How Good Are the Chinese Mills?

[Zigeuner]

Uh? What about the wiring diagram on the back of the manual? Is that any better? I might want to try wiring for 220 some day.

It's tough to do and there's little benefit on it. The machine will riun just fine on a 20 amp breaker with 12 ga . wire. Not to worry. I would spend my time working with the machine and getting to know it.

As to your wife, just do like I do, whenever I gey a new toy, I just hide it under a mop. She never looks there. LOL.

 

[george wilson]

I think that for home shop use,110 should be fine as long as your shop's wiring is large gauge enough to handle the amperage. I am not an electrician,though. I used my 2 h.p. mill drill for some years on regular 110 house wiring. The house I was living in at the time was old enough to have some kind of cloth covering on the wires inside the walls.

Best ask an expert.

 

[Tony Wells]

Watts is watts, and hp is hp, power consumed is identical, but I like the amperage angle. Same devices draw 1/2 the amperage running on 220 vs 110. Two things, at least. this does. Allows smaller wire to carry the same hp/wattage, and lessens the voltage drop on longer wire runs. Everything seems to start quicker. Maybe because of the voltage drop under start load, but seems to be a better way to go to me. I try to convert everything that I don't plan on running outside the shop to 220. I leave the table saw, joiner, planer, etc., that are portable on 110.

 

[george wilson]

I had no dimming lights problem when starting the 2 h.p. mill drill. Yes,220 is better,but be aware that your machine's Chinese wiring diagram may be bogus. It can cause a lot of fooling around if you don't remember how it was wired up. I usually make a little sketch before tearing circuits down.

Years ago,in the 60's,I had a Sunbeam Alpine sports car. It had a flat dashboard,but made of plastic. I think someone must have painted it with fingernail polish!! I made a nice walnut dashboard for it. First,I removed the plastic dash with all the instruments attached. I labeled every wire,and then took all loose. Used a circle cutter to cut all the holes for the instruments,which were all good,classical round instruments. Used the old dash as the pattern for everything.

When I put it all back together,everything worked perfectly,much to my relief.

 

[Zigeuner]

I have most of my machines running on 220 VAC except for an HF 12" disc sander. I agree that it's nice to use 220 when you can but on those Mill Drills, it's not worth the time to figure out their silly wiring diagrams.

A 1-1/2 hp motor isn't going to overtax a 12 ga, 20 amp line which is what my 110 lines are in the shop. I ran my 2 hp H.F. Mill/Drill on 110 for some ten years and it ran just fine.

I tried to change it to 220 and it appeared that there was no way to rewire the rotary switch for two lines (L1, L2). The motor plate showed dual voltages but nothing about direction reversal which is necessary.

If you can change over to 220 without replacing the rotary switch or burning up the motor, I say go for it!

 

[Larry42]

I've got a Jet 9x49 clone, Taiwan. It was well used when I got it. I ended up needing to replace the variable drive belt. Had to remove the motor and housing to get to it. Not sure that could have been done under an 8' ceiling. Heavy and awkward. Motor is 3hp. I've never had it seem under powered. It is 3 phase, which I much prefer. I have 3 phase in my shop. It came with a factory X-axis feed. I have since put a Z-axis feed on and a 3 axis DRO. For what I do any shorter travels would be very limiting. Next mod will be a power draw bar, some day. Moving the thing requires some serious lifting. I think it is about 2500#.