Good mourning everyone
Is anyone having any motor problems with Steel City machines? I’m on my second motor and I’m having the same problems with this one as the first. I have a Steel City #50100G 14″ Deluxe Granite Band Saw. The problem with both motors is they begin to get a vibration then sometimes howl, you feel the vibration at the table top, which shouldn’t be. I replaced both capacitors on the first motor and that didn’t help with that one. My second motor ran real smooth when I first got it. Steel City has moved their repair and service from Tenn. to Canada, different people. Their service had a different attitude, when I had problems last year right after I got the saw the man I spoke with was concerned and wanted to solve my problem whatever it took. Now it’s different, their concerned about what this will cost them, not if they have a satisfied customer.
Thanks for any help
okahun
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Replies
It's possible that you just got a "bad apple" on the phone, rather than that the whole customer-service culture has changed at Steel City. Too bad this came up on Saturday morning, but I'm sure you'll get some help.
Were you able to get to a supervisor, or only the person who first fielded the call?
Hi forestgirl
I called quite a few times and most of the time no one answers, you get voice mail to leave your name etc. The times I got someone it's always the same guy. The latest from him was, I should call my place of purchase and they would send someone out at SC's expense to check on my motor problem. I called and the store told me they don't do that. Called back SC and of course got the same guy who mentioned yes he remembers me because my initial call we were on the phone for 1 hr and 4 minutes. Then he tells me oh it was another store he was thinking of that makes home service calls. Now I'm waiting to here from some machinery repair place that's suppose to call me. He at least gave me the phone # of this place (I called left a voice mail, still waiting to here from them).
okahun
Totally different group handling matters than it used to be, Okahun. Good luck and stay on their hinny is about all the advice I can give you as I did have inside ties to the old regime..
Good luck...
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Sarge, I hear the old Box regime is working for a Canadian these days too -- G.I. Looks like we're taking over the world ;^). For what it's worth the Canadian arm of SC has always worked with local dealers rather than use their own technicians. When they replaced my TS they sent out 2 guys from the local dealer to deliver the replacement and set it up. Must have cost a bundle. Who knows if they'd do the same today. IMO you can only afford to give exceptional service if it isn't often needed, i.e. if your factory QC is exceptional -- and I don't think SC's ever was, unfortunately. My original saw should have failed inspection at several different stages.
Jim
Yep... according to the press release by General International at AWFS.. that is about the jest of it as there appears to be a new U.S. distribution center for GI headed by Scott Box on the near horizon. Not that he personally emailed me to alert me mind you but....... ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Have a good one...
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Just a thought or 2
Are the pullys aligned? is the belt over tight?Maybe take the motor to a motor repair shop and get them to diagnosis the problem.What brand is it? contact the motor manufacuter direct, maybe there is a recall?
Just a thought or 2
Are the pulleys aligned? is the belt over tight?Maybe take the motor to a motor repair shop and get them to diagnosis the problem.What brand is it? contact the motor manufacuter direct, maybe there is a recall? At the beginning of my blog lists all the info. Steel City less than a year old with no use on it except for setting up. Pulleys aligned, belt tensioned according to specs, manufacturer taking their time to fix problem, no recall I know of.
Thanks for your reply
okahun
Just to clarify. Who made the motor? Baldor? GE? Does it have a manufacuring plate with were it was made?As for so-so customer service I do understand, but I still hate it also.That is why I suggested contacting who made the motor and do an end run around steel city. Who ever made the motor may put some pressure on steel city to get the rag out or may send you a replacement directly.
Good luck!!
Motor is made in China, only name is Steel City on name plate
Thanks okahun
Thanks for the input SARGE
okahun
Hay - why are you apologizing for the company?
TT
TT, first of all, I wasn't apologizing -- I was posing the same question I always do when someone has a bad experience with one or two phone calls, in hopes that it's simply the aforementioned "bad apple" rather than a company-wide culture.
