(10-22-2017, 11:41 AM)TDKPE Wrote: The specs say it has a 21A FLC motor, which sounds like it's Asia-sourced.  High for a 3 hp, like many Grizzly machines are.  My 3 hp Unisaw has a 12.4A Marathon motor, which is low but real.

Either way, if it starts and runs ok on a 20A circuit, use it.  If you would rather use the existing 30A dryer circuit, know that if it's 3-wire with no ground, the white is functionally the same as the equipment ground, assuming it lands on the same bus in the main panel.  It's just overkill, as it would be insulated, and the receptacle lug it's landed on is designed to carry current continuously, while a ground connection does not except in a ground-fault situation (potentially thousands of amps for a cycle or so).  And it's the wrong color.  

You could also change out the receptacle for a NEMA 6-30, which is a proper 30A, 250V, 2-pole, 3-wire, grounded receptacle.  That doesn't make the white equipment grounding conductor code compliant, but it's what you have.

I'm a little curious about others' PM planers that run on 20A circuits.  Especially if they have the same motor.  21A rating is obviously more than should be on a 20A circuit (16A max on a motor circuit, generally speaking), and a lot of motor to start, with a high-speed belt-connected load yet.

(10-22-2017, 06:51 PM)JGrout Wrote: I would have to open up my planer to look at the name plate to see the FLA .  I do know however that the planer starter system has a variable amperage draw adjustment and mine is set @ 16A Been like this since the first one in the shop I managed  in 1994 without an issue ever, and since then in my own shop since 2003 We routinely ran 10K BF in a quarter or more  and since on my own I  do put the BF to mine regularly. Also my planer has a helical head so even that has not affected it

(10-22-2017, 08:21 PM)TDKPE Wrote: Thanks for the info.  I suspect earlier units used the ubiquitous Baldor L3606, which had a FLA somewhere around 14.5-15.5A.  The EL3606 had a higher efficiency and therefore lower FLA.  That was one of the selling points of PM (among many) - they used Baldor motors.  Don't know what they're using now, but with that high FLA figure, it sounds like its's Asia sourced.