# Barely cuts 3/4 inch oak ISSUE RESOLVED!!



## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

Are you saying that the saw *hasn't* been wired to 110v yet and you're trying to run it, or that it *has* been rewired and the saw has trouble making the cut. If you're trying to run the saw on 110 and it's still wired for 220, the saw will be under powered, if it runs at all. If you already rewired to 110, check to make sure it's correct.


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## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

Also, check the belt. A friend had the same problem with being underpowered for cutting 3/4 inch material and it turned out the belt was too loose!


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

How about that blade? What brand? How old? Sharp or dull?


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## lab7654 (Mar 31, 2012)

Are you using the stock blade? If so, ditch it and find yourself a Freud or an Irwin Marples. I only use the stock blades on any saw if I'm cutting questionable material.


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## donjohn24 (Oct 15, 2010)

You said:
"I do have a theory, that maybe the gauge wire I used was too thick, and I'm losing power over the length of the cord."

Unless that was a typo - the *thicker* the wire the better because of the LESS resistance it will have, and the LESS volt drop over its length.


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## dbray45 (Oct 19, 2010)

The saw has a 2 HP motor. This thing is drawing 16A at 110 volts when running. Most apartments' wiring is not sized for a load as this. Requires at least 12 gauge wire (I would use 10) for this - including the extension cord.

When I did apartments, most (at best) had 14 gauge wire in the walls.

The wire should be sized at what the motor's rated locked rotor amps (LRA). This is the maximum amount of amps the motor is going to draw if the motor is on and cannot move.


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## michelletwo (Feb 22, 2010)

I believe you are trying to run too big a motor/ drawing too many amps from what is probably a 15 amp circuit. Even at 20 amps the machine would have trouble. When you ask it to saw thru thick stuff it is drawing elec like crazy to try to keep up, but it does not get enuf juice. So it bogs down. No matter what you do, you are drawing more amperage than your apartment can provide.


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## MarkwithaK (Sep 12, 2009)

While I don't have this saw I can say that on my sub 2HP Ridgid when the blade dulls it bogs down through 1X hardwoods but with a new/sharp blade it cuts just fine. One other thing I got away from was using combo blades. Using a blade for it's one intended purpose seems to help as well. Just my .02cents though.


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

I have that same saw and have cut a LOT of tough woods with it. I have never bogged it down or found it lacking in power. Mine is running on 220 volts but if you have a 20 A service and wire of sufficient size you should be good. I suspect your blade is the problem. I use a 24 tooth Freud Diablo for the majority of my cuts. I know this is a rip blade but I get excellent crosscuts using a ZCI and backer boards (even in 3/16" plywood!). The stock blade is a really poor quality 40 tooth combo blade. Try a 24 tooth Diablo and get back to us.

Edit- Your comment that "the blade takes a few seconds to start" concerns me. Does the motor start instantly and then the belt slips?


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## Bill1974 (Mar 24, 2010)

running it at 220 or 110 shouldn't make a noticeable difference if all the a wiring is properly sized and there are no other loads on the circuit. The larger the wire the better, you can really never go to big, only downside is the cost.

If you have this on a 110 volt circuit with a 15 amp breaker, I would guess it should be tripping the breaker when the saw bogs down or stalls out. A 20 amp circuit would be better, you should be able to allow the saw to pull more power, and there should be less voltage drop when the saw is running. Is the distance from the breaker panel far from the saw (wiring distance)? if so larger wire is the way to go.

Also not knowing the saw blade and/or technique being used we can only guess. On thicker materials are you having the saw blade just high enough to cut the material or are you raising the blade so it's 1/4" to 1/2" above the material you are cutting, higher might be even better, you will have less of the blade cutting at one time.


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

Do you have a multimeter? If not, get a cheapie. Hook to the 110V and watch the voltage as you cut. See if it droops below 108 or so. You would expect a droop as it starts, but if it's dropping significantly as you cut, then the wiring is not good enough.


