Perhaps checking with Menards to see if there is a warranty might be a place to start.

I don't have a Contact Number or E-Mail Address for a Warranty (Customer Contact)  on their Train Goodies. Any help would be appreciated !!!

You go to their website and click on help and they have a list.

Thanks Don,

Will try that today !

Fredstrains

It would probably be a good idea for Menards to include a sheet of paper stating the warranty and a phone number for service in all train items.

@Fredstrains, email Guest@menard-inc.com and let Ray know what is going on with your nuclear plant. He should be able to help.

Thank you,
Mark the Menards Train Guy

An E-MAIL was sent out today, will see what happens!

THANK YOU Menards for the response!  Looks like someone from "MENARDS" is current on the OGR. Looks like you are on top of responses on OGR regarding your O Gauge Products. I have several of your Buildings and many of your Cars & Trucks. This is the first time I have had any kind of problem with any of your Products!!

Thanks again!

I will post the outcome on OGR!!

FREDSTRAINS

Surprising...when they sent be broken items..buildings...several years ago they replaced them with even more badly damaged items.  When I informed them of this  I was told that there is a "restocking fee" of 15% for correction and I pay shipping back.  Horrid customer service.  No Menards...ever for me....I have an aversion to smug organizations and Chinese junk.  Probable just me but I do not get the affinity to this company.  Poorly made items and awful customer service.  Just my opinion and experience.  I respect others opinions on this company.

Dr John Sherwood

Peyton, Colorado

Let’s wait to pass judgement on Menards! This is not a complaint POST! All I was trying to do is see if someone had a Contact for them regarding my Issue! Thanks 😊

UPDATE,

I did get in touch with someone from Menards. The MENARDS Train Guy gave me a e-mail Contact listed above! They said there was no Warranty on Lighting. I explained the LIGHTS inside and outside were fine, it was the OSCILLATING Unit inside that stopped OSCILLATING. Waiting for reply now. I would like a replacement unit or replacement motor (That drives the Oscillating Glass) inside.

FREDSTRAINS

Does Menards have any parts lists or diagrams?  Did you open it up and look inside? Given that it is over a year old, I suspect any warrantee it may have had is expired. If you know exactly what is broken, sometimes you can source the part from the web.

Chris

LVHR

I don't think it is over a year old, but don't have a copy of the Invoice so cant be sure.  I hate to spend another$100.00 to replace that ONE function of the UNIT!

FREDSTRAINS

Had the same issue…mine stopped oscillating also….but figured the warranty expired…..ended up taking mine apart and added the parts to another Menards nuclear power plant as to make the plant larger…..just a thought if they do not replace yours….

-Pete

johnshorse - it's unfortunate that you have had this experience with Menards.  I have purchased so many train related items from Menards that I lost count a long time ago.  I've had nothing but excellent customer service from them, including the ONE item received broken tha was replaced with new plus a bonus item for my troubles.  The best customer service I've ever received, and all of their items are working perfectly after many years.  That's been my experience with Menards and their products, including my current Santa Fe FP7.

Ron

After conversing for several days with Menards regarding this issue:

The only way it can be resolved is to purchase another Unit  ( @ $99.95 ). To have it replaced I have to present a Receipt to substantiate the Purchase Date. I was told yesterday that Lights & Motors in Accessories are only guarantied for 90 Days.  I know its been more than that, so will order another one. Hope this helps anyone wondering about their Warranties!!!

FREDSTRAINS

So what part actually failed? Circuit board? Moving part? BTW, I'm not surprised about the warranty period.

Chriis

LVHR

And if you paid with a credit card or on.line, wouldn't you have a record?

Credit card companies have a "free" warranty program on most purchases for thief or breakage.

I was able to get a $500 refund from visa for a box stolen by a porch pirate.

Worth a try, the worst they can say is no.

If it's just a motor why not try to replace it?  it would be a lot less than an new one

@lehighline posted:

So what part actually failed? Circuit board? Moving part? BTW, I'm not surprised about the warranty period.

