Question about rewiring my table saw for 240-volts.

[Andrew Welch 1977]

I have a Dewalt DW744s Table Saw Version 2 I bought a few years ago and we recently changed the wiring in the our garage. Since then I've noticed the saw seems to bog down more then it used to.

I've heard of people rewiring their table saws from 120 to 240-volts. Is it possible to do that on a DW744s? And would it make a difference?

[Hoa Dinh]

DW744 is a benchtop saw. I don't think you can rewire it for 240V.

Also, how does the saw "bog down"? Does it stall more often? Does it strip the breaker? Does it dim the lights more?

Is the saw on a dedicate circuit? If not, you may want to make it so.

Can the "bog down" be due to something else, not the wiring? Check saw alignment, blade's sharpness, ....

[Rick Christopherson]

I can't tell for sure, but I believe this is one of the Universal Motor benchtop saws. If this is correct, then the following apply:

• It cannot be rewired for 240 volts
• It will not be harmed from under voltage (can even be run from variable speed control).
• A loss of power could be related to worn brushes.
• Excessive voltage drop from extension cords could reduce power and motor RPM.

If you are having a power problem, first get rid of the extension cord, next, check the brushes, next, check the blade.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

I used to have a DW744 and the previous replies are correct: it's 120V only.

What exactly do you mean by "changed the wiring"?

[Andrew Welch 1977]

I'll have to check in the morning but I hadn't thought about brushes being worn down.

As for "changed the wiring", we enclosed our car port and made it into a garage a while back. I'm just now getting back into handyman type stuff and hopefully some actual woodworking if my to do list ever goes below 100 things to do. So this is the first chance I've gotten to test out the new outlets and use the table saw.

[David G Baker]

Andrew,
I had a similar problem when I ran a 150 foot #12 wire extension cord to my table saw. The wire was not big enough to handle the long run and the needs of the saws motor. The recent wiring change in your garage may have caused the problem. Another possibility could be a wire nut or screw in one of your receptacles or wiring boxes not being snug. Personal experience that took a while to solve. If it worked fine before the new wiring then the wiring is the first place I would look.

[Andrew Welch 1977]

Seems to be the brushes and the fact I was trying to rip 2x4s in half in one pass.