5 More Hacks for Your Discarded Electric Toothbrush

Hundreds of millions of electric toothbrushes are sadly discarded each year, yet most people don’t realize that toothbrush parts are salvageable! Using the motors and magnets inside discarded electric toothbrushes (and toys and other small electronics) you can build all kinds of practical projects.

In Part 1 of this article we built five projects using repurposed Micro 150 or 130 motors. Here in Part 2, we’ll build five projects using the magnets found inside those motors.

Toothbrush and motor disassembly

These instructions are for the inexpensive electric toothbrush models that use replaceable AA batteries. Similar methods can be used for other varieties. Remove the toothbrush end cap and battery. Twist the case apart. Pull the motor out, and pry the “wobble” weight off the shaft with a pair of pliers.

To open the motor case, pry the 2 side tabs upward with a small screwdriver. Remove the end cap and slide the rotor out of the case. The two curved magnets in the case are held in place by a V-shaped metal clip which you can pry out with pliers and a small flat blade screwdriver.

Magnet projects

Reusing micro motors is lots of fun (see Part 1), but if you have a broken motor you can salvage the magnets inside to make these practical projects.