VFD and 3 phase motor for the 4x6 HF bandsaw

I hope to be getting a Grizzly square column mill here before too long, and it has a three phase motor, which will necessitate me getting a VFD for it since I have 110/220 single phase. I'll be getting a HF 4x6 bandsaw about the same time, and it dawned on me that having it variable speed might be nice, providing the original POS motor gets replaced. Can someone tell me what frame size I should be keeping an eye out for to replace the HF motor with? Is there any value in having variable speed on that saw?

Reply to
carl mciver
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I owned a 4x6 for about 10 years and never changed the speed, not once. I'd go ahead and use that motor until it burns out if it does. The thing about Chinese motors isn't that they're all bad, they aren't. It's that the quality control is so bad, so you don't know if you're getting a good one or not. If you get lucky and get a good one you won't brag about it to your buddies but it will work for you for many years.

I would further argue against retrofitting a 4x6 with a 3-phase motor. A 4x6 saw is a great tool but it is limited and once you get used to it you will automatically notice ads for larger nicer horizontal cutoff saws. Eventually one will come along at an unbeatable price (I got a decent Wellsaw 58B for $150 at an estate sale) and then you will be looking to sell your 4x6 and at that point a 3-phase motor would be a huge negative.

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin
4x6 saw | is a great tool but it is limited and once you get used to it you will | automatically notice ads for larger nicer horizontal cutoff saws. Eventually one | will come along at an unbeatable price (I got a decent Wellsaw 58B for $150 at | an estate sale) and then you will be looking to sell your 4x6 and at that point | a 3-phase motor would be a huge negative. | | GWE

Excellent point. I hadn't considered the saw beyond acquiring it.

Reply to
carl mciver

Plus a small bandsaw is not the kind of tool worth setting up with a VFD, IMHO.

Reply to
ATP*

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