Older C'man RAS Conversion

[Jay Yoder]

Good evening everyone...I have an older craftsman 3 hp RAS that the motor can be converted to 220v. I do not have a manual unfortunately and i was wondering if anyone out there has done this to theirs? There were no wiring diagrams or instructions on any of the shields. I did find a slide style switch toward the "rear" that slides between 110v and 220v. I guess i would think that sliding that would be too easy. The saw dims the lights when it is first turned on! Any help or experience would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Rick Christopherson]

I would be cautious about taking any of the typical "generic" advise for rewiring this motor. I can't support this statement, but my gut tells me there might be some complexities with how some of these motors sensed they were at speed and disconnected their starting circuits. I am not saying a generic rewire won't work, I am just saying be cautious without a manual.

In the meantime, even though the saw dims the lights during startup, that does not mean it won't perform at full power with a 20-amp, 240-volt circuit. The startup current on the saw is far larger than its full-load current, so dimming the lights is typical, but not necessarily indicative of how the saw operates.

Yes, this is a saw that I would prefer to operate at 240 volts, but with the proper wiring, it will operate at full capacity on 120 volts too. Since rewiring the saw requires that you install a new circuit anyway, go ahead and install a new dedicated 20-amp circuit, but leave it at 120 volts for now. See how the saw performs at startup. If you are still not satisfied, then simply replacing the single-pole breaker with a 2-pole breaker , and this is all you need to do to change the house wiring. Then you can change the configuration of the motor to 240 volts.

With a little more research, you might find that this saw left the factory configured for 240 volts, so your reconfiguration might be easier than expected.

[joe greiner]

There are several publications relating to Craftsman radial arm saws at Old Woodworking Machinery ( http://www.owwm.com/ ). A manual for your model number may be included.

Joe