Things to do with an old treadmill motor

[Prashun Patel]

I have a treadmill that has a good 2hp motor that has outlived the rest of the machine.

Any thoughts on how to repurpose it?

I'm getting a new lathe, so that's not an option.

Belt grinder for sharpening?

[David Eisenhauer]

Is it a TEFC model? What speed does it run at?

[Stan Calow]

Some kind of grinder was my first thought. My father used an old washing machine motor with a disk attached directly on the shaft.

[Mike Cutler]

Variable speed drive for a drill press.
Lots of internet articles on how to convert a drill press to variable speed with a treadmill motor.

[Grant Wilkinson]

+1 on Mike's suggestion. They make very good drill press motors.

[Bill Dufour]

They are dc so variable speed is easy, especially if you save the controls.

[Frank Pratt]

Before building anything with it, be aware that the motor will not be anywhere near 2 HP. look at the label to find out the current draw & voltage . Multiply the 2 to get the watts. A 1 HP motor will use about 1000W, with losses factored in. For some reason, anything that has a universal, DC, or any other motor (shop vac, blender, router, treadmill) other than an induction motor seems to have wildly inflated HP numbers.

[Bob Wingard]

Do you know anyone who handloads ammunition ??? They(we) like to use those motors to convert into wet tumbling systems to clean used brass.

[Tim M Tuttle]

Build a treadmill. :)

[J.R. Rutter]

Do you know anyone who handloads ammunition ??? They(we) like to use those motors to convert into wet tumbling systems to clean used brass.

My first thought was a big tumbler to soften up edges on small wooden parts. I was going to make some Jenga type blocks and some toy blocks for Christmas, but didn't want to ease all of the edges...

[Bill Dufour]

Put a propeller on it and generate electricity.
Bill

[michael langman]

I have watched some utube on converting a wood cutting band saw to a wood and metal cutting saw with a tread mill motor. Works quite well.

[John McClanahan]

Before building anything with it, be aware that the motor will not be anywhere near 2 HP. look at the label to find out the current draw & voltage . Multiply the 2 to get the watts. A 1 HP motor will use about 1000W, with losses factored in. For some reason, anything that has a universal, DC, or any other motor (shop vac, blender, router, treadmill) other than an induction motor seems to have wildly inflated HP numbers.

This is true, but it is the speed controller that limits the maximum current to the motor. An industrial DC speed control of proper size will let the motor produce full power. You must provide external cooling if you remove the flywheel (it is the cooling fan too) and/or use a different controller or the motor will burn up.


John

[Rich Engelhardt]

Do you know anyone who handloads ammunition ??? They(we) like to use those motors to convert into wet tumbling systems to clean used brass.What's that they say about great minds? :D
I was going to suggest that very thing!
Just big up a big old worn out truck or tractor tire & make a giant tumbler.