HELP! Problem with my new Grizzly planer

[Todd Leback]

I just purchased and received a Grizzly 20" planer with spiral CH (model G0454Z). I set it up last week and plugged it in. It only ran while I was holding the on button in. Called tech support, they told me it does that if it is only getting 110 instead of 220. Checked legs, they were all fine, wire and breaker sized correctly. Called back and they told me to bypass the magnetic switch and see if it ran. Did that and it did. Specifically I was told the problem was with the OL Relay. They sent me a new magnetic switch. PROBLEM #1. They did not expedite shipping, so it finally came in today (I called last Thursday).
Anyway, I put the new switch in and it worked! Made about a dozen passes with some poplar to clean the grease off the cutterhead which is hard to do manually. Thought I try out some curly white oak to see how it cut. Did great, except that after the board (about 2.5" by 20") went through the same darn thing happened with the switch and the planer turned off. I can start it again, but it only runs while the on switch is being depressed. It doesn't seem to want to reset. I made a light pass (1/32) with the oak, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Any ideas? Their tech support is down because of the storm in the Midwest. I'm half tempted to bypass the mag switch and just use an on/off switch.

Thanks,

Todd

[Timothy Juvenal]

I've had similar luck with their toy mag switches. I'd recommend hooking up a double pole switch to get the planer back to work, and start looking for a real manual or magnetic starter on ebay.

Timothy

[glenn bradley]

Interesting. I have three different Griz tools bought at different times. All have mag switches and none have had issues. I'm no electrician so just laugh this off if it is off base; are your circuit and breaker sized correctly? Wire gauge, breaker type and rating?

[jim sauterer]

did you amp out the motor to make sure it is not over amping and popping the overload.bypassing the starter with a bigger rated breaker might be running high amps.just my 2 cents.

[Myk Rian]

Double check ALL your 220 connections. Sounds like one might be loose.

[Chip Lindley]

If your overload popped on the planer's starter, pushing the start button would have no affect. The motor will not run until the reset button is reset.

Holding down on the start button to get the contactor to engage, tells me that the third set of contacts (latching relay) is not staying engaged to complete the circuit. Holding down on Start momentarily competes the circuit to the coil, but the latching relay contacts maintain the circuit until the Stop button is pressed.

An under-voltage condition would likely cause the contacts to "chatter" opening and closing rapidly, rather than just open to the Stop position.

It is entirely a fault within the Grizzy magnetic starter unless there is loose connection. If the starter works intermittently, my best guess is that the latching contacts are hanging up due to some factory defect. I do not believe there is any "fix" short of taking the starter apart and inspecting movement of the mechanism. As said, check all connections for looseness or corrosion.