Upgrading Table Saw Motor

[John Minnick]

Anyone have experience with upgrading a table saw motor to a larger, more hp, motor? I am thinking of getting a 2 hp motor to replace the original motor on my Jet 10" contractor saw.

Any thoughts or suggestions appreciated.

[Jim Becker]

You can probably get away with a 2hp motor as it's only slightly larger and heavier than your original 1.5 hp (you need the same frame type), but you're not going to gain much from doing this. There will only be a marginal performance increase, although it could be helpful if you are cutting thicker material a lot. Please also note that a true 2hp motor is going to require you to run 240v as you will be pushed over the limit for a 20amp 120v circuit in most cases with such a motor. Consider that relative to cost if you are not already running the tool on 240v.

[Mike Cutler]

John.

I have a Jet contractor saw also. If the problem seems to be lack of apparent power, you may want to try a slightly longer belt, or link belts. The power to your blade is a measure of the tension on the belt, which is applied by gravity acting on the motor. A few degrees more makes a difference.
If you still have the stock belt you may want to replace it. Mine was egg shaped and used to cause vibration and loping.
I've put some pretty heavy duty wood through my Jet over the years. Emphasis on the "heavy" part.;)

[Matt Benton]

I'm considering doing the same, although looking to go to 3hp.

Obviously, it would be to heavy for a saw designed for a 1.5 hp motor, but isn't there any way of supporting the motor to take the additional pressure off of the trunnions?

[Art Mann]

If you haven't already, try using a thin kerf saw blade. It made a huge difference in performance with my 1.5 hp contractor saw. I could not tell any reduction in cut quality using the same type of blade.

[Jim Becker]

I'm considering doing the same, although looking to go to 3hp.

Obviously, it would be to heavy for a saw designed for a 1.5 hp motor, but isn't there any way of supporting the motor to take the additional pressure off of the trunnions?

It's not just the weight you have to worry about...the arbor and other components are not really designed for that much motor. Notice that 3hp saws typically have 3 (or in the least, 2) parallel drive belts for power transfer, too. I suspect you may find it more cost effective in the long term to invest in a 3hp cabinet saw and there are other advantages to doing that.

[glenn bradley]

I'm considering doing the same, although looking to go to 3hp.

Obviously, it would be to heavy for a saw designed for a 1.5 hp motor, but isn't there any way of supporting the motor to take the additional pressure off of the trunnions?

As Jim stated; I believe you will exceed the design of the tool not to mention the weight problem when making angled cuts. I ran machined pulleys, link belts and TK blades on a 1HP and I never could slow it down except in extreme conditions.

Once those conditions became more frequent, I got a bigger saw. A good 3HP motor is going to cost a few hundred bucks plus (unless you already have it) electrical changes to 220v. I would weigh that along with the changes in how you are using your saw and consider an upgrade if at all possible.

[scott spencer]

Alignment, setup, and blade selection are likely to make more difference in perceived power than a motor upgrade, and it should be alot cheaper...cheap enough that it's worth a try first. The biggest expense will likely be a blade change...which is something you can always use.

I know thin kerf blades aren't everyone's cup of tea, but the modern designs from the top manufacturers should be excellent, and they make a notable difference in feedrate. I've tried over 20 and haven't had any issues to date with deflection or wobble, and the cut quality is indistinguishable from the 10+ full kerfs I've tried. A 24T TK ripper should give you a good feedrate and a decent cut...it may not be "glue ready", but then again it might. Spending more isn't always the key to high quality if you're careful. The Freud LU87 from their upper Industrial line is in the $30-$35 range. There's also a 24T FTG TK Leitz-made Irwin Woodworking series blade made in Germany for $10 on clearance from a Leitz distributor (http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB4&Number=3073791&Forum=f4&Words=&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Main=3062816&Search=true&where=bodysub&Name=33376&daterange=1&newerval=1&newertype=m&olderval=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post3073791)....it's identical to the Schumacher ripper for $47. I haven't tried Infinity's TK ripper yet, but the Combomax I tried is excellent, as are their router bits, so I'd definitely be willing to consider one at ~ $50. The 30T WWII should be excellent, but will run more like $90.