Delta Saw won't run - motor just hums
Hoff Stuart
I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let it
sit in case it needed to cool down (although it wasn't working hard). I
then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
Hoff Stuart
bob
Hoff Stuart wrote:
>
> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
> on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
> set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
> When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
> blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums.
Very likely either the starting capacitor has failed OR the thermal
overload switch is "OPEN". It appears that the START windings are not
being energized. Both symptoms can be easily checked (usually for
free) at the local electric motor repair shop. They did this for me
recently on a 20-yr old Sears RAS, and found the overload switch was
open. Another possibility is that the little reed switch that the
centrifugal switch depresses in the relaxed position has burned or has a
build-up of sawdust or crud. Some of these are open-contact, but most
of the newer ones are sealed, so I doubt that this is the cause.
--
I used to think that when I grew up, I wanted to be somebody ...
I now realize that perhaps I should have been more specific !!!
<<< Bob >>>
Bill Harnell
Sounds as if the motor's start capacitor has "gone south".
If your saw uses a conventional fractional HP motor, Ii's probably inside
the big "bump" on the outside of the motor case.
You can verify the problem by removing the saw's drive belt from the motor
pulley and trying to start the motor. If it starts (sometimes it'll need
you to give the pulley a "twist" to help it along), problem is the
capacitor.
The capacitor provides electrical "phase shift" which, in turn, provides
the needed torque to get the motor going.
One other possibility is that the contacts of an internal, centrifugally
controlled switch, are dirty/burnt. This normally closed switch is used to
energize the motor's "start" winding. Centrifugal force opens the switch
once the motor gets going and it continues to run on the "run" winding
alone.
I doubt that this is the problem with a relatively new motor but one never
knows.
You've probably wondered why motors "click" as they slow down - now you
know <grin>!
Hoff Stuart <hhst...@erols.com> wrote in article
<329A6C...@erols.com>...
> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
> on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
> set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
> When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
Dave Mundt
Greetings and Salutations....
Sounds like one leg of your 220V line is dead...Check the circuit
breakers, first.
Regards
Dave
Eric Phillips
Hoff Stuart wrote:
>
> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
> on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
> When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
> blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
> quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let it
> then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
> Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
> the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
> Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
>
> Hoff Stuart
Familiar story. Not your switch; sounds like a motor winding is
burned-out. You say your saw is new...still under warranty, I hope! As
per our discussion of this several months ago, there is no economic
incentive to rewind a 1.5hp motor. Call Delta!
...Eric
ZionHill
Hoff Stuart wrote:
>
> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
> on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
> set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
> When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
> blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
> quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let it
> sit in case it needed to cool down (although it wasn't working hard). I
> then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
> Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
> the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
> Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
>
> Hoff Stuart
The two sides of the 220 circuit are most likely going to separate breakers. You have
blown one thereby interupting the full circuit. (You have 110 to one side and nothing
to the other)
That's my best guess from what you describe.
Zion Hill
Thomas Paul Karrmann
If this is the problem, replace the two individual circuit breakers with a
220 V circuit breaker. With two individual breakers you have an accident
waiting to happen.
--
Tom Karrmann
"Nothing can possibly go wrong!"
Opinions expressed are mine alone.
ZionHill <zion...@ot.com> wrote in article <329B4E...@ot.com>...
Allen Hoffman
ZionHill wrote:
>
> Hoff Stuart wrote:
> >
> > I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
> > on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
> > set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
> > When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
> > blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
> > quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let it
> > sit in case it needed to cool down (although it wasn't working hard). I
> > then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
> > Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
> > the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
> > Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
> >
> > Hoff Stuart
>
> The two sides of the 220 circuit are most likely going to separate breakers. You have
> blown one thereby interupting the full circuit. (You have 110 to one side and nothing
> to the other)
>
> That's my best guess from what you describe.
