TS power upgrade

[Mike Hoyt]

Any one out there ever think of upgrading their contractors saw by upgading to 3HP? Is this a crazy idea? would it just spin the belt right off? Any comments at all would be appreciated. Is this like putting lipstick on a pig or am on to something:confused:

thanks,
Mike

[Tom Veatch]

...would it just spin the belt right off?...


No.

You'd want to use a motor with the same RPM as the standard motor. So, the belt wouldn't be moving any faster with a 3HP motor than with a 1HP (?) motor. Therefore there'd be no more tendency to shed the belt with the 3HP than with the existing motor. Shred the belt, well, maybe.

You wouldn't be able to use any more of the power of the larger motor than could be transmitted by the existing belt and pulleys unless you replaced the motor and arbor pulleys and V-belt with something that could transmit the additional power. Just as a point of reference, the belt/pulley system on my 3HP cabinet saw uses 3 groove sheaves and 3 V-belts. I suspect you'd have to do something similar.

[Dewey Torres]

If it were me I would give serious thought to (benefits vs. cost) between selling your contractor saw and buying a used cabinet saw vs. buying a new motor for you contractor saw. By the time you pay for a motor, belt, etc... you may fire up the saw and find that what you REALLY wanted was a cabinet saw. Lots of advantages if you are willing shell out a few more $$$.
Dewey

[scott spencer]

I don't think I'd try anything over 2hp. The belt and trunnion carriage aren't designed for that much torque or weight, and it could cause you some troubles. The size of the motor is also a consideration. Since it's a contractor saw, a long motor might stick up above the table when tilted.

[Mike Hoyt]

Boy, I just wish I had listened when everybody was saying to just go with a cabinet saw in the first place. At the time I bought my contractor saw I thought that it was WAY more saw than I would ever want :mad:. It still works great but is a bit slow cutting thicker stock. Well thanks for the replies and I will probably start looking for a used cabinet saw in the near future.
thanks again,
Mike

[scott spencer]

Mike, do you use a 24T thin kerk ripper for thick stock? The right blade, good alignment, and a coat of wax can make a big difference for your contractor saw.

[Mike Hoyt]

To this point I have not tried a dedicated rip blade for no other reason than I like the finish that the Freud combo Im currently using leaves. I dont yet have a jointer so I have been hesitant to go with a 24T ripper. In your experience does it leave a good enough finish for somebody like myself without a jointer.

[Jim Becker]

The bearings and other parts of your contractors' style saw are not really designed to function with a motor that large. The extra weight may also be an issue given the way the motor mounts are designed. I would not do this personally...

[Ben Cadotte]

I was looking to do the same to my Craftsman saw a year or so ago. I decided just due to the design that 3hp would not work. And that basically 2 hp would be the most to install due to the single belt. For me $200 or more for 1/2 hp didn't seem worth it. I did install pulley and link belt. This kicks up the blade rpm by a couple hundred. This actually made a little difference. I also took the time to align the saw correctly and that helped as well. Its not a cabinet saw but it is useable for everything I do.

[josh bjork]

I have two saws with smaller motors. I leave the 24tooth in as much as possible. You can push quite a bite faster. Noticably on 1" but moreso as the stock gets thicker. What does a rip blade cost? $35? A new motor is $250?

[scott spencer]

To this point I have not tried a dedicated rip blade for no other reason than I like the finish that the Freud combo Im currently using leaves. I dont yet have a jointer so I have been hesitant to go with a 24T ripper. In your experience does it leave a good enough finish for somebody like myself without a jointer.

A good 24T TK like the Freud LU87, Leitz, or Infinity 24T TK will leave a glueable edge on a rip cut if the saw is set up well....some minor saw marks are usually visible when you look close but it's a glueable edge. It helps if the face and edge are flat too. Crosscuts are more likely to tearout some, but might still be ok. A blade like the Forrest WWII 30T leaves a surprisingly good cut...rip or crosscut. It rips thick stock pretty well too, but isn't quite as efficient in the thick stuff as the 24T. Fortunately, crosscuts aren't typically where most saws struggle with power.

