Shopsmith Forums

My motor won't start up. I was using the machine this afternoon with no problems. I made a few cuts with my bandsaw and turned off the motor to
make a few adjustments and flipped on the switch and the motor just humms.
I can turn the headstock by hand and it seems to turn like normal. Does anyone have any ideas what might have happened? Is my motor shot?
Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Bergdahl

bergdahl wrote:My motor won't start up. I was using the machine this afternoon with no problems. I made a few cuts with my bandsaw and turned off the motor to
make a few adjustments and flipped on the switch and the motor just humms.
I can turn the headstock by hand and it seems to turn like normal. Does anyone have any ideas what might have happened? Is my motor shot?
Any ideas would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Bergdahl

I doubt that the motor is shot because it hums. If you have an air compressor blow the sawdust out of the motor. I suspect dirty contacts on the centrifugal switch.

Place the headstock in the drill press position. Use a rubber hammer or other non-damaging object, bang on the motor pan. If still hums, try blowing out the headstock and motor pan again. If still hums, you may want to drop the motor pan, (turn the main table around to support the motor pan) and blow out the dust from the motor pan. You do not need to disconnect the power from the motor if you are careful.

You may have to remove the motor from the motor pan to get all the sawdust/crud blown out of the motor after disconnecting the power.

You are not getting power to the start windings when the motor hums. Use an ohm meter to determne if the points are making contact at this time. If still hums and an AO Smith motor, the start winding points are in the smaller end housing that you may need to clean/file. If other make motor, you may want to remove the motor end plate and clean/file the internal points. I have not found a bad capacitor in any motor I rebuilt but may need checking.

Other wise, you may want to have the motor rebuilt or replaced with another motor. What is the make and HP of your motor?

bergdahl,

I just had an emerson motor with the same trouble. I swapped the start capacitor from my other 1 1/8 HP motor and it worked great. I just purchased a new start capacitor from the local electrical repair shop and both are now working great. Closely match the mF rating & 110 volts or higher.

Took motor off and end cap removed it. (for my 1 1/8 HP Emerson old was 233-280 mF 110V & shop sold me 270-324 mF-110/125V) Costs under $10.

camauto wrote:bergdahl,

I just had an emerson motor with the same trouble. I swapped the start capacitor from my other 1 1/8 HP motor and it worked great. I just purchased a new start capacitor from the local electrical repair shop and both are now working great. Closely match the mF rating & 110 volts or higher.

Took motor off and end cap removed it. (for my 1 1/8 HP Emerson old was 233-280 mF 110V & shop sold me 270-324 mF-110/125V) Costs under $10.

Wonder if the 'old' one would have worked after removal and reinsertion!:D

Methinks the crud in the start contact shook out when futzing with the capacitor.

Any body 'test' the old one?(other than the repair shop)

JPG40504 wrote:Wonder if the 'old' one would have worked after removal and reinsertion!:D

Methinks the crud in the start contact shook out when futzing with the capacitor.

Any body 'test' the old one?(other than the repair shop)

I found removing, testing and reinstalling the capacitor fixed the couple of motors that I first believed the capacitor was open/non-working. I never have found a bad capacitor on Shopsmith motors.

I use an ohm meter (ohms scale on a multi-meter) to test the capacitor. The ohm meter will first show a low resistance and very rapidly charge to display an open capacitor. Just be sure to discharge the capacitor before touching its contacts.

Hi friends.
i has some problems in my motor but now i have no problem in my motor after check it by a experience holder mechanic....
Thanks

Hi friends.
When yo purchase a low quality of motor from a local shop the you must be face to many problems with your motor you should also purchase from the internet for a quality item

billmayo wrote:Place the headstock in the drill press position. Use a rubber hammer or other non-damaging object, bang on the motor pan. If still hums, try blowing out the headstock and motor pan again. If still hums, you may want to drop the motor pan, (turn the main table around to support the motor pan) and blow out the dust from the motor pan. You may have to remove the motor from the motor pan to get all the sawdust/crud blown out of the motor. You do not need to disconnect the power from the motor if you are careful.

Bill's answer is right on the button--except that banging on the headstock or the motor may get you going for a while, but since the problem is probably sawdust in the motor, you really need to get rid of it entirely. I had the same problem--motor would hum, not start, after a very few seconds popping a breaker. This happened a couple of times over a week or so, then finally would not start at all. I thought, capacitor. And since I could get one for less than five bucks, I tried that. Not the problem]But first disconnect the power![/I]