Simple Variable Speed Treadmill Motor Electrical Conversion

[@robertsmail5311]

Had an older, but low mileage Image treadmill. Sat a while plugged in but powered off. I had laid a coat over the control board, and when We went to use it the lap indicator was on without the dead man key inserted. Must have overheated the console, as it was DOA. No schematic so contacted Icon fitness...useless! No parts available so I started searching the web and found Barry's video. Had an old 10K pot and wired it in and bypassed the power board. Works fine. No display but it works and the boss uses her Fitbit for mileage. Thanks Barry and will stay tuned in.....Bob, Milwaukee

[@Barrysworkshop]

You made my day! Thanks for letting me know that this video helped you. 👍

[@Helmetfires]

Wish I would've come across this video before I did my mill conversion!! Oh well, good video and thanks for sharing! If you run your DPDT switch for reverse, it also disables (bypasses) the soft start function for restarting at the previous rpm. I pretty much use that as ON/OFF switch after initial power up of the machine. I'm sure you know this by now, but might help the two people that read my reply lol

[@trustthewater]

A huge THANK YOU. I got my hands on some treadmill guts and was looking to convert them. It just so happens that it's the exact same hardware that you have.

[@ptz0n]

What kind of treadmill was that? I'm scouting for a donor, not sure what to look for. ~2 hp would be ideal.

[@trustthewater]

@@ptz0nPro-Form CrossWalk Advanced 525x. I think the motor said 2.4 hp. It's got some kick to it. I slapped a 10k pot and switch on it just like in this video and it works exactly as advertised.

[@liamstone3437]

I found a free Treadmill and everything that I needed worked. The parts were all very similar to those in this video so after purchasing a potentiometer I was able to do the same as Barry did. So for the price of a small burger I now have the motor I need for my belt grinder project. Thanks for the tutorial! Now to get a drive wheel put on the motor....

[@Barrysworkshop]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing.

[@alchemy1]

Worthy to subscribe to. You won't run into folks like this everyday. Clear, concise, simple no rush explanation. Thank you for who you are.

[@maxdugger1409]

Clear, concise and well explained with good videography. Exactly what I needed to learn how to factory delete the unwanted bits from a treadmill motor salvage, or add in my own. 10/10 well done

[@danb466]

Awesome video. Agree with many other comments... very clear with extra optional features that could be done depending on the application! My son and I are using a treadmill motor to drive a DIY BB gun shooting range project and this will help us with the simplest way to modify the treadmill motor/controller card. Thanks!

[@pierrelaboom4026]

Oh geeze! I just finished watching the entire video...just when you think it couldn't get better, he also solves the reset to,restart prob. In seconds

[@carterscustomrods]

Having a lot if concussions, (and only 1 functioning arm) I've come to accept that my brain can not do electrical. I've burn 2 motors now trying to make a variable speed drill press. Adjusting a belt is a nightmare with one arm. I broke a tooth, (in my mouth... not a gear), last time lol. So I keep my drill press on low speed 24/7. Now, with that said.. this video was the most detailed I've seen as of yet. But I'm at the point where I'm just trying to find someone to sell me a pre-wired system they've taken from a treadmill and built it the way you did. But no one seems to do that. So thanks again for the video. Very well done!

[@epharston]

Thank you for all the detail. I want to convert my wood lathe to variable speed.

[@turbo3089]

Thank you for saying the 10k potentiometer I couldn't figure out what I needed

[@bradhabit2217]

I hope your YT channel provides you as much wealth as this one video does to your viewers.

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thank you very much!

[@jrichard60]

Using Barry's video, I was able to set up a treadmill motor onto my wood lathe and now have a forward/reverse switch and variable speed. Very satisfied with the comprehensive info on the video. Thanks

[@scotthaddad563]

I have the same gear that I salvaged from a treadmill. Thanks for clearing up the “on”, “off” quandary. Now if we can just deal with the annoying delay before it initiates the stupid “soft start.”

[@chrisw1462]

THANKS, Barry!!! I did Not know about the red wire trick to get around the on-off-on quirk. I'll still make a microcontroller do the work for me, as it can track RPM and make for a nicer display layout (and I'm just geeky that way...), but now I don't need a separate high power MOSFET to turn power on and off! Great video!

[@erikferland6602]

Awesome!! Thank you. It helped me realize what I was writing incorrectly. Mine is working like a dream now!! $4 potentiometer and a free treadmill! Money well spent.

