Replacement Power Switch for a 520

[dusty]

I did not know that I could purchase from Grainger without a tax ID until just now. I called regarding the switch (2VLR2) and now have two switches on "will call".

They also carry the tools.:):)

Thanks to this thread, I will have a fun trip to the Grainger store tomorrow.

[BuckeyeDennis]

The lack of a "remove to lock" feature is, in my opinion, more of a child-proof issue than an operator safety issue. Which could be either unimportant or critical, depending on your personal child situation.

However, proper guarding of a safety switch is most certainly an operator safety issue. The guarding should make it extremely unlikely that an inadvertent bump of the switch would turn the power on, yet also not hinder turning the switch OFF in an emergency situation. The SS switch in question works well in both regards.

My SS machines have 2PST (Two-Pole, Single-Throw) switches, as they should. In layman's terms, that means that they are simple on-off switches, but they break the connection on both the line and neutral sides when off. This is for redundant safety -- if the line contacts should weld shut or otherwise fail short, the motor will still be de-energized by disconnecting the neutral lead.

I occasionally specify these sorts of devices in my day job, and can assure you that Shopsmith's single-piece price of about $30 is quite reasonable by industry standards. A large national distributor that we use regularly will sell them for $12, but that's with a minimum 50-pc order, and a 60-day lead time.

But if SS can't provide them, that's a safety problem for SS users. So here is a switch made by Eaton (the 8166K21 model) that is almost a drop-in replacement. It's also rated for 20A. The 2HP rating (for either the Eaton switch or the other switch mentioned in this thread) is misleading -- that's the rating when using a 250V supply. Go with the amperage rating for sizing. (Just don't use it for 480V -- it could arc instead of stopping the current flow when switched off.)

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I popped the safety switch out of my Power Station, measured the cutout dimensions, and found them identical. The only compatibility issue I noted was the size of the spade tabs for the electrical connections. The SS switch has 0.187" tabs, and the Eaton switch has 0.25" tabs. 0.25" crimp terminals are are available at most any hardware or auto-parts store. (The 0.187" terminals, not so much.) To use the Eaton switch, you'll need to replace the 0.187" terminals on your machine's wiring harness with 0.25" terminals -- this is an easy job with an inexpensive crimper that you can buy along with the terminals. Here's an example: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Gardner-Bend ... ifications

Finally, the Eaton switch was very hard to find in stock anywhere at all, but here is a outfit with a great price: http://store.eurtonelectric.com/switche ... 66k21.aspx. I've never done business with them, so I can't comment on their service or shipping charges.

[BuckeyeDennis]

I almost forgot .. eReplacementParts also sells the Eaton switch for $21 plus shipping. I have bought stuff from them before, with no problems. Shipping charges (reasonable) are shown on on the checkout screen before you give any personal info.

http://www.ereplacementparts.com/switch ... 83103.html