Alternatives to 220v Laguna Bandsaw Light?

[Andrew More]

Just bought a Laguna 18 BX, and decided to not get the $200 light kit. I'm wondering what options I might have for a 220v LED light that might be a bit less expensive. I've considered pluging into 110v in the wall, but this is on a mobile base, and I'd like to use the plug on the back if possible. I've already ordered a nice battery powered light from Lee Valley, which might be the solution going forward.

For those not familiar with the saw, it's a 220V machine, and the plug on the back is also 220V, 6-20p I believe, so a standard light will not work.

I also believe that the 220v to 110v adapters sold on Amazon are a potential safety hazard, since 6-20p doesn't have a neutral, instead featuring two hots and a ground. Running current through the ground works, but is a safety concern.

[Tom M King]

Does the power cord have a neutral in it? 3 wire, or 4 wire? It's 240v/120v here now, since the early 1930's. You may have better luck searching for a 240v led light.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Andrew, did you get the "LED Chameleon" light? (I'm guessing that's the one you're asking about, since it's ~$200).

If so, it natively runs on 240V ("100-240V LED Driver, 110V plug included"). Cut the 120V plug (5-20P) off and install a 240V plug (6-20P) and you're good to go.

Since the bulb is an LED, it needs to convert either 120V or 240V to low-voltage DC. The power electronics necessary to do that are easy to make "universal input" (90-264VAC) to allow one design to be used anywhere in the world, so that's what's typically done. The plug just needs to be changed to physically match the geography its used in.


EDIT:

D'oh! You said you decided NOT to get that light. Nevermind!

My point about LED lights generally having universal input power supplies is still valid, though - I suspect if you looked closely most run on both voltages.

[Andrew More]

Does the power cord have a neutral in it? 3 wire, or 4 wire? It's 240v/120v here now, since the early 1930's. You may have better luck searching for a 240v led light.

The power cord to the machine also lacks a neutral, using a conventional 6-20p outlet. This is the same outlet type used by my table saw, jointer and planer, so I think the lack of neutral is pretty common for 220v equipment, but I'm uncertain as to why that might be. I've been told the other "hot" is used as a return path.

Andrew, did you get the "LED Chameleon" light? (I'm guessing that's the one you're asking about, since it's ~$200).

No, I did not get that one, I'm looking for an alternative to it. Thanks!

[Dan Friedrichs]

No, I did not get that one, I'm looking for an alternative to it. Thanks!

Sorry, you replied just as I realized that and was editing

Many LED bulbs with integrated drivers are also universal-input compatible. For instance, here is a "regular" bulb that can run on either 120 or 240 (or 277V for that matter):
https://www.bulbs.com/product/8-5A19-LED-27K-120-277V

[Zachary Hoyt]

I have a $2 desk lamp hanging on the back of one bandsaw and a $2.50 desk lamp on the other one. I hang them from the middle of the back of the upper wheel. If it was me, unless you intend to move it a lot I would just get a little extension cord and use that just for the lamp, or get a battery operated light and hang that on the back of the saw.

[Andrew More]

Many LED bulbs with integrated drivers are also universal-input compatible. For instance, here is a "regular" bulb that can run on either 120 or 240 (or 277V for that matter):
https://www.bulbs.com/product/8-5A19-LED-27K-120-277V

So, if that is the case, I can buy any conventional lamp with a A19 base, and use this bulb, after making the change you noted about adapting the plug? Is there any issues with the lack of a neutral path, or the fact that the current is split into two legs? My understanding is that other countries run 220V, but that the voltage is all on a single leg, with a neutral, instead of our two legs of 110 V with each 180 degrees out of phase.

[Marc Fenneuff]

I bought an led worklight for my bandsaw, it came with a 120-240VAC plug-in transformer. I cut off the transformer and used a 120-240VAC “waterproof led” transformer from Amazon. It had leads for the input and output.

[Justin Pfenning]

Andrew, I also recently purchased the 18BX, but skipped the $200 light. I was hoping to get something really bright for a lot less than $200. I need to ask my electrician at work to verify, but I believe 220vac is just 2 legs of 110vac with a ground. If that is the case, you can use a standard 110vac light, and just hook the ground wire to the ground prong, and the hot wire to one of the hot legs (not both hot legs). This should give us 110vac. You will still need to use the 220vac plug, but one prong will be unused. I’ll ask tomorrow and report back here.

[roger wiegand]

Andrew, I also recently purchased the 18BX, but skipped the $200 light. I was hoping to get something really bright for a lot less than $200. I need to ask my electrician at work to verify, but I believe 220vac is just 2 legs of 110vac with a ground. If that is the case, you can use a standard 110vac light, and just hook the ground wire to the ground prong, and the hot wire to one of the hot legs (not both hot legs). This should give us 110vac. You will still need to use the 220vac plug, but one prong will be unused. I’ll ask tomorrow and report back here.

AFAIK using the grounding wire as the neutral is never OK.

For my saw I bought a generic gooseneck machine lamp and put a 240V LED spotlight into it. I had to cut off the NEMA 5-15 120V plug and swap it for a NEMA 6-15 240V one to plug into the outlet on the machine, using the two conductors for the 240V and retaining the grounding wire as a ground. .

[Dan Friedrichs]

Andrew, I also recently purchased the 18BX, but skipped the $200 light. I was hoping to get something really bright for a lot less than $200. I need to ask my electrician at work to verify, but I believe 220vac is just 2 legs of 110vac with a ground. If that is the case, you can use a standard 110vac light, and just hook the ground wire to the ground prong, and the hot wire to one of the hot legs (not both hot legs). This should give us 110vac. You will still need to use the 220vac plug, but one prong will be unused. I’ll ask tomorrow and report back here.

While that will work, it is not safe. The ground conductor should never carry current (except in a fault condition). What you describe is the reason "neutral" exists separate from "ground".

[Dave Sabo]

I settled on this:

https://www.rikontools.com/product/12-202


I can buy three of them for the cost of the laguna - and I can move them to other tools if I want. Being rechargeable, they won't last all day. It easily lasts me a sawing session though. YMMV.

The beam is adjustable form wide to spot, and it stays put.



8391DC45-2456-4E20-8949-FAA4F2ECED3C.jpg

[Dan Friedrichs]

So, if that is the case, I can buy any conventional lamp with a A19 base, and use this bulb, after making the change you noted about adapting the plug? Is there any issues with the lack of a neutral path, or the fact that the current is split into two legs? My understanding is that other countries run 220V, but that the voltage is all on a single leg, with a neutral, instead of our two legs of 110 V with each 180 degrees out of phase.

Yes. If it were my saw, I would be totally comfortable doing that.

You raise an interesting point, though, which is that you will have 120V (to ground) on both contacts within the lamp socket. Typically lamp sockets are wired using a polarized cord such that the neutral is on the outer ring, and the hot is on the bottom contact. This is to prevent accidental contact with the more-accessible screw ring. But, of course, plenty of cords are not polarized, or receptacles wired incorrectly, or receptacles pre-date polarization, or you could just stick your finger into the socket and touch the bottom contact, etc. So it's not foolproof.

E27 (240V) sockets seem to have a plastic screw ring with embedded contact to further mitigate this risk.

[Bill Dufour]

Many e26 led bulbs are 110-220 volts. Just use one of those or a e27 in a standard Edison base fixture.
Bill D.
random link to 110-220 bulb on ebay now.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/29359487226...QAAOSwdb5eAtpu

[Bill Dufour]

Another choice is two 120 volt bulbs in series from a 240 volt supply.
Bill D.