Delta Contractor Saw Replacement Motor
stevebye | Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
The motor on my Delta Contractor’s Saw died. Current motor 1.5 hp, 14.2 Amp, belt drive. Any suggestions for replacement? I went to Delta’s website, their MSRP is $221, which is a bit pricey…..
Replies
Have you tried the Woodworker's Supply?
They used to sell replacement motors for the Unisaw; perhaps they have one for the contractor saw, as well.
steve - try grizzly. they have a tefc nema 56 frame 1 1/2 motor for $150. Shoot, you could bag a 2hp for $200. Both of these are TEFC (the delta probably isn't). I've had pretty good luck with grizzly motors fwiw. I had a contractor saw years back & put a Sears motor on it. Loved that saw. Love my Powermatic 66 more though. Good luck.
Has to be TEFC type 56 frame - if you want the best, Baldor.
Try Tool Crib.
How and why (according to Delta's specs) does the motor in the contractor saw gain 1/2 hp (from 1 1/2 to 2) when run on 230v?
There was an explanation about that HP change somewhere, but I can't remember if it was on this forum or another one. Seems like it had a link, or maybe a Delta person responded. Try a search using "Delta" and "230" or "240" see what comes up. IIRC, it was a motor-specific thing. Does Delta007 still hang out here?forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
The 1.5/2.0 hp motor is a 2 hp motor all the way. It's derated (i.e. labelled) to 1.5 hp at 115V to keep the current draw less than 15A (I was told it's also for UL listing purposes). There is nothing wrong with telling you it delivers 1.5 hp continuously when it's capable of 2 hp continuously; telling you it can deliver 2 hp continuously when it can't would violate the rules of the NEMA MG-1 standard that most induction motors in this country are built to, and Marathon isn't about to do that. If you look at the nameplate, you'll see a 1.15 or 1.25 service factor at 115V, but 1.0 SF at 230V. The locked-rotor code (usually just "Code") is different for the two voltages; it's a higher letter for 115V configuration, because the hp is underreported. Also, the current draw at 115V is less than twice that for 230V. Lots of clues.
As far as Delta007 goes, he was ordered to stop posting as a representative of Delta. He and Rock2car were regulars at Woodnet. Rock has since left Delta, and 007 hasn't been heard from since, at least on the forums. Be seeing you...
Thanks for the info on 007, sorry to lose his input. Hopefully "jc" will see the motor info you posted (he was the inquirer on that topic).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
All the more reason to run 'em on 230v it seems. I was amazed at the difference on 230v vrs 115v in the two saws I've seen- like Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde.
That is a special motor made for Delta. It's only used on their top of the line contractor saws.
It is really a 2.0 HP motor at 240 volts but they have some internal circuitry to limit the heat buildup that keeps the 120 volt operation to 1.5 HP so that it can be within the circuit amperage of 120 volt wiring circuits.
You can replace a 1.5 hp contractor saw motor as long as the frame size is the same and, very importantly, the weight is close to the same. Contractor saws support the motor weight by attaching to the underside of the tabletop. Too heavy a weight will cause the tabletop to deform.Howie.........
Steve,
You can try Graingers but you have to have a wholesale account or work for a company that has an account. As long as you have the specs on the motor it should be easy to find a replacement.
Len
Steve,
Unless it smoked and burned badly, the motor probably has either a centrifugal switch failure or a thermal cut out switch failure and could be repaired for much less than the cost of a replacement motor. Usually the repair won't even require new parts, just a cleaning up of the contacts.
John W.
Thanks to all. I took the burned out motor apart and blew out 10 years of saw dust with my compressor. Saw no obvious burned areas and insured that there was 110V inside the motor plate. One of the capacitors refused to come out of the housing, so I couldn't examine it closely (didn't want to force it). Put it together again and still no go.... I'm gonna take it apart again and get the capacitor out; its gotta come out of there. If its burned, perhaps a new one. (if one goes, will it take the other one out, and/or other components??) I dont know how to diagnose a faulty thermal switch. Any ideas? I hate to give up on that darn motor - we've gotten attached through the years, and I'm probably to frugal for my own good!
Steve
A bad start capacitor, a bad run capacitor, and an open (faulty) thermal switch all have different symptoms.
Does the motor hum at all when you try to start it? If yes, check the start switch and start capacitor. You should be able to spin it by hand, hit the switch, and it'll run (do this with the belt off, and don't hurt yourself, please). A bad run capacitor may also cause the start winding to not function (they're in series, and in the circuit all the time), causing the same symptoms, but running a bit weak once started.
If nothing at all happens when you hit the switch, then check for continuity through the thermal switch. I would also disconnect both run windings, and the start winding if it's separate (it will be if the motor is reversible), and check for continuity through all three windings. If using an ohmmeter, then you should see a few ohms through each run winding (give or take), and they should be close to the same. The start winding will show high resistance, and it will increase as the capacitors charge (from the little bit of voltage the ohmmeter puts out).
You should also see no continuity between run windings (while still disconnected from each other, of course) or start winding.
But before taking the time to do all that, make sure the connections in the junction box are all tight.Be seeing you...
If you're having trouble getting the capacitor out, it's probably bad. They sometimes get hot & swell up when they fail.
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