Replies

1. 
   corners | Oct 14, 2003 05:57pm | #1

   Same thing with my 2 year old Delta 14" bandsaw last week. Turned out to be the switch - not put together correctly at the factory. I threw it away and installed a magnetic - safer this way.

2. 
   JohnWW | Oct 14, 2003 09:54pm | #2

   Maybe something in the details would change my mind, but this doesn't sound like a motor failure, which are usually smoky, noisy events.  An abrupt failure, without fireworks, is usually due to a power supply fault, such as a bad plug, broken wires, or a malfunctioning switch. 

   I'd wire the motor directly with a different cord and see if it started when I plugged it in,  A more subtle approach would be to use a test light or a meter to check if the motor was getting power.  I'd check for a power problem before going through the hassle of swapping out the motor.

   John W.

1. 
   JJV | Oct 14, 2003 10:18pm | #3

   Alright, then, let me throw this at you: the day before I got no response from it, I turned it on and it started to power up but stopped within 4 seconds.  No psarks, no smoke, no grinding.  I shut off the switch, turned it back on, and it worked fine.  The next day it was dead.  I agree, swapping the motor sounded extreme given the age of the machine.  The techie told me to check the capacitor, but it looked spankin' new to me.  Once we ruled that out, he was already slapping a shipping label on a new motor. 

   I don't think I would need a magnetic switch on this thing, but something in me says the switch is the issue.  What would I use to test that?  (I know a little about home wiring and all that, but next to nothing about motors.)

   Thanks again!

1. 
   JohnWW | Oct 16, 2003 12:11am | #4

   Johnniev,

   The most basic test would be to check that the motor is getting power. 

   With the machine unplugged, remove the cover from the terminal box on the motor.  Presuming the machine is wired for 110 volts, the cable into the terminal box from the switch should have three wires in it.  One is a ground wire which is usually green and is attached directly to the metal motor housing.  Another is the power or hot wire, which is usually black, and goes to an insulated terminal.  The last wire is the neutral, which is usually white and goes to a second insulated terminal.  There are other wires coming into the box from inside of the motor but they aren't relevant to this test.

   If you plug in the machine and turn on the switch, a test light or a meter should show that you have 110 volt power between the hot and neutral lines.  Obviously, with the cover off of the terminal box you need to be careful to avoid getting a possibly fatal shock. 

   If you don't get a voltage reading between the two terminals, you either don't have power in the wall socket, or the switch is defective, or there's a broken wire or  a loose connection somewhere in the system.  If you do have a voltage reading inside of the box, then the fault is somewhere in the motor.

   Hope this is useful, John W.

   Edited 10/15/2003 5:16:42 PM ET by JohnW

   Edited 10/15/2003 5:17:46 PM ET by JohnW

2. 
   Lazarus | Oct 17, 2003 01:31am | #5

   How about this...

   Unplug the cord and attach an alligator clip between the two prongs. rome whatever housing and the like in order to get at the swith terminals. turn the switch to the on position and use an ohm meter to determine if you have polarity. If you do, then the cord and the switch are good (at least when cold). Just make sure you check for polarity on the switch's output terminals, and not the input.Lazarus"Wisdom is the toughest of teachers! She gives the test first and the lesson after."