Shopsmith Forums

I hope to move up to the power pro in the near future. I was hoping to get some feed back on the voltage. I do cut a fair amount of hard woods. But they are mostly short cuts; rarely will I rip something over 6 feet. General woodworking for the most part. Is there any real advantage to going from 120V to 240V. I am thinking there is no real advantage for my work load. But wanted to ask just incase I am missing something.
Thanks

[quote="cv3"]I hope to move up to the power pro in the near future. I was hoping to get some feed back on the voltage. I do cut a fair amount of hard woods. But they are mostly short cuts]

You are probably correct, but since there is no purchasing option it makes no difference at that time.

If you discover afterwards that you do need to run it on 230V then all that needs to be done is to provide that voltage for it. The PP accommodates whatever it is connected to!

Their are advantages to using 240 rather than 120 volts. When there are voltage fluctuations in your power line voltage you will not notice it as much with the higher voltage. Also, less heat is generated with higher voltage because the heat is determined by the current, not the voltage. Current is half as much with the higher voltage so less heat is generated. You will not trip circuit breakers either with the higher voltage. The Power Pro delivers more horsepower at 240 Volts than 120 Volts.

+1 on the advantages of 240 over 120. Don't forget the savings on electricity since the 240 is more efficient (less current used) as well as more power.

The Power Pro is rated ar 1 3/4 HP on 120V and 2 HP on 240V. However, the DVR motor's torque sensing ability will probably provide the necessary power to make the cut regardless of voltage.

The main advantage is drawing only 1/2 the current. If your shop is shy on 120V cirucits, and most garages are, then putting the Power Pro on 240V will keep it from interferring with other appliances and tools on the 120V lines.

Many older homes only have 100 amp service. Upgrading to 200 amps is very expensive. In this kind of situation using the Power Pro on 240V is a great idea.

Initially, I ran the Power Pro on 120V. In the last couple of weeks I have installed a 15 amp 240V recepticle on the wall and ran a 14 gauge line to a 240V circuit breaker in my sub panel. As mentioned above, there is no need for internal changes in the DVR motor. It automatically senses the voltage.

As for cutting hard woods, I've been ripping and crosscutting hard curly maple, up to 2 inches thick, the Power Pro does it with ease.

We really do need to quit thinking about the pp motor in the same way as the more typical motors.

The pp is a very different animal. It does not change from 120v to 240v in the 'normal' sense. Therefore the halving of current due to voltage doubling is not necessarily true. The power supply for the electronics is not the same as an induction motor. The current draw is controlled by the electronics and will vary considerably due to the constant speed/torque control by the electronics.

In short the old trade-offs are not applicable. This be a better 'mousetrap'!

Yes IMHO 240v is better! Same for the old induction motor!;)

Thank you all for your input. I was not aware that the PP would automatically a just to the change in voltage. As was pointed out I can move up if I find there is a need to. Thanks again for the information. I am hoping to place my order some time next month.

8iowa wrote:The Power Pro is rated ar 1 3/4 HP on 120V and 2 HP on 240V. However, the DVR motor's torque sensing ability will probably provide the necessary power to make the cut regardless of voltage.

The main advantage is drawing only 1/2 the current. If your shop is shy on 120V cirucits, and most garages are, then putting the Power Pro on 240V will keep it from interferring with other appliances and tools on the 120V lines.

Many older homes only have 100 amp service. Upgrading to 200 amps is very expensive. In this kind of situation using the Power Pro on 240V is a great idea.

Initially, I ran the Power Pro on 120V. In the last couple of weeks I have installed a 15 amp 240V recepticle on the wall and ran a 14 gauge line to a 240V circuit breaker in my sub panel. As mentioned above, there is no need for internal changes in the DVR motor. It automatically senses the voltage.

As for cutting hard woods, I've been ripping and crosscutting hard curly maple, up to 2 inches thick, the Power Pro does it with ease.

8iowa

Have you hogged through any 2 in maple since going to 240v? If so was there a noticable difference in power?

PP upgrade kit ordered Dec 2nd

Thanks
Jack

Jack:

My Power Pro usage on 120V was very limited to basic testing right after installing the DIY package. I didn't really get involved in a woodworking project until I made the conversion to 240V.

If the rated power increases from 1.75 to 2.0 hp that amounts to a less than 15% increase! Now that does not take into consideration the torque/speed control that occurs with either supply voltage.

In other words, there is probably a minimally perceptible improvement except under very heavy loads.

The most advantage is gained by the dedicated branch(230V) that is not shared with other loads.

JMHO!

When a pp arrives here, it WILL be run on 230V!:)