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## Mongolas (Sep 14, 2013)

Thank you all for the replies. Currently, the only blade I have is the stock blade. I'm not sure how many amps our apartment has, but I'm sure I can open the box and see if it shows the amps on the circuit breakers.

The belt is pretty tight, I'm actually a bit concerned regarding how tight it is, but the customer service guy I spoke with on the phone said the tightness of the belt should be compared to the tension of a guitar string, which sounds like too much, but I did it anyways. Still spins up about the same, so I didn't think much of it after that.

What you're all saying regarding wire gauges makes sense. The power cord I had to use was a cut section of extension cord I had lying around. I also have to plug that into another extension cord, so maybe that's the problem. I just didn't think it was going to make that much difference.

I do plan to get a new blade when I get the money, as well as a multimeter, since both would be nice to have.

Hopefully by April or May of next year, my wife and I will have moved out of this place and and into our own house with a nice sized garage or barn of some sort.

The problem is, I pretty much have no say in anything, since it's an apartment, otherwise I could do my own wiring, or get friends and family to come help, to make sure I didn't wire anything wrong.

Regarding blade height, I've not messed with that very much, but from what I can recall when I was doing test cuts, it didn't seem to really matter a whole lot. Although I'm sure when I had the blade as high as it could go, it cut a little better, but 3/4 inch stock cut with a blade at maximum height makes it a bit awkward to cut, so I didn't want to bother.

I'm also getting use to the riving knife. It's a dream, and I'm so use to expecting the table saw to laugh in my face, just before it kicks back a piece of wood into my face, it's making me hesitant. Granted, I was pretty careful with the table saw I had before, but still.

This is by far the best forum I've found to get information. Nobody is being insulting, it's all helpful.

I like the idea of ditching combo blades, I had an 80 tooth Diablo laminate blade and it cuts incredibly in 3/4 inch Baltic birch. I probably made the mistake by cutting oak and other hardwoods, but it cut really nicely, until it gunked up with pitch and resin from the woods.

I ended up giving that blade to my dad, which I'm actually regretting, but my problem there was, I had no way to sharpen them, never sharpened a saw blade before. If anyone has any advice regarding a good way to sharpen saw blades, I would really appreciate it. The 80 tooth diablo blade was the triple chip grind, which I would think would be next to impossible to sharpen evenly, but if there's a sharpener out there, I'll get it, and might have to get my blade back from my dad, it's a great blade. Got it at a liquidation warehouse for 3 bucks!! Not a single tooth was chipped, and they all still seemed to be pretty sharp!

I'll also double check my wiring, and see about getting the appropriate connectors for the ends of the wires.

Thanks again!

Sam


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## MrFid (Mar 9, 2013)

Blade issues could be your problem. It makes much more of a difference than you might think. Remember: more teeth (like 80!) produces a cleaner cut (sometimes) but you sacrifice feed rate. Read Knotscott's blog here. It's a quality read that explains a lot in great detail. Even without power load issues, 80 teeth seems like a lot to me. I run a Forrest 40T ATB/R thin-kerf for crosscutting and ripping through a saw with much less power no problem. I do 8/4 purpleheart without a hiccup at 110V. When I switch to the 40T Ridgid stock blade it binds up sometimes to a halt. 40T is probably going to leave you with a clean enough finish. Even less teeth needed for ripping (like 24). You'll also get less burning.
Take other's suggestions about investigating power as well (also important), but consider getting a new blade before you return the saw.


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

Two things spring to mind…
1. If you were ripping rough lumber, that can be an issue. You say you were cutting a slab - was it jointed first? One of my big rules for safety and success on the tablesaw is always start with a freshly jointed edge. Otherwise the blade will bind.
2. Go to Home Depot and spend $20 on a thin kerf Diablo 1024 ripping blade. If that blade slows at all, even with 8/4 hardwood, you have a problem with the saw.

Regarding the length of the cord… my Jet is plugged into a long, heavy duty extension cord and works normally. The gauge of wire, and the new wiring should be per Grizzly specs.