Unfortunately, the latter may (I repeat, may) be the case, since Steel City has changed hands. As you can see in my last post, I'm sad about this, especially since my experience with SC customer service a couple years ago was fantastic.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Why then apologize for everybody? I don't understand you logic that every company is OK and that the problem is only one bad employee. Complaints should be listened to and not covered up. TT
Geez, TT, where are you getting this apology stuff?! I did not say the company was guilt-less, nor did I say the OP was incorrect in his assessment!! I simply asked a question. You are completely misinterpreting my posts.
Believe me, I have no tolerance for a company that perpetuates poor customer service! I've railed against at least one company in that regard right here at Knots. I won't repeat their name, because (a) they seem to be changing and (b) I have a tack hammer now, and with it comes a certain amount of restraint. That hammer does not, however, require that I never say anything remotely negative.
Once again, and for the last time, I will state: It is a sad situation if the original fine customer service of S.C. has changed due to a change in ownership. Things are looking iffy, at best, based on this particular report.
If the blue statement looks like an "apology" to you, I suggest a change in either your reading glasses or your method of evaluation.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
No the line that got me was: "I wasn't apologizing -- I was posing the same question I always do when someone has a bad experience with one or two phone calls, in hopes that it's simply the aforementioned "bad apple" rather than a company-wide culture.My point was that what you wrote above is a pass - or what ever you want to call it. The complaint was real and should stand. I read your posts and enjoy what you write.
I realize I got your motor running, but what you wrote above, is well what you wrote.
Best,
TT
Yes, TT, we know now that, odds are, the "issue is real" -- i.e., that SC's culture has changed. But we did not know that at the beginning of the thread. We suspected it, but we did not know that.
It's pretty clear that the OP here has been patient and thorough. That, however, is not always the case. There's no more reason to always assume the caller is right, than there is to always assume that a company is right. The only way to sus things out is to ask questions before drawing conclusions. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Forestgirl:"The only way to sus things out is to ask questions before drawing conclusions"Yes, that is exactly my point.Best,
TT
"Forestgirl:
"The only way to sus things out is to ask questions before drawing conclusions"
Yes, that is exactly my point."
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 8/27/2009 11:57 pm by forestgirl
"TT, I completely give up. It's been a long time since I had a conversation that made as little as this one has". Gees (sp). For heaven sakes at least read what you type.
No blue emphasis no underlines? No eye glass jokes?
I was expecting more.
TT
Dear twotowersShe has had a lot more patience with you than I would ever have.Yours Truly,Peter Durand
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Well, you may say that but consider the the underlining issue. Say you are like me, as an example. I saved up for a major tool purchase, perhaps the biggest purchase I could afford for a wood working tool in a year, like a band saw. Now band saws are shipped from Asia standing upright and the manufacturer advises a moving company need to bring your saw into the shop and an electrician need to connect it.
Now Peter, assume you do all this and the motor doesn't work or there is another problem. So what does the owner do?Say he tells his story on Knots and he is told his comments are suspect. And say the critic sez the same thing to every complaint of an end user. You still good with that?If you read the thread that was the issue I had. I think you would agree with me.
TT
Dear Mr. Twotowers,Having re-read the thread, just in case, I stand by what I posted.Cheers,Peter
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
OK Peter,
If you are comfy with the thread....I still stand with the customer against the manafacturer. Neither FG or anyone else has the right to take away redress actions. Dissipointing that neither critics could rise to the issue.. well it has to be Liberals.................Best,
TT
Where was it said that you should have no redress?
What does liberal or conservative have to do with it? I'm a libertarian and I think you are an idiot.
Did you think that every machine shipped in todays market and at todays prices is going to be perfect?
Did you truly think Forest Girl was telling you you had no redress?
I suspect you are one of the fine graduates of Amerikan skools who thinks the world owes him everything if not for free then at 10% of cost.
I would bet that by now you have hired a lawyer who has convinced you that your stupidity is not your fault and that you should be compensated by those who do not have your affliction.
You are a piece of work.
................................................
Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot
Denis,
FG wrote "I was posing the same question I always do when someone has a bad experience with one or two phone calls, in hopes.....".Well if one always hopes the company is error free, what is the point of the post?I do think the statement of the person in trouble should stand with out someone who is unfamiliar with the situation taking the side of any and all manufacturer in fault. That just seems logical.Next: Yes, I do believe large tools should be delivered in perfect condition, just like a new car, an IPOD or a Snickers candy bar; and customer service should be at least equal to what we all get at Wall MART. When you spend a lot of money for a machine, you don't buy it with an attitude that it is OK if it arrives broken.
Agree?Next: Redress. see above.Next: "AMERIKAN"
Last person I noted with that spelling was Abbie Hoffman.
Hay. Abbie - is that you?
(please I couldn't help myself this was just a joke, but I do believe I smoked you out politically! (that was intended to be humorous as well!))Lawyers: Good point. Recent news article show a trend of emails and threads are open to surprising legal outcomes. Me. I am only sticking up for the end user. Not doing it well perhaps, but I believe when you spend the big bucks the thing should work. No apologies, it should just work as advertised.I am a piece of work? Yes,I guess you are probably right.
Well I am stepping down from my soap box, as my hours of enlightened comments are 9 to 5, weekdays only.best,
TT
Mike;
you wrote: "I'm a libertarian and I think you are an idiot".Just going through the post again, and I seem to remember that the Greek translation for LIBERTARIAN in fact is "I think you are an idiot." best,
TT
I am closing this discussion, as it's become nothing but a name-calling food fight, serving no positive purpose for the boards.
Okahun, please update us on the situation by starting a new thread. Sorry this one degenerated so badly!
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 8/31/2009 3:07 pm by forestgirl
Peter,OK,point taken.We stand on on different sides of the same river describing a sunset as we both see it.
Best,
TT
She has had a lot more patience with you than I would ever have.
Could not agree more.
Mike
Mikeddd;
Well congrats to you!
You have no compassion for the end user!
Why not explain your position? No passion for the poor guy stuck with a lemon?
TT
After re-reading this thread I still can't figure out what your point is, or what the Liberals have to do with woodworking tools or a woodworking forum.
Mike
Edited 8/31/2009 10:14 am ET by mikeddd
PS
Loved the blue text!
TT
Are you angry about something TT. I just don't see where forestgirl apologized for anything. I agree with her totally. I tried Steel City's products because I bought their propaganda why their product would be better. I'm disappointed that the people that started the company with the philosophy back to quality like it used to be make a bunch of money, sell and don't care about their former customers that made the sale worth while to the new owner. Now the next step is to wait until I feel better from my surgery and can actually start using the band saw. I want to say thank you to everyone for taking the time to comment.
okahun
"I'm disappointed that the people that started the company with the philosophy back to quality like it used to be make a bunch of money, sell and don't care about their former customers that made the sale worth while to the new owner".
Didn't happen that way.. You don't start a WW machine company from scratch with much invested and make a "bunch of money" in 3 years.. you are lucky to break even and in most cases don't. I can assure you the three of the 5 original owners that are no longer with the company are not waking up and jumping out of bed with a pocket full of jingling change or even a smile for that matter.
Enough said on my part and probably too much...
Good luck as I have 3 SC machines myself. BTW.. I demonstrated that SC 14" deluxe at IWF and you should not be getting the motor vibration you speak of if you have checked all else. I can't recall anyone else having the same problem on forums I frequent.
Sounds as if a bad bearing in the motor or shaft since you isolated the problem to the motor. My SC 18" is quiet as a church mouse and literally vibration free even though it does weigh more than your 14" with smaller motor.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Edited 8/25/2009 12:28 pm ET by SARGEgrinder47
SARGE
Understand when I made those comments it's because I'm angry. I bought two machines from SC last September at a local tool store I've done business with since the 1970s. From the beginning I had problems and as long as they helped me solve any problems I was happy. I didn't complain about all the time I was investing repairing brand new machinery. I'm retired with a bad back and I don't need any more grief. And now I've dealt with someone who is more concerned about the fact I'm on my second new motor, and he can't believe that there's something wrong with this one.
Don't take anything I say personal, I'm grateful you and everyone else reply and try and help me with my problems. And to be honest even with all these problems I still like this band saw. The short time when it ran smoothly it was great. With God's help maybe a couple months from now the doctor will release me and I'll be able to start using all this machinery I have.
