much for the video I fixed two of my poll saws which I thought were garbage thank you
Thanks had 2 broken , now fixed👌
Good troubleshooting. The reason why fuse blown is because when the cutting is stuck (motor stopped), you will need to immediately untangle the wood you are cutting and the saw tooth. Most of the time the saw is stuck when the halfway cutting wood jamming the saw. When jammed, keep holding the power trigger will cause current overload. So you can tell Ryobi knows the issue, but instead of using an intelligent design (like at a buzzer to warn user, and a bridge diode to open the circuit), they just add an inline fuse. You think how many people trash the whole thing because of a hidden blown fuse?
thanks! Ryobi should use auto fuse plugged somewhere. w/o fuse I think the battery would have its own over discharge protection.
I am highly impressed with your investigation.
Ryobi is certainly a brand that offers a lot of value, decent performance, a huge line up, and generally fairly priced.
But sometime you have to wonder what the heck they were thinking, putting a fuse in this hidden, hard to get place like that.
Hiding screws under a label ? Choosing to use a rivet to seal access to inner tube ? Really?
It sure looks like they want you to replace the whole tool with a new one
All this for a 1$ part ?
Shame on you, Ryobi !
Great stuff, can't believe the way this was designed. Why in the world didn't Ryobi design a way to access the fuse and change it out?? You have a real talent for fixing mechanical devises. I was a Jet mechanic in the USAF and appreciate folks who can figure stuff out. Our motto was and remains" If it's in the air, we put it there".
Thank you for the comment friend!
I'm an IT guy and a lot of "IT" guys actually suck at troubleshooting. You -- are a natural. Well done. And since my dad has one of these, I'll be able to pass your fix along.
And as a side question .. I'm looking at possibly getting a DeWalt Pole Saw and a number of users have complained the saw suddenly quits and thay can't figure out why (nor get it to work). This makes me wonder if the issue you identified and remediated is a common issue on unrelated models. Fascinating. Great work.
I appreciate the comments!
Excellent and informative mate
Oh my, are you God!! Thank you, THANK YOU!! Now I just gotta figure out what I did to my 10in Ryobi chainsaw.
Can't get to the fuse because I don't know how to put the rivets back in
@@breeness56 I just put a srew with a flat head and it worked
Great thanks, now I am going to fix mine :)
Fuses are used to either protect the source (battery) or the load (motor). It's hard to believe Ryobi design engineers placed a fuse in the circuit for the hell of it. It's always best to play it safe and just replace the fuse.
The fuse was actually protecting the battery, if the motor is stuck when cutting, it essentially is short circuiting the battery (and motor). The location of the fuse however should be at an accessible port.
Great repair job. I have 1 question.
The rivets you added. Was the shaft and adapter still in the same position as it was with the original 2 rivets?
I love taking stuff to bits and fixing them. If I screw up, they're broken anyway, and you can always reuse some recycled parts. Nothing surprises me much, but 2 screws under the decals - classic. 🇬🇧
Great Video! Thank you!
Without a fuse in the system, if there is a short in the motor, or an overload (the likely cause of this) the wires and motor will heat up and potentially start a fire or burn out the motor windings. The fuse is not there just to protect the tool, but also the operator. Also, without the fuse, the break-point in the case of overload will likely be the motor windings, not the feed-wiring. This makes a $50 part - the motor (assuming you can source it) the part that gets replaced, rather than a $1 fuse (or
He overloaded the motor by running it out of oil, not by trying to cut something too hard.
Great vid!
Great video. Thank you. Subbed.
fantastic! I just replaced motor and pump assembly, to no avail. now I will take apart again and replace fuse to see what happens. to think I was taking it to the trash.....but ran out of time and had to hit the road. thank you so much for posting this video.
Nice job!
The decal peels off. You might be able to reapply it. Also you don't need to remove the pin to get it open. Mine came open as soon as all the screws were out. Also didn't need anything to pry it open. Pretty easy!
watch out for a battery fire when you bypass the ceramic inline fuse, if the motor seizes or stalls again.
All good answers about the fuse......but you put the sprocket on backwards, the washer side of it should be 'out' to keep the chain on.
Love the video, nice. But 🤔why didn’t you move the fuse to another spot closer to the opening so you have an easier access to it ?
I just recently bought a string trimmer /edger on FB market that has the same attachments and I'm wondering if this saw pole will fit on that as well? Since it is not an expand it. Please dona review or anyone has idea about it. Thanks great video bu the way!
I also always strip the old stuff for spares for the new
Good stuff!
