iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

3 phase electric motor questions?

Started by Jim_Rogers, February 04, 2004, 06:54:04 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Jim_Rogers

Years ago, my father had a furniture factory. We used a lot of three phase electric motors to run all sorts of different machines.
As these would sometimes burn out, we'd buy new ones and send the burn out ones out to be rewound.
I have four of these rewound motors here and I would like to sell them.
My question to the group is how do I sell them? Where? what would be a fair price for them?
I've tried in the past, to sell them to different electric motor shops and they all have, without seeing them, tell me that they are only worth the money I'll get for scrap for them. They would suggest I just junk them for the copper in the wire.
Is this the only outlet?
It seems like such a waste to just throw these away.
And and all ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Tom

A friend of mine is motor rewinder.  He doesn't rewind scrap motors and keep them in stock because there is no market for them.   He will rewind an occasional single phase pump motor but doesn't even keep many of them around.   He says that there are too many different motors, RPM speed, Horses, Frames, etc to try to keep a stock.  If he does keep any around they are the burnt ones that haven't been rewound.  He throws them in a pile and fixes one if someone needs it.

Being 3 phase makes it even more difficult to find a market.  Three-phase just isn't available everywhere.

Our "throw-away" society hasn't helped much either. People just don't fix things anymore. :-/   .......go figure ???

Oh!   Once the windings have been removed, it is difficult for most rewinders to put the proper number of coils back because they don't have the documentation on the motor.  Apparently that stuff is very expensive.  The rewinders, like my friend, count the windings as they take the motor apart. :)

D._Frederick

Jim,

Out here a 3 phase motor under 20 hp is a throw away, it is cheaper to buy a new one than have it rewound. The resale on a brand new motor never used is about 50% of new cost. The motor salvage people will give you about 20 % of new cost for that motor.

Those motors you have are nodoubt low hp and being old they don't have the efficiency of the new motors. With the price of electricity, poeple are buying the new motors to save on the operating cost.
Have you tried selling them to wood shops like your dad had?

Jim_Rogers

I'll take a close look at them later and see what hp they are.
I've tried, years ago, selling them to different people and had no luck.
Knowing how much we spend to have these fixed, just fries me to think that I have to just throw these away.
I was hoping that someone might have some idea about how to sell them over the internet to some one in New England so that I could either deliver them or he could pick them up.
I'll do some more research on what I've got for hp and see.
Thanks for your advice so far.
Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

J_T

Take the biggest one and make you a phase converter ,then use the other two. Or bring em to me if 25hp or larger. 8)
Jim Holloway

shopteacher

Jim, if you can find someone using three phase equipment that would probably be your best chance of selling them.  If you want to use them as JT said you can build a phase converter out of one and run the others off of it.  It's a shame three phase isn't more available and cheap as most industrial equipment is 3 phase.  I have six machines that I run from converters and have afforded me the opportunity to have equipment I otherwise wouldn't be able to run or afford.  The 3 phase motors I buy I can usually get for a few dollars a hp.
Proud owner of a LT40HDSE25, Corley Circle mill, JD 450C, JD 8875, MF 1240E
Tilt Bed Truck  and well equipted wood shop.

Thank You Sponsors!