28 amp Motor on 30 amp breaker

[kevin nee]

​I am upgrading to a new planer that will go in the same spot. The old Planer has a 24 Amp motor and was run on a 30 amp breaker. The new Planer will have a 28 amp motor. Both planers are 5 hp.
would this be pushing it too close using the same set up, or will I need a 40 amp breaker.
Thanks in advance, Kevin

[mreza Salav]

Breaker is to protect the wires, so if you are to use larger breaker you'd need to change the wires too.
If the 28amp is the full load it's unlikely to trip the breaker during use unless you are taking full/heavy passes. The chance of tripping the breaker is higher during start-up. If it starts-up fine then most likely you'll be able to run it on the 10g wire you already have (I use my 5HP machines on 30amp breakers).

[Ron Selzer]

What does the owners manual say? IF the owners manual says use a 40 amp breaker on 10 gauge wire then you would be ok.
I would try the new planer on the existing breaker and see what happens. An amp meter or a clamp on multimeter that reads amps preferably with a min/max setting will tell you a lot.
Good chance the new planer will run fine on what is there now, or you might find that you need to take a slightly shallower cut.
Good luck
Ron

[Carroll Courtney]

If anything,it will just trip.

[Patrick Walsh]

I’d just give it a try. Worst case pull the wire upgrade it the breaker and the outlet box.

[Peter Kuhlman]

Your 30 amp breaker if properly installed is using #10 gauge wire. You don’t want to upsize the breaker unless you also upsize the wire and the connector outlet. Breakers are designed to give 80% of the rated current as continuous draw and will overheat over time and trip if used for higher draw than that. As Ron asks, what does the manual, the manufacturer say to use?

[Tom Bender]

5 hp will tear off a lot of wood in a short time. If you're doing that you might be able to trip it but not likely.

[Rod Sheridan]

If it will start, it will run fine on a hand fed machine.

I ran a 4hp 16.ampere machine for a decade on a 15 ampere circuit....Rod

[Mike Cutler]

​I am upgrading to a new planer that will go in the same spot. The old Planer has a 24 Amp motor and was run on a 30 amp breaker. The new Planer will have a 28 amp motor. Both planers are 5 hp.
would this be pushing it too close using the same set up, or will I need a 40 amp breaker.
Thanks in advance, Kevin

Wire it up and plug it in. Then give it a test and see if you have a problem. If it trips the breaker, then address the issue.
No reason to fix a problem that doesn't exist right now.

I have a 5HP air compressor and a 5HP commercial washer on a 30 amp breaker (They are both corded, not hard wired). Both have been fine. I suspect that my commercial washer with two horse blankets, and full of water, will draw more amps that your planer will, when it hits it's spin cycle. ;)

[Mike Henderson]

Same here. I have a 5HP tool on a 30 amp breaker and never had a problem.

Mike

[Ole Anderson]

Just remember, except for startup, it is only pulling the full 28 amps when you really load it down. And if you take too thick of a pass on a hard wide board, you will likely exceed 28 amps and if it is a really long board where you are exceeding 30 amps for a long time, will likely trip a 30 amp breaker.

[Rich Aldrich]

I just installed a 220 V circuit for a new to me planer. It is a Powermatic 209HH and has a 5 HP motor with 28 FLA. I did go ahead and install #8 wire and a 40 Amp breaker. My Clearvue Cyclone has a 5 HP motor but 23 FLA (which seems strange - I thought 5 HP motors should be the same FLA for the same voltage). That is on a 30 amp 220 V breaker with #10 wire. I think the planer can more easily draw more amps that the cyclone because the cyclone air flow is more restricted. You might feed the planer with a piece of wide hardwood with a heavy cut like Ole says.

You already have an existing circuit - like others have said - I would try it and decide from there.

[David Buchhauser]

​I am upgrading to a new planer that will go in the same spot. The old Planer has a 24 Amp motor and was run on a 30 amp breaker. The new Planer will have a 28 amp motor. Both planers are 5 hp.
would this be pushing it too close using the same set up, or will I need a 40 amp breaker.
Thanks in advance, Kevin

Kevin - your 30 amp circuit will be fine.
David