Best of luck!


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## ThorinOakenshield (Aug 27, 2012)

Amen to the blade advise. Also, don't junk the miter gauge, square it up, locking down and turn it into a jig for box joints, slap a sacrificial support on there for running dado cross cuts or something. At least it has holes for mounting stuff. I had to mill my own holes for my contractor miter gauge. (I have an incra too but didn't want to ruin it.)


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## mantwi (Mar 17, 2013)

You haven't answered tefinn's question yet. Is the saw still wired for 220 internally? A 220 motor will run on 110 but will have very little torque and because it is using only one winding will run hot and soon burn out. You need to consult your manual and really go over it carefully before you cost yourself the price of a motor. A 2 HP motor should slice through 4/4 stock like butter and given your uncertainty about this I tend to think the issue is operator related. Stop, take a deep breath and start at the beginning. It's the little foxes that spoil the vine because they are often overlooked.


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## Bogeyguy (Sep 26, 2012)

Extension cords?? What gauge wire are they? Did you switch the wire leads on the motor from 220V to 110V? You really need to have an electrician check what your doing before you have a serious problem such as a fire. Seriously!!


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## mIps (Oct 10, 2012)

After reading and re-reading the original post, the OP said that the picture was taken before he re-wired the saw from 220 to 110 so, as-of now, it is 110v. I know nothing about the saw so can only say "good luck"!


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## Routerisstillmyname (Oct 16, 2008)

thicker the blade, more resistance and hence slower the cut .if you don't want to invest in 10 inch full price, get a freud 7 inch like DEMO DEMON D0724DK and try it you'd be amazed. if it still don't cut good with freud in there, return the saw.


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## bygrace (Jan 3, 2013)

just a note on the tightness of the belt. The service rep. said to tighten the belt about as tight as a guitar string. From your response I'm thinking that you're thinking a guitar string is much tighter than it really is. You can bend a guitar string to raise the pitch quite easily with one finger. Don't think that this will make any difference with your power problem, but I'm sure over tightening the belt won't be too healthy for the saw motor.


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## firefighterontheside (Apr 26, 2013)

Don't be mad at me for saying this, but is the blade in backwards? I'm not trying to insult you, but it happens and I've done it. I've also seen others here posting about it.


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## GarryP (Sep 14, 2013)

I second the warnings about wire gauge. When you're pulling this much power you should be using a heavy duty 10 or 12 gauge extension cord no longer than you need it. But the apartment wiring is probably not large enough to carry the load. You said something about installing a circuit breaker. Did you install a larger circuit breaker on an existing circuit??? The circuit breaker is there to protect the wire from overheating. You could be pulling too much power for the wire gauge, bogging down the motor and overheating the wire. Many fires have been started that way. And it shortens the life of the motor.

Seriously, get an electrician to check it out. The wiring is most likely the problem. And it could be a very dangerous problem!!!


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

I missed that in the OP about the circuit breaker being changed. I agree with GarryP, get it checked out! If you changed out a 15amp breaker to a 20 or 30amp breaker, your wiring in the wall may be undersized. This could cause a number of problems, primarily a lack of power at the saw and over heating of the wires in the wall. Also if the outlet is under rated for the breaker you could have a meltdown at the outlet. Breakers can't be just swapped out for larger ones, unless you know the wiring will handel it.


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## MarkwithaK (Sep 12, 2009)

I might have not picked up on he belt tension advice. Guitar strings aren't as taught as one might think, depending where on the neck you check it. I deal with drive belts in commercial HVAC and 1/2" deflection is typical and, in my opinion, optimal. Too loose and the belt slips, too tight and the motor can be pulled out of alignment and possibly over amp.

Check the tension/deflection at the center point of the belts span. less than 1/2" then you're too tight. More than that and you're too loose. Keep in mind that that 1/2" is my personal preference, Grizzly may have a different spec. I honestly believe that the answers to your problems all lie in the responses you've received. Hope you report back with happy results.


