1.5 hp contractors saw to 220V

[petersb]

Can anyone share their experience with changing their 1.5 hp/120V contractors table saw to 220V?

Was there a noticable difference in the saws performance? Pros? Cons?

Thanks in advance.

Brett

[PaulMarcel]

I noticed a difference and it is even more remarkable on a bandsaw conversion.

There is no increase in power, you're just changing how it gets the power. Here's my observations, YMMV:

1) the startup surge current is still well within your 220V line's breaker so you get that current; my saw on 110V was likely getting a little starved up at the current limit and didn't startup as quickly. For a bandsaw, this is huge as my bandsaw on 110V would often trip the breaker on startup.

2) likewise while it's running, you can get to the top end of your power rating without starving for current (which is bad for the motor actually).

3) one caveat is that my house is around 18 years old. While current code here requires 12ga 20A GFCI circuits for outdoor plugs (including the garage), it wasn't back in the day. I've often wondered if my garage was on, -ghads- 14ga. That alone would make for a large difference.

[petersb]

I noticed a difference and it is even more remarkable on a bandsaw conversion.

There is no increase in power, you're just changing how it gets the power. Here's my observations, YMMV:

1) the startup surge current is still well within your 220V line's breaker so you get that current; my saw on 110V was likely getting a little starved up at the current limit and didn't startup as quickly. For a bandsaw, this is huge as my bandsaw on 110V would often trip the breaker on startup.

2) likewise while it's running, you can get to the top end of your power rating without starving for current (which is bad for the motor actually).

3) one caveat is that my house is around 18 years old. While current code here requires 12ga 20A GFCI circuits for outdoor plugs (including the garage), it wasn't back in the day. I've often wondered if my garage was on, -ghads- 14ga. That alone would make for a large difference.

Hey thanks Paul-Marcel,

I don't have 220V in the shop yet. I had planned on running it out there last summer, but a water heater leak after coming home from vacation took the funds that I had set aside to that project. Isn't it funny how that kind of stuff seems to happen while on vacation? Ha Ha.

I am not 100% positive when my shop was built but I estimate 50s-60s sometime. There are true 2x4s used in the framing. I only have one shared circuit that runs out there through 12ga overhead openwires. I need to do a loadcenter upgrade on the house and then run the 220V out to the shop. The house was built in 1930, so it is a bit old and in need of some updating. The current breakers were installed in 1957, or somewhere around then, I believe.

[WoodClips]

I switched mine over and the difference was pretty dramatic--it spun up much quicker and was a lot more capable at ripping. At the time, I was on a 100' or so run of 12 gauge back to the load center. A chart I just glanced at says that you'd see a voltage drop of about 5% at 120V on that run, and switching over to 220V cuts that in half. Subjectively, the difference seemed more significant than the numbers would suggest.

Rory

[petersb]

I switched mine over and the difference was pretty dramatic--it spun up much quicker and was a lot more capable at ripping. At the time, I was on a 100' or so run of 12 gauge back to the load center. A chart I just glanced at says that you'd see a voltage drop of about 5% at 120V on that run, and switching over to 220V cuts that in half. Subjectively, the difference seemed more significant than the numbers would suggest.

Rory

Thanks Rory, I am thinking that I may see similar results as you described, but I won't know until I actually do it. I really can't wait to get 220V ran out to the shop. Looking forward to the next side table video too. Keep up the nice work.

[knotscott]

Brett - Every saw and every circuit is different. It really boils down to how starved for power (if at all) the motor is. I switched a contractor saw and a hybrid saw over to 220v. I noticed a little improvement on the contractor saw, and more improvement on the hybrid saw. If your 110v circuit is fully adequate, you might not notice any difference at all, but 220v tends to have less voltage loss so it may result is faster startups and faster recovery if the 110v circuit is strained at all.

If 220v is readily available there's little downside to trying.