Bandsaw motor question

[highpi]

I have a Rikon with the 2 1/2 horse 220 motor. Is there a converter available so I can use a 110 outlet instead of the 220, without damaging the motor? Or is it even recommended? Thanks.
Ken

[BloomingtonMike]

Is there a sub panel in the shop where the bandsaw is?

I don't like the rigged up converters like that personally. You would need to be very careful with circuit selection and wiring sizing.

You start buying larger tools its time to invest in a propery wired and sized 220V circuit or two.

[highpi]

I have a 220 but my woodworking direction is going in a different direction than when I bought the saw a few years ago. Plus it's behind the table saw so its a bit of a dance to move things around. I have a split single\two car garage and am thinking about moving a couple of tools I don't use often to the single car garage, where there isn't a 220 outlet. I don't want to spend the money to add another circuit so I was thinking of either selling it and getting a smaller one or trying the converter. Based on your answer I think it would be easier just to sell it and downsize.

[kurt18947]

Seems like it'd take a pretty stout 120 volt circuit to power a 2.5 h.p. motor even if you could find a transformer. 240 v. -> 120 v. is common, 120 v. -> 240 v is less so IME.

[SceneryMaker]

A transformer works in either direction. The problem is that a 110 V circuit will have to supply about twice the current as the motor actually uses.

[Admiral]

highpi said:

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I have a 220 but my woodworking direction is going in a different direction than when I bought the saw a few years ago. Plus it's behind the table saw so its a bit of a dance to move things around.

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You could just pigtail into the existing 220 for the tablesaw and run a new line as you likely won't be using both at the same time. Don't know if that is code or not, but I think it would be ok, the code experts could chime in if I'm wrong. Cost would be minimal.

[TDKPE]

Admiral said:

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[blockquote]highpi said:

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I have a 220 but my woodworking direction is going in a different direction than when I bought the saw a few years ago. Plus it's behind the table saw so its a bit of a dance to move things around.

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You could just pigtail into the existing 220 for the tablesaw and run a new line as you likely won't be using both at the same time. Don't know if that is code or not, but I think it would be ok, the code experts could chime in if I'm wrong. Cost would be minimal.

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[/blockquote]I was going to suggest the same thing. If it's cord and plug connected, then it's just another receptacle, similar to having a bunch of counter top receptacles on one circuit in the kitchen. You can easily run too many high-current appliances on such a circuit, so it's incumbent on you to not do that. Same with your tools.

I only have one 240V 20A circuit in my shop, with six or seven receptacles on it for convenience, and with four machines plugged in normally. But I can only run one at a time. It's not an industrial shop; it's just a room in my basement with some tools that I plug in and use once in a while. World of difference.

[highpi]

Hmm, I'll have to look into that one. Thanks.
Ken

[JGrout]

highpi said:

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Hmm, I'll have to look into that one. Thanks.
Ken

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I agree with what Tom said above.

I have 3 220V machines operating on one circuit. My TS, Jointer and shaper are all on the same circuit. I can run all of them safely on the one circuit as two are just idling along and the third is being used

[thewizzard]

Do you have 120 V in the new location? You can easily convert it to 240 V in the load center with a double-pole breaker. Now, this may create a new problem if this circuit was the only 120 V line in the new location and you still want or need 120 V also.

Rather than downsizing the entire saw, you could just downsize the motor to 1.5 HP and run in on a 120 V circuit. It will have just as much capability as buying a smaller saw. Will probably start-up a little slower but after that you wouldn't notice the difference.