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## cutworm (Oct 2, 2010)

My 2 cents. Probably all of the above. Don't overtighten the belt. Hard on the motor and arbor bearings and it costs you hp. The feeders for most shops are too small. Especially if the feeder is more than 50 feet. And a good thin kerf blade will make a big difference. Good luck.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

Blade is an issue, get a 10 or 12 gauge extension cord


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## Mongolas (Sep 14, 2013)

Sorry for wasting everyone's time, I see what I did wrong and I feel pretty stupid. I didn't understand what tefinn was saying regarding wiring the motor injunction box until I really looked over the manual. I looked at it before, but the wiring looked the same to me. It must have been late and I just didn't spot the difference until tonight.

But I wired the motor injunction box the way the manual said to do it, and holy crap, it runs SO much better! Cuts like butter. I've already ripped Baltic birch plywood, cherry, and a longer strip of oak a little thicker then 3/4 of an inch. Cuts great, and I feel pretty dumb that I missed such a simple step to getting it to run properly on 110v.

Regarding the miter gauge, I actually made a simple box joint jig with it. It's not very good, but it works as well as it can. I put a piece of take on one side of the miter bar to give it a tighter fit and, let's say, I can recommend that to anyone, it fits great, not a single wiggle.

Anyways, thank you for all of your comments and suggestions. Even though it was something I just over looked, I probably wouldn't have taken the time to look at the manual again to notice my mistake if it weren't for everyone here. Thanks again!!

To wrap this up, does anyone know any quality blade sharpeners that can sharp any tooth grind? From alternating bevel to triple chip grind??


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## MarkwithaK (Sep 12, 2009)

It could just be my ignorance but I would think that sharpening a carbide tipped blade would require some rather specific equipment/skill. Seems it would be cost prohibitive when you consider that you can get a good Freud blade for under $50. I've used them pretty much exclusively on all my saws (table, miter & circ). They've worked much better than any stock blade I've ever had and as far as longevity I can't complain.


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## bowedcurly (Aug 31, 2013)

call timeout something aint rite


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## jap (Oct 10, 2012)

glad you round the fix!


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## gfadvm (Jan 13, 2011)

Glad we got that problem resolved!

Now go buy an inexpensive pair of Diablo blades; a 24 and a 40 tooth will serve your needs well.

Then build a ZCI.

Then enjoy your new saw!


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## brtech (May 26, 2010)

Yes, sharpening a blade requires specialized equipment. There are shops in most areas that have the tool that does it. $15-30 depending on how many teeth.

Forrest will sharpen any blade.

http://www.forrestblades.com/sharpprice.htm


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## Mongolas (Sep 14, 2013)

The sad thing is, I'm the type of person to invest in the expensive tools to do such a task. haha.

But yeah, thanks everyone, I'll definitely buy some nice blades soon, however, the stock blade seems to cut just fine. Not the prettiest cut, with the alternating bevel, but it makes the cut! I just think long term, so rather then buying more blades later on when my blades get dull, I would rather sharpen them. Sure it's a long shot as far as affording the special sharpening tools, but a guy can dream!


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## rexb (Mar 28, 2012)

Glad you got the problem figured out. I have a G0715P and love it. You should probably edit your review though so it doesn't sway people in the future.

Regarding sharpening - ask around at local hardware stores; many of them offer or know of a local sharpening service. Or you can use a mail in service like Ridge Carbide, Forrest, or Bull Sharpening.


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## toddl1962 (Feb 12, 2013)

I'm still concerned about replacing the breaker. Breakers are usually sized for the max current a circuit can carry. If you replaced a 15A breaker with a 20A breaker, the circuit is 14 gauge wire, and it sustains a load above 15A you have a potential fire hazard.


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## mikema (Apr 27, 2011)

I had looked at this saw awhile back when I thought my current table saw needed replacing. He is probably referring to the breaker that is on the saw itself, that is part of what needs to change when rewiring it to 110.

