Hi Stot,
I can only speak from my own experience, but I'd recommend one of the KBIC speed controller boards, probably the KBIC240 for that motor load and supply voltage, as they have Useful Features like current limiting, presets for max/min speed, IR compensation (helps maintain motor speed under load).
The max speed setting basically sets the max voltage to the motor armature, so you can stick a meter on it and be sure you don't go over your motor's 180V rating, and the plug-in current-limiting ("HP") resistors let you set an initial ballpark limit for motor horsepower *before* trimming it a bit with the CL setting on the board - probably the 1+1/2 HP @ 240V would be a good choice.
Wiring in is about as simple as you could get, 2 wires for 220AC in, 2 wires to the motor, 3 for the potentiometer to set the speed. BE WARNED - the potentiometer is at half line voltage and shorting its leads to earth (ground) WILL kill the board instantly... Don't ask me how I know... (OK, OK, it wasn't mine, it was a customer's "rewire"!)
I'd suggest putting a fuse (10A would be plenty) between motor and controller as well as the fuse and switch on the AC side, could save the PCB if the motor fails short-circuit or you have a major overload-and-stall - stalling a DC motor can send the current way higher than the nameplate current!
If you're planning to reverse the motor, it's pretty important to cut the power to the board *before* reversing the motor connections, the induced voltage from generator-effect in the motor can be a fair bit higher than the actual motor voltage, so you need the motor to slow before throwing arcs in the switch / spikes at the speed control board!
Dave H. (the other one)