Very informative. No filler is a much appreciated relief. Putting a fuse in the shaft was a bit ridiculous. Thank you
SMH. I must admit that until today I've been a pretty ardent defender of Ryobi tools as good value. Putting a undocumented fuse in a non-user accessible location is pretty terrible. I guess I get to tear mine apart and replace the fuse. I definitely won't be rebuying this tool if I can't fix it with your guide. Anyone know if the fuse is marked with a rating and what it is if so?
thank you sir for your willingness to look further than the problem. i live in brisbane, australia. i am looking to buying a chain saw head for which i am told will fit my pole lopper. speaking to a lady at bunnings here and she has gone thru 3 heads, she said 'the heads died' maybe what you have found, she somehow overloaded the fuse while cutting. and nobody knew about the $10 fuse, thank you once again. if i bump into again at bunnings i will ask her about the heads and what did she do with them.
Im getting ready to buy this, but still contemplating on milwaukee which it cost too much. I hope ryobi is worth the money for diy.
I got one of these about a year ago and it did quite well on two long 5" branches; my two complaints; the pole is wabbly at the joints, and the oil tank is quite small- check your oil often!
Milwaukee, Homelite and Ryobi are made by the same parent company (Techtronic Industries, TTI), wether they also share designs remains to be seen. The also make Hoover, Oreck, Dirt Devil, Hart as well.
@@henrywolanski5339 ...also Ridgid power tools...
@@henrywolanski5339 also the orange Ridgid power tool line...
This saved me - got mine fixed by removing fuse! Pro-tip: I took a shortcut, instead of disassembling and messing w rivets, I took a grinder and notched a channel in pole (near lower icon of the 5 colored warning symbols) to expose the fuse then I cut out fuse, connected the remaining wire ends - no splicing or soldering! - and elec tape it up then elec tape around my channel in the pole. Bingo bango…
I hope no one does this... You should have at least reinforced that section of the pole, now that you've compromised its structural integrity. It will not hold up nearly as long as it could have.
The fuse could be attached right before the motor. That way it’d be easily accessible and could be changed. You really should put the fuse back because you can cause serious damage if it overloads again w no fuse. Just my opinion of course
You can just peel the label out and put back.
Be careful putting the guide dowels together and not pinch the red or black wire. Jus saying I pinched the red but it good. I did find a tiny rectangle rubber band. I don’t know where it came from.
Anyone have a link to what fuse it is so it can be replaced
Thank you
They have these things called continuity testers. You know, to quickly tell if wires or connections are broken. You might look into it.
There was this small thing called a global pandemic and lockdowns at the time of making this video.. I chose to use what I had available at the time. While it wasn't as fancy as a tester it still worked to demonstrate what was faulty with this tool.
Congratulations on figuring it out but your diagnosis would have gone much faster with a digital multimeter.
Just had this happen today. My question is what capacity battery were you using when the fuse blew. I seems to ship with a tiny 1.8 Ah battery, I was using a 4.0 Ah battery for longer runtime. If the fuse was 3.0 Ah may be more apt to blow? However any battery can surge higher than rating so maybe a moot point. Now my idea, Is there a micro circuit breaker that can be added to the shaft that held the fuse (drill, mod, add)?
You have zero understanding of battery, Amp hours, volts or anything about electric tools.
Stopped working after 3 uses, barely used; you bought it used so how many uses did it really have?
This design is insane... absolutely insane... I just had this same pole saw fuse blow on THE VERY first use...FFS
was the fuse at the middle section or bottom section ? you mention at the beginning you replaced the bottom and didn't make a difference
Great video , Do u happen to have current Amazon link ?
I just checked and looks like Amazon no longer sells the replacement part.
30amp/250 Fuse
NICE!
do you have some aversion to using a volt/om meter?
He certainly has an aversion to LUBRICANTS too.
That gearbox won't last long now that he's cleaned all the grease off, and reassembled it bone dry. The user manual says "Use high temperature and high velocity compound grease in the gearbox".
PS: Total bullshit on the story that all the oil drained out when he hung it. ROFL.
Very good trouble shooting
hey u skipped past the part where the previously riveted electronic connector was put back into place, after you removed the fuse and lengthened the wires to attach to motor. Im not talking about the motor end part, Im asking about the tube part that holds the other length of tube together with the electronic connector inside (that originally had the rivets in it that you drilled out). I want to know how you secured the electric connector that previously was riveted.