[@robertbarr8001]

Hi Barry. I like your simple, straightforward, relaxed style and delivery and the thoroughness with which you approach the subject so methodically. I've learned a lot, not least of all how to approach stuff like this myself. Many, many thanks to you and very best wishes with your Channel.

[@MrCubflyer]

Great video I'm planning on using a treadmill motor for a 2x72 belt sander.

[@josephseewald4687]

Thanks for the video,, great job. I am a novice at best with circuit boards but I followed your steps and am ready to mount the motor and control board in a box and hang it off the lathe.

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks for your comment, Joseph. It makes my day that this video helped you!

[@garymucher4082]

Obviously an older video, but the information is still useful. I have basically the same treadmill circuitry that I just removed from an older thrown out treadmill that still worked. And when I see such road side trash, I have to pick it up for the motor and circuits. And so far the ones I picked up all worked or needed a bridge rectifier replaced to work perfect... Go figure... Thumbs Up!

[@cackleberryfarm4598]

That was awesome! Loved the step by step walk through of what each piece does and then the change over right then and there of the wires!!!

[@stevieg.4816]

Great video to help others make a positive change rather than a band aide to face the same issues at a later date. I turn large wood for bowls Maple, Walnut, Pecan, Hickory. I used the old bed to mount my fishing rod turning machine I made. Perfect to sit wrap rod eyes and apply the finish. Thanks.

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thank you, Steven.

[@cri8tor]

Great tutorial. Really appreciate the time you spent on all the details. Recently, found the exact same control board, but with a different motor in a treadmill up in the hills near my town. Sadly, the inductor had a bullet hole in it, so I couldn't use it. Please consider making a shop tool from your motor and record your adventure. Cheers brother

[@robertkoerner8433]

Awesome video! The tip on making the motor start and stop at the same speed is a lifesaver.

[@PlatimaTinkers]

This was good and interesting! I'm working on a semi-autonomous gate motor for someone now, so this came in handy. Thanks for the sub too, found you by absolute coincidence 😅

[@truker1970]

Great tutorial. I am struggling with the same setup for a lathe right now and was just gonna go back to a 120 volt motor but i think this will work for me. Thanks for the great video.

[@josearrue4072]

Thanks very much for the video. Best one explaining the work and connections of these components. I set up my 72" sander and is working very well. Regards from Panama City, Panama

[@Barrysworkshop]

Excellent! I'm so glad that your sander is working, that you found this video helpful, and that the video found you in Panama. Thanks for taking time to let me know.

[@garyweber6413]

thanks Barry i really appreciate you showing us about that

[@pierrelaboom4026]

Quick everyone! Throw out all those other " plans" to do away with speed controls on treadmill mills! Finally a NO b.s. approach TO ACTUALLY MAKING IT WORK!! And for that Barry, thank you SO MUCH! Yah, treadmills are a no Brainer, they are free,unless your in a hurry,and power? Awesome!

[@VitaliyMonastyrev]

The most comprehensive guide on the issue! Really appreciate idea with red wire disconnect!

[@usedcarsokinawa]

Great info, nothing extra! Can’t wait, I’m building a band saw and lathe. Just the info I needed.

[@danceswithaardvarks3284]

Thanks. I've watched many videos on how to do this and this is the first one I have seen that show you clearly how to do it. Happy days.

[@user-fr3on3rn6v]

Thanks for the lesson. I learned a lot and want to have a variable speed reversable drive. You covered it all!

[@kookyflukes9749]

Thanks Barry. I'm just doing my lathe conversion and this is the best video that I've seen for a treadmill motor conversion. Very well explained and some of the other comments will prove useful too. Thanks for posting this.

[@hughwas]

I just pulled the motor from one exactly the same..been out in the weather and the motor controllers look pretty nasty..left them in thinking i would start from scratch on a controller..its late and raining but in the morning i am going out and grabbing that controller cleaning it up and gonna give it a try..all your tricks are great gonna stick it on a 2x72 belt grinder ..then start on the real nice treadmill i have inside..lol

[@BVM03]

I am doing this conversion right now to my late 50's Rockwell Delta 20" wood cutting bandsaw. I am converting it to be able to cut metal. That red wire tip is great!!! Without the red wire tip, I would of bought a 6k SCR. The soft start I don't mind so much on such a big bandsaw. Thanks for the vid.

[@crazyeyeschams]

Now I need to hit craigslist to find a free treadmill! Nice video!

[@HermanChelette]

Excellent! Precisely the info I needed, in a format that makes it easy to do step-by-step following your instructions. You've created another Barry's Workshop fan here in Florida!!

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thank you very much for you kind comment! I'm glad you find the video useful.

