# Replacing a table saw motor?



## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

I was given a 1970’s craftsman table saw that needs a motor and I have no idea what to look for. Anyone replace a Motor on an old saw before?


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

I had a Craftsman contractors saw years ago. The motor failed and I upgraded to a Baldor motor. Baldor makes excellent motors and a 3/4hp Blador will exceed the 3/4 hp Craftsman in power and performance. You will need to specify the RPM's, most use 3450 rpm motors. Also make sure the orientation and shat is such that it will accept the pulleys, and be on the same side. If you go to Baldor's website they may be able to lead you through it. I think I got mine from Grainger.


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

B Coll said:


> I had a Craftsman contractors saw years ago. The motor failed and I upgraded to a Baldor motor. Baldor makes excellent motors and a 3/4hp Blador will exceed the 3/4 hp Craftsman in power and performance. You will need to specify the RPM's, most use 3450 rpm motors. Also make sure the orientation and shat is such that it will accept the pulleys, and be on the same side. If you go to Baldor's website they may be able to lead you through it. I think I got mine from Grainger.


Unfortunately I was thinking more in the $100 motor range


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

Unless you can find ideal on a good used motor you will spend more that $100. Sometimes it is actually cheaper to buy a complete saw of that vintage with working motor than just a replacement motor.


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

Unless you can find a cheap 1 1/2HP motor somewhere, it's not worth putting any money in it. They are not the best saws anyway, and I'm being kind. If yours has one of those single handle twist type fences, they are horrible and dangerous. If this is the case, my advice is get rid of it and buy one with a better fence (and a motor).


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

DrRobert said:


> Unless you can find a cheap 1 1/2HP motor somewhere, it's not worth putting any money in it. They are not the best saws anyway, and I'm being kind. If yours has one of those single handle twist type fences, they are horrible and dangerous. If this is the case, my advice is get rid of it and buy one with a better fence (and a motor).



The Craftsman table saws of that period have generally been considered pretty good saws. The original fences were not good. There are good replacement fences available. The fences were not dangerous (I had same fence on my early 80's Craftsman table saw) but they did take some work to get parallel to the blade. The fence did work OK, just took time.


Which Craftsman saw from that time period did you own? What problems did you have with it?



George


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## CharleyL (Jan 13, 2019)

What's wrong with the old motor? 

Unless the magic smoke gets let out, most electric motors can be fixed quite reasonably. Most problems with single phase induction motors (for home house power) are caused by a bad starting capacitor (bump on top of motor) or the centrifugal start switch which is located inside the shaft less end cover. Provide some more information and we may be able to help you fix the old motor for less than $10 and a little effort.. 

Charley


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*First check all the wiring and connections to the motor*

If you don't get 120 volts at the motor wiring box with the switch turned on, the issue is the wiring.


If the motor is supplied with 120 volts and still won't turn on, give it a spin and see if it comes to life. A motor repair shop should be able to find out what's wrong, typically a $40.00 advance change which is then applied to the repair bill. Look for a 5 star rating on a google search. 



If you want to buy another motor, Ebay has a bunch of Craftsman and other brands of table saw motors:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=Table+saw+motors&_sacat=0


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

CharleyL said:


> What's wrong with the old motor?
> 
> Unless the magic smoke gets let out, most electric motors can be fixed quite reasonably. Most problems with single phase induction motors (for home house power) are caused by a bad starting capacitor (bump on top of motor) or the centrifugal start switch which is located inside the shaft less end cover. Provide some more information and we may be able to help you fix the old motor for less than $10 and a little effort..
> 
> Charley



Hi Charley, 



I am not sure. One of my co workers purchased one working and one not working from an estate sale. He has a pretty elaborate shop and we got to talking and he says one needs a motor and fence, go to Harbor Freight and purchase a motor and a fence online and I can have it. He said its an old cast iron saw. I don't think he knows much about it.


