Jessem Pow-R-TeK - Fails a second time Failed Speed Controller

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krudawg

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Oct 21, 2016
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Anybody else having issues with the POW-R-TEK.  My buddy has gone thru two motors in the last 3 months - He is not a commercial shop but building new bath cabinet with raised panel doors.  He has been busy with it.
 
Considering the motors as powerful as you get at 3-1/4HP, I can't imagine how they could be over worked to have 2 fail in such a short time, so it sounds like a batch or design fault to me.
 
My buddy thinks it's some kind of design flaw in the VRD.  He'd like to tear into the box but it is epoxy sealed and that would void his warranty and he is almost ready to give it back for a refund.
 
I've had issues, first one quit after about 2 hours of actual use and they gave me a hassle when I explained my situation and requested warranty. Finally got them to give me a new one but they said no warranty on the second motor and controller.
 
ewils91 said:
I've had issues, first one quit after about 2 hours of actual use and they gave me a hassle when I explained my situation and requested warranty. Finally got them to give me a new one but they said no warranty on the second motor and controller.
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Is that even legal where you are for them to refuse warranty?

That definitely wouldn't fly here in OZ. They'd be in massive trouble refusing standard warranty.

All things considered, this definitely sounds like a product to steer clear of, especially if they have no confidence in their own warranty as noted in prior post!
 
ewils91 said:
I've had issues, first one quit after about 2 hours of actual use and they gave me a hassle when I explained my situation and requested warranty. Finally got them to give me a new one but they said no warranty on the second motor and controller.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? Jessem refuses to warranty a new product because they had to replace a faulty one under warranty???

If this is their S.O.P. that makes me seriously reconsider whether or not I should get their motor for my router table build.

 
These spindles and controllers have a long history of failure but I thought it must have been sorted out by now. The first generation was pulled from the market and they were unavailable for some years and I was told that the second (current) generation was sorted out. Jessem are only re-branding a generic spindle available from China under multiple names and it looks like they are getting burnt in the process. It is far better to use a CNC spindle and VFD to run it and these have a close to zero failure rate.
 
Is this the new SR model or older model? Older models had a high rate of failures.  New model was suppose to address that. I have the new model and it seems to work ok although mine is not heavily used
 
[member=58818]Mini Me[/member] Any specific recommendations on CNC Spindle and VFD combos that work well?
 
onocoffee said:
ewils91 said:
I've had issues, first one quit after about 2 hours of actual use and they gave me a hassle when I explained my situation and requested warranty. Finally got them to give me a new one but they said no warranty on the second motor and controller.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? Jessem refuses to warranty a new product because they had to replace a faulty one under warranty???

If this is their S.O.P. that makes me seriously reconsider whether or not I should get their motor for my router table build.
Click to expand...

I got the impression that the thing was out of warranty but had only been used a coupon hours so it took some persuasion to get satisfaction.
 
woodbutcherbower said:
100% illegal over here in the UK.
Click to expand...

If the first motor was out of warranty the company is under no obligation to do anything for free. It only makes sense the new one not including no motor.
 
What's your dust extraction like at the router and what is being routed? 

I know router motors tend to not like MDF dust getting built up inside them which they are very prone to being that they are upside down in a router table with their vents exposed and MDF dust is particularly fine and nasty in that regard.
 
Kevin D. said:
What's your dust extraction like at the router and what is being routed? 

I know router motors tend to not like MDF dust getting built up inside them which they are very prone to being that they are upside down in a router table with their vents exposed and MDF dust is particularly fine and nasty in that regard.
Click to expand...

This is where water cooled spindles with a VFD are really the best option for a router table, apart from being orders of magnitude quieter, they make if far easier to collect the dust as it's not being sucked into a motor.
 
Using a water cooled CNC spindle removes the dust problems air cooled motors suffer from and they are magnitudes more quite as an added bonus. I have no recommendation on brand as I am sure there are only a few manufacturers who make all of them. All the VFD's I supplied were Powtran and we had a zero failure rate but any good VFD will be OK. If you know anyone who is familiar with VFD's and can help you set it up use a brand they know or one you can get advice for. Look on YT, there are heaps of videos on CNC spindle set up.
 
ewils91 said:
I've had issues, first one quit after about 2 hours of actual use and they gave me a hassle when I explained my situation and requested warranty. Finally got them to give me a new one but they said no warranty on the second motor and controller.
Click to expand...

They can refuse to extend the warranty, but the original term still applies.
As an example: You get a replacement (under warranty) 6 months into a 1 year warranty. The balance of the original warranty still applies, 6 more months. It would not start over, even though the new motor is indeed brand new.
Some of this varies by state, some of it is Federal. The problem with all of it is the low cost of such items. They can refuse the warranty pretty much at their whim, because it is financially not feasible to fight it, at least legally. Bad word-of-mouth can be costly too.
 
Crazyraceguy said:
ewils91 said:
I've had issues, first one quit after about 2 hours of actual use and they gave me a hassle when I explained my situation and requested warranty. Finally got them to give me a new one but they said no warranty on the second motor and controller.
Click to expand...

They can refuse to extend the warranty, but the original term still applies.
As an example: You get a replacement (under warranty) 6 months into a 1 year warranty. The balance of the original warranty still applies, 6 more months. It would not start over, even though the new motor is indeed brand new.
Some of this varies by state, some of it is Federal. The problem with all of it is the low cost of such items. They can refuse the warranty pretty much at their whim, because it is financially not feasible to fight it, at least legally. Bad word-of-mouth can be costly too.
Click to expand...

Considering this - and the premium that Jessem charges for their router motor, is it even worth it? I'm asking because it is the motor I've been looking to buy in 2025.
 
onocoffee said:
Crazyraceguy said:
ewils91 said:
I've had issues, first one quit after about 2 hours of actual use and they gave me a hassle when I explained my situation and requested warranty. Finally got them to give me a new one but they said no warranty on the second motor and controller.
Click to expand...

They can refuse to extend the warranty, but the original term still applies.
As an example: You get a replacement (under warranty) 6 months into a 1 year warranty. The balance of the original warranty still applies, 6 more months. It would not start over, even though the new motor is indeed brand new.
Some of this varies by state, some of it is Federal. The problem with all of it is the low cost of such items. They can refuse the warranty pretty much at their whim, because it is financially not feasible to fight it, at least legally. Bad word-of-mouth can be costly too.
Click to expand...

Considering this - and the premium that Jessem charges for their router motor, is it even worth it? I'm asking because it is the motor I've been looking to buy in 2025.
Click to expand...

I can't see why an air-cooled spindle such as the Jessem would be a consideration at all when a water-cooled spindle with a VFD takes all the problems away and you can make a lift for under a $100 with a digital height measurement. I am sure I have posted photos in this forum of the one I built years ago for a woodworking school. I have given up on posting images here so if they aren't here they are definitely on the SMC forum. 
 
Mini Me said:
I can't see why an air-cooled spindle such as the Jessem would be a consideration at all when a water-cooled spindle with a VFD takes all the problems away and you can make a lift for under a $100 with a digital height measurement. I am sure I have posted photos in this forum of the one I built years ago for a woodworking school. I have given up on posting images here so if they aren't here they are definitely on the SMC forum.
Click to expand...

The water-cooled spindle idea is something I only heard about from you, in this thread, just yesterday (or the day before). Still need time to learn about it - and as I said, the router motor is not something I'm planning on going out to buy tomorrow but sometime in 2025.
 
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