[Vince Shriver]

I actually did what you are contemplating doing. And what the good folks here are speculating could happen - did happen, rendering the saw pretty useless. The saw, the bearings and the motor mount especially. is not made for the weight of a bigger motor - save up your scheckles and get a new saw. Then you can keep this saw and use it as a dedicated dado machine.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The bearings and other parts of your contractors' style saw are not really designed to function with a motor that large. The extra weight may also be an issue given the way the motor mounts are designed. I would not do this personally...Jim, I usually don't disagree with you, but a Delta contractor saw and a Uni Saw both use 6203 bearings on the arbor. Same exact Delta part number. To get three HP, you would have to go to a 145 frame motor, which is too large. On my older contractor saw, I have a 2.0 HP motor, which is the same size as the original motor. The original motor wasn't on the saw when I pulled it out of the dumpster. With the right blade, a contractor's saw can get the job done. I have ripped 12/4 laminated white oak legs on my contractor's saw with no problem. I use a Delta 7657 blade for this operation.

[Steven Hardy]

Any one out there ever think of upgrading their contractors saw by upgading to 3HP? Is this a crazy idea? would it just spin the belt right off? Any comments at all would be appreciated. Is this like putting lipstick on a pig or am on to something:confused:

thanks,
Mike

Some things to try on your saw for better performance. These are proven (to me) items which I did with my sears 1hp.
1 Thin kerf blades
2 Upgrade the wiring to the saw to the next higher guage,leaving the breaker (or fuse) the same. to go from 14 guage to 12 guage is a significant improvement if the run is more than 10 feet to the breaker panel. Upgrade the power cord if its not 12 guage.
3 If its an option on the saw,rewire it to 220 volts. Line losses will be drasically improved if the current is cut in half. (It IS a better than a 50 percent reduction as line losses are NON-linear.)
4 Find a supplier of Browning notched belts. Belt resistance is lowered and vibration is greatly reduced. Wish I could find some for my old Unisaw.

[Steven DeMars]

Some things to try on your saw for better performance. These are proven (to me) items which I did with my sears 1hp.
1 Thin kerf blades
2 Upgrade the wiring to the saw to the next higher guage,leaving the breaker (or fuse) the same. to go from 14 guage to 12 guage is a significant improvement if the run is more than 10 feet to the breaker panel. Upgrade the power cord if its not 12 guage.
3 If its an option on the saw,rewire it to 220 volts. Line losses will be drasically improved if the current is cut in half. (It IS a better than a 50 percent reduction as line losses are NON-linear.)
4 Find a supplier of Browning notched belts. Belt resistance is lowered and vibration is greatly reduced. Wish I could find some for my old Unisaw.

Have you tried Grainger for the notched belts?:o

[Cary Falk]

Jim, I usually don't disagree with you, but a Delta contractor saw and a Uni Saw both use 6203 bearings on the arbor. Same exact Delta part number.

The weight of the motor on the contractor is constantly supported by the arbor and the bearings. On a Unisaw, the motor is bolted down with a fixed amount of tension on the belts, usually with a little bit of slack. There isn't any slack in the belt on a contractor saw.

[Bruce Wrenn]

The weight of the motor on the contractor is constantly supported by the arbor and the bearings. On a Unisaw, the motor is bolted down with a fixed amount of tension on the belts, usually with a little bit of slack. There isn't any slack in the belt on a contractor saw.The weight of the motor is supported by the motor support bracket. It is used to tension belts. There is always some slack in the belts on a contractor's saw. The motor is allowed to "float" so as to tension the belts. Watch on start up, and the motor/ pulley actually "climbs up" the belts. 6203 bearings have a static load capacity of 1070 pounds according to one of my suppliers catalog. I don't think the weight of the motor will ever come close to this figure. The truss rods will flex under a greater load though. With three belts on a Uni, tensioned to factory specs, they is a large load on the arbor. That is one of the reasons that the belts attach inboard, between the bearings.

[Steven Hardy]

Have you tried Grainger for the notched belts?:o
No but thanks.