Unisaw for $150 (won't start)

[ragswl4]

Not mine. Might be a great buy for someone in San Diego. No pics.

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/tls/381963205.html

[TheRic]

Even if the motor is bad, buy a good single phase motor and you should be set. That is if the rest of the saw is good.

[Thom2]

That's what I call a "flipper" ... I'd drag it home just to slap another motor on it and resell it ... unless it was in really good condition, then I'd rehab it for myself

[LinuxRandal]

listed as 2HP 3 PHASE. I bet he tried to start it at home with regular old 1 phase.

[stormdog74]

listed as 2HP 3 PHASE. I bet he tried to start it at home with regular old 1 phase.

Maybe a stupid question, but what is 3 phase vs. 1 phase? And is there a 2 phase?

[LCHIEN]

Three phase requires three wires, each wire the voltage is 120 degrees voltage phase from each other. Generally used in factories/industrial machinery and High voltage transmission of power.

One phase is found in most normal homes and offices. the power is two wire and one wire is generally considered neutral and 0 degrees the other wire is hot and 120VAC from the other and changes 360 degrees every cycle. If you imagine that each wire is 60-V from the other and 180 out of phase with each other with a differential of 120V and 360 degrees then you have two phase. Seldom actually called that but its identical to one phase. depends on the reference point but from the appliance being powered it can't tell the difference. P.S. don't confuse the ground wire with a third power wire.

[asdf]

Wow, how great would that be... pick up a Unisaw for $150 because someone didn't know 3 phase didn't work in 1 phase?! Even if the motor is bad, slap a new one in there and you still have a good deal.

[jwaterdawg]

I think it would be pretty hard to try to plug in a 3PH plug to a standard circuit. Regardless of the motor issue, it's a steal if it's advertised correctly.

Who wants to go get it for me? I'll even help with unloading and can offer a cold one or two.

[TheRic]

I think it would be pretty hard to try to plug in a 3PH plug to a standard circuit...

Being three phase it might not have had a plug on the end (hard wired in) so the person might have just slapped a plug on the end and tried it.

I have a feeling they knew it was three phase and the motor went out, hmmmm is there a reset button on those 3 phase motors??!! Might be they didn't know it was 3 phase when they got it. They are listing it as 3 phase, so they must know, now .

It seems like 3 phase equipment always goes cheaper then single phase stuff. I guess it comes down to supply and demand.

[stormdog74]

Three phase requires three wires, each wire the voltage is 120 degrees voltage phase from each other. Generally used in factories/industrial machinery and High voltage transmission of power.

One phase is found in most normal homes and offices. the power is two wire and one wire is generally considered neutral and 0 degrees the other wire is hot and 120VAC from the other and changes 360 degrees every cycle. If you imagine that each wire is 60-V from the other and 180 out of phase with each other with a differential of 120V and 360 degrees then you have two phase. Seldom actually called that but its identical to one phase. depends on the reference point but from the appliance being powered it can't tell the difference. P.S. don't confuse the ground wire with a third power wire.

Thanks - great explanation!

[mkel2000]

Came This Close to Buying This One

I saw the post on Craigslist about an hour after it was originally posted. I traded e-mails with the seller and got some information on the saw. I asked for his contact info last night and sent him an e-mail this morning that I would call him later today to look at it (he didn't have any pictures available.) It was a model 34-450.

This morning I called him and told him I would be at his location between 2 and 3 this afternoon. He never asked for a phone number and I didn't offer one. Based on the communications we had so far, he gave no indication he had received any other calls.

I arrived at what turned out to be a cabinet shop at 2:10 this afternoon. As I walked towards the door, I'm met by the seller who says, "I bet you're here to look at the Unisaw I just sold a half hour ago." He went on to tell me that this guy had just "showed up" and bought the saw. He said he looked at my e-mails for a phone number but didn't find one. It apparently never dawned on him to have the guy who just "showed up" wait to give me a chance to arrive as we had discussed.

Needless to say, I wasn't very happy. I can't believe this guy's business is very good. He had a large shop that was completely empty at 2 in the afternoon. I sure hope he doesn't treat his customers the same way, although I'm sure he probably wouldn't think twice about it.

Mark

[os1kne]

My experience with good deals on craigslist has been to go get the item just as soon as I contact the seller and hear that the item and the seller are available. I've lost out a couple of times by scheduling a time to get the item and then someone buys it from under me minutes before I get there (like what happened to you).

On the flip side, when I remodeled my kitchen last year, I posted ads in the craigslist free section for some of my old appliances, countertop, sink, etc. that still worked perfectly. I would say that I got "stood up" about 75% of the time with people arranging a time and not showing to get free stuff.

[Thom2]

A few months ago I attempted to buy a 3hp 15" planer for $275 from a gentleman in Jersey. I work 7:30 to 5 so there was no way I could get there myself, but I remembered that I do have a buddy that had been doing drywall in the Jersey area. I was in the middle of coordinating with my buddy and the seller when the seller gave me word that it had just been sold. I called my buddy back and he was on the Turnpike near Philly, no terribly far from the guy (fortunately he was on his way to work anyway).

While I was rather upset about missing the deal, I never had any ill feelings for the seller, I was just a guy on the phone that he didn't know from Adam. I've heard time after time about people being stood up by CL buyers, Bill's experience is pretty much the norm. If I were in the seller's shoes and there was someone standing there with cash in hand, I'd probably do the very same thing.

[DLyon]

That's the nature of Craigslist. As a seller, I always say first come, first served. I've also been stood up in the past after bending over backwards to be accommodating. Frankly, I love craigslist. I've gotten rid of things I don't need/want and I've also found some great deals.

[LCHIEN]

i think that's the nature of any one-owner, one-item sale.
Unless a promise is made to the contrary, it may be sold at any time even if someone else is coming to see it - implied subject to prior sale.
From the seller's stand point, there's no guarantee that the caller who promised to come will actually do so.
From the buyers standpoint, if you go and make an offer, you don't want to be told that someone else might be coming in an hour and you'll have to bid against them. You want to make an offer or bargain, then take right away.

if you really want it you have to drop everything to go snag that puppy and take chances to get that bargain.
It will be either well described and everyone will know its a bargain and the race is on, OR, it will be poorly described and everyone will have to guess if its a gem and needs to be see right away or pass up on it. A description "10-inch table saw" for example, could be a well used low cost sub-$100 tabletop unit no-name from china or it might be that pristine PM2000 you dreamed of. We're talking about a value range of $30 to possibly $1000. You call and ask the guy, he says, I don't know, it was my fathers it must have been good. Do you waste an afternnon trip across town, two hours plus gasoline and drive a big vehicle, to take a flyer at this saw or pass it up?