Today my router crapped out mid carve. I am very disappointed to say the least. Not sure what broke, but the fact that it quit after just having purchased it last October does not speak exactly for the longevity or quality of this router.
Not sure what to get. Do I get with Inventables and see if I can get it replaced? Or do any of you recommend a different machine altogether? What a bummer.
Thanks,
Stefan
Without knowing the specifics of how it stopped working, I would assume the brushes are worn out. Replacing them should bring it back to life. The brushes wear out and need to be replaced. My Dewalt is on its 8th or 9th set since 2015.
Yup, I just took them out. Thanks!
Brushes at easy to change. If you have run your machine between 100 to 200 hours that is most likely the problem.
Brushes are also available in the description. Hope this helps
I have a set of brushes. I assumed it came with the router. Maybe it goes to my table saw instead or something else. 
need to do some research…
360 hours and counting on my original Makita brushes.
Which model Makita do you have? Does it fit the standard holder bracket?
Thanks!
Makita RT701
I also got one, have run it for a couple of years now and brushes are at 80% or so. I don’t have a firm usage estimate though, but a few hundreds for certain.
It is like 2mm smaller in diameter(65mm) compared to the Dewalt but a couple of shims made from coke (or any other favourite beverage…) cans will remedy that.
I do compare the Dewalt and Makita to be similar, in price, quality and power.
The main difference is the Makite lower minimum RPM which is 10k vs Dewalt 16k.
Slower brush wear is a bonus 
Yeah. That’s really interesting that the brushes last so much longer. Or it would seem so. But I also like the slower speed. I like cutting from PVC etc. I’ll have to check the Makita out. Though, of course I ordered replacement brushes for the DeWalt already. Thanks a bunch!
RT0701C specifically, but I’ve had similar experiences. The makita is also quieter than the Dewalt DW611 in my experience.
Update.
It wasn’t the brushes, though they were worn out. Put the new ones in, cover back on and … Nothing … nada. Well, the f’n light comes on. LOL
I am starting to think that perhaps I ended up with a lemon. Anyhow, if there’s anything else anyone can suggest, I am all ears. Shot off a email to support to see what they have to say. After all, the darn thing is not even 6 months in use.
Depending on what support says I will certainly entertain getting the Makita.
Last update:
I went and got the Makita.
I can honestly say, that should be the one being sold with the XCarve kit. Don’t get me wrong, I am not dingging the DeWalt, it’s a fine router that does the job.
However, the Makita is quieter than the DeWalt. The cuts are cleaner, which I guess is due to the slower speed. I like that the collet is longer, much more room before it gets to the dust plate, if it even does.
Which brings me to the router mount. Of course the Makita is a smaller diameter. I did not want to purchase something I can make myself. So here is what I did.
I took a strip of white soft PVC 1/4" thick and cut me a 3" wide by 8" long piece. I ran it through the planer until I had a thickness of about 3/16". Then I took a sander with an 80 grit and roughed up both sides. Slipped it into the bracket, followed by the Makita. It’s a tight fit and I had to force the bracket open a little bit to get it in. That’s it.
You cannot see the PVC. It’s completely hidden by the bracket. I did not have to adjust anything else. Time will tell if the Makita is a more reliable machine or not, also if the brushes last longer than on the DeWalt. But for now I am happy.
Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. Much appreciated!
Stefan
Regarding the crapped out Dewalt, try to see if Dewalt will cover it under warranty - you might get up with a nice hand router to use on non-CNC related wood work
Happy carving
Same this game here. After 3 brush replacements I upgraded to Hitachi, had an enclosure made and I can now mill using 1/2 in tooling.