How to Upgrade a Table Saw from 110V to 220V

In this video I show you how to upgrade a table saw from 110V to 220V. It's really easy to do on most table saws. All it takes is reconnecting a few wires and changing the plug. Be sure to read the manual for your specific table saw because the wiring will most likely be different.
After upgrading, the blade starts up faster and has more power at startup. After that, it's more or less the same as when on 110V.
A few additional advantages:
- it's no longer on my lighting circuit, so I'm not left in total darkness when I trip a circuit breaker
- the lights don't temporarily dim when I start up the saw
- I'll likely never trip a circuit breaker with 220V because I'm running at half the current compared with 110V
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[@Davesdiy]

Know it's been a while since this was posted. For those saying you are doubling your voltage but halving your amperage so you don't need higher gauge wire. Circuit breakers and wire gauges aren't set for ideal situations when everything is working as planned. They are set for when things go wrong. Say something in the motor for the saw breaks or a small piece of metal falls in at just the wrong place. Everything appears fine but now the saw is drawing 19 amps while sitting unused. The fire that burns this guy's house down will have started at that 3 inch run of 14 gauge he spliced his 12 gauge wire on to because that 14 gauge can only handle 15 amps, the remaining 4 from the 19 being drawn is going to turn into heat. If wired correctly there is no danger of fire. It will just sit there quietly drawing 19 amps until it breaks all the way.

[@gregoryvanek9038]

This is why I asked if he also upgraded the wire from the switch to the motor...which I’m guessing he did not. That’s just dangerous...and not pointing that out to others considering this “upgrade” is irresponsible.

[@JamesKelly89]

@@gregoryvanek9038 He could install an inline fuse between the switch and the motor.

[@FloridaDeere]

thanks, just recently bought an older Delta Table Saw and it does have the ability for conversion, I can't wait to put this video to use. Finally breaking down and building my wife's dream cabinets and bookshelves for the living room she's always wanted, so I'm sparing no expense (sort of) to get the right tools for a great job. The Delta is the first step and doing a little rehab on it before the main job is one of my plans and this video should be pretty helpful

[@eo1scwmwf]

Thank you for sharing this. I may be making this upgrade soon.

[@Carl-LaFong1618]

I actually have the exact same saw. can't wait to start doing some REAL damage to lumber.

[@TheDrjones993]

I just bought a used TS3650 and this video was perfect! Thanks!

[@bradleygrabowski5657]

I have a bunch of mesquite wood from my property that I have been working to get milled into usable boards instead of logs. Mesquite is about 2 times harder than hard maple which presents issues when cutting boards from logs and then milling and then making usable boards. My bandsaw Ridgid BS14002 and table saw TS3650 sometimes struggle especially when sawing 5 1/2" tall slabs on the bandsaw or ripping full blade height on the table saw. I was considering getting a larger motor for the table saw and putting that motor on the bandsaw, until I saw your video about converting to 240 volts. I did that today on both saws, they made cuts that I would typically struggle with in the past. Between the 12/3 extension cord and the 2 new 220v plugs I spent about 50 bucks instead of 400 for a new motor.I had previously wired my shop for 240 so already had sunk cost there. For those that want to do a great upgrade for low cost consider the rewire to 240 volts. Fantastic upgrade.

[@southbrooklynmoto9184]

thanks, you're video helped me re-wire my motor today from 110 to 220 !

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

For the same power, when you double voltage, amperage drops in half. Wire gauge is usually related to amperage rating. I do not believe the 12 gauge wire is necessary or beneficial. I am planning to upvolt delta.

[@joshthomas7999]

I'm looking at buying a 120V Grizzly saw. It has the ability to convert to a 240V, so that is what I will most likely do. Thanks for the video.

[@jimyoung7090]

Thanks, but I am well acquainted with that OH CENSORED mistake with the back of the plug myself. Did it again just last week.

[@happymosh7144]

Thanks for the video...can we upgrade dewalt 745 from 110 to 220v?

