Jet JPS10-TS table saw lacking power?

[Travis Conner]

I bought this saw a while back and mainly cut 1x lumber, but have periodically cut 2x lumber. It seems to bog a good bit cutting 2x4 lumber and I don't recall having to go this slow. I did tighten the belt yesterday and that seems to have helped. Now it's not making the belt slip and causing the wood to burn, but it still boggs down 50 percent or so. Maybe it's all you can expect out of the 1-3/4hp motor. You can't really push the stock through at a steady pace and it makes it hard to get a smooth cut.

[Andy D Jones]

Is it having trouble cutting 2" softwood (pine, cedar, redwood, etc.) or hardwood (oak, maple, walnut, etc.)?

Is the blade a thin-kerf blade, or a full kerf blade (~1/8" kerf) blade?

It should be able to cut 2" pine (a 2x4 is closer to 1 5/8" thick) reasonably well, with a sharp, clean blade. Softwoods often leave resin or pitch on the blade, which increases friction.

A 1-3/4 hp saw will have trouble cutting 2" hardwood, especially with a full kerf blade.

If you are trying to cut 2" hickory or pecan, that's usually harder still.

Andy - Arlington TX

[Justin Rapp]

i have a Jet JWPS-10 contractor saw which is a 1 1/2 hp. I have changed the belt to a power twist plus v-belt and use a Forrest thin-kerf WWII 40 tooth blade. I was using a local sharpening service to keep the blade sharp, and it was never as perfect as it was new. I decided to buy a new one and I sent my old one back to Forrest to get it properly sharpened and they can also repair any bad teeth so it should be close to new when it comes back. This will be my back-up blade.

So, with my new blade in place, I needed to rip a 34" long rock maple 8/4 (which was actually 1.75"). The new blade went through the rock maple like butter.

A few things to consider about blade maintenance besides using thin kerf on a lower powered machine:
1) Keep the blades sharp. And when I mean sharp, at first signs of cutting issues, get the blade sharpened. Working with dull blades is actually a safety issue (binds, kick-back, etc)
2) Keep the blades clean. Resin and pitch cause horrid your blade to work harder to cut through wood. There are many commercial pitch and resin removal products on the market, but a 1 part Simple Green cleaner to 2 or 3 parts water works great with a good scrub brush. Soaking the blade in the cleaner for 5 minutes prior helps. Rinse and dry the blade well before re-installing in the saw.
3) Use the right blade for the job. Combo blades like the Forrest 40 tooth WWII are good for rips and cross-cuts. There are blades with less teeth that are even better at ripping but horrid at cross-cutting. Don't use a 60 or 80 tooth blade for ripping, it will heat up and burn the wood.
4) Use a spliter on your table saw to help prevent the wood from pinching back together after it passes through the blade.

Hope all this info helps, and I am sure others can post better ideas.

Justin

[Lee Schierer]

I did tighten the belt yesterday and that seems to have helped. Now it's not making the belt slip and causing the wood to burn, but it still boggs down 50 percent or so. Maybe it's all you can expect out of the 1-3/4hp motor. You can't really push the stock through at a steady pace and it makes it hard to get a smooth cut.

When the saw bogs down is it the blade or the motor that is slowing? If the motor is still spinning at speed your belt is still slipping or badly worn from previous slipping. You may want to consider getting a new belt. Are you using a ripping blade or a combination or crosscut blade? A dedicated ripping blade will work far better than a combination blade for ripping.

[Ron Selzer]

I bought this saw a while back and mainly cut 1x lumber, but have periodically cut 2x lumber. It seems to bog a good bit cutting 2x4 lumber and I don't recall having to go this slow. I did tighten the belt yesterday and that seems to have helped. Now it's not making the belt slip and causing the wood to burn, but it still boggs down 50 percent or so. Maybe it's all you can expect out of the 1-3/4hp motor. You can't really push the stock through at a steady pace and it makes it hard to get a smooth cut.


get a new blade
good luck

[Travis Conner]

Yeah it is a full kerf blade. It's an Amana skip tooth style combination blade where it has 4 teeth then a space in between.

[Travis Conner]

Either that or my friend burned out the motor when I let him borrow it to rip pressure treated wood. He used his own blade though for that. The saw had tons of power when he had it hooked up to 240 but when I got it back is when I had the power issue.

[Lee Schierer]

Can you post photos of the belt and tension set up?

[David L Morse]

Either that or my friend burned out the motor when I let him borrow it to rip pressure treated wood. He used his own blade though for that. The saw had tons of power when he had it hooked up to 240 but when I got it back is when I had the power issue.

