When to replace brushes in polishers?

[ClearlyCoated]

Still relatively new to the detailing game and having gathered a small collection of dual action and rotary polishers, most of them with access ports to replace the brushes, how do you know when it's time to replace the brushes?

Are there telltale signs like motor whine, rattling ball-bearings. a burning smell? Or is it more just by intuition? If you check the brushes periodically, how many hours do you let your polisher clock before checking?

Thanks in advance.

[kimchiyuk]

You can remove the brushes and check them visually. They get shorter as they wear. If they are close to the wire they are connected to, replace them. If they wear completely, the electric motor will not work. Some brushes even have wear/replacement indicators.

[ClearlyCoated]

You can remove the brushes and check them visually. They get shorter as they wear. If they are close to the wire they are connected to, replace them. If they wear completely, the electric motor will not work. Some brushes even have wear/replacement indicators.

Thanks kimchiyuk!
I understand what you're saying, but I want to know when, why, or how often do you check the brushes? What signs does the device give you that would cause you to check the brushes for wear? Is it a sound, an odor? Do you have a routine where you check the brushes in your polisher after a certain amount of use or time?

[kimchiyuk]

Thanks kimchiyuk!
I understand what you're saying, but I want to know when, why, or how often do you check the brushes? What signs does the device give you that would cause you to check the brushes for wear? Is it a sound, an odor? Do you have a routine where you check the brushes in your polisher after a certain amount of use or time?

Well, with brushes, they usually either work or they don't. Their performance doesn't really diminish until it's too late. As far as when to check them? Brushes can last hundreds of hours. Depends how often you use your device, I am assuming your talking about a polisher here? If you are just a hobby detailer...i.e. Your own car, friends etc...you may never need to replace them! As for someone who uses it daily, they would probably have some sort of maintenance schedule/routine more often.

[Michael Stoops]

Brushes are a wear item not unlike the brake pads on your car. As your brake pads wear down you can begin to notice a decrease in braking performance or, most likely, the wear indicators will begin to squeak at you (or flash a light on the dash in newer cars) and let you know that it's time for service/replacement.

As the brushes in an electric motor wear down the motor will begin to function erratically or, more often than not, just shut down altogether. There's usually no real warning. Brush replacement is generally a simple and inexpensive process, although a cleaning of the commutator when replacing brushes is a good idea for overall tool health. With a typical buffer, either rotary or D/A, you should be able to get several hundred hours of life under routine use.

[jarred767]

I know that this is a crazy old thread, but I figured it better to bring up one that was already in existence than create another similar thread.

So, I have a G110v2 that I got about a year and a half ago. Not sure how many hours have been put on the machine as I detail full-time, but probably at least a few hundred. I've had Porter Cable's die in the past, and didn't know about the brushes, and this was probably why they died. I wan't to stay on top of this tool as it has been great for me, but I can't seem to figure out where the replacement brushes are anymore that came with it. Can I order some from Meguiars, or would I be able to pick some up locally?

Also, I kind of feel like the machine might be losing a little power and I'm wondering if other maintenance, besides the brush replacement, should be done on the tool to ensure the most life out of it? I could be imagining the loss of power, but it seems like when I put pressure on the machine at speed 5 it will stop rotating somewhat simply (this was definitely not the case brand new). Thanks in advance for any help that anyone can offer.

[jfelbab]

I routinely drop my PC off at my buddies ACE hardware for routine maintenance. Ace is an authorized repair center for Porter-Cable, BTW. They take it apart, inspect it, relube and replace brushes and power cords as needed. The PC is a Meguiar's G100 (Porter-Cable 7336) purchased in March of 1995. This PC has seen several hundred cars over the course of 17 years. I suspect most ACE stores are equipped to service these kinds of tools.