Chriis

LVHR

Chris,

The MOTOR that drives the Oscillating Mirrors inside the Unit, I Think.    I guess it could be the Circuit Board (If it has one).

FREDSTRAINS

@Bossman284 posted:

If it's just a motor why not try to replace it?  it would be a lot less than an new one

Bossman,

That might be a alternative.  I don't know if I want to remove it from my Layout and try that.

FREDSTRAINS

I have had exact same experience with this accessory. It had only been used a few times. Contacted Menards and they said it is beyond warranty. I am asking for replacement at their cost. Not expecting a positive response but will see.

For those who have suggested replacing the motor, how have you or would you access the interior. I have looked for potential points for disassembly and cannot locate. Thanks.

@Zelmo posted:

For those who have suggested replacing the motor, how have you or would you access the interior. I have looked for potential points for disassembly and cannot locate. Thanks.

Isn’t there a slot underneath near the back of the assembly that gives access to the wire connections? Apart from that I think you have to cut away part of the bottom to get at the interior of the structure. I’ve done this when I added extra lighting and a siren module.

News Flash, Oak Point Nuclear Power has a meltdown!

Ron

I had to cut away a portion of the pressboard to get to motor etc. Replaced  the motor just had to figure out how to attach the plastic dome to the motor shaft. Now it spins like crazy! I would get a motor where you can adjust the speed.

@lstoll posted:

I had to cut away a portion of the pressboard to get to motor etc. Replaced  the motor just had to figure out how to attach the plastic dome to the motor shaft. Now it spins like crazy! I would get a motor where you can adjust the speed.

You may be able to add a resistor to the circuit to reduce the current to the motor in order to produce an acceptable level of "spin".

Images of the failed internal item and the solution?

Fellas-seriously? ....We live in a "throw away" society. People on this forum are of a higher intelligence. I am sure we all know this.

We no longer repair TV's -toasters- coffee makers-can openers, even cheap appliances. We discard and replace them. Menard's is selling low cost items for our enjoyment. They are not designed to be serviced. In most cases there are no available replacement parts.

Take this at face value. Have fun with your trains.

Nick

But as several of us mentioned it can be serviced with a "little" skill and savy and be made to operate again. It may not be returned to original condition , but still enjoyable. Not everything has to be tossed out. In this hobby I have learned  you have to be creative in your repairs. So keep those "spare parts" around they come in very handy.

@BobbyD posted:

Images of the failed internal item and the solution?

What he said.  Does anyone have photos of the motor and mounting?  Menards no doubt used a cheap DC can-motor that I'd think could be replaced for a few dollars at most if we could just see a photo of it, markings, dimensions, etc.

By my count 4 guys have reported this failure so I'd say there's value to coming up with a solution for the record.  It's a to-each-his-own as to whether the repair is worth the effort.  But from what I can tell this item has been on the market for ~4 years so it must be popular enough to warrant maintenance documentation!  Heck, the half-life of nuclear fuel rods is ~30 years so do the math!

I have used my Oak Point Nuke very little, so it's still fine.  However, I would be interested in any information/photos on a repair if needed. It's always handy, and repairs can sometimes be accomplished by senior citizens.

Thanks to all who have responded. Given Menards will not provide any discount in replacing, I would be interested in finding a solution. They are telling me the part is a disco bulb but doesn’t provide a source for same. I am curious if it is in fact a disco bulb or a combination of a bulb and motor. The unit does light up but there is no rotation.

@lstoll posted:

I had to cut away a portion of the pressboard to get to motor etc. Replaced  the motor just had to figure out how to attach the plastic dome to the motor shaft. Now it spins like crazy! I would get a motor where you can adjust the speed.