[@akaleiki]

I have a R4512 and am doing the upgrade now (I believe your model has the same size motor). Since the saw only draws 13 amps at 110v, if you convert to 220V the amperage now only peaks at 6.5 (half). I elected then to get a 15amp breaker with 14g wire.

[@scottallen517]

Yes I will do it. Have same TS

[@davidkarpa2565]

Very helpful! There's a "120 Volt" label/sticker on the cover of the motor wiring box that I removed and replaced with a label that says "240 Volt" ... in case I forget =).

[@gilsonEUA]

Nice video!!

[@jameschuke4104]

Did mine although on some motors and switches you'll need the 1/4 female spade flag connectors are a must because of space you may not get your wires back in if you use the all straight ones

[@trenton7]

Thank you for the video. I just got the answer why my fuse popped 😆

[@philbuswell8053]

I WILL , NOW THAT YOU SHOWED ME HOW ,THANKS

[@mitch_smith]

Really enjoyed the video and your explanations through out. One small question in regards to the new plug wire. Was that just being overcautious?

[@Woodumakeit]

I needed to replace the plug wire because I wanted it to be longer to avoid having to use an extension cord, especially because I only have one 220V outlet that's on the other side of the shop. Now the cord is long enough to allow me to position the table saw anywhere in the shop. I definitely didn't need to use 12 gauge wire, though. That was the overly cautious part.

[@mitch_smith]

I can completely relate to the extension cord issues. Thanks for the respone!

[@timhaddox]

Great video. Currently working on turning my garage into a woodshop and trying to avoid the breaker tripping issues I've experienced in my friends garage. You mentioned the lights didn't dim when you fired up the saw on 240, but isn't it on a completely different circuit? Wouldn't it have also not affected the lights on a separate 110 circuit as well? Or is it possible to have 110 and 240 outlets on the same circuit?

[@Woodumakeit]

Yes, the saw is now on a separate circuit after I converted it to 240V. Prior to that, it was on the same circuit as the lights, so that's why they were dimming (or going out completely when the saw tripped the breaker). Yes, I could have put the saw on a separate circuit to avoid that problem, but I was happy to convert to 240V to get a quicker startup, as well.

[@BiggDogg21]

Thank you for posting! I think you may have sold me on the 240v conversion. I am currently build a new shed/shop and think a separate circuit for each of my hefty tools @ 240v would be the best bet. Thoughts?

[@Woodumakeit]

I think it's a good idea to use 240v whenever possible. You probably don't need a separate circuit for each tool unless you'll be running them simultaneously. You can probably get away with having all of those tools on the same circuit. Good luck with everything!

[@MidGAOutdoor]

yea id do it. I may do it to mine.

[@michaelschwed]

I've got an 80s Unisaw wired for 220v that I would like to bring with me when i move to Spain from the US. Is the 60hz US to 50hz Europe difference going to be fatal? I won't be using it all the time, probably a few hours a week if that. I can get around with 15% less power, but if it's going to burn up in 3 weeks I won't bring it.

[@horseblinderson4747]

Should have resawn a 2*4 both before and after.

[@McCabe4285]

I'm about to pick this same exact saw up in about 10 minutes and want to go 220V from the very start. What sizes breaker in the panel is your 220 outlet hooked up to?

[@Woodumakeit]

It's on a 15A breaker which is plenty. That's like having it on a 30A breaker at 110V.

[@rick8910]

Hi Mike could you explain why you didn't use the ground wire on the motor. Thanks

[@Woodumakeit]

The motor was already grounded with the green wire that was screwed into the body of the motor. My new cable from the wall brought the ground to the switch, which was already connected to the motor. I hope that makes sense.

