Edwin Sweet Repair

Edwin Sweet Repair Repair before replace. Local, affordable diagnostics and repairs with honest advice to help you make the right call for your home, equipment, and budget.

Supporting individuals who cannot afford professional rates or new equipment.

This meta quest 2 controller came in with a broken thumb stick. Broken pieces removed and new one installed ready to go.
10/11/2026

This meta quest 2 controller came in with a broken thumb stick. Broken pieces removed and new one installed ready to go.

🔧 Hard at work? Don't forget your preventative maintenance!This week, I've had a few well-used tools come into the shop ...
10/09/2026

🔧 Hard at work? Don't forget your preventative maintenance!

This week, I've had a few well-used tools come into the shop for some much-needed attention, including DeWalt drills, a Bosch drill, and a Ridgid shop vacuum.

Each came in with a different problem, but they all have one thing in common: with a little troubleshooting and some repair work, they're getting a second chance at many more hours of use.

🧹 The Ridgid Shop Vacuum

This vacuum came in making a noise like it was about to shake itself apart, with absolutely no suction.

The culprit? A severely clogged filter.

As filters become restricted, airflow drops. Continued use can allow fine debris to get past the filter and into the motor and fan assembly.

As you can see in the photos (video in the comments), hair, plastic and other debris had made their way inside and obstructed the fan.

The vacuum was completely disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled. It's ready to go again once a new filter is installed.

This is a great reminder to check and clean your vacuum filters regularly. A clogged filter doesn't just reduce suction—it can contribute to overheating and premature motor wear.

🔩 The DeWalt Drills

These drills came in with different electrical problems. Some had corroded contacts that prevented power from reaching the rest of the tool.

The cause? They had been stored away wet, with their batteries still attached.

Moisture and residue can cause corrosion on the copper contacts in both the tool and battery. Over time, that corrosion can interfere with the electrical connection and stop the tool from working.

The affected areas were cleaned up, and the drills were reassembled and tested.

A simple storage tip: remove batteries from tools before putting them away, and make sure everything is dry before storing it.

⚙️ The Bosch Drill

This drill had a gearbox that wouldn't engage, regardless of the speed selection.

After disassembly, a detached spring was found inside the gearbox. It was preventing the ring gear from engaging properly.

Once the issue was corrected, the gearbox was reassembled and the drill was ready to get back to work.

🔧 A little maintenance goes a long way.

Whether it's a drill that's stopped working, a vacuum that's lost suction, or a tool that's been sitting forgotten in the garage or basement, don't automatically assume it's finished.

Sometimes it's a simple repair. Sometimes it needs a little more attention. And sometimes it's time to retire it.

If you have unwanted tools or equipment sitting around, I also offer free local pickup of unwanted items, or you can drop them off at the shop. I'll assess what can be repaired, reused for parts, or responsibly recycled.

Need a tool repaired, or have something taking up space? Reach out to Edwin Sweet Repair and let's see what we can do. 🔧♻️

🍞 Another KitchenAid mixer back in action!This KitchenAid Classic came into the shop because the attachments were consis...
10/02/2026

🍞 Another KitchenAid mixer back in action!

This KitchenAid Classic came into the shop because the attachments were consistently hitting the front of the bowl during operation.

After setting the mixer up on the bench, something immediately looked a little off.

The bowl appeared to be sitting tilted toward the back of the machine.

After some inspection, the cause was found: at some point, the base had become bent, changing the position of the bowl and causing the attachments to make contact.

The base was carefully bent back into position and the mixer was tested again.

No more contact between the attachments and the bowl. 🔧

The customer also requested that the grease and internal condition of the mixer be inspected while it was apart.

After taking a look, everything was in great condition—almost like new. The grease looked good, and there was no reason to perform additional servicing at this time.

And this is something that's important to me when working on your equipment.

I'm not interested in upselling work that isn't needed.

I'll inspect things, explain what I find, make recommendations when appropriate, and let you decide what you want to do.

If something needs attention, I'll tell you.

If it doesn't, I'll tell you that too.

I will always perform services you request, but I don't want anyone feeling pressured into spending money because they're worried that they *have* to.

This KitchenAid is back together and ready for many more hours of work in the kitchen. 🍞🔧

Video in the comments.

10/01/2026

💿 Older disc and tape players are starting to show their age.

CD players, cassette players, VCRs, older game consoles and other equipment that relies on mechanical drives and optical systems are now getting old enough that components will naturally begin to fail.

Common problems include:

🔧 Failed power supplies
💿 Worn or failed lasers
⚙️ Stretched or broken drive belts
🔘 Failed buttons and switches
⚙️ Worn or damaged gears
🔌 Cracked or failing connections

But that doesn't necessarily mean the device is finished.

Another CD player saved.

This one came into the shop with a slightly different problem—it was more than happy to keep the CD inside, but wasn't willing to give it back. 😂

After getting it apart, the cause became clear.