Images?

sorry i can't get to the nuke right now. But, it wasnt the motor that failed . It was  the screw on the top of the dome that came loose, and in order to secure that i had to cut out the press board beneath the lighting and motor to get the dome out, Be sure you cut close to the edge so as not to damage the the lighting board. Good luck .

eBay seller "partsandtrains" currently has parts of the Oak Point Nuclear Facility.  Since direct links to eBay are not allowed and will go stale after a few months when someone searching the archives stumbles across this thread, some photos of the guts before they vanish:

There appear to be 2 circuit boards.  If/when someone attempts a DIY repair, I'd like to see some photos of these boards from a better angle to see what's on them. 

The motor looks like an off-the-shelf DC motor with a gear-train assembly in the round plastic housing.  In looking at online videos of the spinning "disco" dome, I'd say the output speed is around 10 RPM.  Again, if/when someone has it taken apart, perhaps there are some markings on the gearmotor assembly...or at least provide dimensions to help track down a replacement/alternative if indeed the motor failed.  I can't imagine Menards would have designed/specified a CUSTOM gearmotor and with some luck perhaps an off-the-shelf replacement could be found.  Not saying this is it but many choices out there that don't break the bank:

Or, if the motor runs but the disco dome does not spin, perhaps it is as simple as tightening a loose screw as @lstoll suggests.

Note to self: Since Menards buildings are powered by 4.5V DC, and many generic gearmotors are nominally driven at 12V DC, it may be that one of the circuit boards (e.g., the one with the large square inductor) steps up 4.5V DC to 12V DC.

Every time I consider buying something from Menard's, I read about something like THIS!

Mannyrock

This ebay seller has several motors for Menards items - you might give him a try. This pne was only $10.00

NOTE:  ebay links are not allowed per TOS....this link was removed.

Good find.  Here is a screen shot of that listing for the record.  Perhaps the seller even knows which Menards building it was removed from,

NOTE:  ebay screenshot removed.  TOS:  we do not allow direct ebay postings/links/etc. on the forum!

@BFI66 posted:

Had the same issue…mine stopped oscillating also….but figured the warranty expired

I think the fuel rods need to be replaced, and those are awfully small even in O scale...

At $100 plus handling and shipping for a total cost of at least $125, I would say this should not be a disposable item.  I was thinking about getting this but after four failures on this forum and poor customer service I have changed my mind. 

Stan2004 and JPloco, thanks for the information and detail.  Members like you make this forum valuable.

I have several Menards buildings and like them a lot.  I have a Red OWL store and the blinking light starts making noise after running it for a while.  At some point I will probably go in from the bottom and disconnect just that light and then stick an LED in to light the sign.

My experiences with Menards customer service has been exceptional.  If you have a store in your area, you can always try bringing your building in with or without a receipt and they will help you.  I once had an electrical project that I bought a bunch of stuff for and lost the receipt.   After deciding not to do the project, I brought the stuff back in and they gave me store credit for all of it -- 2 years later!  I finished my basement, 1/2 of which is my train room, using material (wood, electrical, plumbing) and all bathroom fixtures from Menards.  There was never an issue returning or exchanging anything.  They even took back a shower stall I ordered online from them because it didn't fit right in my opening -- an exception that the manager kindly approved.

Mike

So sorry for breaking the TOS ,  I was unaware and Stan2004 and myself were just trying to help Iron Horse get his Menards unit running.

@Bill Sherry posted:

So sorry for breaking the TOS ,  I was unaware…

Link to TOS (see the section titled “Use Of The Forum”).

@Bill Sherry posted:

So sorry for breaking the TOS ,  I was unaware and Stan2004 and myself were just trying to help Iron Horse get his Menards unit running.

It was Fredstrains you were responding to, not me.

I just chimed in on the subject to compliment you and Stan2004 for stepping up to help another forum member and to throw my two cents in on my Menards' customer experience and great buildings.

Ironhorse

@IRON HORSE posted:

...