SARGE why did your friends leave SC? Thanks for your help.
okahun
I do not know the entire story Okahun as frankly.. someones business involving money matters is really none of mine. What I do know I am not at liberty to say as per agreement when I was told what I do know and simply the reason I stated I have probably said too much already. I just have a hard time with speculation and assumptions that can run rather rampant on these forums.
A cornered and freightened baby tiger by first party often becomes a vicious man-eater by 10 party much as gossip over the back fence in my mother's day got pretty twisted by the time it reached the end of the street. I think you understand what I am trying to say here.
Regards and good luck with the problem.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Edited 8/27/2009 8:26 am ET by SARGEgrinder47
Understood SARGE
Thanks okahun
Read John White's last post on switching from 120 to 220 is a major clue and I agree. It would be highly unusual for two motors to be bad when no problems I am aware of have been reported on this particular BS or motor. I believe John is onto something and I see Howie has joined that chorus also.
I would check it out as John mentioned..
Good luck....Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
I have to agree with the majority here and advise you to switch back to 120 volts and see what happens.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
Okahun,
Understand your comment. I guess the bigger issue is getting better!
Good luck on recovery!
Best,
TT
Thanks TT good conversing with you and thanks for any help
okahun
Yes, Best to you! And Best to a quick recovery.
Please check in and say how you are doing. Nothing worse than a new tool in the shed and being stuck in bed!
TT
"The problem with both motors is they begin to get a vibration then sometimes howl,"
Are you using Timber Wolf blades? (;)
Sounds like a bearing fault with the motor- I would ask the agent to send another motor (tested) plus some goodies like a few blades to compensate for the inconvenience ......Philip Marcou
Edited 7/25/2009 6:37 pm by philip
Steel City doesn't believe that I have a motor problem at this point. The guy I spoke with came up with a number of different things I should try or adjust. After I told him I already did everything he suggested and then some his answer was, wait to hear from this local service center. I have 4 Timber Wolf, 3 Olson, and 4 Carter blades all are unused except for two Olsen that I used just to set up and play a little bit with. Actual cutting time on the machine is around maybe 5 minutes.
Thanks for your suggestions philip
okahun
Just wanted to give everyone who responded an update. A tech came out and looked at my band saw, turned it on and said they are all like this. So according to him all 14" band saws vibrate so much when running that the knob on the tension lever unscrews itself. Needless to say I'm no longer thinking of ever buying another Steel City product. I'm thinking of either buying a new motor or getting this one rebuilt. Any comments would be welcome. I'm leaning toward a new motor when the time comes. I think it's a 56 frame type, 1725 rpm, approx. 1 1/2 hp.
okahun
Trash it, any brand new motor that vibrates badly won't be helped by a rebuild, and the rebuild will cost as much as a new motor. Are you sure it is the motor? There are a few better candidates for the source of heavy vibration in a band saw.John White, Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998-2007
John as far as I could tell it's the motor. I went through a process were I ran the motor solo and it vibrated as bad as when I put the belt on (tried different tension settings, loose to tight, no help), then added the blade. I tried 3 different blades, all Olson brand. I've checked the power source, even cycles per second (it's 59.98 hertz). The wheels appear to be balanced, spinning them separately they never stop at the same point. Anything I spin without the motor is quiet and smooth. John if you have any other ideas, I'll try anything. Thanks for your help.
okahun
Do you notice any lateral play when trying to move the shaft? It could just be bad or poor quality bearings, a rather easy fix.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
I tried your suggestion, it appears to be tight. Someone earlier had said the bearing could be the cause and maybe there right. My problems began when I changed voltage 120 to 240 on the first motor, had same problem with that one as this one. There's more torque when starting at 240 verses 120 maybe cheap bearings are the cause. And I'm the lucky one that gets two consecutive motors with bad bearings. I've always been "a day late and a dollar short". I'm probably the only one that's had a motor problem with Steel City, oh well.
