Gotta love the internet !

[donsrods]

The other day we turned on our Jet horizontal/vertical bandsaw and it didn't start. It is about 9 years old and has cut zillions of miles of steel, so it really has been a good unit and owes us nothing at this point.

I did all the normal voltmeter checks and found I had power to the motor, so either the motor start capacitor was bad or the motor itself. Tested the capacitor, it was ok, so it is motor time.

I called all the normal places, I called Jet, Northern Tool, Graingers, etc. I was getting prices in the $350 range for motors. (3/4 hp 120 Volt). So I typed "Discount electric motors" into google and found a place that has a 3/4 hp for $111 and a 1 hp for $123. I bought the 1 hp one and the shipping was even free !

I ordered it Wednesday and it arrived Friday via Fed Ex and I am installing it today. I have bought a bunch of things via the net and always have had good luck and pay a fraction of what it costs elsewhere. While I do like to support a local store, how can you pass up a deal like that when you save over 2/3 ??

Don

 

[junker39]

You're right, Don. I've bought everything, within reason, from my local auto parts. But, when I can get the same item for 20-30% less, even after shipping, I have no choice. The guys here let me see how much they pay for an item and then shoot me a price. Most of the time, I deal with them. Some items they pay more for than the price found on the internet. I bought two new brake drums, from an outfit in Louisiana, for less than what one costs locally. Same brand even. It's no wonder the independent parts houses are hurting. There's too many inbetweens trying to make a profit, at our expense.

 

[billy]

Yep
The dodge dealer wants $700 for a apps sensor local places want 500
I got mine for $160 shipped

 

[Dirtyrat]

Sometimes its a tough call, everyone wants to save money.
Local places have overhead and have to cover that overhead somehow...

I guess it depends on what it is for me, I'm starting to appreciate more and more how things used to be made in the USA even if they are more costly..

 

[Torchie]

As a retired small business owner from a small town I still shop locally. I use the the internet to find stuff that is mostly vintage or just plain not available to me otherwise.
Internet shopping for prices is great until you get a bad part or you need help because you screwed up and ordered the wrong part. Then what are you going to do. Ship it back. That won't be free.
In my very small town it is hard for me to go into any business where I don't know someone, so to me it is like supporting a member of the family to shop locally. But to "each his own". Just don't complain when the shop down the street you used to go to closes. JMO.
Torchie.

 

[Sam_Fear]

I love the internet because I can argue with strangers about grammar and look at funny cat pics.

...Oh, and for finding obscure parts locals would never carry or even know about, getting info on how to do things that are not the norm, and seeing things I never knew I wanted to do before.

....(and free porn.)

 

[Tripper]

I love the internet because I can argue with strangers about grammar and look at funny cat pics.

I agree! When I 1st started foolin' around on the internet Mrs Tripper said... "You used to only irritate people around here locally but now... u're irritating people all over the world"! Haha... she was so right!!! Like many peeps... I started out on AOL & *loved* chat rooms... especially the ultra-fast ones! I also think the net has driven down the prices for parts but driven up the prices for cars! [ddd[ddd[ddd

BoB

 

[donsrods]

I have a funny little update. We got the motor on Friday and on Saturday we put it on the bandsaw. Pretty much it was a bolt on swap, very close to the original motor. After installing it we flipped the switch and NOTHING !!

What I initially did to trouble shoot the bandsaw was I took a digital voltmeter and went down the line. I had 120 volts at the two wires coming in off the power cord, and 120 volts coming back out of the switch to turn it on. I tested the motor start capacitor and it seemed ok, so it had to be the motor. Well, I learned that a power cord can be putting out 120 volts with NO load on it but when you put a load on it the voltage can drop to zero !

I went to Home Depot, bought a new power cord, and the motor runs like a champ. Evidently, the plug on the power cord makes enough connection to pass some current, but when it's under a load it doesn't. So now I have the good original motor off the bandsaw that I can use for something else. Guess that is why I'm not an electrician.

The upside is that the bandsaw used to have 3/4 hp now it is one hp, so it should really cut well now.

Don

 

[junker39]

Good job Don. That darn electricalicity is tricky sometimes. I had the same problem years ago, with a brand new Sears air conditioner. Ran great on just "fan" but when the compressor tried to kick in, it wouldn't. The tech came out and couldn't find anything wrong. They gave me a new A/C. Same problem. I didn't call the service tech that time. I had an electrician friend come out and he traced the problem to corroded terminals in the breaker box. It was doing like yours. Enough connection to get a reading but not enough for a good current. Live and learn. My Granddad always said a person needs to learn something new, every day. Later.

 

[Dirtyrat]

I have a funny little update. We got the motor on Friday and on Saturday we put it on the bandsaw. Pretty much it was a bolt on swap, very close to the original motor. After installing it we flipped the switch and NOTHING !!

What I initially did to trouble shoot the bandsaw was I took a digital voltmeter and went down the line. I had 120 volts at the two wires coming in off the power cord, and 120 volts coming back out of the switch to turn it on. I tested the motor start capacitor and it seemed ok, so it had to be the motor. Well, I learned that a power cord can be putting out 120 volts with NO load on it but when you put a load on it the voltage can drop to zero !

I went to Home Depot, bought a new power cord, and the motor runs like a champ. Evidently, the plug on the power cord makes enough connection to pass some current, but when it's under a load it doesn't. So now I have the good original motor off the bandsaw that I can use for something else. Guess that is why I'm not an electrician.

The upside is that the bandsaw used to have 3/4 hp now it is one hp, so it should really cut well now.

Don

How much for the 3/4hp motor?

 

[donsrods]

Ya know, DR, I would have been really upset if I would have bought one of the local ones that were in the $350 range, but the one I got for $123 to my door wasn't so hard to swallow. This bandsaw owes us nothing and the only thing we have ever done to in in 9 years is to replace the blade occasionally, and now this power cord.

We probably killed the power cord because we keep rolling it out of the way and we forget to pull the plug out of the wall.....I guess we stretched it one time too many. I can't even begin to count how many cuts we have made on it over the years, probably in the tens of thousands. It has been a great tool, and it has allowed us to make some very odd cuts that we could have never made any other way.

Don

 

[Dirtyrat]

I hear ya Don, I been watching for a band saw for some time, I do use the one at work quite a bit!

 

[ronnysplymouth]

I just bought a Jet band saw for 100 bucks......they run 4-500 new so great deal

 

[jfg455]

you guys are killin me! not only do you build outstanding hot rods but now you have a suped up band saw making a full 1 hp! [cl