Confirm the exact motor first.
| Published field | Baldor EM3615T | Baldor EM3615T-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Rated output and frame | 5 hp; 184T | 5 hp; 184T |
| Supply | 230/460 V; three phase; 60 Hz | 575 V; three phase; 60 Hz |
| Listed speed | 1,755 rpm | 1,750 rpm |
A matching horsepower rating does not establish a suitable replacement. Start with the nameplate photo, full catalog number and suffix, specification number if present, and what the motor drives. Have your maintenance team or qualified provider confirm the proposed replacement.
ABB’s manufacturer pages show a concrete reason to check the full number. Both motors below are 5 hp with a 184T frame, but their listed supply voltages differ.
Ask the repair shop for a defined scope.
A motor repair quote should say what failed, what work is included, what still needs approval, how the repair will be checked, when it will be back and what the warranty covers. An inspection-and-bearing job is not the same scope as a rewind.
Ask what evidence supports the proposed cause of failure and what remains unknown before inspection. Your maintenance team and repair provider should agree on suitable final tests, acceptance criteria and the report returned with the motor. Special-duty and hazardous-location motors need the relevant qualified provider’s requirements.
- Separate the inspection charge, agreed repair work and possible extra work.
- Set an approval limit before the shop proceeds with additional findings.
- Assign collection, transport, installation and return-to-service work to someone.
- Get the ready-to-run date, warranty terms and quote validity in writing.
What a real motor-repair bid leaves unanswered.
| Bid entry | Smith Gray | Southern Rewinding | Tekwell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular shop labor, journeyman | $70 | $60 | $66 |
| Regular field labor, journeyman | $75 | $65 | $66 |
| After-hours field labor, journeyman | $112.50 | $90 | $99 |
| Parts: addition to cost | 15% | 15% | 20% |
| New motors: addition to cost | 15% | 15% | 20% |
| Transport, including pickup and delivery | $75 | $0 | $100 |
The city’s sheet separates shop work, field work, after-hours work, materials and transport. It does not state the labor billing unit, the cost used to calculate the percentages or how often transport is charged. Those missing details prevent a complete job comparison. The sheet is a bid tabulation, not an award notice.
Ask each shop for the same scope, the labor unit and expected quantity, any minimum charge, the materials cost behind a markup, and what pickup and delivery cover. Get approval before extra work proceeds. A low entry on a price list does not establish the lowest completed repair cost.
Worked example: repair is $450 lower before unresolved costs.
| Cost or term | Repair offer | Replacement offer |
|---|---|---|
| Bench repair or new motor | $650, including inspection and agreed scope | $1,000 for the specified new motor |
| Transport or delivery | $100 round trip | $100 delivery |
| Installation and agreed return-to-service work | $350 | $450 |
| Subtotal before tax | $1,100 | $1,550 |
| Proposed ready-to-run timing | End of working day 5 | End of working day 3 |
| Tax, possible extra work and warranty coverage | Still to confirm | Still to confirm |
Repair: $650 + $100 + $350 = $1,100. Replacement: $1,000 + $100 + $450 = $1,550. The stated difference is $450 before tax and unresolved amounts.
That does not settle the purchase. A three-day dispatch estimate is different from equipment being ready to run in three days. Get a dated arrival and return-to-service plan from the people responsible.
Keep conditional costs visible. If inspection reveals shaft damage, record the additional cost and approval needed. If an inspection charge has already been incurred regardless of the choice, identify it separately so the decision does not count it twice.
What is the earlier return worth?
Suppose the replacement would avoid two eight-hour operating shifts that the repair would miss. That is an assumption of 16 uncovered operating hours. It is not a conversion of every calendar day into 24 hours of lost production.
The $450 higher replacement subtotal equals $450 ÷ 16 = $28.13 per uncovered operating hour, rounded to the nearest cent. At an estimated $25 per hour, the avoided interruption is $400. At $100 per hour, it is $1,600.
Those are scenario calculations, not estimates of your facility’s loss. Use the actual consequence of the interruption, including whether a spare, rescheduling or another line can cover it. Avoid counting the same loss under both downtime and expedited service.
If a spare covers the full interval, uncovered time may be zero. If the return dates are uncertain, keep this comparison open. An unconfirmed delivery date cannot establish a saving.
Do not assume a rewind loses efficiency.
The EASA/AEMT 2019 study tested ten premium-efficiency or IE3 motors from 40 to 100 hp under defined repair practices and found that efficiency could be maintained. It does not test this 5 hp example or guarantee an individual shop’s result.
If energy cost could change the choice, ask for a defensible efficiency estimate at the actual load, operating hours and electricity rate. A nameplate value is not a measurement of your repaired motor. Leave the energy comparison unknown when that evidence is missing.
Check what the warranty actually pays for.
Record the applicable warranty category, start and end dates, claim contact and excluded costs. ABB’s warranty matrix linked on September 9, 2026 lists its general-purpose NEMA Premium category at 36 months from installation or 42 months from manufacture, whichever comes first. Its policy excludes removal, shipment and reinstallation costs.
Confirm the category, dates and terms for the specific unit and sale. The matrix alone does not establish coverage. Record a repair-shop warranty separately from the new-motor manufacturer’s warranty.
Ask for repair and replacement options.
Replace the placeholders and remove questions already answered. Keep the replies alongside both quotes.
Subject: Repair and replacement options for [full motor identifier]
We need to compare repair with a suitable replacement for [motor identifier and application]. Attached are the nameplate photo, symptoms and available history. Delivery location: [city/ZIP]. Required operating date: [date, if known].
For repair, please provide inspection findings, proposed scope, work included, exclusions and charges needing separate approval. State the inspection-only charge and whether it is credited toward repair.
For replacement, identify the full manufacturer catalog number and suffix, condition and manufacturer documentation. Flag changes or compatibility questions our maintenance team must resolve.
For both, separate the motor or repair price, transport, taxes, installation and other required charges. State quote validity, payment and return terms. Identify core deposits, exchange requirements and salvage credits.
Confirm arrival or return timing separately from dispatch. List work needed after arrival and who is responsible. Describe final checks, the acceptance report and warranty dates, exclusions and claim contact.
Mark anything you cannot yet confirm. We will approve technical suitability and additional work before proceeding.
Keep your own comparison.
Use the blank worksheet to record costs, scope, timing, warranty and who will confirm each missing term. Leave unknown values marked unknown. Zero means there is no charge, so only use it when that has been confirmed.
You do not need to complete a worksheet to ask for help. Send the repair quote, replacement offer or nameplate photo you have. Add your location and when the equipment is needed; your facility keeps the technical and buying decisions.
Send the purchase you’re working on.
Send one quote, a photo, a product link or a description. We will check what can be compared and what still needs verifying.
Send your quote or photoPrivate submission. No account required. How we handle your information
Questions about this guide? Send a correction.