Find the fault.
Fix the tool.
A plain-spoken power tool repair reference: the symptom, the likely cause, how to confirm it, and whether the tool is worth fixing. Properly researched and honestly sourced — every entry lists where its information comes from.
Latest Fault Entries
- Kärcher K3
Pressure washer runs and sprays water normally, but no detergent comes through even with a full bottle fitted
Detergent only draws in low-pressure mode, and the tiny suction filter and hose feeding it from the bottle clog or kink easily — the machine is often not faulty, just set wrong or blocked at the pickup
Pumps & Pressure 2026-09-29 - Axminster AP2920B
Bandsaw blades keep snapping or breaking, sometimes within minutes of fitting a new one
Axminster's own troubleshooting guide for this bandsaw names three causes for blade breakage: insufficient blade tension, misaligned blade guides, and feeding timber through too quickly — all setup issues, not a fault with the machine itself
Blades & Alignment 2026-09-29 - Kärcher K7
Pressure washer won't switch on at all, or starts and runs for a while before stopping and refusing to restart
Usually not a fault: the motor's built-in overload breaker has tripped from a long hard run and needs an hour to cool, or the supply reaching the machine (extension lead, weak socket, wrong voltage) is too weak to start it. A damaged mains cable is the one version of this that needs attention rather than a wait
Pumps & Pressure 2026-09-28 - DeWalt DW733
Thicknesser cuts out mid-job and the switch won't restart the motor until you find and press a reset button
The built-in motor-overload circuit breaker in the On/Off switch has tripped — usually from taking too heavy a cut, feeding too fast, or starting the cut with the workpiece already touching the cutterhead — and is protecting the motor rather than failing
Motor & Drive 2026-09-28 - Record Power Envoy
The turning tool suddenly digs into the spinning workpiece or gets grabbed by it, rather than cutting smoothly
Record Power's own manual names four specific causes, and none of them is a fault with the lathe itself: a blunt tool, the tool rest set too low, the tool rest too far back from the timber, or the wrong tool for the cut being attempted
Blades & Alignment 2026-09-28 - Record Power DML250
The DML250 mini lathe vibrates or shakes noticeably while turning, rather than running smoothly
Record Power's own troubleshooting table names five distinct causes for lathe vibration, from a simple out-of-balance workpiece to worn spindle bearings — not one single fault
Mechanical & Motion 2026-09-22 - Axminster AP340PD
The drill bit visibly wobbles or runs noticeably out of true while spinning, instead of turning dead straight
Axminster's own troubleshooting table for this pillar drill names four distinct causes for run-out or wobble: a bent drill bit, the bit not properly seated in the chuck, the chuck not properly seated on the spindle, and worn spindle bearings — only the last of those needs a replacement part
Chucks & Fittings 2026-09-22 - Record Power CL4
The lathe stops mid-turn and the main spindle bearing is locked solid, with no give when turned by hand
The main spindle bearing has seized inside its race — wear, contamination or age — rather than a fault in the motor or drive belt
Mechanical & Motion 2026-09-21 - Makita DGA408
The grinder stops suddenly mid-cut with no warning, and pulling the switch trigger again does nothing
The tool/battery protection system has tripped — overload, overheating or a near-empty battery — rather than a fault in the grinder itself; in some cases repeated tripping locks the tool until the battery is recharged
Batteries & Charging 2026-09-21