Cat Toy Motor Replacement

Thread Starter

402DF855

Joined Feb 9, 2013
271
My geriatric cats love this toy I bought a couple years ago and it's starting to malfunction. It stops whipping the feather attachment and I can hear an unnatural noise from the motor. I managed to order a used unit on Amazon but would like to try replacing the motor and have two working toys.

I see no identifying marks on the motor. Anyone have any idea where to find a suitable replacement? The unit runs on 3 AA batteries.

Thanks
A04.JPG
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
Most likely you will find the more common 6v versions.
It does not appear to have a gear box, so I am assuming that rpm is not that important?
Max.
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,617
There is also a whole raft of them on Amazon this looks pretty close.
Uotyle 3-6V DC Motor 3000-6000RPM Mini DC Magnetic Motor for Hair Dryer,Small Motor,Smart Cars DIY Toys 2Pcs
Max.
 

Thread Starter

402DF855

Joined Feb 9, 2013
271
Without the plastic "whip" with a feather attached, the motor spins quite fast. Under load it it's about 1 rotation per sec. The cool thing about this one is that it "randomly" changes direction, I assume a feature of the PCB, nothing special about the motor.

I'll buy a couple candidates from amazon and try them out. 3-6K RPM seems reasonable.

I'm not a EE, that capacitor I presume is needed on my replacement?
 

Thread Starter

402DF855

Joined Feb 9, 2013
271
Without the feather and plastic whip the motor screams and I can't estimate how fast it's turning. Fully attached it's probably more like 3 revs/sec. I'll buy a slower motor and try that too.
 

Thread Starter

402DF855

Joined Feb 9, 2013
271
After measuring the motor (23.5mm x 27mm) I found a replacement on amazon as part of a kit, $15. It's rated 6000 RPM at 6 V, I'll give it a try.
 
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