[@2003Trailblazer]

Just did this to my TS3650, thanks for sharing. I think there is a misnomer that upgrading does not give you more power; while its true the overall wattage does not increase the power I think from a practical point of view does, and does dramatically. Before the conversion I ripped half a 2x4 single pass on the most twisted 2x4 I had laying around, the saw made it through but the blade slowed and the 2x4 wanted to gently "float" backwards towards me (the kind where you ask yourself if continuing is worth it or not). After the conversion and cutting the same 2x4 with the same blade the 2x4 just passed right through, not wanting to float back and the blade didnt slow at all, so from a technical perspective that is more power, because I did the same amount of work in less time. For years I told myself that my 1.5hp motor would be the same at 120V as it would be at 220V.. but it isnt. I finally played with a amperage meter and found that the average amperage per volt is higher now on 220v than it was on 120v. Sure, the saw is rated for 13 amps at 120V but if you watch the line draw when you cut at 120v not unless you pin the blade and hold it there will you ever get those amps into the motor, there just isnt enough voltage to send it in a meaningful amount of time, whereas the 220V can send the amperage much more easily and much faster and therefore you can actually use that power when you need it and so this makes the saw much more powerful from a functional perspective.

[@stephandallons3282]

Hi from Belgium ! You have a very interesting channel, keep on going !Does every 110v motors can be switched to 220v ? Here in Europe, we have 220v and some tools you have in the US can't be found in Europe (or very expensive), so it would be interesting to buy US tools and convert them with 220v.Thanks in advance for your response.By the way : Happy new year ! :-)Stephan

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank you, Stephan, and happy New Year to you too! I don't think all 110V motors can be rewired to 220V (unless you have a lot of expertise), but a lot of tools have motors that support both voltages and they just need to be rewired like I did with my table saw. I would look at the specifications of the tool. It will probably indicate whether or not the voltage can be converted.

[@stephandallons3282]

Thank you for your response. I noticed an other detail : in Europe, we are using 220v 50Hz and in North America you're using 110v 60Hz ... that difference in the frequence could be an issue. However, i could still use a transformator which would be safer. Anyways, thanks a lot and keep on going.

[@SteifWood]

FYI, I have a US bought table saw originally wired for 120/60 which I have rewired to 240/60 according to specs (just as Mike showed). Now it runs without any problems on 230/50 here in Norway, just a tad slower but with good power. Will soon convert my band saw and jointer to the same, but must use a big 3000W transformers for the 120/50 I cannot convert.

[@lnesland]

SD Woodworking All motors can be converted back and forth from 110 - 230 or from 230 -110

[@roltol7539]

Hello, do you know o heard if dewalt table saw dw745 could be rewired from 120 to 240v ? cause i cannot find anyone done that. :) and usa dewalt is kinda 3 times cheaper than european version :D

[@NKWoodworks]

No, this only works with saws that have induction motors. The DeWalt has a universal motor which cannot be rewired. Attempting to do so would easily burn up the motor and start a fire. Do not try it.

[@AndreiIR000]

@Wood U Make It: at 04:52 - I don't get it why so many people prefer to spread the dust everywhere instead of vacuuming it..

[@Woodumakeit]

I totally agree, but it was a much more interesting visual effect to blow it with compressed air. 🙂

[@Oldtech51]

It wasn't necessary to increase the wire gage. If the wiring was large enough to operate the motor, it was more than big enough to operate the motor on 240 at half of the amperage of 120.

[@Reese_Asher]

I want to do the same thing but I just can't decide if I should put it on a 15 or 20 amp breaker. What size breaker did you use and have you tripped it at all since moving to 240?

[@Woodumakeit]

I have it on a 15A breaker. When it was on 110V, it was also on a 15A breaker along with the lights, so I did trip the breaker from time to time. Now that it's on its own circuit and it's running with half the the current now that it's on 220V, I haven't tripped the breaker and I doubt there's a chance that I will.

[@Reese_Asher]

So if you used a 15 amp breaker was there any reason why you put a 20 amp plug onto it? Just curious.

[@Woodumakeit]

Very good question. When I got my band saw several years ago, it had a 20A plug on it, so I put in a 20A receptacle for that. I wanted to use the same receptacle for the table saw, so that's why I used a 20A plug. That probably does not meet code and maybe I should change the breaker. I definitely don't need that much current though.