No, no, no... He said the motor was humming, this is a single phase
motor, you loose one leg and you get nothing... unlike a 3 phase motor,
where if you loose one phase (leg) of the 3, then the motor would be
single phasing and there for will hum. his problem is more likely a
burnt start winding, or possibly the start capacitor.
or we could give him the old motor joke... The reason the motor is
humming is because it doesn't know the WORDS! :-)
--
Allen R. Hoffman
hof...@shore.intercom.net
HTTP://www.intercom.net/user/hoffman/
Terry Kester
Bill Harnell wrote:
>...
> One other possibility is that the contacts of an internal, centrifugally
> controlled switch, are dirty/burnt. This normally closed switch is used to
> energize the motor's "start" winding. Centrifugal force opens the switch
> once the motor gets going and it continues to run on the "run" winding
> alone.
>
> I doubt that this is the problem with a relatively new motor but one never
> knows.
>
> You've probably wondered why motors "click" as they slow down - now you
> know <grin>!
>
> Hoff Stuart <hhst...@erols.com> wrote in article
> <329A6C...@erols.com>...
I had the same problem (not wired for 220 though) when my saw was fairly
new. I took the motor off and went to my nearby Delta service center.
The gentleman there took one look, got out some WD40 and all was well
again. He gave a light spray on the centrifugal switch assembly
mentioned above and worked it back and forth with a pocket screwdriver
and that's it. He said these things often get dirty and clogged with
saw dust. Good luck.
Peter Sylvester
Thomas Paul Karrmann wrote:
[clip]
> > > I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
> > > on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
> > > set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
> > > When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
> > > blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
> > > quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let
> it
> > > sit in case it needed to cool down (although it wasn't working hard). I
> > > then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
> > > Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
> > > the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
> > > Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
I have had this problem twice with my 3HP Unisaw. What was happenning
was that some sawdust was getting into the motor housing, and in between
the contacts of the centrifical (sp?) switch located on the end of the
motor shaft, behind the colling fan. This switch is needed during the
startup phase of the motor to supply the additional juice required to
get up to operating speed. It cuts out with a "click" at higher
speeds. Opening up the motor housing and vacuuming it out fixed the
problem temporarily. After the second time, I used some RTV to seal
around the capacitor covers and cord entry area, which seems to have
solved the problem permanently.
-Peter
rb...@ebicom.net
If the circuit breaker senario is not the cause, then it could be that
the start capacitor has pacaked "it in".
Let us know what you find.
Ron
ZionHill <zion...@ot.com> wrote:
>Hoff Stuart wrote:
>>
>> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
>> on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
>> set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
>> When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
>> blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
>> quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let it
>> sit in case it needed to cool down (although it wasn't working hard). I
>> then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
>> Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
>> the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
>> Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
>>
>> Hoff Stuart
>The two sides of the 220 circuit are most likely going to separate breakers. You have
>blown one thereby interupting the full circuit. (You have 110 to one side and nothing
>to the other)
>That's my best guess from what you describe.
>Zion Hill
Al Amaral - SunSoft Engineering
In article <329B4E...@ot.com> ZionHill <zion...@ot.com> writes:
}Hoff Stuart wrote:
}>
}> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
}> on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
}> set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
}> When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
}> blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
}> quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let it
}> sit in case it needed to cool down (although it wasn't working hard). I
}> then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
}> Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
}> the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
}> Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
}>
}> Hoff Stuart
}
}The two sides of the 220 circuit are most likely going to separate breakers.
}You have blown one thereby interupting the full circuit. (You have 110 to
}one side and nothing to the other)
}
}That's my best guess from what you describe.
This is the second post suggesting this is the problem and both are absolutely
wrong. If either leg of the 220 was out then the saw would not begin to turn
and then hum, it would do absolutely nothing... There are not two 110V
"sides" to the motor. There is a set of windings which is split and can be
wired in parallel for 110V operation or in series for 220V operation.
As has been said in other posts most likely the starter capacitor has
gone south, or else one of the internal sets of starter switches is bad.
In either case the problem is in the motor and since the saw is new Delta
should fix it under warantee.
