Using my Dremel without the motor brushes

[oskanaan]

Hi,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this, but my Dremel 4000 motor brushes ran out and I am waiting for a new pair to be delivered to me. In the meanwhile, can I still use the Dremel tool without the brushes until the new ones arrive?

Thanks

[WillAdams]

I don’t see how that can be made to work. It’s an electro-magnetic motor arrangement. You need the brushes for the contact to provide the current which makes the motor turn.

Where are you?

[mikenmel08]

Short answer is No

[oskanaan]

I don’t see how that can be made to work. It’s an electro-magnetic motor arrangement. You need the brushes for the contact to provide the current which makes the motor turn.

Where are you?

New Zealand , there was a holiday and the hardware store (Bunnings) didnt have those in stock so I had to place an order. Anyway, I've ordered a DW660 over Amazon and will keep the dremel as an emergency tool. I didnt know the importance of brushes as this is my first time using rotary tools. Thanks for your help!

[rtlflatt]

thats a property of any brushed motor not just rotary tools. its like driving a car with no gas..... not gonna work. brushless motors have the advantage of not have brushes that eventually need replacing. in addition to having more torque too i believe. pretty sure i read that somewhere before maybe somebody else able to confirm that?

[cvoinescu]

Isn't your mains 230 V? As far as I know, the DW660 is made only in a North American 120 V version. You'll need a hefty transformer for it.

[oskanaan]

Isn't your mains 230 V? As far as I know, the DW660 is made only in a North American 120 V version. You'll need a hefty transformer for it.

I was planning on buying one of those (around 67 USD) or a similar one over ebay/amazon, it can serve up to a 1KW. Do you think it will work with no issues or would you advise against using 120v equipment on 240v with a step down transformer? I can still return the dw660.

[cvoinescu]

That transformer should work. I can't think of any issues. In fact, on construction sites in the UK, all power tools are powered from 110 V transformers (for safety: the 110 V secondary is center-tapped and the tap grounded, so that there's only a relatively safe 55 V to ground on any wire -- but that's irrelevant).

[WillAdams]

Rather than trouble about a transformer and a DW660, why not get a trim router locally?

http://www.makita.co.nz/wheretobuy/

http://www.dewalt.co.nz/

[cowolter]

If you run a carbon brush motor on the metal springs, you'll destroy the commutator (part where the brushes contact the rotor.)
It's also a good idea to buy a spare set of brushes so you have a set on hand the NEXT time this happens - when you install them, order another set of spares - that way you never have to wait for delivery to get up and running again.