Replies

1. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 20, 2005 06:59am | #1

   Some motors will run hotter.. But worth a try.. If the tools are quality may be worth the cost of new motors.. Speed should not be a issue for most tools...

1. 
   skidkid | Mar 20, 2005 09:32pm | #5

   Thanks Will,

   I'm just going to live with the motors I have.

   Hank.

2. 
   yona | Mar 20, 2005 12:27pm | #2

   I don't know of any gizmo to resolve this problem. Since I had the same problem I purchased my machines without motors (someone agreed to sell them) and bought the motors separately fit with the local electrical specifications. I guess I paid a little more in total but this resolved my problems.

   You can change motors, but if the motors are strong enough you can also change pulleys to compensate for the speed loss.

   In the long run it might be worth to change motors.

    

    

1. 
   skidkid | Mar 20, 2005 09:40pm | #6

   Thanks Yona,

   I never thought of changing pulleys but I think I'll just live with the motors for now.

   Hank.

3. 
   skidkid | Mar 20, 2005 09:22pm | #3

   Thanks Michael,

   Everything runs slower in the Tropics.

   I'll just have to adjust.

   Hank.

1. 
   nikkiwood | Mar 20, 2005 09:31pm | #4

   I know zilch about all this. But I would think a quick call or visit to any local electrician (or any kind of store that sells tools, or even appliances) would yield a quick answer to your question. I would think it is a common problem, and if there is something simple you could add to your machine (or do), they would know about it. Good luck.

1. 
   skidkid | Mar 21, 2005 01:08am | #7

   Thanks Nikki,

   I will take your advice and check around. When in Rome.....

   Hank.

4. 
   DJK | Mar 21, 2005 05:03am | #8

   Just threw out a 50hz to 60hz converter. It came from West Germany with a huge router pantograph duplicator. Would run up to 5hp. It sat around about 4 years, had no use for it and didn't want to try to sell it.

5. 
   Harryd | Mar 21, 2005 05:45am | #9

   Back in the early '60's there was a converter used by the Army to convert from sixty cycles to  fifty or the reverse.  It was a motor driving an alternator.  I saw the maintenance manual on the machine but never saw one. We did have a 384 cps converter to power 400cps air-mobil components in the Air Defense School training labs, but that was a  tuning-fork regulated vacuum tube oscilator, something like 1 KW.

   Much later (out of the Army) we had a 360 cycle 3-phase atomizer on a pilot plant spray dryer.  The converter was 10 hp, about the size of a large garbage can, and consisted of a rotary transformer driven by an intregal 60 cycle sync.  motor.  This gave a soft start to the atomizer, starting it at 60 and spinning up over about 10 seconds to 360 cycles/sec. There might be something similar for 50 to 60 cps conversion, but if so in probably is 3 phase.

   More to the point at hand, an Israeli expatriot I knew was returning home to stay and was shopping for home workshop and kitchen equipment for 220 volt 50 cycle single phase mains.  He said that AC motors, even small ones,  are apparently designed too close to the limit and there is not enough iron in them to operate at 50 cy/sec.  50 cycle equipment on 60 cycles is no problem other than operating at a higher speed.

1. 
   TKanzler | Mar 21, 2005 06:27pm | #10

   For three-phase motors, if the volts-to-hertz ratio is the same, the motor will operate at full torque (but at 5/6 hp) without harm, so a 230V 60Hz motor will operate fine at 192V (+/-) 50Hz without harm.  A 200V system (common in some countries) would probably be fine.

   But single-phase 60Hz motors don't like 50Hz.  The centrifugal start switch may not come out on startup since the synchronous speed is lower (1500 rpm instead of 1800, and 3000 instead of 3600 - you should hear it come back in as it slows down when turned off), and the phase relationship between the start and run windings (and capacitor) will not be correct.  Same thing for the run capacitor and it's winding, if it has a run capacitor (it's actually the start winding doing double-duty).  It may run, but the manufactures advise against it in no uncertain terms.  Be seeing you...

1. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 21, 2005 07:34pm | #11

   I think Tom's post is CORRECT.
   Forget what I said.. I was thinking on another planet..I have used 60Hz on 50Hz in the past but.. I think it's ALL in the motor you have...Sorry for my dumb post!

1. 
   Stuart | Mar 21, 2005 08:33pm | #12

   I did a little googling and came up with a reasonable explantion about running 60hz equipment at 50hz here: http://www.pigtailproductions.com/stacey/frequency-50.htmlI also found another, more technical explanation at http://www.lmphotonics.com/faq.htm, at the bottom of the page. This one also mentions lowering the voltage to keep the volts-to-hz ratio constant.

1. 
   WillGeorge | Mar 21, 2005 09:07pm | #13

   THANKS! I love Tech. stuff and Brunettes!