Need Advice on Jet 1642 2HP Circuit

[Dale Bright]

I will be putting my new lathe (Jet 1642 2HP) together tomorrow and an electrican friend and I will be running a 220V 50amp subpanel to my garage. The documentation that came with the lathe does not give a specicfic amperage for the circuit but shows a picture of a 15amp plug. The specs on the motor seem to indicate a 15amp circuit will be enough.

Can someone who has this lathe please advise me on the circuit specs?

I know, no pics, it didn't happen. I will take some pics tomorrow. We are moving into a new house with a very over sized garage and I got the new lathe and a Delta 50-760 1.5 hp dust collector. I have had my Rikon mini in our basement with just a shop vac for DC and the dust has been problematic.

Thanks in advance,

Dale

[Steven Russell]

Hello Dale,

I do not have a 2HP Jet 1642, but I've demonstrated on it several times at The Woodworking Shows and every time I did, the electricians read the motor info and put in a 20 amp line. I hope this helps... Take care and all the best to you and yours!

[Louis Harvill]

Sir,

A 20 amp setup is all I have on mine and I turn 15" x 2.5" platters reguarly out of walnut. No problem, Motor gets hot to touch when I run it more than a couple of hours, but it just keeps running even in this Texas heat.
In the winter time motor never gets very hot. I have not AC or heat in the shop. Hope this helps. It is one heck of lathe.

louis

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dale, I have the same lathe and the info plate on the side of the motor lists the amperage as 6.1 @ 220v. I hooked mine up to a 20 amp breaker and have had no problems with it at all.

You will LOVE the lathe!!! Have fun putting it together and we are all looking forward to the photos!

[JerHall]

and I think it shows something over 8 amps, which is a more accurate estimate of the draw. I think 15 amp 220V would work fine, but 20 amp is surely safe.

[Bill Boehme]

I will be putting my new lathe (Jet 1642 2HP) together tomorrow and an electrican friend and I will be running a 220V 50amp subpanel to my garage. The documentation that came with the lathe does not give a specicfic amperage for the circuit but shows a picture of a 15amp plug. The specs on the motor seem to indicate a 15amp circuit will be enough.

Can someone who has this lathe please advise me on the circuit specs?

I know, no pics, it didn't happen. I will take some pics tomorrow. We are moving into a new house with a very over sized garage and I got the new lathe and a Delta 50-760 1.5 hp dust collector. I have had my Rikon mini in our basement with just a shop vac for DC and the dust has been problematic.

Thanks in advance,

Dale

Wow, 50 Amps -- that is way overkill and you would be spending a huge amount of money needlessly for that heavy wire and large breaker -- go for 20 Amps -- it costs about the same as 15 and you have a little extra capacity for some accessories or a big beast like the Robust when you move up the ladder one more rung.

[Don Eddard]

Wow, 50 Amps -- that is way overkill and you would be spending a huge amount of money needlessly for that heavy wire and large breaker -- go for 20 Amps -- it costs about the same as 15 and you have a little extra capacity for some accessories or a big beast like the Robust when you move up the ladder one more rung.
If this is simply a dedicated circuit for the lathe, then I agree. If Dale is talking about powering all his present and future machines, I think a 50 amp panel would be a bare minimum.

[Dale Bright]

Thanks for all of the good advice. The 50amp panel will have several breakers, some 220 and some 110 to power other devices as well. I don't do any flat work so my other tools are for support of my lathe, drill press, band saw, mini lathe and hand tools.

[Don Robert]

I would second the advice to go with a 20 amp circuit. 15 would no doubt do it, but you may want to use that circuit for some other power tool in the future. A 20 amp circuit gives you more flexibility. The difference in wire size (cost) is inconsequential. If you feel uneasy, you can always put a 15 amp breaker on the 20 amp circuit (i.e., 12 guage wire), but you don't want to put a 20 amp breaker on a 15 amp circuit (i.e. 14 guage wire). If it were me, I'd string 10 gauge wire (with a 20 amp breaker) so that I could put in a 30 amp breaker if I every wanted that circuit in the future for, say, a large air compressor or a small MIG welder. The wiring cost difference is very small compared to running a new circuit if you needed it.

[Dale Bright]

Thanks again for all of the great advice. We put in the 60amp subpanel with a dedicated 20amp circuit for the lathe and some 110v 15 amp outlets for smaller tools. I have some room in the subpanel for expansion.