I have several Menards buildings and like them a lot.  I have a Red OWL store and the blinking light starts making noise after running it for a while.  At some point I will probably go in from the bottom and disconnect just that light and then stick an LED in to light the sign.

....

If by "noise" you mean a high-pitch whine, yup, this has been reported for the Red Owl in previous OGR threads such as:

Menards Red Owl High Pitch whine synced with flashing Owl

There have been deeper dives into the cause in other OGR threads such as:

Menards building noise

Could it have been designed so as not to create this whine?  Sure.  But it is what it is.  I am not aware of anyone who has taken the time/effort to modify their electronics for silent-running.

There are several motors for sale on an auction site for $5-10 (plus shipping) which might be candidates for anyone ambitious enough to attempt a DIY repair.  Search for "Menards DC motor" and you might find something like this.

They are listed as "Used" and he has many many Menards parts salvaged from buildings.  Kind of makes me wonder if he has some bulk deal with Menards to get warranty-returns, open-box-returns, etc. and then dis-assembles and re-sells piece parts. 

Along the lines of tracking down an unknown motor (if indeed that is what is broken) and there is no known part number, try searching using a photo of the motor.  For example, if using the above photo in Google Images, it finds many motors that look like candidate replacements. 

Fredstrains,

How much would it cost you to return it for repair?

Please call this gentleman and ask him if he could fix your accessory.

Robert Bart

724-736-0488

Perryopolis, PA.

Menards does not perform repairs nor sell parts. Status quo these days. I think all of us would be willing to pay a few more dollars for a more reliable and lasting accessory. I will follow up on your suggestion.

@jim sutter posted:

Fredstrains,

How much would it cost you to return it for repair?

Please call this gentleman and ask him if he could fix your accessory.

Robert Bart

724-736-0488

Perryopolis, PA.

Thanks Jim, I will call him!!   Let you know what he says!!

FREDSTRAINS

I just bought one of these at 50% off online because it was a display.  I thought it was just a hot sale.  Turns out the screw attaching the oscillating dome fell off.  Unfortunately, the entire housing is glued together -- so there is no way to get inside to reattach the screw on top of the dome.  It looks like the only way to get inside is to drill a large hole through the top and then cap it with something.  Any suggestions?

Mike

@IRON HORSE posted:

I just bought one of these at 50% off online because it was a display.  I thought it was just a hot sale.  Turns out the screw attaching the oscillating dome fell off.  Unfortunately, the entire housing is glued together -- so there is no way to get inside to reattach the screw on top of the dome.  It looks like the only way to get inside is to drill a large hole through the top and then cap it with something.  Any suggestions?

Mike

Pry the glued top panel out- it's just hot glue. I've been in ours and repaired it, not a big deal. You can be careful yet forceful enough to get inside.

@Andrew B. posted:

Pry the glued top panel out- it's just hot glue. I've been in ours and repaired it, not a big deal. You can be careful yet forceful enough to get inside.

Andrew,

I will try that.  Thanks for reaching out. 

Mike

@IRON HORSE posted:

Andrew,

I will try that.  Thanks for reaching out.

Mike

It's going to seem like it will break. There is, underneath, some black paper (like a construction paper weight), and it may tear some, but when the panel lays back in, between the light and the fact it'll lay in the same spot, that won't be visible.

The screw is right there, and the motor is also accessible. The motor is the same RF-300C family of motors Lionel uses in many of their accessories today. They're available on the auction site and Amazon for like $2.50 to $5.00 per motor.

Andrew,

I took your advice and it worked.  I used a screwdriver and the glue popped.  Once that happened, the top dyed brown plexiglass lifted right out.  I was able to put the screw in and it works great.  Thanks for your help! Thanks also for the replacement parts tip. 

Mike

Wow, that’s great for you guys!!   Meanwhile I gave mine away & ordered a new one !!  Bummer !

