Harbor Freight Multifunction Tool: 5 Minute No Start Fix

[Jack Pinkham]

My Harbor Freight Multifunction Tool wouldn't start the other day. It came with a spare set of motor brushes, so I thought that brush wear be the problem. Took the three screws off the back cover and found that the brushes were in good shape. I sprayed the commutator with some contact spray and buttoned it back up. It then started. A few days later, it again refused to start. This time I removed the cover and removed one brush holder. I cut off a piece of 220 grit silicone carbide abrasive paper about 1-1/2 square and held it against the commutator while directing compressed air from a blowgun at the motor cooling fins. The commutator whirled around and the abrasive paper cleaned it up in about 30 seconds. After reinstalling the brush holder and the cover, the tool started right up.

[Jerome Hanby]

Good procedure!

[Bruce Wrenn]

HF Parking Lot Sale this weekend has "new" model for $19.99. Discount coupons don't apply though. I especially like mine to cut out caulking. Like a hot knife through butter.

[Jack Pinkham]

HF Parking Lot Sale this weekend has "new" model for $19.99. Discount coupons don't apply though. I especially like mine to cut out caulking. Like a hot knife through butter.

I used mine today to trim the edges of roll roofing where it overlap the roof drip edge. Noticed that Bosch blades will fit it.

[Jim Heffner]

Jack, My HF multi tool started developing start up problems a few weeks back. It would start
now and then with no problem, as time went by didn't want to start until I tapped it on the workbench...so I said enough is enough time to find out what the problem is. I opened the case,and found one of the switch wires almost completely broken in two. I cut, and soldered that wire back on the switch and now it works like it did when it was new.

[Jack Pinkham]

One more tool saved from the landfill.