Max hp for a Delta 14"

[eganders]

Typically I have no problem with the 1HP on my Delta 14" bandsaw. The other day I resawed some 7" wide Brazilian Cherry (2820 on Janka hardness scale vs. 1360 for white oak). I have a 1HP, 14" delta outfitted with a 1/2", 3 tpi Timberwolf blade. It took about 1 minute to resaw a 15" length.

I hesitate to push this saw beyond its capabilities, but I have heard that some of you have installed a 1 1/2 hp motor into this saw. Over the years it appears that the same saw has gone from 1/2 to 3/4 to 1 HP. I don't know how much more it should be pushed. Has anyone found the limit that cares to talk about his/her painful experience? Can those of you that have gone beyond 1 HP give me some feedback as to how much performance improvement you experienced?

It appears that the saw is probably getting more ill treatment when the motor stalls with the accompanying jerky startup than if I just had a 1

1/2 HP motor that gave the additional constant stress.

For this effort, I am thinking of sawing the board in half and resawing a 3 1/2 wide piece just to make it easier on ME and the saw.

[Toller]

I have the same saw and used the same blade to resaw black locust. Don't know it's hardness, but it is plenty tough. Went though 5" like butter.

It is essential that everything is perfectly square and you are compensating for the drift angle (I didn't have one, with probably helped.) The blocks and all have to be correctly adjusted.

[George]

cut to the chase yerself out. One horse is good enough to bend a blade.

[eganders]

[leonard]

hi

I just last year purchased a 14in delta (us made) with an 1.5hp motor so it should work for you. I have had no problems with any wood I have resawen.

Len

[Frank Boettcher]

The standard motor that has been used on the Delta 14" enclosed stand band saw (domestic) for at least the last three years is 1.5 hp. So lots of people have them that have not done any modifications. More HP allows for a faster feed but does not compensate for poor guide adjustment, improper blade sizing or tension, or a low quality, dull blade. You should be able to resaw with 1 hp if you are properly set up.

Frank

[Max Mahanke]

I have a Delta 14" Limited Edition which came with a 1 HP Emerson motor. After it burnt up I replaced it with a Baldor 3/4 HP (hey, you take what you can get at the time). Since then I've seen no difference in resaw capability (51/2" Jatoba). A 1/2" x 3 tpi is not the optimum Timber Wolf blade for resaw, I use a 3/4" x 2 tpi. In the years before the Chinese tool wars, Delta 14" bandsaws were quite happy with 3/4 HP motors and remember, Delta invented that saw. The easiest way to say my bandsaw is better than yours without incurring a lot of re-tooling expense is to just put a bigger motor on it. I have to hand it to Jet, they did a good job of pushing Delta to a 11/2 HP motor when all the while Delta knew it wasn't necessary. I can only justify the increased HP if you put a riser block on it.

[Frank Boettcher]

I have to hand it to Jet, they did a good job of pushing Delta

Jet had nothing to do with it. and feed tests prove that while it is not "necessary" it is better.

Frank

I can

[peterh5322]

My 20" Delta originally came with 1-1/2 HP, but by the time I got it, it had been upgraded to 2 HP. A capcacitor start/capacitor run Leeson with integral overload protection.

While the P.O. was upgrading the motor, he also downgraded the motor control to a common 277 VAC "snap switch", which was never intended for inductive loads.

Square D makes a two-pole (1 ph) and a 3 pole (3 ph) motor starting snap switch which fits within the Delta switch box.

Rated 2 HP 1ph, much more than that 3 ph. About $30 for the 1 ph model, about twice that for the 3 ph model.