A gear had skipped a tooth, and a stretched drive belt was preventing the tray mechanism from operating properly.

A new belt was installed, the gears were realigned, and the mechanism was put back together.

The tray is opening properly again, and this CD player is back to playing music. 💿🎶

As these older machines continue to age, more of these failures are going to show up. Fortunately, many of them can still be repaired.

So if your CD player, cassette player, VCR, older game console, or other disc/tape equipment isn't reading, opening, playing, or powering on properly, don't automatically write it off.

Reach out and let's see if we can keep your older equipment going.🔧♻️

🔌 Just because the charger fits doesn't mean it's the right charger.This battery-powered brush came into the shop becaus...
10/01/2026

🔌 Just because the charger fits doesn't mean it's the right charger.

This battery-powered brush came into the shop because it wouldn't charge and the internal battery was completely dead.

As soon as I opened it up, there was that familiar smell...

🔥 Burned electronics.

The charging circuit had suffered a thermal event. A section of the charging IC had literally burned away, along with part of the copper trace on the circuit board.

The onboard lithium-ion battery was also reading 0 volts.

I asked the customer what had happened, and they mentioned that they had used a different charging cable because the connector physically fit.

The cable was from their battery-powered vacuum.

There's the problem.

Although the connector was the same, the vacuum's power adapter was outputting over 30 volts.

This brush was designed for 5 volts.

That's a HUGE difference.

This is something I see fairly often. Different devices can use the same physical connector, making it tempting to assume the chargers are interchangeable.

They're not necessarily.

A connector only tells you that it fits. It doesn't tell you that the voltage, current, polarity, or charging requirements are correct.

In this case, the incorrect power adapter damaged the charging circuit and the battery.

🔧 To get this brush back into service, it needed:

• A new battery
• A replacement charging circuit
• A new power adapter with the correct output voltage

Everything was installed, tested and verified, including the charging and safety functions.

This brush is ready to go back to work. 🔋🔧

⚠️ Before plugging a charger into a device, always verify that the output voltage is correct for that device.

Many chargers use connectors that can physically fit multiple products.

If it fits, that doesn't necessarily mean it's safe to use.

And if you have a device that's no longer accepting a charge, has a dead battery, or suddenly stopped working after using a different charger, reach out.

Let's see if we can figure out what happened and whether it can be repaired. 🔧♻️

🍂 Summer is coming to an end. 😞And with fall approaching, now is a good time to start thinking about a few things around...
09/20/2026

🍂 Summer is coming to an end. 😞

And with fall approaching, now is a good time to start thinking about a few things around the house before everything gets put away for the winter.

❄️ Window & Portable A/Cs

After running all summer, condenser coils can collect dust, pet hair, pollen, bugs and other debris.

As that buildup gets worse, airflow across the coil is reduced. The unit has to work harder and run longer to cool the same space. Eventually, it may stop cooling altogether and can appear to be completely dead.

Before putting your A/C away for the winter, a good cleaning can help keep it running properly next summer.

I recommend having these units cleaned about every 2 years, depending on the environment they're operating in.

🧹 Vacuums

Summer also means plenty of dirt, sand and debris coming into the house.

Fine particles can sometimes make their way past filters and become trapped inside the vacuum, particularly in machines where the filters are located on the exhaust side.

Over time, this buildup can restrict internal airflow and lead to a noticeable loss of suction.

But reduced airflow doesn't just affect suction.

Your vacuum's airflow also helps move heat away from the motor. When that airflow is restricted, the motor may not get the cooling it needs, causing it to operate at higher temperatures. Over time, that additional heat can contribute to increased wear on the motor and other components.

A deep cleaning can remove that buildup, improve airflow and help keep the vacuum operating the way it should.

🌳 Trees & Bushes

Everything has been growing all summer too!

Fall is a great time to get overgrown bushes and branches trimmed back—improving sight lines, maintaining clearance from buildings and structures, and removing vegetation that has become a potential hazard.

If you need:

🔧 Window or portable A/C cleaning before winter storage
🧹 A vacuum deep cleaned and serviced
🌳 Bushes or tree branches trimmed back

Reach out and let's get you booked.

A little maintenance now can help prevent bigger problems later. 🍂🔧

🛠️ 3D printing has opened so many doors in the world of repair and restoration.This gas trimmer came into the shop becau...
09/20/2026

🛠️ 3D printing has opened so many doors in the world of repair and restoration.

This gas trimmer came into the shop because it would start and run, but as soon as the trigger was pressed, the engine would bog down and die.

After getting into the filter and carburetor, the problem became apparent.

The choke lever was broken.

On this particular design, the lever is responsible for holding the choke flap in either the open or closed position. Without the lever, the flap was free to move on its own. Engine vacuum and gravity would pull the choke closed, restricting airflow and causing the engine to bog down and stall when the throttle was opened.

