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I bought a couple Baldor motors that I need to wire. I would like to have a switch as well. They're 6A using low voltage. Do I need 3 wire electrical cord with a ground our just 2 wire? Can I somehow install a toggle switch in the conduit box? What kind of switch can I use? This seems like it should be a simple job but I can't find anything on the internet or YouTube.

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You can install a switch with anything that uses wires. I'd suggest checking out an electricians guide to motors. It doesn't sound like you understand what you're doing yet and I wouldn't want to give you partial help and get you hurt. You usually want to ground your motor, so I'd go with a 3 wire. The motor often has a wiring diagram you can use. For a switch, grab a regular light switch and outlet box from the hardware store. Run wire from the outlet or panel right to the switch. Then from the switch to the motor. Neutral wires and grounds get put together with a wire nut and the hots go in the switch.

But if you're not sure, and this is your first electrical project, consult an actual electrician and read a diy guide on electricity first. It's simple once you know what you're doing, but it's deadly until you do. Don't come running to me if you get electrocuted. I warned ya.

sandahlpipe wrote:Don't come running to me if you get electrocuted.

No worries, Sandahl. Zombies aren't real.

Thanks for settling my concerns.

A cousin of mine used to tell me not to come running to him if I chopped my legs off in the mower.

I believe it CAN be done with 2 wire, I have an old Baldor on my table saw that is convertible between 120/240, and I'm sure the guy wired it with 2-wire (and ground) and said something about one of the wires acting as a neutral at specific times... I can't even remember. But this is what electricians are for. They do the magic and nothing smokes when you turn it on.

Sasquatch wrote:I believe it CAN be done with 2 wire, I have an old Baldor on my table saw that is convertible between 120/240, and I'm sure the guy wired it with 2-wire (and ground) and said something about one of the wires acting as a neutral at specific times... I can't even remember. But this is what electricians are for. They do the magic and nothing smokes when you turn it on.

Well I'm not an electrician, but I did put in all the electrical in my shop (30+ outlets, plus a half dozen switches) and I've done 2 service panels. I have a professional electrical inspector inspect my work so nothing burns up (such as my shop).

The motor will run without the ground for sure. But if there's static buildup or a power surge, the ground adds a protection just in case. With 220V, a ground is not always used because there need to be 2 hot wires. Neither my 220V lathe nor the air compressor have ground wires. With 3-phase, there are 3 hot wires and no neutral, since the current alternates between the three wires and returns on the ones that aren't hot.

One more thing, when you buy 2-wire or 3-wire cable, the ground is at least sometimes not counted. If the ground is not counted, 2-wire is fine for 110V and 3-wire for 220v.

There's no static buildup. There's still a ground, but no dedicated neutral.

Sounds like your ground is probably functioning as the neutral?

The link I posted wasn't QUITE a random one.

I missed the link. Ok. Now it makes sense.