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## CharleyL (Jan 13, 2019)

PJM said:


> Hi Charley,
> 
> 
> 
> I am not sure. One of my co workers purchased one working and one not working from an estate sale. He has a pretty elaborate shop and we got to talking and he says one needs a motor and fence, go to Harbor Freight and purchase a motor and a fence online and I can have it. He said its an old cast iron saw. I don't think he knows much about it.






I think you will be throwing your money away if you go the Harbor Freight for a motor and fence. 
There are far better sources out there for reasonable prices, but first, you are going to have to find out much more about the Free Saw. 

What is it? Make and model.
What motor is in it? Copy the motor label information 
Can you take and post a few photos of the saw and the motor label?

Most saws that need a new motor and fence are headed for the junkyard, because the cost of a motor and fence exceed the going price of a complete used table saw. In many cases the quality of the fence determines the usability of the saw. Cheap fences cause endless safety problems and frustration, but then a reliable and powerful enough motor are important too.

Delta made a Contractors Table Saw between 1970 and 1990 that was cast iron with sheet metal side tables, had a reasonably good original fence, and a motor that hung out the back of the saw. The motor produced 1 1/2 hp on 120 vac and a full 2 hp when converted and run on 240 vac. The model numbers of these saws began around 34-440 and incremented up from there year to year with very few differences from one year to the next. I found and restored a 34-444 model for my son. It's accurate and a real workhorse that was bought for $175. It took some cleaning and mild de-rusting, but no significant additional money to restore and calibrate it. You might want to look for one of these Delta saws because they made a lot of them and they turn up used on Craigslist and other places frequently, and selling for $100 - $300. If they want $300 it should be in nearly perfect condition and complete with the original fence or an upgraded fence, and almost no rust. 

For $100 or less, I would expect to find a saw that would run, but with more significant rust and maybe a missing fence or miter gauge. I've seen these saws selling with Delta Unifences. A good Delta Unifence is worth almost $300 used right now without the saw, but the original Delta Jetlock fence isn't all that bad and will give you many years of satisfactory use. 

Charley


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

CharleyL said:


> I think you will be throwing your money away if you go the Harbor Freight for a motor and fence.
> There are far better sources out there for reasonable prices, but first, you are going to have to find out much more about the Free Saw.
> 
> What is it? Make and model.
> ...



Charley, 



I have seen the comment more than a few times about fences causing safety issues. Can you guys please elaborate for me what safety issues I need to be aware of? I am not necessarily new to table saws as I spent a year of high school in wood shop and several years after that doing my own thing with my delta. I keep seeing it and wondering what to watch for because its been 10-11yrs since I have touched one.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*safety and the table saw fence .......*

50 + years of safe table saw operation tells me that the fence must not shift during the pass. 
It should always lock parallel to the miter slot after being so aligned.
It should be flat and straight.
It should sit 90 degrees to the table.
It can be tall 3" or short 1/2" like a 2 position Delta Unifence.
It's best if it's flat on top all along like a Biesemeyer to allow for attachments and jigs.
A front rail only locking fence is best, like a Biesemeyer.
A fence that locks on both the front and rear rails is prone to misalignment, like older Craftsman from 1970's and '80's.



Now you have an opinion from another member other than Charley. No offense, I just saw the post first...... :vs_cool:


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## jeff100 (Nov 20, 2019)

If you are looking for a fence check this out. Am I reading this wrong or just not seeing something? This for $60? Im usually in the boat of "too good to be true" but not bad for $60.

**Nvm sorry i looked it up and it was a scam website so i removed the link. **


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

What I liked was that they showed some helpful techniques. Learning how to look up and interpret a "domain registration" from the "whois database" can be very helpful. 

If you lookup something like my made-up example: "AllAmericanGreatToolSalez.com" and the domain was registered from China in November 2019, you should be suspicious. Sometimes domain registrations are private and you don't know who registered the domain or where they are from. That should be a big red warning flag too. 

