About 8 years ago I purchased a Powermatic 66 table saw. Today the motor was diaganosed as “blown”. Apparently it will cost $450 to fix.(!!! Holy cow – this is just what I wanted for Xmas).
My questions are:
Is it appropriate for me to be astonished that this happened? I thought I was buying a table saw for life including the motor.
Can I buy any motor, does it have to be Baldor? Do I have to replace it with exactely the same brand?….as long as it is the same hp, volts, amps etc…
Big sigh…
Alison
Replies
Stuff happens! Did you run heavy enough wire? Too light a gauge wire will cause it to run hot and shorten the motor life. Just make sure the frame size is the same. It doesn't have to be a Baldor. You could use a WEG or Leeson. Any manufacturer will have an occassional problem item for whatever reason. Could be some small thing like a short in the windings on your particular motor. I think it's unrealistic to expect it to be a forever thing although 8 years is a bit short but it can happen, just too bad it happened to you and especially around the holidays.
Rick...I just moved to my new workshop and gave the electricians a whopping cheque to wire it all specifically for each machine - amps, volts and all that good stuff I know nothing about, well enough to speak ignorantly on.
Because I really need to catch up with the backlog of work that is a result of the move, I think I'm just going to suck it up and spend my Xmas money on it. Ahh well. Such is life.
The one saving grace is that Carl, my work buddy, installed the remote control for the dust collector today and so we had fun walking around the shop turning the thing on and off and loving the fact that it worked and we could do it :))
I think they used #10 wire....does that help? What do you mean by frame size?
Alison
Read the motor label and you will see a reference to frame size. That determines the physical size characteristics, shaft size, etc. That info and the horsepower will insure you get a proper replacement motor that fits your saw. You never did state the hp. Typically 3 hp was a common size but I have seen a few saws with 2 hp. 3 hp is plenty and there is no reason to go higher unless heavy 24 hour production. Plus you would have to change the heaters in the mag starter. Not very expensive but an added cost. I'm assuming you are a using the saw for hobby woodworking and your enjoyment.
Edited 12/8/2004 7:45 am ET by rick3ddd
Check around your local motor supply houses. I have heard of people getting a great deal if you have the time. I would think they are quoting you a price to rewind your motor
Alison:
You were unclear as to whether the $450 was to repair the motor or to replace it.
You might want to check with a couple of motor repair shops and see what they quote to repair it.
Other than that, an equivalent motor of any make should work. Baldor, Leeson, G.E. & Dayton all are good. Check with Grainger's for a price, or check local repair shops to see if they have any for sale.
What are the symptoms? What exactly does it do when you hit the "on" button? Does it hum, or do nothing? $450 sounds like a price to rewind it, but the most common problem with single-phase motors is a bad start capacitor, which is cheap to fix. Since your motor is TEFC (sealed, essentially), it's not likely the centrifugal start switch, but it could be. That's also cheap to fix.
You can get a brand new 3 hp Baldor C-face motor for about $350 (delivered) from Plaza Machinery. http://www.plazamachinery.com/ and scroll to about the middle of the page. As far as I know, the PM66 uses a standard C-face motor frame. Check the nameplate of your motor. The frame size is likely a 145TC frame, but if it has a "Z" on the end, like 145TCZ, then the shaft is special, and a standard frame motor won't fit (the pulley). Unisaws have undersized shafts for instance, as well as a special mount, but I'm not sure about PM66's; I think they're standard.
You don't need to use Baldor, by the way. Here's a Leeson for a bit less money. http://www.electricmotorwarehouse.com/woodwork_motors.htm and go to the bottom of the page. The Leeson motor uses a run capacitor, so it draws less current than the Baldor. You'll need to adjust the overcurrent protection setting (lower) in your starter, or replace the heaters if it's an industrial type starter.
Be seeing you...
Alison,
Talk about poor timing! Egad!!!
I sent an e-mail to an acquaintance who is a distributor for this area to get some input on your dilema. I'll let you know as soon as I get a response.
We feel your pain!!!
ps: Does this mean we should bring our own wine to your grand opening?????
<grin>
Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Must be something in the stars - the motor on my bandsaw died tonight. Makes one hell of a noise when I turn it on but goes no where. Not to be utterly done in, I gave it a good spin, hit the switch, and made the cut, so to speak.
We took the motor off of the TS and had a engine repair firm take a look at it. Like we did, they thought it was the bearings....it was making a trundling noise when we spun it. We did test it without the belts on before we uncoupled it, but it still cut out within seconds of pressing the on switch.
The technician, seems like an honorable guy, and said that it would either need to be rewound or a new one purchased and that a new one was only $20 more getting it rewound. My guess is that at the $450 price they quoted me, it is going to be an exact replacement of the 3hp Baldor and the rest is labor and taxes.
I'm just confounded as to why it happen in the first place. I've certainly used it extensively, but never mistreated it. I thought it would last thru my grandchildren. I am just under a mis apprenhsion?
Yeah, Bill, aint the timing grand...this happens the same time as the opening reception, and the same time that my insurance renewal is due...arrrrrgh. Money is such a pernicious little beast. Too much is bad for you and too little is torturous.
alison
The diagnosis doesn't sound like a slam dunk for these symptoms. The motor spins, it makes noise when it spins, and it runs but cuts out after a few seconds. I wonder if your bearings are trashed which causes the motor to overload immediately and quit. I'd take it to another electric motor shop; don't tell them any history, and see what diagnosis they come up with.Pete
Alison.... I canna help feeling that the quote for repair was too steep by a factor of 2... to rebuild an induction motor, you need only replace the bearings windings and possibly the capacitors too... Replacement windings for a motor still in production should be available off the shelf, likewise with the bearings and caps.
Another thought... these things are generally built like the proverbial brick outhouse for a reason; they're expected to last a lot longer than 8 years... I'd be inclined to have a close look at your drive belt pulleys; make sure they're perfectly aligned and that there's not too much tension on the belts. Excessive strain on the belts will cause excessive wear in the bearings... possibly leading to the armature impacting the motor windings...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Ed,
(Note: I am talking about Ed's bandsaw problems here, not the Powermatic saw's motor.)
99 percent of the time with those symptoms, you've got a stuck starter switch in the motor, an easy fix. The switch usually just needs its contacts cleaned and and dust cleaned out of the throw wait mechanism. The other much less likely cause is a bad starter capacitor, which will need replacing, but they aren't expensive.
John W.
Edited 12/8/2004 12:36 pm ET by JohnW
Thanks John. I was figuring, as soon as I'm finished sorting out accounting BS (I weren't ever borned to be an accountant!!) and need to use the old girl again I'll give that motor a swift kick, see if that teaches it a lesson or two. Of course, if I'm feeling in a bit of a better and kinder mood than right now I'll clean the poor thing out.
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