okahun
If the problems only started when you switched over from 110 to 220, that is a major clue. I would be willing to bet that if you switched the motor back to 110 it will run fine. Bearings wouldn't be affected by torque. The problem is almost certainly electrical, it is possible that the wiring diagram for the switch is wrong or, with all due respect, you didn't make the right connections. I am not sure just what will happen when a motor is miswired, but a motor with electrical problems, such as a bad condenser or stuck starter switch, will run rough and vibrate. I do know that a group of motors showed up on Asian machinery a few years ago with the 110 to 220 diagrams on the connection box wrong.John White
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998-2007
>>> If the problems only started when you switched over from 110 to 220, that is a major clue. I would be willing to bet that if you switched the motor back to 110 it will run fine. Bearings wouldn't be affected by torque.That is the though I had when the OP said his problems began when he changed voltage.Howie.........
I called my son to come over and pull the motor out for me and I'll check how I wired it hopefully later today. Believe me I'm not proud I've made errors that were really stupid. The second motor never was on 120. I was told by someone that if you run a motor on a much higher voltage for any length of time you'd burn it out. This motor after it started to vibrate I ran with the belt off for at least 15 minutes a few times and all that happened was it got a little warm. If I solved my problems because of my stupidity I'd be happy as a pig in (you know what). Does anyone know how to check the wiring diagram to see if it could be wrong?
okahun
As an aside to this discussion, I see that one more company -- GI -- has brought out another granite tablesaw, this one looking like a clone of the SC. The original SC gang may have moved on, but some of their ideas seem to have legs.
Jim
Jim thought you might like to read this link .
Mike
Thanks Mike. I'd actually seen that, being a fan of PW. I didn't mention the link because I didn't figure that Box had been there long enough to influence a design that's now already available -- but who knows? Here's the GI saw: http://www.general.ca/site_general/g_produits/saw/50-240gt.html
Jim
Other than the color it does look allot like the Steel City 1 3/4hp Granite saw.
Mike
I believe Mike has put you onto something. BTW.. the other names mentioned along with Scott Box (the former president of SC) are Craig Walls and Tom Guertin. They were also part owners of SC. Kurt is a top notch sales rep that was with SC also and he know his stuff. So... life goes on.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Hi Sarge. GI and General could use some top-notch sales help in the US. It seems to have been frustratingly difficult to find a dealer who actually stocked the machines thus avoiding big freight charges. Looks like a win-win.
Jim
Redmond and Son Machinery here in Atlanta has stocked General for many years now but.. not General International. But.. R & Son has down-sized in the last year and don't have the inventory they once had. They are selling a lot of Saw-stops and they carry Jet.. PM.. Delta.. General.. SC.. etc. plus a lot of Industrial machines as they sell to commercial big time.
So... the cost is still prohibitive on General and General International down here as there is no U. S. distribution point to help reduce it by bringing the machines straight to in lieu of Canada then shipping to what few dealers they had with one and two shipments. That is expensive with the risen price of freight.
Scott is hoping to be up and running by October if all goes well from the last e-mail I had from him. So.. you will see more activity in the future.
Regards...
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Well hopefully this works out and reduces the cost of General equipment on the US market as well as brings some of the new ideas that Steel City has been using on there equipment over to the General line. It would also be nice to see the cost of General equipment more in line with that of Steel City up here as well.
Mike
Scott and the guys are actually working for General International which is owned by General. I am not sure that will carry over to General but.. the next time I speak to Scott or Craig.. I will ask just that.
Regards for the week-end. Boring at my shop as waiting for finish to cure for a final rub-out with wax. I suppose I can empty cyclone bins.. wax tables.. hone chisels..etc. as I do between each project. I hope to have this one posted by mid-week and started on another by Monday week.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
I see, I knew that there was a difference General being built in Canada and General International overseas (I think that is correct). In my area they are both handled by the same distributor and I just assumed it might work the same way for the US market.
Your weekend sounds about as exciting as mine clean the shop, and my favorite yard work (maybe I could hide in the shop) ha,ha.
Will be watching for your post I think I remember you where going to build a table for a fish tank or I could be wrong.