[@monoshock57]

Thank you for the blue tape on the motor pulley. I've watched a lot of videos where you can't tell if the motor is even turning.

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks for noticing that. I agree that it's hard to seen on video without the tape.

[@manitobaman5588]

This is useful fior my projects. Thanks.

[@TheLXKid]

Very good video and explanation of the controller board and how to hook it up. Thanks

[@BoxcarsGarage]

Awesome video and details.....I got a donor treadmill tonight and just pulled all the equipment. I will be watching your vid thru my build!!! Hopefully my video inspires others as your did me. Thanks. New Sub!!!!

[@Barrysworkshop]

Awesome note. I'm so glad that this video inspired you. Thanks for sharing!

[@billywillis4194]

I know this an old video but you can remove resister 19 in the control board and eliminate the soft start feature . it is closet one by where the potentiometer wires hook up

[@charlesaanonson3954]

This was very helpful to me and answered most of my questions regarding this particular treadmill motor. I have exactly the same one and I was wondering what to do with it. It seems like it is way too good to just throw away.

[@VeryMuchBlessed]

Coolest treadmill motor tip ever! Thanks much.

[@therealsparkman]

Excellent and very informative. Thank you Barry! A tip of the hat to this instructional and most helpful video. Cheers!

[@MrJackanapes57]

Another way to stop and start the motor without fiddling with the pot is to use a forward/ off/ reverse switch on the motor wiring. Going from forward or reverse and off will start and stop the motor.

[@TheChrisWest]

Best video explaining how to hook this up. So much thanks!

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks, Chris! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@alext8828]

I didn't know a PWM signal could be replaced with an analog signal from a potentiometer. Is that always the case? That's a great piece of knowledge.

[@mattheffron391]

I doubt that a potentiometer would substitute for a PWM signal in most cases. I'm actually surprised that it can here! A PWM signal should need only two wires. I *suspect* that the black wire is the DC hot, the white wire is common, and the red has the actual PWM signal, which is providing control information at a constant voltage. An oscilloscope would be definitive. Reproducing the PWM with, say an arduino or raspberry pi, would give very repeatable speeds.

[@outdoors_life]

No a pot can't replace a PWM signal. What may be happening is that there is a voltage goes up to the controller and then coming back, and the pot is varying the level of the voltage. If you have a true PWM and you feed it through a capacitor and resistor circuit you can create an analog level. This is how you could use an arduino board that is digital only to provide a signal that is more than just on or off, the resistor and cap are a low pass filter.

[@ramaroodle]

EXCELLENT! I'm tearing down a treadmill to use the motor on a lathe! THANKS!!

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the video. I hope your project goes well!

[@scottd41069]

Thanks for a GREAT video! I was looking for a bypass for that clunky control board and this is it. I happen to be working on a project with the exact same parts from the same treadmill. Ordering a potentiometer now.

[@thelastengineer2315]

Thank you very much for this video it has answered all the questions I had, and a few I never thought about, I’ll be using all the options you explained. Here comes the motor for my boat.

[@christopherpaul8368]

How did the boat motor turn out?

[@KamaljitSingh89]

Most helpful video I came across so far regarding treadmill motor. Thank you Barry

[@davidcrawford6505]

Thanks for this very well presented instruction. Made my project much easier to start.

[@PDBreske]

Hot damn! I just picked up a FREE treadmill at a yard sale and tore it open today. I did exactly what you did to get the motor working on its own, but my source treadmill was a lot simpler than yours. I had only the control panel with a potentiometer already installed and no incline adjustments. I'm looking forward to adding this motor to any cheap or non-working drill press I might find (love a good yard sale). Thanks for the tip on getting it to restart at the same RPM after a shutoff.

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks, Phillip. I hope you put it to good use!

[@gvet47]

You made it very clear on what you were doing. Not sure if it is allowed but would have been nice if you could have mentioned the make and model of the unit you were dealing with. Not even sure what the Hp rating the motor is .

[@alhaah777]

Thank you for information. It's very informative.

[@jeffviebrock2222]

Awesome video. Getting prepared to build a 2x72-in belt grinder and this video is the absolute best one I've seen on the practical aspects of converting from the treadmill to a shop machine. Great job!

