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Thread: 120 to 220 bandsaw conversion?

  1. #1
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    120 to 220 bandsaw conversion?

    Okay, I searched and searched, but couldn't find what I need.

    I just picked up a Delta 28-203 14" bandsaw, 3/4 horse Marathon motor, and would like to convert it to 220. I read the label, but it doesn't match up with the wires in the box. Any advice? I have four wire nuts inside the box. Black to Black, White to White or Yellow(I can't tell which), Orange, Red, Yellow & White in wire nut #3, and Orange, Red, Blue & Black in wire nut #4. I have a meter if that helps, but I don't know what to check with it. Thank you for helping!

  2. #2
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    Ken,

    I went to the Delta Website. They don't show an electrical schematic. Do you have a manual? Read the tag on the motor. It may not be capable of being operated at 220vac.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  3. #3
    If it's dual voltage, the coils will be colored as follows: (if your motor is standard)

    Coil 1 - blue and white.
    Coil 2 - orange and yellow
    Starting coil - red and black

    For low voltage, all the coils are in parallel.

    For high voltage, coil 1 and coil 2 are in series. The starting coil is put across either of the coils. To reverse the motor, reverse the starting coil connections.

    If you're going to check the coils with your ohm meter, note that the starting coil has a capacitor in series with it.

    Mike
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 02-07-2009 at 12:08 AM.
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  4. #4
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    Ken, my owners manual doesn't go into any detail on the motor. The tag on the motor says 115/230, and there is writing that says to wire it one way for 'low voltage' and another way for 'high voltage', but the choices don't match up with what I'm seeing. I can get that information tonight if it would help.

    Mike, thank you, your information probably would help, but I don't know enough about 'coils' to know what this means, and I don't know what having a capacitor in there tells me. I also don't know what to do to change something from parallel to series in this instance. I know just enough to get in trouble, but not enough to get myself back out. It confuses me that the two sets of four wires each have an Orange and a Red, but I'm suspecting that I would leave those alone and just change the Yellow/White and Blue/Black, but don't know the proper way to do it.

    Thank you both for your help.

    Ken

  5. #5
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    Let me ask a basic question. Why do you want to change the voltage? The motor will produce exactly the same power, and run exactly the same, no matter which way it is wired. If it's running fine now there is no reason to change it.
    Howie.........

  6. #6
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    Good question. I always thought 230 would give it more power, smoother performance, lower amps, etc. And, I'm concerned that if I plug the saw and my vac into the same outlet, it might overload the circuit whereas I have 220 available right next to my 120. At the guy's house who I bought it from, his lights would go dim out when he turned on the saw. I'll look a little further before deciding, and thank you for the advice.

  7. Quote Originally Posted by Howard Acheson View Post
    Let me ask a basic question. Why do you want to change the voltage? The motor will produce exactly the same power, and run exactly the same, no matter which way it is wired. If it's running fine now there is no reason to change it.
    ......and more importantly, a 3/4 hp motor is not a good candidate for the argument that it needs to be done due to substandard wiring. A 120 volt 3/4 hp motor is going to draw only about 7 amps at maximum rated load.

  8. #8
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    Thanks, Rick, I'll check again when I get home, but I thought it said something like 16 amps at 120. I have some homework to do, but I have plenty to do with this saw before the wiring is going to bother me. I just thought that while I have the saw off the base and the motor is easy to get to, I may as well do the conversion. As always, I read too much. or, not enough...

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Howard Acheson View Post
    Let me ask a basic question. Why do you want to change the voltage? The motor will produce exactly the same power, and run exactly the same, no matter which way it is wired. If it's running fine now there is no reason to change it.
    Less amperage draw, less heat, longer lasting motor....

  10. #10
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    Less amperage draw, less heat, longer lasting motor....
    Less amperage draw: Correct as far as the service to the motor is concerned.

    Less Heat: Indeterminate. If the service wiring is such that voltage drop in the low voltage configuration causes a significantly longer start transient, then more heat could be generated internally during startup than would be generated in the higher voltage configuration. But that's a transient, short-lived condition. During normal operation with adequate service and nominal voltages, the same amperage flows in the internal coils in either case. Assuming nominal voltages, same power consumption during normal operation = same heat generation.

    Longer lasting motor: Indeterminate. Internally, the motor doesn't know the difference between running with the high voltage (240) connections and running with the low voltage (120) connection. Assuming nominal voltages, either configuragion produces the same voltage drop across and current through the individual coils.

    The only advantage to the motor of running the high voltage configuration is if the supply wiring is marginal. If the higher service amperage at the low voltage produces a significant voltage drop in the service wiring there would be advantage to using the high voltage setting. Otherwise, the motor really doesn't see any difference.
    Tom Veatch
    Wichita, KS
    USA

  11. #11
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    ...16 amps at 120. ...
    That power consumption (1.9 KVA) sounds more like a 2HP motor than it does a 3/4HP motor. If that is the correct amperage draw of the motor, and you have 240v service readily available, IMO, there would be no downside to converting.
    Tom Veatch
    Wichita, KS
    USA

  12. #12
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    That's what I was thinking - I have the service, it should be a simple thing to change the wires - I've done it before on my DC, and I didn't know of any reason not to do it. But I will check the stated amperage draw just to be sure. Now, if only I could figure out which wires go to which... Of course, if I can't, I'll leave it alone.

  13. #13
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    One piece of advice: Chinese motors often have completely BOGUS wiring diagrams. I don't know why,but they most certainly can be false. I've had exactly that problem converting a milling machine to 220. I hired an electrician. He was baffled. Just had to keep making random combos of the wiring until it worked. Just poor quality control? Untrained factory workers? Possibly.

  14. #14
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    I'll have to check to see if it is Chinese. It was made in '92, and the saw has a Made In USA sticker, but I don't know when we started buying everything from China.

  15. #15
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    If Ken does convert the motor to 220, is the existing 110 on/off switch going to also require replacement?

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