[BarryK]

Originally Posted by timothale

We just installed a 3 phase powered system to irrigate one of the farms, $ 4 K to the power co for the transformers, 2 K to the electrician and we have to pay $1200 a year to the power Co whether or not we use any power for the next 5 years, It's too far away, A friend wanted to sell me a Big 3 phase lathe he has in his shop, he never hooked it up because of the cost when he moved.

--------------------------------------------------------------

At the old building about 4 years ago or so, I purchased a extra 35 HP three phase disperser, well when I called the permit dept they wanted me to put in a bigger main panel because of all the three phazes that were wired to it, a nice 10,000+++++ bill.

Electrician said, get a rotary because we were going to move in six months anyways and can always resell it.

You will pay either way!

The rotary was around $4000 the voltage panel about 800, sweet part the think worked like a dream and never even noticed a rise on the electric bill.
Used it for a solid six months and best money ever spent.

[oldred]

Originally Posted by 930dreamer

Not needed if you pony start with a small 120v motor.

You can do that IF you are talking about a low torque start up like a table saw or something of that nature but machine shop equipment like lathes, mills and drill presses will tend to choke on a set-up like that. Just like all the other shortcuts if it were that simple everyone would do it that way and there would be no need for the ones that almost everyone does use, like I said they don't build them that way because they are stupid and don't know they don't need those caps!