[@robertseth1629]

Needed to know about how to reverse my treadmill motor and you explained it beautifully. Thanks. And the other info was a bonus thanks

[@eddss123]

Very good video. Well explained. I have another treadmill I took apart for a project and it has an MC2100 controller board that does not have the 3 leads to replace the PMW. Or high low and wiper. Is there another way to connect a potentiometer to this type of control board? Thanks

[@stevec1586]

It's my understanding that you need something like this. www.ebay.com/itm/Square-Signal-Generator-1-150KHz-PWM-Pulse-Frequency-Cycle-Duty-Adjustable-Meter/312690277939?hash=item48cdcafe33:m:mDN4M2CcoqxdWPGwhTdYxFw

[@abrahamd2k]

Very useful. Your volume is low. I have a similar setup for my vintage wood lathe and now I can remove that huge panel and a good tip on the soft start-up too.

[@flatheadronsgarage7345]

Excellent, presentation Innoway I can understand completely, you now have a new subscriber. .Wish I would've found this stuff before I ordered my converter for three phase. I'm going to search for a three horse treadmill motor and put it on my Bridgeport M head on my brown and sharp model #0. You're awesome my friend thank you.

[@jed2055]

Careful with that. The mosfets on the controller board are chosen to handle the current of THIS motor. Bigger motors require more current and in the attempt to supply increased current, your mosfets would more than likely die.

[@Twin_Flyer]

great info!! Now just need to find the parts!

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks. I literally found this treadmill on the side of the road, which was just luck. I have found some deals on Craigslist that looked they would be good candidates for under US$50. Look for one that works but is need of non-relevant repair like a busted display, broken incline control, missing "key", etc. Also, before you drive to pick it up, do a search for repair parts for that specific model and make sure the one for sale has a comparable controller and motor. Some models have integrated controls and variable speed controllers that would be more complicated to convert than the one in this video. Good luck!

[@arvinclassics]

Great stuff! And exactly what I needed for my power bead roller conversion! Thanks!

[@Chasingfins]

Amazing! Perfect video and description for what I was needing

[@randywhite7434]

thanks a lot for the video it was very well explained 👍 👏 awesome

[@turbo3089]

Excellent video

[@SAVETHEPLANET-KILL-A-GLOBALIST]

Best video out-there! Thank you!!!

[@lakestatebullies7391]

Wonder if a push pull pot could be wired instead of putting a switch on the red wire

[@Barrysworkshop]

That's a great suggestion. Less clutter and a single knob for start/stop and also speed.

[@Dzackman]

Thank you very well done

[@edgaralejandre1522]

best video i ever seen,it explains step by step everything unlike others,thank you

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks for the encouraging comment. I am glad you enjoyed the video.

[@pbc1951]

Very, Very, Good Video... Thanks...

[@Good-Enuff-Garage]

a super demonstration just what I was looking for, for my old SEARS LifeStyler 10.0 any ideas on how to power it up with DC battery power, and can we use that controller with DC ?

[@gregoryaul2005]

Very good explanation on the electronics understood very well thanks

[@jameswaltz1661]

Thank you very much. This video showed me exactly what i needed to know because switching to a tread mill motor is what i have to do on my smithy lathe mill. I dont have the 700 bucks they want to convert to a 2 hp motor, after the original fried ,so the treadmill motor is my best option, since its free. After watching this i noticed not all the treadmill motors are set up differently and this wont work. Which Treadmill did you get this out of?

[@bengluyas4104]

Very thorough explanation Barry. Thank you kindly 👍🏻

[@_RocketRooster]

Thanks for really explaining what your doing very well! A lot of youtubers are not good communicators. I'm sure i'm not the only one that feels this way. Again thank you! Oh and i did click the subscribe button! :)

[@vendright]

all great info, thanks

[@georgedennison3338]

If you are eliminating the Pulse Width Modulation, (PWM), is there any chance the power supply were provide more voltage to the motor than the motor's spec? Most of these treadmill motors are permanent magnet motors. If you put too much voltage into a perm mag motor, it will eventually demagnatize the magnets, making them not permanently magnetized, and kill the motor. It should be easy enough to check the voltage going to the motor at 'full speed', to make certain. I would encourage anyone re-purposing a treadmill perm mag motor, to double check this. This is one of the first things I learned about using treadmill motors. In thr early days of industrial DC motor use, they controlled the voltage, and made up for lack of low RPM torque with gearing/pulley setups. PWM has replaced that, in the age of electronics. GeoD

[@Barrysworkshop]

Interesting question. It would be interesting to hook up an oscilloscope to the motor input to see what is being sent. I have a cheap one that might work, and I'll look into it.

[@Skyrunner_84]

This is a very informative video. Thank you so much.