To share here, I tried a few websites. Some did not work as well as others. This one worked best from a few simple tests that I ran:

https://www.whois.com/whois

That's a start. Try out a few domains like powermatic.com, festool.com, sawstop.com (private), deltamachinery.com (private), etc. to see what is listed for them. (Note: woodworkingtalk.com is also private.) What does the information tell you?


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

Okay guys I did some checking on my Delta Shopemaster and I have power going through the wires until It gets past the switch. Once past the switch there is no power. The switch went out years ago and the saw would power on once plugged in and wouldn’t turn off unless unplugged so I don’t think it’s a switch issue? Any ideas?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Of course it's the switch!*



PJM said:


> Okay guys I did some checking on my Delta Shopemaster and I have power going through the wires until It gets past the switch. *Once past the switch there is no power*. The switch went out years ago and the saw would power on once plugged in and wouldn’t turn off unless unplugged so I don’t think it’s a switch issue? Any ideas?



Don't be using a saw that requires you plug it in to turn it ON or unplug it to stop it. You need a proper switch mounted in a convenient to reach location. Be Safe!


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

PJM said:


> Okay guys I did some checking on my Delta Shopemaster and I have power going through the wires until It gets past the switch. Once past the switch there is no power. The switch went out years ago and the saw would power on once plugged in and wouldn’t turn off unless unplugged so I don’t think it’s a switch issue? Any ideas?



Power up to the dead switch and no power after the dead switch. That tells me it is a switch issue.


AND, as woods notes, DO NOT use a saw with a non-working switch.


George


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

Post where you are located so if anyone has a motor they can let you know. I'm sure others like me always have extra motors laying around


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

I was "in a hurry" to get my TS up and running and just ran over to
Harbor Freight and got a compressor motor. it works fine.
BUT - I wish I had taken the time to get the "correct" motor that has
the closed casing. every few hours of operation, I have to blow the dust
out of the motor with the air hose - I don't think this motor will last much
longer being abused like this.
I strongly believe in getting the appropriate parts for replacement or additions
in any equipment. . . . when you take short cuts, it WILL come back to bite you.

.

.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Based on what I read, I think that @PJM needs a switch and a motor. At least a switch. 

... and some additional training and experience related to table saw safety, perhaps?


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

woodnthings said:


> Don't be using a saw that requires you plug it in to turn it ON or unplug it to stop it. You need a proper switch mounted in a convenient to reach location. Be Safe!


Oh, I wasn't going to use it this way. I was more concerned about seeing if it actually ran. If it turned on I would grab a switch.


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

Pirate said:


> Post where you are located so if anyone has a motor they can let you know. I'm sure others like me always have extra motors laying around


Sorry I dont do forums very well. I am in NE Ohio.


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

Tool Agnostic said:


> Based on what I read, I think that @*PJM* needs a switch and a motor. At least a switch.
> 
> ... and some additional training and experience related to table saw safety, perhaps?


I understand that it was a bad idea to run it with the switch not turning it off, but here is what happened. I purchased the delta around 2003ish and used it several times for counter tops. My brother is a handy man/contractor and asked to use it. I havent touched the saw since maybe 2014 when I was helping him and plugged the saw in and it began running. I flipped the switch and he advised me the switch broke and the only way to turn it off was unplug it. He has kept the saw until the last few years when he threw it in my moms shed. I saw it the other day and figured see if it actually worked. In 2003/2004 I attended a vocational high school and enrolled about a half year in the building trades/carpentry program and my education in that was finish carpentry, so I am well aware how to operate a table saw safely. . My main reason for even messing with this saw last night without a working switch was to see if it indeed had power and what maybe wrong with it to help make my determination if it was going in the dumpster and a new Dewalt 7480 was in order. I may grab a cheap switch and see if it works and attempt to see if its serviceable, but riding in the bed of a contractors truck for over 10yrs I am skeptical that something is not out of wack with the Delta.


