# 2 HP Delta Unisaw Motor Replacement



## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Hello friends,

I was just recently given a 10" Delta Rockwell Unisaw from my Uncle who teaches shop class. The motor burnt out so they bought a new Powermatic and gave me the old one free. I was doing the research to see where I could get a replacement and I've been having a bit of trouble. It seems the only one I came across was a Leeson brand motor that had the bracket needed to mount to the current setup. I found this on Amazon for $395.

Does anyone know if the Leeson would suffice in terms of quality or if there's anywhere I could find a better deal?

Also, I saw that there were some 3 hp motors available with the single phase option. Would it be worth it to make the jump to 3hp from the 2 that was there before?

Thanks in advance!


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## TCCcabinetmaker (Dec 14, 2011)

All I can tell you about that is that the RPMs on the motor are important and the heat rating, other than that, I don't know the brand, and perhaps someone else is more qualified to help you out here.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Leeson motors are top notch…though some are imported and some are USA made. Baldor also offers a replacement for that saw. Either one would be a great motor. I'd shop around. Get the motor's part number and search with that….you may find a motor specialty firm with a better price. I went from a 2HP saw to a 3 HP saw. Yes you can tell the difference, but only with the cuts that really require it: like ripping 2" thick oak, and maybe large dados. You'll have to judge whether that's worth the extra cost. Remember if the old motor was 120V, and the new one (3HP) is 240V you may have to upgrade the switch.


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Sounds good. Thanks for the help. I'll be sure to post again once I figure something out.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Forgot to mention, I think Marathon also makes a motor for the Unisaw, in fact I think my circa 2000 Unisaw has a Marathon motor.


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Thanks Fred. I'll be sure to check it out.


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## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

Jerry had a similar problem a while ago here is his thread.

I really like this mount because then I could use any motor

also the 3hp leeson is 369 on ebay


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

when i refurbished, (and later sold), a unisaw, i looked at these guys for a replacement to the saw's OEM 3 hp dual voltage baldor. i had the baldor refurbished, but this ebay seller really impressed me with his straightforwardness. this leeson will bolt right onto your saw:

http://www.electricmotorsite.com/pc/sglwood/120728


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Shawn, thanks for the link to the thread. My uncle has a welder and said he would be willing to make the weld for me if I could get the old motor off with an angle grinder. If I go that route, I could get a closed motor with the right specs and have him weld it on. Don't know if it would save me much money, though. And it seems the Leesons are worth their weight in dollars from what I've been hearing.

I'm thinking the 369 deal for the Leeson with the bracket would be the way to go. That's if it's guaranteed to bolt the same way as the previous mount. Do you think I'd have an issue there? Especially since I'm going from the 2 hp to the 3? ...I'm probably over-thinking this because of the price of these guys.


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

*Do you think I'd have an issue there? *

when i last checked into that motor fitting, i was assured it would bolt on without issue, assuming the receiving bracket on the saw is undamaged or unaltered.

*Especially since I'm going from the 2 hp to the 3? *

absolutely no effect whatsoever. i would replace the belts when replacing the motor. i used 3 dayton belts from grainger (no need for a matched set) and this is how the saw performed on the day i sold it:


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Toolie, you've been a fantastic help. Thanks a ton.

And hearing that saw start up gave me goosebumps. I'm so excited it's ridiculous… Upgrading from a 10" crafstman evlove from Ace Hardware, the jump in quality will be overwhelming.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

We bought the 4 hp Leeson from the www.electricmotorsite.com that Toolie has quoted. We love our new motor and it works great for us. The extra 4 hp over the 3 hp I don't think is necessary or even that much noticeable at all but if I recall the price difference between the 3 and 4 was only about 30.00.

You should not have any issue with the Leeson bolting up, Unisaw has their own special motor mount set up that I think has been consistent from what I can tell. I am sure if you go through electricmotorsite.com you will be happy with the motor.


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Perfect follow through. Thanks Jerry.

Just ordered the 3 hp and found out by my uncle that the pulleys were replaced a year ago.

I'll be sure to update with a few photos once the new motor is installed. Thanks again for everyone's help.


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

*And hearing that saw start up gave me goosebumps.*

i sometimes miss the sound that 3hp baldor made. it was a REALLY heavy motor that really kicked when it started. but it was a right tilt and i opted to keep two emerson electric built 10" CI contractor saws instead. there's not much, in a hobbyists shop, that a cabinet saw will do that a properly set up 1 1/2 hp contractor saw can't also do with the right blade.


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Valid point there. I just like the fact that I get to say I own a cabinet saw. I'm quite the nostalgic woodworker. Not much the productive type. Ha!


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

So, the new motor is on. And it's a dandy. However, I've run into a small snag. Now that the motor is installed, the blade doesn't turn as easy by hand. At a certain point in the rotation, it seems very tight and wants to rebound when I let go of the blade.

I fidgeted with the pulley tension a bit and it didn't seem to help much. My uncle said the pulleys were changed a year ago, so I didn't think it would be the problem, but maybe it is. Any suggestions?


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Did you put new belts on when you installed the motor. Sometimes the belts have a "set" in them that would cause what you experience.


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

No, I kept the old ones.. are you saying the old ones could have a "set" or the new ones would?


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I would think the new ones would be worse, but it's possible the old ones have a set, especially if the saw wasn't used for quite a while before you changed the motor. But if it was OK before with the old ones, and is not now with the same belts, it must be something else. Oh, well….....


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## toolie (Mar 16, 2011)

i used these belts from grainger when i rehabbed a unisaw:










cost ~ $15. cheap insurance if you're working on a unisaw.

i believe the motor is causing the blade to turn sluggishly. same thing happened when the OEM baldor in my rehab project was rebuilt. shouldn't be a concern.


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## Hellough (Jan 23, 2012)

Fred, thanks for the input!

Toolie, I loosened up the pulleys on the new motor and spun the shaft. It spins a lot rougher than the previous motor. So I think you're right on that. And it's quite a relief. Those belts in the pic are the ones on the saw now. And since they were replaced a year ago, I think the saw is ready for use. Thanks to everyone. I'll upload some pics on here tomorrow for anyone else that plans to tackle this in the future.


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## beeman2626 (Mar 20, 2014)

I recently purchased a Delta/Rockwell unisaw with a three phase, two horse power motor at an auction. What motor did you buy for yours? How many horse power? Any installation problems? I need to buy a one phase motor.

Thanks for your help. If you could respond to email that would be great, [email protected]


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

I wasn't aware of any Unisaw that shipped with a 2HP motor from the factory… but at any rate, you can get a VFD for that saw for about $100 give or take, which would be cheaper than trying to replace it. A 3 phase motor is superior to a single phase one - more robust, more efficient, and you also get a lot of extra benefits with a vfd that you can't get with a single phase motor.

Cheers,
Brad

PS: You do know that this thread is from a couple years ago, right?


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## beeman2626 (Mar 20, 2014)

Thanks for the info Brad. But I am sorry to say I don't now what a VFD is. Please explain Thanks Bruce


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

> Thanks for the info Brad. But I am sorry to say I don t now what a VFD is. Please explain Thanks Bruce
> 
> - beeman2626


Google is your friend.

Cheers,
Brad


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