    I wonder who the core set of target customers is for this particular product.   Given its cost, I would have thought that it would be serious train folks like the people on this Board.   And, I think I speak for all of us in saying that we would gladly pay 50% more for any accessory if it was a quality- built item that would last without any problems for years to come.   I would also think that for upper middle-class Dad's who are buying this for their kids at Christmas or for birthday's, they would gladly pay the extra price too.

    So, why does Menard's continuously lean into cheap and unreliable designs and materials?   I mean really, how hard is it to use metal gears instead of plastic gears, etc.   Anybody, rich or poor, who buys one of these accessories and then sees it conk out within a year or so is likely to never buy an accessory from Menard's again.   I certainly wouldn't.   Don't they get that? 

   And, what do the kids think of Menard products, when they see this toy just stop working on their layout after a short time.  I can tell you what they think, . . . they are really disappointed.  Does Menards think that in 10 years, these kids will buy these types of products from Menards?   No, they will just be saying, "I remember when my Dad bought me one of these for about $150 on my birthday, and it conked out a year or so later."

   Or, perhaps I am wrong, and the target group of customers for this product are actually folks who are looking to buy something cool that day for their kids or layout, and don't really care about the fact that it will be inoperative in a year or so?

   I wonder, does the fact that Menard's only makes limited runs of these accessories, and then heavily advertises them, indicate that they are selling these as impulse purchase items at a price point, and they know that they are not going to be able to sell them in any quantity two or three years down the road, when news gets out about their reliability?  Make it cheap, sell it quick, and then get out?  Is that the business strategy?  I just don't know.

  My hope is:  Menards, please charge more, and built for quality and longevity.

  Any thoughts on this?

Mannyrock

And here I was thinking the reactor was having a meltdown

While it would be great if everything lasted more than a year, can you think of anything that has more than a 1 year warranty these days?

I have a similar (I think) problem with the Menard's "Vetter Sash" building.  First, let me say it is a terrific structure, large and very detailed.  My problem is that  like the gyrating part of the power plant, the window fans have stopped rotating.  I believe that the motor still runs whenever there is power to the building, but no spin on the fan blades.  Does anyone know whether the fans run on a gear which may have broken or on a drive belt which may have fallen off of a pulley?  Can the problem be repaired?  If so, with what and what is the best way in with the least probable damage to the building?

Thanks for your help.

Joe S.

CBO,

Yea, I understand exactly what you are saying.  But would you pay $150.00 for a table lamp, if other folks were telling you that it will fail in 1 to 2 years?

I have a few Bachman by Williams conventional engines that I paid $145 for brand new, which may be far more complex than the accessory under discussion, and I have run them pretty hard for 3 years, without any problems.  They only had a one- year warranty, and I wouldn't be surprised if I get 10 years out of them.

I guess it all depends on where one draws the price line for something that is fun but likely to fail in a short time.  For me, $100 plus is over the limit.

Thanks for your comments.

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

    I wonder who the core set of target customers is for this particular product.   Given its cost, I would have thought that it would be serious train folks like the people on this Board.   And, I think I speak for all of us in saying that we would gladly pay 50% more for any accessory if it was a quality- built item that would last without any problems for years to come.   I would also think that for upper middle-class Dad's who are buying this for their kids at Christmas or for birthday's, they would gladly pay the extra price too.

    So, why does Menard's continuously lean into cheap and unreliable designs and materials?   I mean really, how hard is it to use metal gears instead of plastic gears, etc.   Anybody, rich or poor, who buys one of these accessories and then sees it conk out within a year or so is likely to never buy an accessory from Menard's again.   I certainly wouldn't.   Don't they get that?

   And, what do the kids think of Menard products, when they see this toy just stop working on their layout after a short time.  I can tell you what they think, . . . they are really disappointed.  Does Menards think that in 10 years, these kids will buy these types of products from Menards?   No, they will just be saying, "I remember when my Dad bought me one of these for about $150 on my birthday, and it conked out a year or so later."