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## PJM (Dec 17, 2019)

Okay, guys. I gave my saw a once over last night and I paid about $125 for this saw around the early 2000's and my contractor brother borrowed it and beat the snot out of it. It needs a switch, the handle to raise and lower the blade on the wheel is broken, the blade lock for 45 degrees is loose, but does lock the blade. My girlfriend has been bugging me for awhile to start a small woodshop so we can build some stuff together and I want to ensure she is safe. I have no riving knife, blade guard, etc on the old Delta and quite frankly not sure parts are even available? I cannot afford a Sawstop and with the condition the Delta appears to be in I think a wiser choice would be to purchase a new saw. We do not have room or funds for anything larger than a contractor size saw, so I am leaning towards Dewalt or Ridgid. Once she is comfy with making some bird houses, feeders, outdoor furniture we will be upgrading to indoor coffee tables and such. I can get premium oak pallets that stay mostly inside so a lot of stuff will be done with that wood until funds become available.


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## LilysDad (Dec 21, 2019)

There is , currently a Rockwell 1 1/2 hp motor on eBay for $89+shipping from Pennsylvania or make offer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-RO...493838?hash=item341d19418e:g:lT8AAOSwJ9VeC6vm


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Is it worth fixing up?*



PJM said:


> Okay, guys. I gave my saw a once over last night and I paid about $125 for this saw around the early 2000's and my contractor brother borrowed it and beat the snot out of it. It needs a switch, the handle to raise and lower the blade on the wheel is broken, the blade lock for 45 degrees is loose, but does lock the blade. My girlfriend has been bugging me for awhile to start a small woodshop so we can build some stuff together and I want to ensure she is safe. I have no riving knife, blade guard, etc on the old Delta and quite frankly not sure parts are even available? I cannot afford a Sawstop and with the condition the Delta appears to be in I think a wiser choice would be to purchase a new saw. We do not have room or funds for anything larger than a contractor size saw, so I am leaning towards Dewalt or Ridgid. Once she is comfy with making some bird houses, feeders, outdoor furniture we will be upgrading to indoor coffee tables and such. I can get premium oak pallets that stay mostly inside so a lot of stuff will be done with that wood until funds become available.



The small items can be fixed, but the lack of riving knife or splitter is a safety issue, especially for an inexperienced operator. I would not let anyone or even myself operate my table saw without a splitter. I know they act like a third hand to control the workpiece against the fence as the kerf is made. And if the fence is not aligned to the miter slot as is the blade, you have additional issues. And the fence must lock down parallel to the slot each time you change it's location.


So...... If you get it running again, can you fix all these additional issues? If not, I'd be looking for a different saw, new or used. 

Remember the splitter and fence are critical accessories!


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## tewitt1949 (Nov 26, 2013)

If you determine it is the switch that is bad and you can't locate an original switch that will mount exactually as before, you can go to the hardware store and buy a small metal electrical box and a HD light switch and maybe some extra wire. Mount the box in somewhere convenient and add wire to reach the new switch. I have seem many done like this and it works good and is not a safety issue. Just my 2 cents.

If it turns out to be the motor, if you check facebook market place, there are always many many motors for sale there.


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## LilysDad (Dec 21, 2019)

There are aftermarket splitters available for a range of prices.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

tewitt1949 said:


> If you determine it is the switch that is bad and you can't locate an original switch that will mount exactually as before, you can go to the hardware store and buy a small metal electrical box and a HD light switch and maybe some extra wire. Mount the box in somewhere convenient and add wire to reach the new switch. I have seem many done like this and it works good and is not a safety issue. Just my 2 cents.
> 
> If it turns out to be the motor, if you check facebook market place, there are always many many motors for sale there.


Rather than a light switch pick up a paddle switch and mount it so you can bump it to shut the saw off if necessary.


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