Table Saw use with Generator - Issues

[John Coloccia]

You've got a simple magnetic switch in that saw. If it comes on when you hit the button, it should stay on. It bothers me greatly that holding the switch allows you to run it. I wonder if the overload trips if you can still hit the On switch and have it come on? Very strange. Maybe you can find a friend that knows what he's doing and can come by and help you out so you don't keep blowing up the table saw.

[David L Morse]

...I put the black to the X pin, the white to the Y pin and the green to the ground pin ...

That is the way it should be.

[John Coloccia]

Hmmm...lightbulb just went on. Does the motor run slower now than it normally does when it's running well? Does it make a "click" noise when you shut it off and it's spinning down? I have a feeling that your performance is so bad at this point that you're running on the starter winding the whole time, causing such a voltage drop that there's no longer enough current to keep the magnetic switch closed. That means you're frying your motor.

[Kyle Kaldor]

You've got a simple magnetic switch in that saw. If it comes on when you hit the button, it should stay on. It bothers me greatly that holding the switch allows you to run it. I wonder if the overload trips if you can still hit the On switch and have it come on? Very strange. Maybe you can find a friend that knows what he's doing and can come by and help you out so you don't keep blowing up the table saw.

Just to clarify my operating procedure. If, when the cover is removed, I press the small green on/off switch, nothing happens. If I press the blue longer bar, the saw starts up, but I have to keep that depressed in order to keep the saw running. That leads me to believe that only the On/Off switch is bad, but Grizzly claims that I have to replace the entire thing.

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[Kyle Kaldor]

Hmmm...lightbulb just went on. Does the motor run slower now than it normally does when it's running well? Does it make a "click" noise when you shut it off and it's spinning down? I have a feeling that your performance is so bad at this point that you're running on the starter winding the whole time, causing such a voltage drop that there's no longer enough current to keep the magnetic switch closed. That means you're frying your motor.

I haven't noticed any performance differences when running on the generator, other than the slightly slower startup.

[John Coloccia]

Ah, that makes sense. I misunderstood the symptoms. If you really wanted to you can hook up an appropriate momentary switch that bypasses the green on/off. It has to go between 14 and 13 on that relay. Keep in mind that EVERYTHING in that box is AC from your generator that can kill you, including the switch we're talking about...no wishy washy 12V DC in there.

Clamping the relay closed is a really poor solution. It looks like that will defeat the overload protection. It really would be very helpful if you had a buddy that knew a bit about this that could figure out where to get an appropriate switch locally and get it hooked up safely for you if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.

[Kyle Kaldor]

Ah, that makes sense. I misunderstood the symptoms. If you really wanted to you can hook up an appropriate momentary switch that bypasses the green on/off. It has to go between 14 and 13 on that relay. Keep in mind that EVERYTHING in that box is AC from your generator that can kill you, including the switch we're talking about...no wishy washy 12V DC in there.

Clamping the relay closed is a really poor solution. It looks like that will defeat the overload protection. It really would be very helpful if you had a buddy that knew a bit about this that could figure out where to get an appropriate switch locally and get it hooked up safely for you if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.

John, do you agree that it is only the on/off switch that is bad? I just can't imagine that the entire mag switch is faulty if it works by pushing the blue bar.

[Myk Rian]

Like I said, I don't have a choice, I've got a wife to keep happy and cabinets to build.

Surely she'll understand the situation.
Is it worth burning up the generator, saw, or both?

[Kyle Kaldor]

Surely she'll understand the situation.
Is it worth burning up the generator, saw, or both?

I'm not convinced that I'll burn up anything.

[Steve Keathley]

I'm not convinced that I'll burn up anything.

Your saw, your risk, your money. Hope it works out for the best. Post some pics of the cabinets when you get them done.

[Larry Craft]

Inrush current!!! Your generator probably has plenty of power to run the motor, but not enough to start it. The three hp motor uses approx. 15 amps when running, but may need 50 or more amps to start. The low voltage created by the inrush current draw has burned up the contacts in the magnetic starter. They are not replaceable! You will have to replace the entire magnetic starter, it only comes as a unit. You are starting the motor on low voltage by forcing the the contacts closed. The heat generated in the motor this way can cause failure.

[Jim O'Dell]

I'm confused about not having another source of 220 power at the house. Is the electricity off? I would think a 10 gauge extension, or if it had to go a long way, an 8 gauge extension, while expensive, would be better than killing the saw. Is there not a dryer outlet you could commandeer when you need to use the saw? I'm guessing there is part of your current (no pun intended) situation that would keep you from doing this, and it just isn't clear to me, but I felt compelled to ask.
If you do need to get another mag switch, nothing saying it has to be the one from Grizzly, if there is another brand that will work that is the right rating and is cheaper, I think I'd go that route. I haven't priced mag switches, so the Griz unit may be very well priced.
I think I'd search for alternatives to power the saw. Building something small might be worth the risk. Building a set of kitchen cabinets would not be under the current (there's that word again) conditions. Jim.

[Kyle Kaldor]

I'm confused about not having another source of 220 power at the house. Is the electricity off? I would think a 10 gauge extension, or if it had to go a long way, an 8 gauge extension, while expensive, would be better than killing the saw. Is there not a dryer outlet you could commandeer when you need to use the saw? I'm guessing there is part of your current (no pun intended) situation that would keep you from doing this, and it just isn't clear to me, but I felt compelled to ask.
If you do need to get another mag switch, nothing saying it has to be the one from Grizzly, if there is another brand that will work that is the right rating and is cheaper, I think I'd go that route. I haven't priced mag switches, so the Griz unit may be very well priced.
I think I'd search for alternatives to power the saw. Building something small might be worth the risk. Building a set of kitchen cabinets would not be under the current (there's that word again) conditions. Jim.

The garage that I'm running my saw in is at least 200 feet from the nearest good power source (house). The gentleman that originally built the garage had no intention of running anything with significant power consumption. So, he buried a 12 gauge wire in the ground from another garage. So, under current conditions, if I have my lights on, a portable compressor will blow the breaker in the garage. Let's just say that this wiring situation is not ideal. I do have plans to add additional power to this building, but in the winter, it probably is not possible with the power company.

I think I'll look into running a LONG cord to the house.

[Kyle Kaldor]

Inrush current!!! Your generator probably has plenty of power to run the motor, but not enough to start it. The three hp motor uses approx. 15 amps when running, but may need 50 or more amps to start. The low voltage created by the inrush current draw has burned up the contacts in the magnetic starter. They are not replaceable! You will have to replace the entire magnetic starter, it only comes as a unit. You are starting the motor on low voltage by forcing the the contacts closed. The heat generated in the motor this way can cause failure.

Larry, thanks for the explanation. That's what I was looking for. I looked into the on/off switch portion of the magnetic switch. I can buy it online for $1.88. So, I do have options and this may be the first thing I try.

[Leo Graywacz]

The magnetic starter has 2 switches. The on and the off. The on switch is a momentary close switch. When you press the switch is conducts current, when you let go it stops conducting current. The off switch is a momentary open switch. It conducts current all the time until you press the button and then it interrupts the current flow.

It is very important that the off switch conducts current, it is what powers the latch relay. If this switch is bad or dirty the latch relay will not stay engaged. Have you tried to blow the switch contacts out?

Can you power the saw by household current to see if it functions properly? If it does then you know it is something that is caused by the generator. If it doesn't work then you know that there is a problem with the saws magnetic starter.