   Or, perhaps I am wrong, and the target group of customers for this product are actually folks who are looking to buy something cool that day for their kids or layout, and don't really care about the fact that it will be inoperative in a year or so?

   I wonder, does the fact that Menard's only makes limited runs of these accessories, and then heavily advertises them, indicate that they are selling these as impulse purchase items at a price point, and they know that they are not going to be able to sell them in any quantity two or three years down the road, when news gets out about their reliability?  Make it cheap, sell it quick, and then get out?  Is that the business strategy?  I just don't know.

  My hope is:  Menards, please charge more, and built for quality and longevity.

  Any thoughts on this?

Mannyrock

And from my perspective why would anyone like/buy this structure since it is nothing like a real Nuclear power station/plant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ron

I'm not going to pretend I know Menards' product strategy.  However, I'm pretty sure they don't intend to build products that only last a short while.  I'm sure a part of their decisions are driven by price.  Too high and they either will not sell or people would complain openly about it.  I have several of their buildings and I bought them because they are innovative and completely different structures than what's available from others.  The basic structures are built well, out of MDF and/or heavy plastics or resins.  If a motor fails or an LED fails, with help from fellow Forum members like Stan2004 here, there are inexpensive technical solutions.  This Nuclear facility, though not prototypical, is FUN.    It lit up my train room like a disco last night.  That's FUN giving it a full nuclear vibe, even though I'm not a fan of disco music. I first saw this building featured on a layout on last year's L.O.T.S. convention and I've wanted it since. 

Mike

@IRON HORSE posted:

If a motor fails or an LED fails, with help from fellow Forum members like Stan2004 here, there are inexpensive technical solutions.

Stan is no longer a member here.

@Mannyrock posted:

    I wonder who the core set of target customers is for this particular product.   Given its cost, I would have thought that it would be serious train folks like the people on this Board.   And, I think I speak for all of us in saying that we would gladly pay 50% more for any accessory if it was a quality- built item that would last without any problems for years to come.   I would also think that for upper middle-class Dad's who are buying this for their kids at Christmas or for birthday's, they would gladly pay the extra price too.

    So, why does Menard's continuously lean into cheap and unreliable designs and materials?   I mean really, how hard is it to use metal gears instead of plastic gears, etc.   Anybody, rich or poor, who buys one of these accessories and then sees it conk out within a year or so is likely to never buy an accessory from Menard's again.   I certainly wouldn't.   Don't they get that?

   And, what do the kids think of Menard products, when they see this toy just stop working on their layout after a short time.  I can tell you what they think, . . . they are really disappointed.  Does Menards think that in 10 years, these kids will buy these types of products from Menards?   No, they will just be saying, "I remember when my Dad bought me one of these for about $150 on my birthday, and it conked out a year or so later."

   Or, perhaps I am wrong, and the target group of customers for this product are actually folks who are looking to buy something cool that day for their kids or layout, and don't really care about the fact that it will be inoperative in a year or so?

   I wonder, does the fact that Menard's only makes limited runs of these accessories, and then heavily advertises them, indicate that they are selling these as impulse purchase items at a price point, and they know that they are not going to be able to sell them in any quantity two or three years down the road, when news gets out about their reliability?  Make it cheap, sell it quick, and then get out?  Is that the business strategy?  I just don't know.

  My hope is:  Menards, please charge more, and built for quality and longevity.

  Any thoughts on this?

Mannyrock

We've put over 850 hours over the course of six years on ours with a single repair (the motor replacement). Actually, the hours are probably more like a thousand because the circuit it was previously on is always-on when the layout is powered (when we're doing repairs/updates/construction).

In fact, all the Menards accessories we run at the Train Garden have been significantly more reliable than the K-Line and Lionel accessories we have had.

Under pretty extreme conditions, it has proven a level of reliability I'd kill to have from more expensive Lionel items.

