On 2019-07-31, wrote:
Hi all, our old bandsaw stopped working so well. It has no torque/ power
and when you turn on the unloaded motor it sometimes runs backwards.

The thought here is that maybe a start or run capacitor had gone bad...
but we are all mostly clueless when it comes to motors. Any ideas
before I try and get the motor out.

George H.

Certainly the start capacitor. I don't know whether that one
has a run cap at all, but starting sometimes backwards says that it is
the start cap.

Any clue as to which model? There seem to be a number of
models.

I downloaded the manuals for the 4V, and it shows as having a
3-phase motor, so no start cap.

But if it is a single-phase motor, it should have a start cap,
and it will likely be under a bulge cover screwed to the side of the
motor. Unscrew the cover (with the saw disconnected from power) and
pull the quick-disconnect (push-on) connectors from the cap, unscrew the
clamp which holds it, and pull it out. Read the voltage and capacitance
(uF) from what is printed on the cap, and go to a motor place to
purchase an equivalent. When you put the new one in -- just make sure
that one push-on goes to one terminal and the other to the other.
(Likely there are two or three push-on tabs for each terminal, and if
you push both onto the same terminal you will probably stall the motor.
Which wire goes to which terminal should not matter, as this is an AC
application, not DC -- which electrolytic capacitors do care about.)

Good Luck,
DoN.

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