The replacement part was available through the dealer, but the expected delivery time was about a week and a half.

There were also universal replacement options available online with next-day delivery, but they weren't an exact fit for this machine.

So instead of waiting, or trying to make a universal part work, I decided to make the part.

📐 The broken original was used to reverse engineer the shape and dimensions, a new replacement lever was designed, and then it was 3D printed.

The new lever was installed, tested, and...

The trimmer is back to work—and working better than it was when it came in.🔧

This is one of the reasons I added 3D design and printing to my repair services.

Sometimes the part you need is discontinued.
Sometimes it's unavailable.
Sometimes it's going to take two weeks to arrive.

And sometimes the broken part itself gives us everything we need to make a replacement.

If you've got something that has broken and replacement parts aren't readily available, reach out.

Let's see if we can design a solution and get you going again.🖨️🔧♻️

🪞 Sometimes making something safe means rebuilding more than you expected.This antique mirror was brought into the shop ...
09/20/2026

🪞 Sometimes making something safe means rebuilding more than you expected.

This antique mirror was brought into the shop with a simple request:

Make sure it's safe to hang and fill in the cracks.

Once it was disassembled, it became clear that simply repairing what was already there wasn't going to be enough.

The mirror had originally been held in the frame with nails driven through the back. Unfortunately, those nails had caused the wood to split, leaving the frame compromised.

There was another problem too.

The frame was measuring as a trapezoid, while the mirror itself was rectangular. This meant portions of the mirror weren't being properly supported by the frame.

So the frame was completely disassembled.

The individual pieces were cut to the proper lengths and angles to bring the frame back into the correct shape. The damaged wood trim on the back was removed and replaced with a solid, one-piece channel for the mirror to slide into.

No more relying on nails or clips to hold the mirror in place.

Once the structure was corrected, the cosmetic work could begin.

Holes, chips and damaged areas were filled, sanded and shaped to match the existing pattern as closely as possible. Finally, the entire frame received a fresh coat of paint, which also helped fill and blend the remaining cracks.

The result is a piece that isn't just prettier—it's structurally sound and ready to be hung again.

This was a good reminder that restoration isn't always about making something look new.

Sometimes it's about understanding why it failed, correcting the underlying problem, and finding a better way to put it back together.

Another piece of craftsmanship saved from being discarded. 🪞🔧♻️

09/20/2026

🍞 Sometimes a repair really is as simple as tightening a few screws.

This KitchenAid stand mixer came into the shop because the attachments were hitting the back of the bowl while running, causing the entire mixer to bounce and move around on the counter.

The first clue was that the top section of the mixer was extremely loose where it connects to the base.

After disassembling the mixer and removing the motor assembly, the cause was found.

Three mounting screws had backed out.

The screws were retightened and a small amount of threadlocker was applied to help prevent them from loosening again in the future.

🔧 Simple fix. Big difference.

The customer uses this mixer very frequently, so simply getting it working again wasn't quite enough. The goal was to make sure the repair would hold up to the regular use this machine sees.

Back together, properly secured, and ready for many more batches. 🍞

Another example of why an unusual noise, movement, or change in how an appliance operates doesn't necessarily mean something major has failed.

Sometimes it's just a few screws that need some attention. 🔧♻️

🔧 Sometimes finding the problem means eliminating everything it isn't.This Dyson V15 SV47 came into the shop because it ...
09/20/2026

🔧 Sometimes finding the problem means eliminating everything it isn't.

This Dyson V15 SV47 came into the shop because it had no signs of life, even with a fully charged battery.

Instead, when the trigger was pulled, the battery light would flash 10 times and then go out.

The first step was to trace the power.

The battery was good, but when the trigger was pressed, the voltage would drop as though there was a short somewhere in the vacuum.

Time to dig deeper.

The vacuum was disassembled and the main circuit board was accessed. With the canister and be**er bar removed, the vacuum powered up and ran normally.

That told us something important:

✅ Motor was working
✅ Motor control board was working
❌ The problem was somewhere in the canister or be**er bar

The canister was reinstalled by itself and the trigger was pulled.

10 flashes. No operation.

So the problem had been narrowed down to the canister.

After disassembling it, another circuit board was found inside. This board was heavily contaminated with dust and corrosion, and several components on the board were shorted.

With this board removed, the vacuum was reassembled and tested.

It worked normally again. 💨

The only thing lost was the automatic function controlled by that secondary board. The customer was completely fine with that, so the board was left out.

Another vacuum saved.

This is why I enjoy troubleshooting. The problem isn't always where you'd expect it to be, and replacing parts until something works isn't always the answer.

Sometimes you have to trace the problem, eliminate what's working, narrow down where the fault is, and then find the actual cause.

And sometimes, a vacuum that appears completely dead just needs someone willing to dig a little deeper. 🔧♻️

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St. Thomas
Saint Thomas, ON

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