![]() This makes it difficult to know exactly how much horsepower your table saw needs to have, especially since some companies share the horsepower you could expect from normal use and other share the maximum horsepower.Stand beside the finish line of any racetrack in the world and dare yourself to remain unflapped. ![]() Perhaps the motor can reach the maximum horsepower if fed an increased amount of power, but it won’t be fed that power plugged into your 120 volt power outlet. The horsepower rating is clearly not based upon normal use. There are saws claiming that their motors have far higher “max” horsepower than this, which is impossible, of course, even with a highly efficient motor. Even if the motor operated at 100% efficiency, the maximum horsepower would be about 2.4 HP. If a table saw draws 15 amps at 120 volts, the maximum amount of energy it can draw is 1,800 watts. ![]() Generally, a motor does not operate at 100% efficiency, so the amount of energy it draws will always be greater than the amount of energy it puts out. The horsepower of a motor describes how much power the motor puts out. ( source) Horsepower Ratings Aren’t What You Think Since most of us no longer use horses to power our equipment, the term horsepower has become increasingly more difficult to grasp. It was originally created to help people in the late-1700s conceptualize the true power of motors in terms they could understand. Horsepower is a unit of power equal to 745.7 watts or the amount of power used to raise 550 pounds 1 foot in 1 second. If you want to make a quality product as the fastest speed possible, a higher horsepower table saw is the right choice for you. The faster you work, the more work you can do, and the happier your clients will be. When you’re a commercial woodworker, that speed is really important. If you cut through a lot of hardwoods, you will want a table saw with at least 3 HP, and you would do better to get a 5 HP table saw to avoid burning out the motor.Įxtra horsepower doesn’t just give you power, it gives you speed. Most 12” table saws come standard with a 5 horsepower motor, but you might even want to go higher than that if you are looking for speed. If you often need to cut through thick pieces of wood, you may consider getting a table saw with a 12” blade or larger. If the kind of woodwork you do involves cutting through hardwoods or thicker pieces of wood on a regular basis, you’re going to want a more powerful saw to avoid burning out the motor. If your woodworking business only involves light table saw use, you can get away with a lower horsepower and a solid blade. You will wear an underpowered machine out very quickly with commercial use and have to buy a new one far too soon.įor commercial woodworking that involves using the table saw regularly, try to get a table saw that is at least 3 HP, if not more. The 1.75 HP table saws will get the job done, but they need to be coddled a little bit and the wood must be fed to the saw at a slower rate. If you are looking to make a career out of woodworking, or even a lucrative side hustle, and you think you will use your table saw on a daily basis based on the kind of work you do, then you will definitely want a higher horsepower. Keep your table saw’s blade sharp, and take good care of it, and it will see you through. You may need to feed wood to the table saw more slowly, but it should do everything you need it to.Įven if the motor is not of the highest power, a high-quality table saw with a high quality blade will serve you better than a higher powered, but lower quality table saw with a dull blade. If you’re a hobbyist woodworker, a 1.75 horsepower table saw will probably serve you well unless you are frequently cutting a lot of hardwoods or thick pieces. Certainly, if money and space are no object, you would likely never regret going with a more powerful saw, but most of us don’t want to throw away money for horsepower we don’t need. How Much is Enough?ĭetermining how much power you need in a table saw depends greatly upon what kinds tasks you need to perform. In this article, I will discuss everything you need to know about horsepower as it relates to your table saw. The necessary amount of table saw horsepower is a widely debated topic among the woodworking community. One of the statistics most often used to make a decision is table saw horsepower.įor most applications, 1.75 horsepower is plenty of power, but you may want to get a higher-powered motor if you will be using your table saw on a daily basis or for commercial purposes. Amps, volts, dimensions, blade size… It is not the easiest decision. When you’re thinking of buying a saw, the statistics that need to be considered can be completely overwhelming.
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