We GFCI everything on construction sites and strangely all the high in rush motor loads work fine.
GFCIs are required for 120 volt 15 and 20 amp circuits that means you will not need to protect large motors.
It is to be noted that the intent of GFCIs is to protect people. If it does trip, it either tripped because of line to ground current that exceeds 5ma of because of some weird phenomena of the load that has the ability to emulate an imbalance between the line and neutral which often results in nuisance tripping.
GFCIs really don?t protect motors as don?t MCPs in a combination motor starter. The motor has failed to some degree. The GFCI protects you from a potential electric shock from a motor failure and Westinghouse?s original intent when developing the MCP was to prevent a catastrophic motor failure resulting in a fire.
I remember ona couple of occassions where I got a call from someone in my company who was setting up a trade show where they needed 480Y/277 power for a display and were being asked if they were providing ground fault protection for it.
I agree with regarding the high inrush motor loads and I personally am intrigued by that fact that there aren?t more nuisance tripping issues with GFCIs with their .005a sensitivity due to an emulated imbalance because of the dynamics of some types of loads. And they can sell these GFCI outlets of dirt cheep.