That said, that saw @ 2HP actually needs greater then 20 amp breaker as it is rated right at 20 amps. Since I only have 15 amp circuits in my shop, avoided it until I can get circuits in the shop rewired.


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## mantwi (Mar 17, 2013)

Your G0715P is rated at 16 amps on 110 service. Something to consider is that tablesaws are not continuous duty machines. Breakers are designed to tolerate short surges to allow the amps needed at start up for many household devices. Your saw is not going to be drawing 16 amps the whole time it is running and with the intermittent use it will see will not build up enough heat to trip a breaker. So if the breaker will handle the start up surge and you aren't running the tool for hours at a time without interruption you should be fine.


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## Dlow (Jan 16, 2011)

So, aren't you going to change your 3 star rating?


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## MSoares (Sep 17, 2013)

I agree with Rex B, you should edit your review though so it doesn't sway people in the future.


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## CampD (Nov 8, 2008)

The delay on start-up should have been your first clue to wiring problems.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Suggest the original post be added to at the bottom with an *EDIT* and #27 above be repeated there.

Glad the problem was resolved easily!


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

Glad it is resolved


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## SawdustAndAnIPA (Jul 23, 2013)

Norm used a General 1.75HP saw for several of the early seasons in his Yankee shop. Glad to hear your 2HP on 110V is working for you.


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## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

It sounds to me like you have something wired wrong. I am no expert but there is more to it than changing the plug. I believe you have to change the switch after changing the way the motor is wired.


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

Glad to see you got it fixed!


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## Mongolas (Sep 14, 2013)

http://cdn0.grizzly.com/manuals/g0715p_m.pdf

That's the PDF manual for the saw. On page 32, it shows the diagram. I was too focused on the diagram to wire up the circuit breaker, I completely ignored the diagram below, which is to make the motor run on 110. I can say now that, being wired up on 220v works, it was very weak, and as some have said, could damage the motor. There are those metal tabs which you can see in the diagram. I simply moved the middle one to the left, connecting the two on the left, and the vertical tab second from the right has two stacked on top of each other. So I was able to remove one of those and use it to connect the two on the right. When I turned on the saw, I instantly saw a huge difference. Blade spun up much faster, had a nicer hum to it, and cut wood beautifully.

I've considered doing a review on this saw via youtube video. For most things, I need visual aids. So, before I bought the saw, I went searching for helpful videos on the saw. I managed to find a few reviews on youtube, but they were poor quality, and didn't explain any of the wiring. It didn't even really explain how to adjust the fence, rails, ect. They touched up a little bit on how to adjust the trunnions, but lucky for me, I didn't have to mess with that.

I feel there needs to be a more detailed video regarding how to set this saw up, and get it running in a day. It took me a few weeks to get around to working on it more, and just finished adjusting the fence so it's a perfect 90 degree angle.

However, despite the fact I figured out how to do all the adjusting for the fence, blade, ect, I feel I would have been more confident in doing so if I had watched a video of someone doing it first. I'm pretty good at figuring stuff like that out, but I just really enjoy watching videos of others do it.

When I installed the breaker for the saw, it cut wood. Since it was the first nice tool I ever owned, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a feeling something was wrong though, since it wasn't cutting through my oak.

Comparing the saw's ability to cut oak, then remembering what it was like to cut oak on my brother's 90 dollar Pro-Tech saw, there was no contest, my grizzly just wouldn't cut it. I got discouraged, and you need to know that I'm a stay at home dad with 2 kids and a wife that works 12 hour shifts. I don't get much time out in the garage, so that's one reason I didn't stick with troubleshooting this saw. As stupid as I feel knowing it was such an easy fix, I still want to make the excuse by saying I didn't have much time. haha

Anyways, the stock blade seems to cut nicely for the most part. It doesn't leave a very clean edge, which is extra troublesome for me, as I do not have a jointer anymore, so I can't clean up that edge as easily and quickly as I'd like to.