Its suppose to be around 85 degrees this weekend up here, so I better get out and enjoy it there won't be to many days that warm anymore for us till next year, have a great weekend.
Mike
Waxed 5 machine tables to-night. We got heavy rain this morning in Atlanta from the tropical storm out in the Atlantic and my yard is too wet to cut. The good news is I'm retired now and I'll do it whenever it dries out. Yep.. small fish tank table which is just sitting to cure.
BTW.. I wish they would do the same for General and who knows... they might come to be? We will see I suppose.
Regards for the week-end...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Hey Sarge
I have a General International left tilt contraters saw about 5 years ago. love it. I also got the tenon sled, mobile base and mortiser. about 20 years ago I bought an old General 6 inch jointer so old it is grey not green. bulletproof.
Many school shops and many pro shops have General tools.
Quality great , customer service great. Hope those guys keep the quality high!!!Hoping a Generals rep send me a T shirt.Good things can come from Canada, General has been doing it for years.
I came inches from buying a General 650 back when it had a big red kill swithch. The machine is a tank as most of the General line. I almost went for their jointer also but the price after coming down here made both purchases prohibitive in my case. It's well made stuff IMO as I have been over the entire line both at Redmond & Son's and at the large WW trade shows.
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Sarge,Redmond... home of the BIG band saws. Almost got into trouble there a few times!Boiler
They moved from Fulton Industrial over to Newnan well over a year ago, Doc. They had about 26,000 sq. ft. at the old location as they expanded their show-room. But.. the economy took it's toll with WW machines as most other things. They still concentrated on commercial doing a lot of cabinet shops.. schools.. industury but... not the presence they once were with stocked tools. They can still get about anything but not often you will find 2-3 in stock.
I purchased my Steel City 18" BS there along with a 8" jointer and a factory re-conditioned Uni-saw. Since I upgraded to a Steel City 5 HP TS and sold the Uni-saw for $100 less than I payed after using it for two years. Yep.. band-saw city at one time which included Aggazani. Loved that Aggazani but I found the SC does all I need and the remainer purchased a jointer.
Regards...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Sarge,The Agazanni-- great saws.That Agazanni Rapid 900 36" is definitely the one I need for those cocktail coasters and jewelry boxes I want to build. I think it would be good for miniature rockers too -- after all it's the one Maloof used.Too much?I wonder if there is an after market 2.5" circle cutting jig available for them?Doc
I don't believe you need a Lambrogini to go to the super-market 4 blocks away with 3 stop lights in between but... it would impress the soccer moms in the parking lot when you arrive so....
Have a good weekend Doc.. and I heard that a new shipment of cocktail coasters just arrived at the Dollar Store. Heresay mind you.... ha.. ha...
Regards...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Do not beat yourself up because of a possible stupid mistake. Everybody makes mistakes and I have made some stupid ones, live and learn.
You received bad advise about burning up motors. Motors run 10% to 15% cooler at 110% of nameplate voltage and 10% to 15% hotter at 90% nameplate voltage.
Life is what happens to you when you're making other plans.
When your ship comes in... make sure you are not at the airport.
Hopefully this is the problem as the other theory is kind of shaky. As stated... don't bet yourself up. I don't have time to sit here typing every stupid thing I have done in the shop over the last 38 years for sure. And trust me.. I could not do in a ten minutes.
But.. the jury is still out but I have a feeling the problem is as John W. stated as the clues lead in that direction. BTW.. if you just can't figure the wiring out.. I will contact Jim Box (former head of technical and service) to see if he might en-lighten. We call Jim Sparky as he is quite electrically inclined.
Back to my shop and good luck...
Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
It is rare, though not impossible, for two new motors to exhibit the same vibration problem. The capacitor has nothing to do with motor vibration, it just shifts the wave to provide starting torque. Don't waste time trying to get the motor rebuilt. It is not cost effective. Have you tried running the motor with the belt off, (just the motor alone, no driven equipment connected)? Does it run smoothly? Now put the belt on, after doing all of the alignment and drive the wheel without a blade. Smooth or not?
Now install the blade, make the required adjustments and try again.
