Surge suppression for your saw?

[EIEIO]

Normal  woodworkers are usually using big induction motor driven hardware that doesn't much care about power surges. But most scroll saws seem to have a soft-start, power electronic speed control and some logic to tie it all together. At least my P-C and EX-21 have that.

Steve - I see you have a surge suppressor for your power strip. Do you recommend that all scroll saws be powered through a surge suppression strip? Seems like a good idea to me - we have a lot of $$$ tied up in these saws.

Single speed and Hegners saws might not need it - some of the Hegners (Polymax) seem to use belt changes to get speed control rather than power electronics so a surge may not be a problem.

[jscott2]

Excellent question.  Never thought about protecting the electronics on the saw.  I'm going to find a surge suppressor - it can only help.

I wonder if a "standard" surge suppressor, like the ones we use on computers, TV's etc., would be adequate.  The starting current, even at full speed, shouldn't be very high as the running is only a few amps.  Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Jim

[EIEIO]

My EX-21 at full speed when not cutting anything draws 0.66 amps from the outlet. Forcing a tough piece of rosewood through it (faster than I would ever try to cut a hardwood) I got the current up to 1.6 amps. Most protection strips are good for 10 amps, then will trip off. I don't see any reason that a conventional power strip would not work for these low currents. I would not try to use a protection strip for a table or band saw, and I don't think you'd need one anyway for those big induction motors.

Power strips will guarantee a certain value of your equipment (if they fail to protect during an event, you can recover some $$$). I got one at Lowes that is for shop use and has lots of space for plugs and a couple of bigger spaces for "wall wart" type power supplies. I have my saw, vacuum, and light in that same strip.