I occasionally get emails from the Contact Us link where a reader asks if we have something.
Someone is looking for a motor for a Delta Iron Bed. Research says that is a model 1440, aka Delta 46-715, and came with a 1 HP, single-phase, 120V motor. Apparently very popular among turners because its heavy and handles larger projects.
Is the motor something you can spec off the shelf, or is it unique to Delta?
Anyhoo, if this gets any replies, I'll email them back with this thread. And if you have one for sale, say so and I'll pm you the phone number. If you are not registered, use the Contact Us link above or in the footer.
@Peter Martin, Hi Peter, This old Delta lathe doesn't have a very good reputation, for various reasons, mostly having to do with the drive mechanism (a "Reeves" drive, which allows speed changes via a pair of expanding/contracting pulleys that change the rpm with just a shift of a lever or handwheel). This said, I once owned a J-Line lathe of similar size and drive mechanism and it served me well enough, so it could be a good deal for someone. The motor itself is likely a commodity-level purchase, but he'd have to make sure to get the recommended rpm, shaft size and mounting bracket specs. My hunch is that the cost of a new motor would not be worth the expense, but if somebody already has a variety of motors lying around -- which many woodworkers do -- this won't be an issue. In good shape, I'm guessing that lathe would be worth at most $600-$750. Without a working motor, or with a failing Reeves drive, it's more of a project than an investment for someone. And, who knows what the condition of the headstock and tailstock might be, or whether everything else is in working order?
If the person has a motor on the lathe, I'd suggest they take it off and take it to a motor shop. A) they might bring it back for a reasonable charge or B) have a used motor to fit at much lower price than new.
Looking at a few pics, I would guess that the only thing that would make it unique to Delta is how it mounts. I can't tell from the pics I can find online, but the mounting looks non-standard. With a little creativity one can adapt to that though so using an off the shelf motor could be doable.
1 HP single phase 120VAC is no problem. He needs to know the rpm though. Motors generally come in either 1725 or 3450 rpm. Most are reversible for direction, bu that too is a good thing to check in listings.
I've bought motors from this place before: https://www.electricmotorwholesale.com/ They are about as reasonable as it gets. Generally I agree with Ellis's comments though, it may not be worth doing.
I'm with Mark. I've been able to get motors running again with little effort or expense. I got my first table saw when I was 14 years old. At that age I had very little money so what could I do to get a motor for it? My parents just had the motor in the heating system replaced and the repair man left the bad motor. I removed the 4 long screws and looked carefully . The centrifugal starting switch contacts were stuck together. I popped them apart and polished the contacts with fine sandpaper. The motor was only 1/4 hp but it did what I needed it to do.
there's one of these at a delta tool parts site - the real deal - for only $413 or something like that (sarcasm there).
i have no advice as I have a delta lathe, but not this one. if mine gives up the ghost, the next motor will be vevor or something inexpensive. Last motor I bought for a davinci hammer (eccentric DIY sledge thing to hammer steel) was from vevor, and the quality isn't overwhelming so far as balance and such, but it works fine.
I'm surprised there are any motors still for sale from any parts supplier. Anything I've bought from delta in the last 15 or 20 years typically has NLA parts already by the time I buy.
When shopping for a motor (new or refurbished), you need to know the frame size (how it mounts), HP, speed, enclosure, and spindle size. For that lathe, I'm guessing it had a 1 HP motor, so a 110V single phase motor might be what you want. TEFC motors are "totally enclosed fan cooled" meaning they are better in a dusty environment. My guess is that the old motor has a 5/8" shaft with a key for the pulley.