That electrical connecter you're referring to just pushes and it pops back into place. If you look at 10:28 when I remove it you can see it has a locking tab. Then at 17:33 you can see my different approach to riveting the gray collar back on that goes overtop that electrical connector. I'm probably making that sound more confusing than it really is but hopefully that helps.
@@WeakestofWeeks Crap looked at mine and its different than yours...The location where the power cord connects to the unit is like a black cup. I guess to protect your hand from touching it it pulls out some...Pole part is different as well..it was raining so I didnt get to write the model number down yet..But symptoms are same..no power at all
I think this is the same model www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-8-in-6-Amp-Pole-Saw-RY43160A/203159669
Agree. Shame on you Ryobi. A good ploy to increase sales of (pricey) spares just because of a blown, cheap little fuse!. A responsible company would make that fuse readily accessible. Thanks for putting this out there. You potentially saved a lot of cash for people with a failed unit. Maybe a wise thing to ask a qualified electrician to do the repair if you lack the nous to do it yourself. I took delivery of mine today here in the UK and I'll remember your video if anything like this happens to mine. Great video, well presented.
Just wondering if you had any problems with your saw! Battery exploding or motor smoking. I did the same thing with my saw.
Nope no issues but I do recommend replacing the fuse and placing in a more serviceable location
Wow, I like Ryobi, but an inaccessible fuse is ridiculous. I think I will pay the extra for the brushless Dewalt on this one.
That fuse really needs to be in a more accessible location. Like wtf.
We have this exact polesaw with this exact problem. This is crap. It's been used a couple of times and then quit.
Got one of these and myn leaks oil shit is annoying idk what to do I’m over using it sense when I put it away any left over oil in that’s lefts leaks out and drains out
I feel your struggles! I've stored my Ryobi polesaw in various ways and each time it leaks the oil out.
I have a corded version from 2016 which still works fine with thankfully no issues with the motor. . My only problem, however, is with the chain which has a tendency to come off during use.
Well, tighten the chain. If it's worn out then buy a new chain. It'll cost you, what, $10???
I need some help! Please. I have exact model but mine spins the opposite direction . Why?
Did you buy new? Im not even sure if polarity was flipped on the electric motor if it even would work.
@@WeakestofWeeks DC brush motors are polarity sensitive (they can run backwards) that is how drills work.
Bad place to install a fuse.
That is insane that Ryobi did that. Ryobi makes money the repair if you take it to them. I have the same one. No issues yet. Fuse is a ceramic style fuse. Still WOW.
These days it is a throw away society. That is why there are people that will take "broken" items thrown out, and repair them. With a little time and effort you have a functioning tool again and you have an understanding of how it functions internally. Side note: I cringed at the "lockdown" comment. All of that nonsense caused irreparable damage to the new generation of children as well as many adults. Never forget.
Thanks for the informative video-I own 2 of these in 40V (same cutting end, slightly different battery & switch section). I was totally unaware of this hidden fuse, and I can't think of a dumber or more inefficient place for a fuse, unless Ryobi's intention was to force consumers to constantly replace their pole saws for what should have been a minor issue. I believe that approach is called planned obsolescence (but at the risk of excessive in-warranty claims). Your rivet idea has a defect that you might not be aware of unless you occasionally add an additional (optional) pole section for further length: there's a lot of stress with a longer pole tending to bend, and the place it shows up is just above the old rivets, above the plastic piece that holds things together. I've had to replace the entire section because of such repetitive bending, although you might get lucky because the top section isn't where the most bending occurs. And one last suggestion: get a VOM meter--it'll be so helpful in determining if there is a continuity issue, and perhaps help more easily identify where it is.
This is NOT planned obsolescence... It's a fuse, a safety device that protects the motor, and there really isn't a better place for it if you look at how the motor housing is designed. Most people wouldn't disassemble it at all, so it wouldn't matter where it was located. I'm willing to bet that Ryobi technical support, or even reading the owners manual, would tell you that the fuse is there. It protects the motor from excessive current draw, like from a chain that isn't properly lubricated and is probably binding, and extends usable life of the tool.
@@JV-io3nn Fuses are great, and I have often replaced them in my equipment. But putting them where they're hard or impossible to access is a VERY poor design element.
@@richardefriend Honestly, it doesn't look like they had a better place for one on this tool. It's easy to say that it should have been up in the head of the unit, by the motor, but there really isn't much space for one without modifying the unit.
Even if they had, it still wouldn't change the fact that the vast majority of their customers wouldn't take the time to diagnose the issue.
