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Baldor single phase motors- Quality issues ?

Milacron

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Dec 15, 2000
Location
SC, USA
I really like this air compressor...
ttp://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-7-5hp-2-Stage-1-Phase-80Gal-Vertical-Champion-Air-Compressor-w-AFTER-COOLER-/270882632548?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f11dcf364

But I was told by Eaton air compressors they stopped using Baldor's single phase motors due to motor starters buring out and other issues and Baldor not standing by warranty more than one year. I recall Versamill complaining about Baldor motors as well about two years ago. So, what is the scoop...any more bad mojo on Baldor single phase motors ?
 
I really like this air compressor...
ttp://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-7-5hp-2-Stage-1-Phase-80Gal-Vertical-Champion-Air-Compressor-w-AFTER-COOLER-/270882632548?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f11dcf364

But I was told by Eaton air compressors they stopped using Baldor's single phase motors due to motor starters buring out and other issues and Baldor not standing by warranty more than one year. I recall Versamill complaining about Baldor motors as well about two years ago. So, what is the scoop...any more bad mojo on Baldor single phase motors ?

Well, this is purely ancedotal, but I had a fairly new Baldor 3/4HP single phase motor burn up about a year ago. Took it in to a motor shop to see if it was worth repairing (it's a Baldor, right?) and was told a) a rewind would cost more than a new one, and b) the Baldor motors were only middling quality now anyway.

I did replace it with another high-dollar Baldor, but doubt I will again. No sense paying a premium for a label that's been outsourced.

-Steve M.
 
Baldor has had a shift in focus over the last 5 years. They purchased Reliance (very good company) from Rockwell and in my opinion did this for market growth rea$on$ only. Then sold out to ABB and I am quite sure management made a tidy sum as a result.

Have they kept their eye on the quality ball through all this wheeling and dealing? I doubt it.

We have seen a number of quality problems with Baldor and we move upwards of 100 motors a year with the Baldor and Reliance nameplates on them. We find ourselves specifying Marathon motors more often now.
 
Bill,

Expansion..acquisition and diversification aside, what's your real experience with Baldor motors burning up, or not! Wasn't that the 'quite specific' question posed by the OP. My real experience is that I've installed dozens of small Baldor motors, each one sized and protected properly, and never had a failure. This was 4 years ago...maybe expansion, acquisition and diversification has changed all that.:o

Stuart
 
They did have problems with bad starting switches/clutches some years ago. They didn't stand behind the problems near good enough in my opinion. Whether they have the problem solved, I dunno. Guys sure did specify "anything but".
 
I used to work for Marathon (2 years ago) and It is owned by Regal Beloit. I worked for a couple weeks in their Juarez factory (old GE plant) and that is where all the cheapest ones are made by the cheapest labor. I would not recomend buying a Marathon, GE, Dayton, A.O. Smith, or Leeson that is "made in Mexico" because the QC was terrible. The only ones made in the USA are cast iron framed Marathon Motors made in Lebanon MO (up to 20 HP) and Leeson out of Black River Falls (specials up to 10 HP, rolled steel frames). I can say the QC was terrible after watching them build 50 stators, everyone failing because of a scratched wire out of a butt press, and then watching the full time "reworker" sticking a knitting needle and a piece of tape in the winding to fix it, all the while her boyfriend was kissing her neck with is hand down her pants. Not impressed.
Joe
 
Joe - where are the Black Max and Blue Max motors manufactured? We use these almost exclusively now with encoder stub shafts on the non-drive end.
 








 
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