I would like to point out, that I manged to rip 3, one inch wide pieces of birch plywood with near dead accuracy, with the blade at 3 different heights. All three cuts, I measured both ends of the board, and I got a measurement of 127/128ths of an inch. Very carefully aligning the line with the scale on the saw. I think I'll be okay with a deviation of 1/128th of an inch.

I apologize for my long post! Just had to get it all out. I'm also new on here, so I'm still learning how this site works. I've really not been on many forums at all, actually. But I liked the reviews on the saw, so I figured I would post my own and see if I could get assistance.

To sum it all up, this is an excellent saw! I plan to eventually get the 52" Incra LS positioner to make this saw worthy of a cabinet saw.


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## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

I am glad you got it resolved. When I am desperate for alone time a good movie does the trick for me.


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## emart (Mar 16, 2011)

it probably is just your circuit breaker doesnt have enough amps. I have noticed on some of my machines that i have to use the circuit that my washing machine runs on since it uses 30. my radial saw will die on thicker material if I am not using that exact outlet and yeah blades have a huge part in this too


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## killerKiteh (Mar 7, 2013)

Double check to be sure the motor is actually wired properly. My grizzly was set for 220 from them, l had to change the wires in the motor. You cannot just put cord on it with 110 volt plug….


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## killerKiteh (Mar 7, 2013)

Most manufacturers set the motors, for the higher voltage(there is usally a small tag on the motor ).
This is because if it is prewired for 110, & it was plugged in to 220, it is possible to cause damage.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Emart and killerKiteh Did you bother to read any of the thread before you posted your "solutions".

The OP figured out how the saw was rewired incorrectly and fixed it 5 days ago in post #27.


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

crank49 - I was just thinking the same thing!


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## killerKiteh (Mar 7, 2013)

NOPE!


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## ctwiggs1 (Dec 12, 2013)

I am almost 100% positive this is a power issue, and possible a fire hazard.

What AWG is your extension cord you cut open? We had two sizes at work when I started running operations - 12AWG and 18AWG. I sent all the 18AWG home with employees as gifts from the company.

To run a 20A service to your saw, you NEED 20A all the way. That means from the breaker to the outlet, and from the outlet to your saw. That is a minimum of 12AWG wire.

When you get your own home, I would suggest that you run 12AWG for any more outlets you put in. We actually did 12/4 so that I can convert to 220 at any time.

I'm not an electrician so if someone is more qualified than me, please speak up.


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

ctwiggs1 - This problem was solved three months ago.


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

Good. Now I can go buy the saw.


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## mantwi (Mar 17, 2013)

You should delete this completely redo the review. The title gives the impression that the saw was at fault instead of the owner. Don't feel bad most of us aren't electricians and I've been trying to get a usd 2hp shapers wiring figured out for months. Live and learn bro and congratulations on the new saw.


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

I bought the saw. Arrived wired 220 20 amp. My problem is I now have to run another 220 line specifically 20 amp. Small inconvenience. As soon as I get ahold of an electrician, I'll post more.


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

Please change the post and give the saw some stars for being good.


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

I don't think he's still around Grandpa. He hasn't posted since he got the info he needed to fix his saw.


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

O.K. I bought the saw. Having wiring issues. Im sure I'll figure them out and post my own review. I tested it last night with a meter and according to the meter everything was fine. I'll cut some sticks and post it. My first attempt to cut doug fir bogged the saw down to almost stopping. 2×4 kiln dried should have cut like butter.


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

Electrician says the wiring to the wall is correct. Measures 119.5 v in each hole runs smooth… til I stick a doug fir 2×4 in it and it bogs down to stopping. This is at 220. I'm wondering if it is really designed to operate at 110.


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## Obi (Oct 19, 2006)

O.K. After prooving that the saw was smarter than I am… I tightened the belt. It screams. I ripped about 10 or 12 2×6's into 5/8" strips. I LOVE THIS SAW!!!! I'll give it a 5 stars out of 5 at ripping doug fir for three hours straight.


