# Powermatic 1900TX-CK1 Power Supply



## JJDiesel (Jul 1, 2013)

A few months ago I bought a Powermatic 1900 DC at a price I could not turn down. The problem is I live in a house I am renting and have no hardwired 220. Not a problem except because I use a generator for my only other 220 equipment- my planer. 

I am not familiar with the cord on this DC. It looks like it has a single hot, one ground, and one neutral. My planer has 2 hots, a neutral, and a ground. I am in a quandry as to what to do. I certainly don't mind keeping the DC unused until I buy or build but it sure is a letdown to see it just sitting there!...

New toy...


The power cable..




The power choices on my generator...






Any idea on how to get power to the new Powermatic?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Looks like you have a NEMA 6-20 plug.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEMA_connector

You may need to make an adapter to go from this to the 240V / 30A connector.


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## mobilepaul (Nov 8, 2012)

If you notice, in the manual, that they recommend a 40A circuit for the single phase unit... Page 12, top left. 
http://content.powermatic.com/manuals/1791075BK_man.pdf

That said, I cannot imagine that 3 horses would need more than a 30A circuit, even with the startup. But, they state otherwise. You could clip the plug off your wire (take it to the HD, Lowes or an electrical supply house with you and ask them to show you how to wire the new one) and replace it with a plug that your generator requires (take a good pic of the gen receptacle with you) or, you could replace the wire, entirely, with an 10 guage SO cord and the appropriate plug. Both of which can be purchased at Lowes or HD or any electrical supply. Replacing the cord will give you longer reach, if you wish it, as well. That is what I did with my PM2000, I replaced the supplied cable with a 25' cable and a twist lock plug. You may have to enlarge the hole that the wire comes out of the box on the DC though, if you go with the 10g and, you may need a larger cord bushing (the little plastic bit that snaps onto the cable and pushes up into the hole of the box).


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

how do you get the power to the planer now? does it have a plug that mates with the 30A 220 twist lock on the genny?


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## JJDiesel (Jul 1, 2013)

The planer has a 30 amp twist lock plug. I thought about changing out the plug as it is no big deal but I wasn't sure if that would be acceptable. I tend to stay very cautious with electrical stuff.

Basically what I am gathering is I can change out the plug to a twistlock 30 amp and run off of just one leg of 20 instead of 2 legs?


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## mobilepaul (Nov 8, 2012)

JJDiesel said:


> The planer has a 30 amp twist lock plug. I thought about changing out the plug as it is no big deal but I wasn't sure if that would be acceptable. I tend to stay very cautious with electrical stuff.
> 
> Basically what I am gathering is I can change out the plug to a twistlock 30 amp and run off of just one leg of 20 instead of 2 legs?


No, you need both legs of the 120 for your 240V powermatic. The plug that you are holding in the pic is a 20A 240 plug. 2 hots and a ground. No neutral... The receptacle that I see, although it's kinda dark, on your gen is a 4 leg 240. you only need 3 of those legs but you need the correct 3, that is why I suggested taking the plug and a pic of the gen receptacle with you so they could show you, this leg goes with this wire and so on...

You don't have a dryer connection in the rental? you could make a long cord, as I suggested earlier, and connect the DC to the dryer receptacle. That way you could use the planer and the DC at the same time. I don't know what planer you have but I doubt you will be able to run both the planer and the DC on the gen at the same time

here is a good reference for the plugs/receptacles
https://www.frentzandsons.com/Hardware References/plugandreceptacleconfiguratio.htm


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

JJDiesel said:


> A few months ago I bought a Powermatic 1900 DC at a price I could not turn down. The problem is I live in a house I am renting and have no hardwired 220. Not a problem except because I use a generator for my only other 220 equipment- my planer.
> 
> I am not familiar with the cord on this DC. It looks like it has a single hot, one ground, and one neutral. My planer has 2 hots, a neutral, and a ground. I am in a quandry as to what to do. I certainly don't mind keeping the DC unused until I buy or build but it sure is a letdown to see it just sitting there!...
> 
> ...


Isn't the plug in your hand made that way due to the amps required on the receptacle? There by protecting the wire size that brings the power.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## mobilepaul (Nov 8, 2012)

You are correct, Al. It is made that way to protect. It's a standard 20A 240V plug. You can change to a twist lock plug just as easily and not circumvent the failsafe. Or, if you want a longer reach, go up to a 10g SO cord with a twist lock plug and still be safe...


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

mobilepaul said:


> You are correct, Al. It is made that way to protect. It's a standard 20A 240V plug. You can change to a twist lock plug just as easily and not circumvent the failsafe. Or, if you want a longer reach, go up to a 10g SO cord with a twist lock plug and still be safe...


I had the same plug on a piece of equipment my guys use in the field. The elect on site told us the same thing. We made a pigtail for gen hook up.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## mobilepaul (Nov 8, 2012)

Al B Thayer said:


> I had the same plug on a piece of equipment my guys use in the field. The elect on site told us the same thing. We made a pigtail for gen hook up.
> 
> Al
> 
> Nails only hold themselves.


Yes, he could make a pigtail. That would work just fine. The only issue with that, for me anyway, is that now you need a plug, a short/long cord, AND a receptacle to make the pigtail. If I were going to go with a pigtail, I would want a long one to extend the plug out so the machine could move around the shop better. I am just not a fan of plugging a machine like this into an extension cord, hence the rationale of using a 10g SO cord that creates the new wall connection and connects inside the machine's junction box and the new twist plug. That's just me, though, I prefer twist lock plugs and receptacles on all my big tools.

Paul


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## JJDiesel (Jul 1, 2013)

I initially thought about making a pigtail but just wasn't sure about the viability of it I will research that and go that route. I don't like the idea of changing out the cord on the motor. The 30 amp screw in plug is readily avilable at Lowe's. I will have to check on the female 20 amp plug.


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

JJDiesel said:


> I initially thought about making a pigtail but just wasn't sure about the viability of it I will research that and go that route. I don't like the idea of changing out the cord on the motor. The 30 amp screw in plug is readily avilable at Lowe's. I will have to check on the female 20 amp plug.


I have a Unisaw I've had for 28 years. It has that same plug on it from the factory. This is one of the last American made Unisaws. I just made a hefty extension cord for it with the appropriate receptacle.

Al

Nails only hold themselves.


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## JJDiesel (Jul 1, 2013)

Well I got a 15' 10 ga. cord as directed and the appropriate plugs. Got everything screwed together, plugged the cords together, cranked up the gerator, and got the green light on the DC. It has power but I could not get it to come on using the control panel or the remote. Grrrrr. Anybody in the Nashville area want to take a poke at it? I will look again at it tomorrow.


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