--Al Amaral--
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Amaral Al.A...@East.Sun.COM
"G'day, and welcome to All Things Delta. If it's not Delta, IT'S CRAP!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
To would-be spammers:
Unsolicited email, which is unrelated to the topic of this post, is
not welcome so please don't waste my time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter Hadikin
> }Hoff Stuart wrote:
> }>
> }> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
I had a similar problem with my Unisaw. I simply cleaned up the inside
of the motor housing (blew air into it) and the caulked the cap covers
etc. Problem has gone away an not returned. It could also be a bad
startup cap or runtime cap.
Peter
kenop...@coastalnet.com
ZionHill <zion...@ot.com> wrote:
>Hoff Stuart wrote:
>>
>> I have a new Delta Contractor's Saw (34-445) that I have been using
>> on and off for month's (light work). I rewired it for 220 when I first
>> set it up. Tonight I ripped one short board and flicked off the switch.
>> When I flicked on the switch to cut another board it wouldn't work. The
>> blade will move about a half inch and then the motor just hums. I
>> quickly turn it off because I'm afraid something will burn out. I let it
>> sit in case it needed to cool down (although it wasn't working hard). I
>> then hit the red reset button on the motor and tried to start it again.
>> Same results - blade moves a little and the motor just hums. I can move
>> the blade by pulling on the belt (after unplugging of course).
>> Is the motor gone? Could it be the switch? Any ideas?
>>
>> Hoff Stuart
>The two sides of the 220 circuit are most likely going to separate breakers. You have
>blown one thereby interupting the full circuit. (You have 110 to one side and nothing
>to the other)
>That's my best guess from what you describe.
>Zion Hill
You also need to check to see if your motor uses a capacitor. A broken
wire going to the capacitor or a bad capacitor will cause it to do
exactly like you said.
cw9...@aol.com
CW9172 NORMALLY WHEN THE MOTOR JUST HUMS IT'S A BAD CAPACITOR, IF THE SAW
IS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD DELTA WILL REPAIR, OR REPLACE THE MOTOR.
Thomas L. Haney
There isn't enough information in the post to address properly, but check the following:
1. Is the motor plugged directly into a wall socket or an extension?
2. How many other devices are running on the same circuit?
3. Have you plugged it into a different circuit?
4. Have you (after doing the above) removed the cover and inspected the connections then
depressed the reset button? ( Be sure to unplug first!)
Hope some of this helps, but more information is needed. If none of this works, repost with more
specifics. Also, take off the Caps Lock!
**************************************************
Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most.
Thomas L. Haney * AKA Rocko on IRC *
tha...@hal-pc.org
Houston, TX
Dave Mundt
Greetings and Salutations....
Sounds like one leg of your 220V line is dead...Check the circuit
breakers, first.
Regards
Dave
E or K Armstrong
I have a Delta disc sander that acted the same way and the problem was
unbelievable. The rotor had become "unwelded" from the shaft and was
turning but not the shaft. Cost me $5 to have it fixed.
TEKDAD
Had the same problem with a Craftsman. When the motor would not run I
gave the blade a spin with a stick (not the safest idea, but helpful
diagnostic) and it took off and ran. I then tore the motor down, replaced
the capacitor, and cleaned everything up. Haven't had the problem since.
Robert Wingard
Mdconti wrote:
>
> If you can turn the arbor, no blade attached, and then the motor starts
> it's one of two problems. 1)The capacitor is bad. 2) The start switch is
> open. I would take off the end bell off the motor and check the switch.
> If it looks O.K. I would buy a replacement cap. I'm starting with the
> switch first because it costs you nothing to check. E-Mail me if you have
> any questions on the checks.
If you're running on 220v, it could be the thermal overload switch is
open.
Mdconti
Mdconti
I replied to your message (two areas to check) and forgot to give you my
E-mail address. Mdc...@AOL.com
Mr. Fixxit
could be full of sawdust. Try blowing it out with an air compressor...