I went to use my B&D pole saw & it'd stop after 6 or 7 seconds...even w/out touching a branch - oiled & loosened the chain - all that's left is the email to them lol
Never discard a fuse always replace it!this can burn the battery up in your hand .nice work though on complete tear down
that little fuse may have prevented the battery from bursting into flames in your hand. do you really think they put it there to sabotage you? They would have used thinner wire and have it burn up if that would have been the idea.
I'm not contesting the point of the fuse. Merely the location of it making it non-serviceable. How people fix there tools is entirely up to them but the point of the video it to show if the tool randomly stopped and is no longer functioning - it very well could be this hidden fuse.
Touches it with a screwdriver, instantly voids warranty. Lol joking.
Haha truth!
I just bought a Ryobi 10inch 40v pole saw with the larger battery for $219.00. The regular 40v battery is $119.00 but I felt the bigger battery was worth it.
Never had or used a chainsaw in my life. Usually used a bow saw.
Didn't realize you HAVE TO TIGHTEN THE CHAIN BEFORE YOU USE IT.
I cut 4 1/2" branches off a main branch before the chain came loose. Spent 4 hours trying to reattach chain and get saw to work. Motor would try to turn but chain stuck. Took saw apart numerous times to resett chain and get it to move on chain bar.
No dice. Still dead. Remember to ALWAYS REMOVE BATTERY BEFORE TOUCHING CHAIN!!! or you risk accidentally hitting switches on your lap and starting motor and possibly cutting yourself. I always make sure any electrical appliance is fully disconnected from its power source or circuit breakers off before any exploration of the device.
I realized the chain was binding on the bar. At first I thought the bar had gotten pinched when the chain was thrown.
After numerous hours assembling & disassembling I decided to try just moving the chain around the bar away from the motor. WALLAH!!!
One of the teeth base on the chain was bent just enough to get wedged in the bar Grove preventing movement. I have to get another chain and find my Dremel Tool to grind down the bent base. I notices doing this will not weaken the chain since it is only 1/16th of an inch to be ground. What a cheap piece of crap the chain is to bend that easily with 2 minutes of use.
Ryobi could have made the bar and chain an 1/8th to 1/4" wider for more stability and strength.
I don't think the power would be affected for cutting.
REMEMBER TO ADJUST YOUR CHAIN TIGHTNESS BEFORE USING & HAVE A SPARE CHAIN.
The chains are cheap enough.
Maybe that's why they are because they are known to fail.
But it wouldn't be a major cost to make a wider BAR & CHAIN.
THEY WOULD ONLY HAVE TO MAKE THE MOTOR WHEEL FOR THE CHAIN AND THE COVER WIDER FOR THE EXTRA WIDTH.
A PROBABLE $2.00-$5.00 FIX.
Maybe just a Thicker Washer added to raise the cover the required width. and a wider wheel.
Otherwise I like Ryobi tools.
I have a 40v WEED WACKER TRIMER that works fine.
If you have a trimmer you can also buy a circular blade and that works just as well as a chain saw for small branches.
Lol Ryobi does that in a lot of their tools due to fire safety. A sawzall caught fire due to the fact that it had no CI in it. I don't know who owned it though😙🎶
Obviously, Ryobi expects you to buy another one! Throw-away design for 99% of their customer base!
The first one I had failed in the first 3 months and Home Depot gave me a brand new replacement. Now it is out of warranty and the pole saw failed today. Today took mine apart before finding the same issue with the fuse location. What is with Ryobi's brain thinking? Do they want their tools to get a bad reliability rap sheet, or wish someone to buy a new one - which will probably be a different brand; or are they trying to make money on service repairs. Whatever it is, there should be a complaint to whatever government dept for a recall of them all to have the fuse location moved to an easy access position for replacing. This is bullshit.
Damn interesting
That has to be intentional because the rivets make it so it osnt intended to be replaced i bet that os what os wrong with my pole saw but i also had a dust buster just stop working and have had other tools in past do the sake i wonder how many of the tools had something like that in them. Most people probably assime since ryobi isnt as expensive as some other brands that the tool just died for being a cheaper tool and just go buy another or maybe when more expensive tool. It is pretty much a home depot brand so they benefit either way if you buy another or get a more expensive one.... Scams like this seem to be the norm now adays in a country thats government is supposed to protect its citizens from things like this but instead they do more to protect the corporations and give tax cuts as a reward to the greed.
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hell i replaced the front pole on mine and the saw runs backwards ??????
just flip the motor wires around , they are backwards
I don't need to be put to sleep by your hand movement.
Next time I'll save my hand movements for your face to keep you awake lol