[@mikecooper8589]

Hi. Probably a simple question; but wouldn't you need to swap out the wires for a higher gauge as well?

[@Woodumakeit]

Not really. When the voltage is doubled, it means there's only half a much current running through the wires, so the existing wires would be more than sufficient.

[@mikeschmitz8355]

@@Woodumakeit this is true, however wiring 12g to (presumably) 14g inside the switch, and from the switch to the motor, was a bad idea. If you wanted 12g from the wall to the saw, you should have run it all the way to the motor.

[@ewijntuin]

i think its handy to change the voltage to 220V on the wire box

[@Woodumakeit]

Thank you for your comment. It was definitely an easy conversion and a great improvement. No more lights dimming when I start the saw, and it's a quicker startup with more consistent power throughout the cut.

[@thesupermoto59]

Hi mike, greetings form Sri Lanka! Im planing on purchasing a DeWalt DW745 Table Saw (120 volts) from Canada. Here in sri lankan the voltage range is around 220 and 240 volts. I'd like to know if it's safe to use a stepdown 3000 watt transformer? Hope to hear from you soon!

[@Woodumakeit]

I think the only issue you may have is that the saws in North America are designed for 60Hz, versus the 50Hz power in Sri Lanka. The motor will still work, but it will have less power. You might be better off purchasing a saw that is designed for 220 volts, if possible, and avoid having to get a transformer. For example, there's a DeWalt DW744-QS that may suit your needs if you are able to find one. Good luck with whatever you choose! -- Mike

[@thesupermoto59]

Thanks for reply mike! Well im no expert with transformers but some transformers are capable for switching from 60Hz to 50Hz yah? Will that do the job? Btw the 240V version of the DW745 are sold only in UK and its double the price without shipping.

[@Woodumakeit]

I'm not an expert on transformers either. If you can find one that converts the frequency too, that would be great. Otherwise, you could also get a frequency converter, but then it starts to get expensive. I don't think we realize how lucky we are to have access to all of these products that are not easily available in other countries. You can probably run the saw at 50Hz without any real problem as long as you realize that it will run slower. Depending on the type of work you'll be doing, that may not be a problem.

[@thesupermoto59]

Thanks for the info mike! keep up the good work!

[@alfredneumann4692]

No, a transformer transforms only Voltage. If you give it 50 Hz, u will get out 50 Hz independed of the voltage.

[@lylemarshall8433]

Im going to swap out a 110v motor on an old table saw with a 220v motor. My question is the switch on the saw able to be used with the new motor? or do I need a switch that works with 220v?

[@Woodumakeit]

You can use the same switch that you already have because it's still the same number of conductors (hot, neutral, and ground).

[@lylemarshall8433]

Thanks got it all switched over.

[@Billme58]

But aren't you using two hots and the ground making up the three wires in the new cord? I want to convert my Delta TS. I have a diagram on the motor to switch to high voltage but not sure how to connect the switch..?

[@jrx2662]

can you do this with any portable table saw?

[@Woodumakeit]

Not all table saws have motors that can be converted to 220V. I recommend checking the manual for your saw. If it can be converted, the manual usually has instructions and a wiring diagram to do that.

[@tasmaniandevil7610]

Just remember higher volts means chop wood like butter including 4x4's but any accidents it will get you i know i worked in a high power shop and with dust on the floor it got a fellow worker blood was everywhere

[@tmittelstaed]