If you do determine that the problem is the motor, and if there is no nameplate on the motor take it to a motor distributor. Have them match it to a Baldor or GE NEMA frame motor. Because of poor quality, "generic" motors from China are not on the bidders list of any engineering company that I know of.
I have a Delta 14" bandsaw. It shakes like Little Eva when I first turn it on. It settles down a little at speed, but would NEVER pass the nickle test.
I don't know where your Steel City tool is built, but anything coming from China is not a tool, but a kit. You have to be prepared to spend a lot of time doing quality control for the manufacturer, and you will still end up with something that won't approach what we used to routinely expect from American manufacturers.
I did same thing earlier, disconnected everything and ran the motor solo. With the motor running alone the vibration is as bad. the motor vibrates hanging from it's swing mount or if I hold it up with a clamp. The saw is made in China including the motor. I know it's a 56 frame type but I see there are different 56 types. I 'll use this until it starts howling again and doesn't quite. Then invest in a quality motor. Thanks for your help.
okahun
You have been way more patient than most people would have been. I think now is time for the registered letter to the president of SC asking for a proper motor that runs smoothly or return of the saw and full refund of the purchase price. I have a 1960's Delta/Rockwell 14" bandsaw that runs quite smoothly. There is no reason that 40+ years later it would be acceptable for a new motor to vibrate as yours does.Keep copies of every correspondence and insist on everything in writing. If they refuse to make it right, you would have an easy case in small claims court. BruceT
Edited 8/25/2009 3:00 am by brucet9
I had to shake my head when I saw the statement from the service tech. I am a service manager for a large format printing company. The joke around the service office whenever a customer complains about a noise or vibration. "Tell them that they all do that, tell them that they are lucky because this is one of the quieter ones." Now mind you we just joke about it. The fact that this guy actually said it WOW. He either didn't want to, or couldn't figure out what was wrong. He fed you a line. Call his boss, and tell him that this is not acceptable.
Thanks for the reply you made me laugh when I thought about it. The guy that came out, is his own boss, and works on big machinery jobs mainly. I feel when he came out on a Saturday and I saw him dressed in nice shorts and came in with no tools, I'd get an answer that was not to my liking.
okahun
I don't know if you have tried this but I have had some success with writing to the CEO of the firm directly and politely stating your case. You can usually get the name by calling the main headquarters. They shuffle it off to an underling but sometimes it actually produces results. They should get you a good motor at their expense.
You can let him know that my old Grizzly 1019Z sure as heck doesn't vibrate that much. This is very sad news about SC.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Hi FG , Didn't your buddy Sarge have some connections at SC ?
Ownership of Steel City has changed and Sarge no longer has inside connections. Sad but true. I don't like the way this whole thing is seeming to develop!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
I feel the same way. Sad if true.
Better life through Zoodles and poutine...
Hey forestgirl
What's a Grizzly 1019Z, couldn't find it on their website. It was a toss up between Grizzly, Rikon or Steel City, guess I picked wrong. Many years ago had a old Rockwell 20" band saw should have never sold it. hind sight always 20-20.
Thanks for any help
okahun
The 1019 and 1019Z are old model Grizzly 14" bandsaw, before the G0555. My point was, if these old and, some would point out, cheap bandsaws don't vibrate across the shop floor, there's no validity to the statement made by the repair guy "they all do it" [paraphrasing] He's full of horse manure, LOL.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Okshun,
You might try replacing the belts with the link style. It might isolate some of the vibration and buy you a bit of time until you decide on replacing the motor. I did this on my bandsaw only as a matter of practice.
Also look at the pulleys/sheaves.
I replaced the OEM pulleys with machined steel and the OEM belts with Gates on my jointer and got rid of some vibration.Don
Sounds like the motor is starting to come apart inside.
What method of payment did you use for this machine? If a C/card the call them about the problems with service, maybe they can help in some way.
I didn't think of that. The only problem is the tool store would get stuck and I've done business with them a long time. And I don't know if the bank can help, it's been almost a year since purchase. If SC won't repair it when the time come, I'll bite the bullet and buy a good motor myself.
Thanks okahun
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