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Posted by Don Foreman on May 1, 2008, 1:49 pm
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>I think I need a 1kw generator to run power tools too far away from the
>ac mains. It will be used to run drills, saws including a small chain
>saw (7 amp), etc. There seem to be 3 types of small generators, the
>2-cycle at less than $150, the 4-cycle at over $300, and the inverter
>type at even more money. My usage will be infrequent, short run times,
>but I want a reliable unit that will still start and produce power 10
>years later. Would a cheap 2-cycle work reliably long term if the total
>hours is low?
>
>Cordless drills get expensive as the batteries give out in a few years,
>and I often need a heavy 1/2" or better slow speed drill. I also need a
>electric chain saw to trim branches on top of a ladder, I have gas ones
>but they are a nuisance to start on top and carrying a running chain saw
>up a ladder has safety issues.
>
>Another possibility is an inverter operating off a 12 volt battery. My
>problems there would be the motor starting surge tripping the inverter,
>and my current tractor only has a 6 volt battery so I could not
>continuously recharge.
>
>Any help appreciated.
>
>Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/
Since you have a tractor, why buy another engine to maintain? The
generator part hardly ever wears out, just the engine.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45416
You'd need some pulleys or something to get the speed up. This one
is rated for 7200 watts but you certainly don't have to load it that
heavily.
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Posted by Karl Townsend on May 1, 2008, 7:12 pm
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> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45416
> You'd need some pulleys or something to get the speed up. This one
> is rated for 7200 watts but you certainly don't have to load it that
> heavily.
This unit needs 3600 rpm. There would be a lot of loss stepping up from 540.
if you're building your own PTO unit, they all use 1800 rpm gennies and
chain from PTO shaft.
Karl
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Posted by nick hull on May 1, 2008, 8:16 pm
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> Since you have a tractor, why buy another engine to maintain? The
> generator part hardly ever wears out, just the engine.
>
> http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=45416
> You'd need some pulleys or something to get the speed up. This one
> is rated for 7200 watts but you certainly don't have to load it that
> heavily.
Too big, too clumsy. It would interfere with the carry-all that I have
on the tractor to carry all the other tools. If it were small enough to
drive off the fan belt it might work.
Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/
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Posted by RoyJ on May 1, 2008, 5:56 pm
Please log in for more thread options Another take on the issue: around here we need to be able to run the
furnace blower in the winter plus a few lights. In the summer it is the
refrig, freezer, sump pump, and a few lights. The 1.5 kw units won't
start the blower motor (6 amp run current, about 5 times that for the 2
or 3 seconds on startup). the sump pump is a bit less but still won't
reliably start on the 1.5 kw units.
Inverters work ok if you can supply enough input power. It takes a good
battery and excellent wiring to handle 200 amps to run a 2000 watt
inverter.
I wound up with a 3 kw Coleman, 120 volt only, Tecumseh power. Used
(REALLY good price!), noisy. I need to test it with the 13 amp Skillsaw.
I also need to test it out on the 120 flux core Mig. That unit runs fine
on a 4 kw/120/240 unit so I expect it to run fine from the 25 amp socket
on the 3 kw unit.
nick hull wrote:
> I think I need a 1kw generator to run power tools too far away from the
> ac mains. It will be used to run drills, saws including a small chain
> saw (7 amp), etc. There seem to be 3 types of small generators, the
> 2-cycle at less than $150, the 4-cycle at over $300, and the inverter
> type at even more money. My usage will be infrequent, short run times,
> but I want a reliable unit that will still start and produce power 10
> years later. Would a cheap 2-cycle work reliably long term if the total
> hours is low?
>
> Cordless drills get expensive as the batteries give out in a few years,
> and I often need a heavy 1/2" or better slow speed drill. I also need a
> electric chain saw to trim branches on top of a ladder, I have gas ones
> but they are a nuisance to start on top and carrying a running chain saw
> up a ladder has safety issues.
>
> Another possibility is an inverter operating off a 12 volt battery. My
> problems there would be the motor starting surge tripping the inverter,
> and my current tractor only has a 6 volt battery so I could not
> continuously recharge.
>
> Any help appreciated.
>
> Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/
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Posted by Gunner on May 2, 2008, 12:01 pm
Please log in for more thread options wrote:
>Another take on the issue: around here we need to be able to run the
>furnace blower in the winter plus a few lights. In the summer it is the
>refrig, freezer, sump pump, and a few lights. The 1.5 kw units won't
>start the blower motor (6 amp run current, about 5 times that for the 2
>or 3 seconds on startup). the sump pump is a bit less but still won't
>reliably start on the 1.5 kw units.
>
>Inverters work ok if you can supply enough input power. It takes a good
>battery and excellent wiring to handle 200 amps to run a 2000 watt
>inverter.
>
>I wound up with a 3 kw Coleman, 120 volt only, Tecumseh power. Used
>(REALLY good price!), noisy. I need to test it with the 13 amp Skillsaw.
>I also need to test it out on the 120 flux core Mig. That unit runs fine
>on a 4 kw/120/240 unit so I expect it to run fine from the 25 amp socket
>on the 3 kw unit.
The old green Onan 4000watt generator found in most older motorhomes,
can often be bought quite cheaply out of motorhomes that are being
demolished or abandoned. Ive several of them now, and the most Ive
paid is $200
Heavy, not particularly portable, they do however make excellent
emergency generators for the home, and they last freaking forever with
a bit of tlc
Gunner
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>ac mains. It will be used to run drills, saws including a small chain
>saw (7 amp), etc. There seem to be 3 types of small generators, the
>2-cycle at less than $150, the 4-cycle at over $300, and the inverter
>type at even more money. My usage will be infrequent, short run times,
>but I want a reliable unit that will still start and produce power 10
>years later. Would a cheap 2-cycle work reliably long term if the total
>hours is low?
>
>Cordless drills get expensive as the batteries give out in a few years,
>and I often need a heavy 1/2" or better slow speed drill. I also need a
>electric chain saw to trim branches on top of a ladder, I have gas ones
>but they are a nuisance to start on top and carrying a running chain saw
>up a ladder has safety issues.
>
>Another possibility is an inverter operating off a 12 volt battery. My
>problems there would be the motor starting surge tripping the inverter,
>and my current tractor only has a 6 volt battery so I could not
>continuously recharge.
>
>Any help appreciated.
>
>Free men own guns - www(dot)geocities(dot)com/CapitolHill/5357/