@PRRronbh posted:

And from my perspective why would anyone like/buy this structure since it is nothing like a real Nuclear power station/plant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ron

Because not everyone is looking to build a scale model of reality. Believe it or not, but some people can allow imagination/fantasy to contribute to their fun. For us with a public Christmas display, the lights contribute to the whimsy of the season. Trust me, nobody would show up to a Christmas display if we were building it to resemble actual muddy, grimy, dirty, restricted railroad rights of way.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Stan is no longer a member here.

GRJ,

I am sorry to hear that.  Like you, he's a really smart dude and has helped me a ton resolving technical issues over the years. 

Mike

Update on the menards dc motor in the nuclear power plant.  The plant is a PITA to open up but be gentle and pry carefully.  Look at the location of the tabs in the pictures above and DON'T PRY WHERE  TABs ARE LOCATED!!!  Consider a putty knife and also use a utility knife where you can reach to slice the paper bottom that is glued to the structure.  On to the motor discussion.....

Relative to motors that work.  We know the Menard power supply is 4.5 volts.

After much searching, I bought this one to try even though the 6v voltage was a bit high.  Fortunately, it runs fine at 5.8 volts and has a nice slow rotation.  I am a bit worried about the leds but there is no simple way to add a single extra resistor.  One thing I found out is that the drive shaft and final gear on these motors come off with removing three screws on the face and you can switch the drive shaft for the original one.  this drive shaft in the screen capture is longer than the original, so I switched the one that was on the dead original motor. BTW, the speed is great. One of the things that may kill these motors is that it appears they drag on the surface below.  I added a small washer to reduce the friction and raise the dome slightly off the floor of the reactor.  this also is a good safety practice to reduce radiation.

Don't you hate when this happens? I just found these that are rated to start at 3 volts so they would probably be perfect for 4.5 volts. I assume they would be slower than 18rpm at this low voltage.  I may blow $6.64 and try one?  Once again, if you buy one you can trade your dead motor shaft and housing (the white part) with what comes on this new one- an easy switch and you can add a bit of vaseline lube too.

Here is a video of the final product- one has the light from the phone and one has no ambient light.  You have to cut off the lights to appreciate these things!

Hokie,

I recently bought the second motor that you show in your pictures.  I am using it on my model hangman's scaffold, to pull the victim up and down when a train goes by.  (I use 6 volt dc motion detectors, that are made for installing on windows to trigger an alarm if someone moves them.)

Having had not any experience with these cheap little motors, I just wonder how long they will last. It will be a total pain and failure if they just burn out from occasional use 6 months from now.

I guess we will both find out!

(Go Cavaliers!)

Mannyrock

@Mannyrock posted:

(Go Cavaliers!)

Mannyrock

A Cleveland fan among us???

Lou N

@Fredstrains posted:

Wow, that’s great for you guys!!   Meanwhile I gave mine away & ordered a new one !!  Bummer !

Well it's been over a year (A few weeks to be sure) and my "Second One"  lost some lights !!  It's getting exprnsive replacing these all the time!  No REPLIES from MENARDS regarduing this!!! 

FREDSTRAINS

@Fredstrains posted:

Well it's been over a year (A few weeks to be sure) and my "Second One"  lost some lights !!  It's getting exprnsive replacing these all the time!  No REPLIES from MENARDS regarduing this!!!

FREDSTRAINS

Fred,

A few questions and thoughts,

Are you powering this at 4.5 volts using a decent power supply? This might impact the failure issues you have.

have you considered trying a repair? All the electric components in the nuclear plant can be bought for $10-12. These small dc motors seem to be the standard for hobby projects so I don't think we can hang them on Menard. Plus, for Led repair you could use a led motherboard like @Rod Stewart produces for passenger car lighting.

Might be fun since I think a lifetime warranty and a repair center may not have been in the Menard business plan at this price point.

My email is in my profile if you want to trade a dead one for a good one. These are too cool to pitch!

Paul,

Will try to EMail you regarding this!!

FREDSTRAINS (EMAIL in my PROFILE as well)