Okay, I've been running this around in my head and now I'm checking with you folks.
In a previous thread I talked about dropping the speed on a Griz 1022. I emailed Grizzly tech support asking if they could think of any problems that might occur. I got a reply saying that the arbor speed of that model was 4700 rpm but the blade speed was only 4140. They said it was "due to the blade being installed".
I had a little trouble with that and asked them if they could explain it in a little more detail. They replied saying they'd passed the question on to the tech staff for research and someone will get back to me in a timely manner. That was last Wednesday morning. As far I'm concerned, "timely manner" has come and gone. I'm getting impatient, so I'm tossing the question out to the wreck to see if anyone's got any thoughts.
The only reason for the drop in rpm that I can think of is because the motor is turning slower. A drop of over 500 rpm at the arbor seemes a bit much but after reviewing what I know about induction motors, I guess it's logical to think rpm will decrease, though. The motor is trying to maintain a constant energy output, not a constant speed, so speed would be a function of load, and the extra mass of the blade is a load, so at equilibrium, the motor rpm would be less than it would without the blade. I think.
If putting a standard blade causes the rpm to drop by over 500 rpm, then a dado set would cause even more of a drop, seems like.
So, is that woodworking-related enough? :-) Is there a rule of thumb about blade mass, motor hp, and rpm drop?