Motor Choice for Sawstop Industrial Table Saw

[Gil Fuqua]

I recently bought a used Sawstop Industrial model table saw. It has a 3 phase motor that I plan to change out with a single phase motor. There is a choice between a 3hp and 5hp replacement motor from Sawstop. The replacement cost is $300 for either motor. Which one is best suited to a home shop?

There are pros and cons to both motors. The 3hp motor will run with the same contactor with no rewiring, takes a smaller gauge wire for extension cords, smaller breaker (20 amp) and costs less to run. Sawstop tech support indicates there are fewer problems with the 3hp than the 5hp, primarily due to issues like greater surges to start a 5hp that results in start capacitors not lasting as long in a 5hp vs 3hp.

The 5hp replacement motors cost the same as the 3hp replacement motors yet the saw sells for $300 more with the 5hp compared to the 3hp. This is probably due in part to the larger wiring harness required for the 5 hp motor, larger contactor, etc.

I generally think that bigger is better....but that is not always the case.

Any thoughts from users regarding the purchase of a 5hp vs 3hp motor for the Sawstop cabinet saw for a home shop?

[Paul Murphy]

I have had a PM66 3hp for over 10 years, and never wished for more power. I am guessing the 5hp saws are aimed at guys using feeders at higer speeds. If you rip lots of 8/4 with a feeder and 2 men then mabe you could use 5hp. Last time I ripped 8/4 fed by hand I was the one slowing down, not the motor.

I'm ignorant on phase-converters/VFD's but some folks maintain that for the price of a 1ph motor you can buy a converter. You might consider that route as it opens the door to some nice used shapers as well as other used industrial machines.

[Jeff Duncan]

Yeah 3 hp is pretty good for a home shop saw. My 12" saw is 5 hp and my smaller Uni is a 3hp and they both have adequate power. My last Uni had a 2 hp motor and that was fine for everything but feeding cartloads of 8/4 hardwoods;) So I agree if you were feeding a lot of thick stock through...the extra hp motor may be nice....but the 3 hp should be fine.

good luck,
JeffD

[Gary Venable]

I also have a 3 hp SawStop industrial and have never needed any additional power for anything I have fed it.

-Gary

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I have a 5hp ICS. Never noticed it slowing down for anything. Except once when the wood pinched the blade and the saw stopped. (Nice safety feature that I didn't know about) As everyone else said it would depend on what you are going to do with the saw. If you wan to rip lots of 8/4 hardwoods, the 5hp may come in handy.
I would look into the 3 phase inverter though. Just a thought.

[Don Jarvie]

Get the 3hp since it will cost you more to get a new starter for the 5. I have a 3hp on my PM 66 and it's fine. Cuts anything I need.

By the way, 300.00 is pretty good for a new 3hp motor.

[John Coloccia]

Get the 3hp since it will cost you more to get a new starter for the 5. I have a 3hp on my PM 66 and it's fine. Cuts anything I need.

By the way, 300.00 is pretty good for a new 3hp motor.

I suspect it includes a new control box as well. In my experience, SawStop's prices are particularly reasonable when it comes to replacement parts, converting to a different power source, etc.

[David Kumm]

Is the replacement motor unusual or can you use a NEMAframe motor of your choice? I would take a good used Baldor, Leeson if still made here, Marathon over a foreign motor for $300. You could also put a 3 hp vfd on the machine for less and it would give you more than 3 hp for short periods yet keep the benefits of the three phase assuming you can still use the emergency stop function. Dave

[Bruce Page]

My Uni is 3hp. I have never needed more.

[mreza Salav]

I'm almost sure you cannot use a VFD with sawstop due to all the electronic things that goes before the motor (you cannot connect the VFD directly to the motor unless you want to use your sawstop like a regular tablesaw without the brake!).
I have a 3HP ICS version and think it's fine in almost all situations.
There was an unusually hard piece of maple that I had once tried to resaw (successively raising the blade) to 3" using a sharp good quality
thin kerf rip blade and to my surprise managed to almost stall the saw (and going anything slower and the wood start smoking from burning). That single board gave the toughest time to all my tools (bandsaw, planer, and tablesaw).

[Mike Henderson]

I have a 3HP in my home shop and the woodworking school I used to attend had 5HP saws. I never noticed any difference in use between them.

Mike

[Kevin Presutti]

I'm with David, Baldor, Leeson, Marathon, I'd be going American. Look on your SS motor it should give you the NEMA frame size after that start shopping my first pick would be Baldor.

[John Coloccia]

re: buying a different motor
I suspect a control box change is required too, so keep that in mind before buying anything.

[Kevin Presutti]

Just a quick look and I found this http://www.amazon.com/Leeson-Woodworking-Electric-Motor-120341-00/dp/B004HL7XQW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_4 Best of Luck!

[Gil Fuqua]

re: buying a different motor
I suspect a control box change is required too, so keep that in mind before buying anything.

The control box for the 3ph and 1ph motors is the same; however the wiring connections and wire sizes are different. I understand from Sawstop that most people buy a new control box for $100 to match their new motor for both horsepower and electrical phase. This makes the whole conversion a simple plug and play.

The Sawstop motors are made in Taiwan, at least the 5hp 3ph motor that is in mine. I don't know about the replacement motors. I have not looked at the NEMA frame size but it mounts from tabs on the side of the motor where it is suspended under the arbor. I will check NEMA size when I'm back in the shop.

Thanks for your input. This group is amazing.

[Gary Benson]

I have a 5HP and have always felt that it was louder than the other 3HP machines I have used. The other argument for the 3HP is that there is less blade damage in the event of a brake fire. Just a few other variables to muddy the waters.

Gary