I've had a problem with my G0514X 19", 3hp, 220v, $1250 bandsaw for the three years since I've had it, and I'm trying to get to the bottom of it. It is motor-related, and I'm not that knoweldgeable about electric motors, so bear with me.

Right now I have a basement wood shop full of smoke. Blown start capacitor. It smoked so much this time I ran and got the fire extinguisher out of fear that it was actually on fire. (it wasn't)

Shortly after I bought the saw I blew a start capacitor. Grizzly's tech was helpful and advised that this saw isn't designed to be started and stopped multiple times per hour and that I'd be better off leaving it running. I find that inconvenient and often unsafe but I've learned to heed his advice and manage. Grizzly did send me a new capacitor that time.

Last time the saw went poof I got a very helpful tech on the phone who walked me through digging into the motor itself and checking the contact point on a bakelite board in there....Something to do with little centrifugal contacts that engage as the motor winds up. That contact point had signs of damage so Grizzly sent a new one.

Now I'm back in the same mess. I need my bandsaw for a project and it is dead as a hammer. Gotta drive 35 miles to a friend's to use his bandsaw to have my project done when it was promised. Going to have to order a capacitor from Grizzly or get one at a local electrical shop.

I upgraded to this saw from a G0555, which was a wonderful machine. The G0514X is a joy to use when it is running...Easy to tune, limitless resaw power. But I'm at the point where I am simply afraid to turn the saw on for fear that it'll die again, so it is something I'm wanting to fix once and for all or replace. I'd sell it, but I wouldn't want to sell this lemon to another woodworker unless and until I can fix it for good. I've lost track of how many capacitors I've bought in three years, but it has been a few. After three years of relative patience with the issue I'm at the point that this is unacceptable to me.

Definitely not trying to bash Grizzly here. I like Grizzly and would buy one of their cabinet saws right now if my wife would let me. As stated, I loved my G0555 and my 6" Grizzly jointer. Just looking for advice from anybody that knows what might cause the saw to go through capacitors so often.

I'll be calling Grizzly Monday, but I'm hoping to have some ideas of what is causing this when I call them, as I don't want to keep just replacing capacitors and keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks for reading my rambling. Hope someone has had the same problem and fixed it!