Couple of things I'll add to this: Motors in the US are wound for 60Hz motors in Europe are wound for 50Hz. A discussion of what happens is here: www.50hz60hz.com/60hz-motor-running-on-50hz-power-supply.html It will decrease motor life. But a table saw is not used in continuous duty so most likely it won't make any difference in this application. Now as for the advisability of doing this change: The big problem with consumer table saws at 120v is the wires that feed them (including the power cord) are NOT sized properly. To properly feed most consumer table saws on 120v you must run at least #12 awg copper wire from the saw all the way to the panel. On a dedicated outlet. And that is if you are practically on top of the panel. If the panel is at the other end of the house and you have a 50 foot extension cord on top of that you really need #10 AWG on a 30A 120v circuit. If you don't want to convert your saw (or can't) then you can replace the power cord and have a separate 20A or 30A circuit run to it depending on how far it is from the panel. THE BIGGEST BENEFIT IN THIS VIDEO IS THE DEDICATED CIRCUIT. In comparing a properly sized circuit at 120v vs 240v you will see little difference in power at the saw blade. However, you WILL see the motor run cooler at the higher voltage and there will be less internal winding loss in the motor. Windings in a motor cannot be made out of 12 awg or 14 awg. or the motor would be the size of a car engine. So the motor windings heat up and that heat energy is lost power. At 240v the current running through the motor is halved and so the motor runs cooler and as a result loses less of the power to heat. This also lengthens the motor life. This conversion can also be done to drill presses and indeed it can be done to anything that uses a motor that is wired to be convertible. And virtually all AC motors used in these tools can be converted. Most AC motors have a circuit diagram in the cover plate of where the wires go into the motor that shows how to switch them from "low voltage (120v)" to "high voltage (240v)" They have been made like this for almost a century. And even the ones that don't and don't bring the windings out for conversion can be opened and converted by a motor rebuild shop.

[@Woodumakeit]

Excellent explanation. Thanks!

[@rikart1]

I NEED JUST THE OPPOSITE. CAN GET A FREE 220 TABLE SAW, but its old and its 220. All I have one 110 outlet in rental garage, no idea where or what the breaker is or what amp draw etc is. Mission Impossible?? thanks

[@gregoryvanek9038]

So...you “upgraded” the supply wire to 12ga, but not the wire between the switch and the motor?..or did I miss that?

[@cornsronald3710]

Plans from stodoys are awesome! I think.Enjoy stodoys woodworking instructions.

[@tyronedevilliers3968]

I need to change from 220 to 110

[@muhammadsteinberg]

Some dust?....I thought that was insulation of some type...lol

[@landiiie5630]

I wud

[@MM-pg2wq]

Did I really see you store 2 open gasoline canisters next to your gas water heater?

[@Woodumakeit]

Marco Menzhausen Yes, but they were empty. Good observation, though. I moved them to an outdoor shed about a year ago so they're no longer in the garage.

[@ernestobautista1810]

220 -------110 plis

[@nikrepka]

Anyone else notice the gas cans right by the gas water heater? Lol

[@Woodumakeit]

Nik Repka Good catch. I moved them to my shed about a year ago, so that safety hazard is gone.

[@Carl-LaFong1618]

I keep my my yellow cake right next to my centrifuge... no problems yet.

[@michaeljarrett2424]

What is the use of doing a video when you already wire it up without showing it in the video ?

[@stevewalker9066]

OK, NOTE TO SELF: ffs TEST THE TOTAL CONNECTIONS, before, i MAKE AN EFFING VIDEO

[@alfredneumann4692]

And now you can upgrade to 400V. :-) But then u need 3-phase-400V in your garage and a new Motor. No. Just kidding. Interesting to see, that some motors 100 and 220 Volt kompatible. I didn't' knew this. Cheerio from Germany (working with a 400Volt tablesaw)

[@fnakos]

stupid comment.. like Germans

[@alfredneumann4692]

@@fnakos Yes, you can call my comment stupid, if you think so. BUT this has nothing to do with Germans. THIS is a stupid comment from YOU.

[@jeremyarnold1979]

Upgrading the wire is not necessary. To the switch or the motor. It's already sized from the factory to handle 115 or 230v. Just snip the 115v plug off and install a 220 plug on. Change the motor pole wiring from low voltage to hi voltage and ur done... my saw was 1.5hp on 115v and 2hp on 220v. Made a world of difference when ripping boards or resawing.

[@pierluigicolotto9570]

There are many similar projects in Woodglut's plans.

[@rexseven6907]

Should you really be using power tools if the dark is "kinda scary"?

[@lisel56]

get to the point