Low Amps Kills Skill Saw?

Bill

Am framing a house. Its an addition. Breakers seem to make a "Sizzle" noise after about 6 hours of use. My skill saw will not run now. Can this be a result of inadequate amps running the saw?

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CE1

low voltage and high amps was your probable problem. How long and what size was the extension cord you were using? A shorter and larger sized extension cord would of been better.

Someone will come along with a extension cord sizing chart.

Bill

Could had been. We use a extension no longer than 10 foot and very heavy gauge for the compressor, the skill saw was plugged into probably a 50' cord from Lowe's (Home Owners)

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mdshunk

That'll do it every time. Voltage drop kills saws. Run really heavy cords for your saws. It seems silly, I know, to spend 100 bucks on a 50 foot extension cord, but you really need to. Probably should have been a 10 guage cord for that length, but the homeowner's cord was more than likely 16 gauge.

MALCO.New.York

This might help.

http://nevadawalrus.com/index-wired.html


As it has been posted in other threads...ALWAYS over gauge and over rate the load you have. One can NEVER go wrong that way!!

And when your work site begins to resemble this...



then it is time to reevaluate!



This is next............When you ignore proper load!

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Bill

Would not doubt the 16 gauge. I left mine home, so the HO said we could use his.

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mdshunk

Oh, by the way, in case you were wondering.... your saw will never be the same. Keep your eyes peeled for a replacement.

Bill

I am MD, I am going to buy a new one. Figure its cheaper and faster.

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mdshunk

I often thought I could build a little box for pretty cheap that would just shut the power off if there was too much voltage drop, but I doubt anyone would buy it. The saw manufacturers could make a pretty small circuit to put in the saw's handle to shut off the power and preserve the saw, but it would probably just tick people off. A few cuts with extreme voltage drop is no big deal. Working all day is a pretty big deal.

MALCO.New.York

But how would this benefit the repurchase factor.

Kinda like GM could make a car that lasted 3 million miles and a carburetor/detonation configuration that allowed 200 MPG.

It is all about the bottom line.

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Ultimate Wisdom---------
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plumberman

That first pic looks like a still shot out of "I AM Legend"

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MALCO.New.York

Google images.

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Something to One may be Nothing to another!

Ultimate Wisdom---------
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neolitic

Or...
http://www.linein.org/blog/wp-conten...b6a7cd1c_o.jpg

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jrclen

I ran into a good one. I was about to drill the studs on the second floor. I found a heavy duty cord already hanging up there. It had a 20 amp 120 volt connector body on it. Lucky me.

I plugged in my short extension cord and drill and squeezed the trigger. Fire shot out of the drill and it made a noise and smell that is very hard to miss. Seems that cord was wired into the panel for 240 volts for a large barn fan the carpenters had up there in the heat.

The new drill had less than 2 hours on it when I did this. It is still working fine on 120 volts thank goodness. Why would they use the proper connector body and plug? They knew not to plug their saws into that cord.

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John

Splinter

John, I had a similar thing happen... Homeowner had an AC unit in a window. My boss (at the time) unplugged the cord and plugged in his shop vac. It was a regular 15A 120v outlet afterall. Boy did that vacuum scream! Homeowner had it wired for 220v, and my boss didnt really notice the replacement plug on the AC's power cord. That vacuum still worked for the next 3 years while I worked for him. Hell, it could still be working today!

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- Alex

Long Island Remodeling Contractor

jrclen

Well I'm glad I'm not the only one.

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John

Electric_Light

A cord someone has sitting around is usually 16AWG, if not 18. 50' extension cord for running a circular saw on 120v should be 12AWG.

A W Smith

Two things that will kill saws guaranteed. low amps. dull blades.

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Splinter

Kills compressors too... Customers home had a lot of DIY wiring... I plugged the trailers compressor into the garage outlet with my heavy duty cord and it ran sluggish... We were so busy and I just wanted to get this job done, so I left it as is... Second day the compressor burned out. Turns out that garage outlet was at the end of an almost 400' run of 14-2 romex. Half the house was on that circuit.

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Long Island Remodeling Contractor

Cole82

Is there a way to check the outlet for proper amps? I burned upa a saw a couple weeks ago at a customers house. Is the safest way to just use the generator for every thing?