Table Saw power

[Marc Myers]

I'm in the market for a new table saw to replace an older Delta 36-600. I'm finding that I'm running into some power issues with newer and more powerful tools. I'm a few years away from being able to move to a new place with a bigger shop, so I don't want to dump a lot of money upgrading the panel. Currently, I only have 100 amp service into the entire house. It was built in the 70's as a small place and I'm sure at that time, no one ever thought there would be a shop in the basement. All the circuit brakers that feed into the shop are 15 amps. The panel is maxed out, and I do not have room to and any 220 lines to power up big 3hp table saws. I'm looking hard at the hybrid table saws that can be wired to either 110 or 220. Run it off 110 now and when I move, swap it over 220 for the better electrical efficency. I do not do woodworking full time, so the saw will not see continual use over an "8 hr workday". The Grizzly G0715P hybrid table saw is what I'm leaning toward the most, but the specs say it draws 16 amps when wired as a 110v setup. It also requires a accessory 20 amp circuit breaker to be installed on the tool. If I were to plug this into the existing 15 amp (14 guage wire) outlet that I already have, am I going to run into problems tripping the breaker, or ruining the motor by starving it for power causing it to bog down? Or do I really need to be plugging this into a 20 amp (12 gauge wire) service? I also had someone suggest a power adaptor that converts 110 and 220 power, something similar to what you'd need traveling overseas to run your electric shaver. Not sure if I can buy one of these and run the saw in it's 220 setup off the existing plug?? What other solutions might I look into that would work safely, but not break the bank?
Also, food for thought as a reference....the largest tool I currently run is a Jet 1642EVS lathe. The motor tag list it at 1.5 hp and 18 amps. This has a standard 110v setup on the motor and I run it off a 10' cord with no problems. I understand basic electrical, but I'd really hate to spend $1000 on a new saw only to find out I can't power it up.

[Don Jarvie]

Marc, if you put in 20 amp breakers you need to use 12g wire to handle the load.

Is your shop attached to the house, i.e., garage or basement or in a separate building? How many lines to the shop? If its one 14g - 15amp line you need to upgrade. Easiest way would be a subpanel off your main panel to give you a few lines in the shop.

Have an electrician come over and give you a few options.

[Aleks Hunter]

Hi Marc,

Froget the travel adapter idea. For two reasons. They won't handle the current you need, and you still need enough volt amps to power the saw under load. 10 amps at 220 = 20 amps at 110 v, so you don't get a power increase from the converters.

If the saw calls for a 16 amp service you could be putting on some miles back and forth to the panel if you cut any hardwood with any appreciable thickness. Current draw depends on how much you load the motor.

Don's right. Unfortunately there is no cheap and dirty fix. Ask your electrician about run a high amperage line (220) to a sub panel in your shop. This will take two slots in your main panel. Voila! you now have a few more slots available in the rest of the house. The 100 amp service line coming into yourhouse is a LOT of power for a residence, and it is highly unlikely that you ever come close (unless you're runnign a sauna and a hot tub at the same time as someone is using an electric range for cooking) to tripping the main breaker. You say "all of the circuits" sounds like there are at least three. If that is the case the least expensive way to go is to replace one 15 amp with a 20 amp breaker and run a 12 ga wire to a single outlet, keeping that circuit dedicated to the saw. Also if you're planning on spending $1000 on a saw, think about getting a proper cabinet saw, they do cut much better than the hybrid ever will. Mass = stability. A used powermatic 66 or Unisaw will likely last you the rest of your life. The table saw is the centerpiece of most (powered) woodshops. Just $.02 from someone who's been there.

[Michael W. Clark]

I agree with the previous posts. Whether 110V or 220V, you still have a 3HP motor to run. The motor will likely not pull full load all of the time, but you will need to size the wire (and breaker) to carry the load or you can shorten the motor life due to a higher amp draw. If you are moving in a couple of years, think "temporary", something you can undo and return to normal for the next homeowner. I wouldn't necessarily propose this, but I have a friend that used his dryer electrical service to run his table saw. You just can't run both at the same time. Hire an electrician for a couple of hours to get some options, well worth it. By the way, if I was getting a new saw, I would look for a cabinet saw with a riving knife if the budget permits. Good luck, be careful.

[Marc Myers]

I installed a subpanel last summer when I built the garage. Things moved out of the basement at that point giving me more shop space. The electrician told me at that point there was no way I could do a 220 line in the basement. What I have found since then is that he moved a few things around and spread them out, which is fine, but I wasn't aware he did it. There was a lot of 'mickey mouse' electrical work done prior to me having the house, so he did a much better job than I could have working with it. I did discover yesterday there is now one 15 amp breaker that powers just one plug that my shop vac is plugged into. Creating a second spot next to this breaker would involve putting more things back onto the breakers that were just redone. I really don't want to do that because it has actually worked out well in the kitchen not popping breakers with the coffee pot, micro, radio, lights etc. I have not been able to trace back everything (electrician made notes of what he did) that was moved as of yet...it's a rainy day project to come up with a new list of what breaker# now controls what. So it looks like a 220 is out of the question, as it would involve upgrading to a 150 amp service, and the best solution is to replace the single 15a with a 20a 12g plug and move it over to the saw. There is no drywall in the basement, everything is exposed frame so it should be easy enough. Plug the shop vac in elsewhere and move on. As much as I would like a cabinet saw, it just does not fit the budget right now and it's also larger, creating a space issue. The Go715P would be a significant improvement over what I have now, fits the budget and space constraints, and has the safety features I'm looking for, including a riving knife. Part of my reasoning for trying to get something done now is the riving knife and the new UL rules going into effect. I won't be able to get a bag of peanuts for the Delta in a few years regardless of it's condition. If woodshop needs change, the Grizzly will be easier to sell and hopefully a stronger economy by then means I won't take as much of a hit. I agree that in a perfect world, spend the $$$ and buy the tool once and be done with it. Never seems to work out that way though, does it? Woodworkers are forever buying, selling, upgrading, and wheeling and dealing everything in sight.

[Michael W. Clark]

I hear you on the saw. I have a Grizzly 1023 I bought about 5 years ago, thought it would be the only table saw I would ever own. It will likely last me a lifetime, but I can't help but think about someday getting a new one with the riving knife and dedicating this one to a dado blade.

[Marc Myers]

What are you thinking of getting Michael? I'm torn between 3 Grizzlys. I have to eliminate Jet, Delta, SawStop and Powermatic because of the price. Grizzly seems to give just as good, if not better, quality machine for a fraction of the price. Customer service appears to be top notch as well. I was leaning toward the 1023 or 690 for full size, but the 715 hybrid gets high marks as well.

[Michael W. Clark]

Those would be my top three. I have a 1023 but it does not have a riving knife. I don't know enough about the difference between the 690 and 1023. I think the 690 has a true riving knife where the 1023 is just a splitter and doesn't travel with the blade. I like the fence on the 690 better as well. I saw the hybrid in Springfield and it looked solid. I think either are a good choice but I would lean toward the 690.

[Rick Bunt]

FYI, the new G1023 saws (RL series), do have a true riving knife.