EXPLODING! Harbor Freight Bauer Random Orbit Polisher and its Undocumented Adjustable Counterweight!

[@JeremyCaissie]

This video needs to get bumped up in the KZbin algorithm!

[@adotahuja]

Indeed.

[@santiagorojas9128]

For sure 👍

[@MikeCapuccini]

Nice job going through and explaining how to fix the counterbalancer and also telling about the ability to convert to a right angle grinder. I was very impressed with how well you did.

[@ToolBard-hk2nc]

Thanks, I hope to provide many more that just get better with practice. Soooooooo many subjects of interest to me, can I make videos of them interesting enough for others?

[@Michael-ri2eh]

Wow you had the tool open but didn't replace the grease in the gear box. Hey, you might have to revisit the vlog. THANK YOU FOR POSTING Mike from Southern California

[@modsquad8u]

This is why I love KZbin, despite their political tampering and censorship. Because for many things, it's a great place to share great information like this. Thanks for the video. I'm not sure if the short throw I just got is the same, but now I want to disassemble it and put thread locker on the screws except the balance you pointed out.

[@MxAxRxK]

I just got one of these. great vid thanks for the tips. if it’s anything like a angle grinder which apparently it is I’d imagine the motor is pretty bullet proof. I’ve put cheapie grinders through bell and they have never let me down.

[@jbanke1]

Great video! I just bought one and will be doing the same. Question, can you go more indepth on how to adjust to remove vibrations? Thanks!

[@ToolBard-hk2nc]

I had/do plan on showing how to minimize vibrations but am too busy currently to get to it. You can fairly easily do the adjustment yourself, mount the buffing or sanding pad you intend to use and turn the tool on, feel the vibrations. Turn it off and make an adjustment of the counterbalance adjuster screw in one direction, of say, one rotation, in order to make a noticeable change, and then fire it up again and contrast the new vibrations. Try to keep a count of your rotations so you know where you started and how to get back there if you get frustrated. Make your adjustments enough to feel the difference but small enough not to overshoot. I believe this adjustment is designed to be used every time you change the mass of the head (changing the type of bonnet or sanding pad) to tune out the vibrations. I think the procedure will be pretty quick with a little experience.

[@santiagorojas9128]

Really good explaining video quick question are you able to change the backing plate to a size 5? Thanks

[@ToolBard-hk2nc]

Sorry, no experience with size 5 backing plates with this tool.

[@santiagorojas9128]

@@ToolBard-hk2nc thnx for the reply and your video

[@rorypaster2264]

I couldnt get the occilating head off no matter how hard i wrenched. It would unthread about a half turn and then refused to budge. Any tips?

[@jbanke1]

Did you replace the grease in the head? I'm seeing lots of reviews where users change the grease. Supposedly doing so reduces the vibrations and the operating temperature.

[@ToolBard-hk2nc]

I have not, I looked inside and it seemed 2/3rds full of grease so I figured it was okay. I may replace it with a known premium grease at some point, but am not using the tool at this time so that need and project is "shelved" for now. Harbor Freight tools may have seen improved manufacturing, likely due to automation, but assembly still sucks. We can't rely on Harbor Freight's second-tier Chinese manufacturers to have reasonably good quality control at the assembly level. This is where they save a lot of money. I continue to see Harbor Freight faulty assembly, Bauer and Hercules tools purchased by me have had issues, lack of screw retaining (Loctite, locking washer, etc.), improper ball bearing race bores that allowed the bearing race to rotate in the bore, improper grease packing, etc. If you want a reliable tool, Harbor Freight is still questionable, if you enjoy tearing tools apart to see how they work and to make them better, Harbor Freight can be great, especially for the money!! Over-packing grease overheats, underpacking grease causes premature wear, and 2/3rds fill is typically good. Loctite can be very helpful with HF tools as effective screw retaining is often lacking at assembly in HF's Chinese factories.

[@jbanke1]

@@ToolBard-hk2nc thanks for the update. This was a great video, I'm going to locktite all of the screws before I use it. Harborfreight's website has some negative reviews of the unit, several are for it coming apart and damaging their car. I'm going to locktite all the screws before I use it

[@adotahuja]

Replacing and adding more lubricant lowered the noise and vibration marginally.

[@rsngrl]

i just got mine yesterday and tried to adjust the counterbalance. i could not budge it. i'm not sure which direction it needs to go, but i can't get it to move anyway. maybe if i take it apart?

[@ToolBard-hk2nc]

What happens when you turn the hex-head adjustment screw the Allen wrench? Turing it clockwise should move the ounterbalance outward---to balance heavy pads---counterclockwise should reduce the counter weight's effect.

[@rsngrl]

@@ToolBard-hk2nc i can’t turn it either way. it’s so friggin tight.

[@ToolBard-hk2nc]

@@rsngrl You may need to return/replace it as this sounds like a possible defect. The ball-bearing detent retainer under the spring plate held on with the two Phillips screws on the outward side of the eccentric may be your issue. I have seen ball-bearing detents not allow the release of the detent due to the machined detent in the screw being too deep (if the detent is close or over half the diameter of the ball, it won't release the ball and the ball works like a locking detent rather than a retaining detent). If this is the case the counterweight adjusting screw is at fault and was simply "over-drilled" when the detents were machined into it. I've encountered this problem with other Chinese tools, but not this one.

[@rsngrl]

@@ToolBard-hk2nc i’ll take the it apart and see what’s what in there. if it doesn’t move then, i’ll get another.

[@ToolBard-hk2nc]

@@rsngrl If perchance the problem is as I described, AND you have a slightly larger ball bearing ready at hand, you can replace the detent bearing with one of larger diameter to reduce the detent "grabbing". if you ever have a detent that isn't grabbing, or detenting enough, you can often fix it using a smaller ball.