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## Engineeringtech (Mar 6, 2012)

I posted the comments below, under the G0748 thread, back in 2012, because, at the time, I couldn't find a discussion of our G0715P (purchased in Dec 2010). I wanted others to know about our experience running the 2HP motor configured for 110V. Grizzly never admitted the problem with 110V operation. But a couple months ago, I downloaded an update of the manual, and discovered that Grizzly had changed the specs for 110V operation.

After installing a 30A, 110V circuit for the saw, we have found the saw to be a good addition to our shop with a few exceptions. The on/off button is underrated for the surge currents drawn by the motor. It fails. Grizzly was good about replacing the switch for free, the first time. The saw is powerful. With a sharp blade and properly adjusted belt, it tears through stuff. The rip fence seems to move at the end, even when you have the clamp adjusted as tight as possible. If anyone has a suggestion to fix that, I am all ears.

My 2012 comments…

Grizzly advertises that you can run these 2HP motors with 20A 120Vac service, as long as you do NOT use a long extension cord. DON'T believe it! In fact, this motor won't start UNLESS you use a fairly long extension cord. It will trip a standard 20A thermal / magnetic panel breaker every time. Why? It's the surge current required to start the motor at 120Vac. It will exceed the 30 - 40A instantaneous inrush rating of the panel breaker. You heard me right! A standard 20A panel breaker sustains steady state currents up to the 20 amp limit of the slow acting thermal mechanism. But the internal magnetic breaker, designed to trip at a higher rating for instantaneous surge currents is rated about 30 - 40 amps. Unfortunately, the one cycle inrush current of the Grizzly 2HP motor is over 130 AMPS! Now if you have 3 or 4 ohms of resistance in your saw's power connection (a typical 25 foot extension), the resistance will limit the inrush current to less than 30-40A, and the magnetic breaker will not trip. But GRIZZLY tells you NOT to use a extension cord. They tell you to wire the saw with a heavy, short power cord, and use no extension. (We used a 12 ga., 10 foot cord.)

I have explained this issue to them in detail, but they seem incapable of understanding. When they test the saws in their factory, they have the EQUIVALENT of a long extension cord between the saw and their breakers, and that is the only way the motors work in their testing. I had hoped by now that their people would put this information in the manual, but today I see that they did not.

We found out about this the hard way. My employer bought me a very similar Grizzly G0715P hybrid with riving knife, and the same 2HP motor for our shop.. I very carefully assembled it. Our choices of power in our manufacturing plant are not the same at most wood shops. We have no 220Vac single phase. Just 208Vac three phase and 120Vac single phase. Because Grizzly did not include the right mini thermal breaker for 120V operation, we had to order one from Grizzly and install it in the switch housing. That took WEEKS to get. After we got it and installed it, I wired the motor for 120V, attached a nice heavy duty power cord and the recommended plug, and fired up the saw. It IMMEDIATELY tripped our 20A Square D magnetic /thermal breaker in the power panel. The 15A mini breaker didn't trip. The 20A panel breaker tripped! Bad motor? I went through all the usual troubleshooting steps with Grizzly tech support in which they challenged my 30 years of electrical engineering experience and that of our chief engineer. They INSISTED we wired it wrong. It took a dozen photographs and weeks of convincing until they would replace the motor. And I waited another several weeks for the replacement! All during this time we had no use of the saw. When we finally GOT the new motor, I hooked it up, and it also tripped the breaker! It is only because I had to move the saw to a new location that I figured it out. The addition of an extension cord resolved the issue! I confirmed all this by measuring inrush currents with and without the extension cord. At this point we just decided to install a 30A breaker and line in our shop. The single cycle inrush current rating of a 30A Square D breaker is much higher than that of a 20A Square D breaker.

If you want to move this saw from place to place, and DON'T have a 30A breaker, you will need a long extension cord! Otherwise a short, heavy duty power cord does not offer enough resistance to limit the single cycle surge current at motor start up.


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