My Ryobi electric splitter has locked up!

[wahoowad]

I've had this Ryobi electric splitter since 2006 and absolutely love it. It fits my style of splitting perfectly. Today I was splitting some creampuff maple and oak when the motor seemed to lock up out of nowhere. It was working perfectly for 15 or so splits, then would not move forward for the next splitting stroke.

The motor makes a noise like it isn't spinning and circuit breaker on the unit will trip if I hold it down more than a moment. Nothing seems bound up in the hydraulics, motor and wiring look fine. I'm using a heavy gauge 20' extension cord that I have always used.

I'm thinking either the engine has given up the ghost, the big capacitor it has in the control box is bad...or maybe a little melting snow sent a few drops of water into the motor? I did see some water dripping onto the exterior of the motor but not sure if it can get inside.

Man, I hope I can salvage my little buddy. It has been a workhorse.

 

[Jags]

Please clarify - is the motor spinning at proper RPM or is it the motor that is not spinning (locked up)?

 

[wahoowad]

doesn't sound like it is spinning. The little plastic fan moves freely if I spin it

 

[Jags]

So when you power it up, the little plastic fan doesn't turn but the motor hums? Have you ever tried to power it up and give the little plastic fan a flick with a screwdriver or something? If this is a capacitor motor - it could be as simple as a bad cap.

 

[wahoowad]

I spun the fan by hand, but not while I had power applied to the motor. It doesn't feel like I should hold the power button down if it isn't going to spin. The fan spun effortlessly so somehow it isn't directly attached to the internal rotor assembly. I suspect that has more resistance to spinning.

There is a big white capacitor in the control box. Looks Ok but who knows.

I'm wondering how I can manually give the motor a little spin in case it hit a spot where it is stuck

 

[Jags]

My suggestion above was to determine if the start cap was cooked. If you apply power and then manually spin the motor AND it starts to run - then you probably have a bad cap. It is just one of my first steps in troubleshooting.

I have a small motor with a buffing wheel that I have to manually spin to get it to startup otherwise it will just sit there and hum.

 

[wahoowad]

I stripped the head of one of the fan cover screws so I can't get it off yet. I'm gonna go fight that a second time so I can try your advice.

 

[WiscWoody]

Take a look at this page if you don't get it going.

http://elpaso.apogee.net/md/home.asp

 

[wahoowad]

Yup, giving the fan a little spin allowed the motor to run! I just ordered a replacement capacitor at ereplacementparts

Thanks for the help, Jags!

 

[Jags]

I love it when a plan comes together.

 

[WiscWoody]

Yup, giving the fan a little spin allowed the motor to run! I just ordered a replacement capacitor at ereplacementparts

Thanks for the help, Jags!

I hate to rain on your parade but it still might be the start windings in the motor. The best way to check a start or run capacitor is by farads or microfarads for small singe phase motors. You can take the capacitor to a motor shop or a starter/alternator repair shop if your multimeter doesn't read MFD's and have it tested. Usually it should test at around 4 MFD. I've worked on many motors but mostly 3 phase 10-800 HP and of they don't use capacitors but man, if they don't use a variable frequency drive or a soft starter... Starting a big motor with a 6 belt shiv is pretty wild to watch! I've had hard starting refrigeration compressors too and they make special kick starter for them but I'm drifting off....

 

[wahoowad]

I figger buying the cApacitor is cheaper than a repair shop running a test.

Are start windings repairable in a small motor like this?

 

[WiscWoody]

They'd test it for free I'm sure. It just takes a moment. You'd have to talk to a motor shop to see if it would be worth a repair or better to get a new motor. If the motor has a ID plate look for the frame size and other specs and look online including eBay for a motor. That is if comes to that.... Hopefully for your sake it does turn out to be a bad cap.

 

[Jags]

It could be a bad start winding for sure, but I thought a cap start had to be around 75% of run speed before it would disconnect and run on the primaries. Willing to learn, here.

 

[razerface]

The shops around here test caps for free too. Takes 5seconds with a meter. In some motors(engines are combustible fuel) there are start caps, and run caps. My air compressor has 3. I think they cost me 6 bucks each last time.

 

[Pennsyltucky Chris]

I happen to be a fan of ryobi products. Is that a 4 or 5 ton? How old? Looks like you probably got your $300-$400 out of it already. Now you're on free money time. I never saw a ryobi splitter before, Whats the cycle time and alleged split diameter?

 

[DougA]

I've got that exact one and they're $250 on sale here. I got mine for $50 used.
If you can't get it going, you got your $$$ out of it.
I will keep an eye on this in case it happens to mine.
What the heck is a creampuff maple???

 

[ironpony]

Yup, giving the fan a little spin allowed the motor to run! I just ordered a replacement capacitor at ereplacementparts

Thanks for the help, Jags!

make sure to discharge the cap before removing it, it will zap you.

 

[wahoowad]

make sure to discharge the cap before removing it, it will zap you.

That is a tip worth remembering! How do I do that? Undo one wire first and touch it to the frame?

 

[WiscWoody]

That is a tip worth remembering! How do I do that? Undo one wire first and touch it to the frame?

Just short it out with a screwdriver. They lose there charge after being disconnected from the power source for a minute also. Just an interesting fact, power companies use huge caps in the power grid to condition electrical power. I see them all the time. They help to even out spikes and flow.

 

[ewdudley]

make sure to discharge the cap before removing it, it will zap you.

You must be thinking old-school televisions or some such, motor capacitors will drain through the windings.

 

[WiscWoody]

You must be thinking old-school televisions or some such, motor capacitors will drain through the windings.

I was wandering why I never saw a sparky when I'd short them out.

 

[ewdudley]

I was wandering why I never saw a sparky when I'd short them out.

Then again, it's probably simpler and safer to just go ahead and be leery of all capacitors rather than waste time worrying about it and taking a chance on getting it wrong!

 

[WiscWoody]

What would really hurt from a misplaced hand at work is when I hooked onto 277 volts! Yoyza! It never threw me down but it's much, much more painful than a 120 volt shock! IIRC 277 is one leg of 480 volt 3 phase.

 

[Jags]

Wahoo - parts come in yet?? Keep us posted.