Or, you're trying to run it on 120V and it's still wired for 240V? That's a very effective method for quickly burning out a motor.

[Matthew Hills]

Either that or my friend burned out the motor when I let him borrow it to rip pressure treated wood. He used his own blade though for that. The saw had tons of power when he had it hooked up to 240 but when I got it back is when I had the power issue.

I was going to say that the saw is not oversupplied with power, so you do need to be thoughtful about blade selection and condition, as others have noted.

How did you guys rewire the power for your friend to use and now that you have it back. Are you sure the wiring is correct?

Matt

[Travis Conner]

I have 240 in my shop now and changed the wiring accordingly.

[Leo Graywacz]

Yeah it is a full kerf blade. It's an Amana skip tooth style combination blade where it has 4 teeth then a space in between.

I like Amana blades, but that blade in particular I find lacking. Go for a specialty blade instead of the combo. 24 for ripping,. 40 for crosscutting wood and 60 for plywood. Personally I'm lazy and for the most part use a full kerf 60 tooth for all my tasks. But I'm also running a 3HP saw. I can stall it out anytime I want with nearly any material if I push fast enough. But for the most part 3HP is adequate for most things.

[Travis Conner]

I think I'm going to sell this saw and buy a cabinet grade saw.

[Travis Conner]

I think I'm just going to upgrade to a bigger saw.

[Travis Conner]

What's the difference between the 3hp and the 5hp jet exacta saw? I'm leaning towards the 5hp.

[Mel Fulks]

I like 20 teeth for 10 inch saw. Never used but one 18 tooth but it cut faster than a 20, I was surprised at how much
difference two could make.

[Travis Conner]

I think it's lack of power honestly. I had a board pushed almost all the way through holding it with a push stick and it jammed up the motor completely. I kept the board against the blade until I turned the saw off. I was thinking I was going to get hit in the head.

[Curt Harms]

If you cut thick material this won't work but a 7 1/4" blade can be really thin kerf. I don't cut much thick material so keep a 7 1/4" blade on my Griz 1023 quite a bit. It works really well for thin stock which I cut more often than 1.5"+ thick materials.

[Andrew Nemeth]

Is the cut burning at all all or is there tension between the fence and lumber or on the blade as you are removing the wood from the saw after it has stalled and you’ve turned the motor off?

If so, you have a problem other than horsepower. One reason for binding is tension in the wood. Wet construction grade materials, such as 2X spruce/pine/for, will often release enough tension when cutting that they can put a significant pinch on the blade either by clamping inward on the kerf or by springing outward against the fence which pushes the wood into the side of the blade. Add sappy wood, which most construction lumber is, will only exacerbate the issue as it increases friction.

Assuming your motor a okay and it’s getting the proper electrical feed, I highly doubt that your saw, set up properly and with a sharp thin kerf blade (low tooth count combination or ripping blade), and with a slow enough feed speed, will not be able to cut through most any wood at that thickness given that the wood is dry and without tension. If the wood has that much tension and/or is so sticky that you are having a tough time sending it through your saw, it is unsafe to cut on any table saw (yours or one with more horsepower). A safer option, if you have to use that wood, would be a bandsaw.

[Justin Rapp]

I think I'm just going to upgrade to a bigger saw.

I think that all the time and than I clean and sharpen my blade and poof, like new again. My 1.5 hp JET cut like butter through 1.75" rock maple with a fresh Forrest Thin Kerf blade last weekend.

Than again, we all want upgrades to a bigger and/or better saw :)

[Justin Rapp]

What's the difference between the 3hp and the 5hp jet exacta saw? I'm leaning towards the 5hp.

About $300 and 2hp :) You will need a larger amp circuit breaker and wire to run the 5hp.

[Roger Feeley]

+1 to every suggest Justin made. Particularly keeping blades sharp and clean. I keep two of every type of blade I use. That way, I'm not tempted to keep going when the going gets slow. I either clean the blade or swap it for the sharp one and take the dull one in for a sharpening.

[Earl McLain]

And the blade doesn't have to look gummy or feel sticky to the touch to have a lot of drag to it. Cleaning is a hassle, not as bad as having to force cuts or sand burn marks.
earl

[Travis Conner]

Well solved that problem! Picked up a 10" delta unisaw today. 5hp 240V talk about quality man. Made in USA 2003 model lightly used.

[Travis Conner]

Went ahead and put same blade on the new saw, cuts just fine. Back to nice pre sanded cuts.