[@trustnoone3795]

Very, Very good video, Sir. I've managed to salvage or acquire 2 or 3 of these motors. I believe 2 that I salvaged, I also saved the boards for them. My organizing practices aren't the best so I'm going to have do some digging around to find them. Should the boards be in working order (hopefully), is there a way to ID the correct boards for the proper motor? I may find the info. on the boards & motors to be able to properly match them (hopefully). Also in the comments below, a Mr. Heyward Mattox asked what the rating on the POT was. I'm guessing he was referring to what the current rating of what the POT is. I have the same question as well. By it's size, it's obviously a fairly high wattage POT. I've got an idea for a multi-tool I'm planning to build, and having a powerful, variable speed motor to operate it would be great. It will have a fixed saber saw, a, I believe, a 1/2 inch chuck flex shaft to connect to it & possibly a disc sander. Again, having a powerful, variable speed motor to operate this is what I need, but to achieve the variable speed, knowing the wattage of the POT is an important detail. If you could help me out with this issue, it would be greatly appreciated. Keep up the great work with these very informative videos. Thank you, and take care.

[@mannyreyes4811]

Awesome sir ... Thanks and God bless you ... If you don't mind can you give me the ideal magnetic contactor for reverse and forward I have a small project conveyor using my old treadmill motor if possible please..

[@narcisoracoma6621]

This will work for a mc-60 and a mc-80 power/motor controller but its alittle different when it come to a mc-2100

[@nickfritz8692]

Great video. Thank you. So would you recommend removing the fly wheel so the unit can run reverse? What is the shaft size and what size pulley would you install? I’m actually working on a lathe currently.

[@orangetruckman]

Gold information 👍🏻

[@tailwheel1522]

Magnificent presentation ! Best yet on this subject .

[@toddyork226]

To that's was a great video. I want to put one on my wood lathe and you helped alot.

[@DavidBarber-rt1un]

Great video,,, Thank you

[@kpotter78]

So helpful!! Thanks, Barry!

[@harryworkshop4001]

You can also cut the collector on the Q6 transistor, or remove or cut the 5.6K resistor tied to the Q6 collector on the MC-60 controller, and the unit will start and stop at the set speed with the main on/off switch. No need for a separate switch. The collector is the lead on the right looking at the flat face of Q6. One more note, the brushes are slanted or biased toward one direction rotation. Running in reverse will cause excessive brush wear and lower torque. Enjoyed the video. I have one of these on my drill press and it works great.

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thanks for adding to the information for this controller. I am sure that someone along the way will find it useful.

[@jamesbradshaw6359]

Thank you for the info very helpful for my project

[@jenkinseric2]

Harry workshop do you know how to reduce the acceleration time? the lag between moving the pot and the speed change is bugging me.

[@adamjordan2552]

Eric Jenkins !

[@chrisw1462]

Good to know about Q6. But slanted brushes... Are they, really? That would seem to go against common sense for mass production manufacturing. DC motors are.. DC motors. Just because this particular one is used in a treadmill doesn't mean it would be designed for that task, and one direction only. It would be more likely, and more economical, for the designer to choose a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) motor designed for general use. It is true that even straight brushes can wear different in one direction than the other, but for such a high power motor I'm guessing they'd be designed to last no matter how they're used. Don't get me wrong.. I have seen huge motors and generators (hundreds of kW) with brushes slanted for a larger contact area, but those were made to go one direction only - a very specific use case. So these could be like that, but I'd be surprised for sure.

[@benjieawat3433]

That was brilliant Barry!

[@Walrus_Bowler]

Thanks for the Excellent video ty 👌

[@chriswinters2991]

Great video. You do a great job explaining what you did and why. I will be using this information for a belt grinder for knife making.

[@jean-claudegolovine5725]

Very good. Thank you!

[@rafishaheenian2468]

Wow! Thank you; excellent presentation.

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thank you for your kind comment. I am glad that you enjoyed the video.

[@leonardobonacci8238]

Very good and useful video. Thank you!!

[@sirtblairjr]

Hey Berry😎, it's my first time to your channel. Very educational and informational I like that. But why didn't you show the way you would change your speed settings? That would have been good to show? Cause alot of people including myself would like to know? That's is a big problem here. So maybe you can show that in your next video? I really do like your channel and videos. Thanks, hit me up sometime.

[@SouthSideChiTown]

It's my understanding that you change your speed setting by turning the pot on your potentiometer that you've installed.

[@teslakontrol]

Great video

[@clasesonline4144]

Can you use baterys?

[@chuckrich6015]

Thank you Barry-Excellent

[@Barrysworkshop]

Thank you very much for the nice comment.