# Belt/Motor Locking Up or Slipping

**URL:** <https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/belt-motor-locking-up-or-slipping/26259>\
**Category:** Troubleshooting\
**Created:** [October 5, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/belt-motor-locking-up-or-slipping/26259 "2026-10-05T14:44:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Mark\_HF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@Mark\_HF](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Mark_HF)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/belt-motor-locking-up-or-slipping/26259/1 "2026-10-05T14:44:25Z")

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I am running the latest firmware and using the Maslow on a frame. This has never been an issue until now; however, I don’t cut much.

I am having an issue I wanted to run by the group before moving forward. I was using the M4 to make a few basic cutouts, for the most part, squares. I did two back-to-back, and both had the same issue, so I stopped.

In short, the top-right mounted motor, or the second from the cutting surface, is locking, jumping, or slipping. When cutting one of these squares, it should have made 4 passes. On the fourth pass, when the Maslow is in the lower right corner of the cut, either right in the corner when it adjusts to start moving up, or shortly after starting to move up, the unit jumps a little to the left, taking the bit into parts of the board it has not passed yet. This jams the system and causes it to lock up.

I stop the router and maslow, then have to fight to clear everything. This takes a few power cycles, and I have to fight with belt tension to get the Maslow free from the board. After I disconnect the belts from the corner, I have to release tension, extend, and retract a few times before the second motor and belt start responding. It feels like the belt may be slack within the Maslow. After a few tries, it finally responds, and then the unit starts acting normally again.

I plan to do a few more small cuts to test this further, but if you have any suggestions on what I should look for, I am all ears.

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**Author:** ![wouldchuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/58956e/32.png) [@wouldchuck](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/wouldchuck)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 3:28pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/belt-motor-locking-up-or-slipping/26259/2 "2026-10-05T15:28:32Z")

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Is it possible that there is something in the gears or that your spool has a mangled gear tooth? it is a pain to take things apart but that might be something to check. Also check the teeth on the drive belts and I had left out one of the bearings that holds the drive gear in the arm (dumb) and it was causing drive problems.

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**Author:** ![ian\_ab](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a587f6/32.png) [@ian\_ab](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/ian_ab)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/belt-motor-locking-up-or-slipping/26259/3 "2026-10-05T19:59:07Z")

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It’s likely to be what Wouldchuck says, but what you can try first is lowering the retract force to 200, extending out that belt, doing a retract (which will not move the belt) then extending again until all the belt is out. Use a vacuum or blower to make sure no foreign matter is in the arm.  
Reset the retract force to the normal value and retract again.  
If this doesn’t do anything then you will have to pull that arm down and check as per the above.