Milwaukee 5625 Router problem. Anyone besides me?

[tuck]

I like this router for power and quietness, but after limited and rather light use (I mostly cut HDU foam), the collet will not cinch the bits. I can tighten it down with the wrenches and pull the bit out with my fingers.

I'm just wondering if anyone else that has one of these routers on their Shopbot has experienced similar problems and what course of action you followed. I purchased the router last year on line and can't find my receipt. Thanks.

[paco]

With more than one bit; did you checked with more than one?

Do you have the problem with both 1/4" and 1/2" diameter shank? If not, you might want to swap collet nut to sort out the problem... it may be the nut... investigated.

Precisely measure the bit shank diameter.

Make sure collet shank threads and collet nut are surgically clean and in good shape. Check the collet shank taper while at it.

Do you have a spare collet to test?

[waynelocke]

I don't know if this an endemisc problem or not, but I have suffered it.

The Milwaukee is a really great router with great collets...but...

In my case the collet assembly loosened on the shaft and prevented the collet from tigtening. The collet nut was tightening against the lower edge of the assembly and not squeezing the collet. I could tighten the nut with all of my might to no avail.

I removed the collet nut and used an impact gun to tighten the assembly and I have not had any problems since. Whether there is a design flaw or these things just didn't get tightened during assembly, I don't know.

Wayne.

[paco]

My motor is currently dismounted and after servicing both the brushes and the bearings, I can only dream more the day I'll get a spindle...

I do still think that the MK 5625 is better than the PC 7518 but it's not like a middle ground between a hand help router motor and a spindle. Some parts of the MK 5625 are made from plastic of a very soft kind (where critical screws thread in) and the bearing is of the cheap grade sealed kind. Twice I got cheap bearing replacement from MK out of three times so I decided to get the right one on my own.

Wayne, maybe you got a tinner bearing in your motor... the collet shank squeeze the lower bearing with the armature shaft assembly; maybe it was "loose" (still locked with loctite but not bolted completely)...

I will post complete detail about the bearing replacement my blog (http://pacosarea.blogspot.com/) soon; after reassembly with the MK provided bearing, I had play in the new bearing so I just ordered today a high quality shield bearing today...

[tuck]

Paco, yes I checked it with multiple bits both 1/4" & 1/2" shanks,...same problem. And yes, please post in your blog about the bearing replacements.

Wayne, that sounds like my problem EXACTLY. I don't have an impact wrench, but where there is a will there is a way. Thanks much for the tip and I'll give it a try. :-)