Which spare part do you need: signs of wear on Powermatic machines
Powermatic machines are designed so worn parts can be replaced instead of replacing the entire machine. The only difficulty is that customers often do not know which part is causing the problem. Below are the symptoms you may notice while filling and the parts most likely to cause them. Before ordering a spare part, clean the machine; many problems disappear after a thorough cleaning.
Symptom and part
| What you notice | Most likely part | Models |
|---|---|---|
| tubes tear along the side, tobacco is distributed unevenly | injector spoon with guide | 2+ |
| tube slips off the holder or does not sit firmly | tube holder | 2+ |
| tobacco residue remains in the chamber, jamming after the cut | blade or blade with arm | 2+, 3+ |
| machine hums, slows down or the lever does not move the mechanism | motor (on 3+, blade motor or injector motor) | 2+, 3+, 4+ |
| mechanism feels loose, filling remains uneven despite cleaning | base plate | 2+ |
| lever does not return to its starting position | spring | 1+ Elite |
| lever is loose or broken | inner or outer arm | 1+ Elite |
| tubes do not stay in the holder and fall out during automatic filling | tube-holder rubber | 5, 5+ |
Parts that wear first
Injector spoon with guide. Every cigarette means one movement of the injector. After several thousand cigarettes, the tip can wear or bend slightly. A typical sign is a tube torn along the side or an unevenly filled cigarette.
Tube holder. It holds the tube in place during filling. Once worn, the tube slips or sits loosely. It is the least expensive part and can be replaced in about a minute.
Blade. It cuts off excess tobacco. A dull blade leaves residue that can jam in the chamber. On Powermatic 2+ the blade comes with an arm, while on 3+ it is a separate blade.
Parts replaced less often
Motor. A typical symptom is humming without movement or noticeably slower filling. Powermatic 3+ has two motors, one for the blade and one for the injector; the faulty one can be identified by which part of the mechanism is not moving.
Base plate on Powermatic 2+ supports the mechanism. If filling remains uneven even after replacing the injector and cleaning the machine, a loose base plate is often the cause.
Spring and arms on the manual Powermatic 1+ Elite are the only parts on that model that normally wear; all three can be replaced with basic tools.
Before you order
- Clean the chamber, injector and tobacco path. The process is described in our cleaning guide.
- Check the tobacco. Tobacco that is too dry or too moist can cause the same symptoms as a worn injector; see Why cigarette tubes tear.
- Check the model. Parts are not interchangeable between models; the model number is printed on the underside of the machine.
If you are not sure, tell us what the machine is doing and, if possible, include a short video. We can advise which part you need, usually within one business day. All parts are available in the Spare parts category.
