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1 engine to drive them all - generator, pressure washer, lawn mower

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1 engine to drive them all - generator, pressure washer, lawn mower gemniii 07-01-2007
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Posted by Art Todesco on July 1, 2007, 9:07 pm
John McGaw wrote:
> Toller wrote:
>>> Has anyone come across a solution to the proliferation of small (5 to
>>> 8hp) engines?
>>> I've a lawnmower, generator, and pressure washer, chipper/shredder and
>>> might buy another tool with a 5hp gas engine. I never use more than 1
>>> at a time. I'd like an elegant PTO solution for small engines.
>>>
>> Look at that Black and Decker thing where you pull the front off and
>> use it as a drill, saw, sander, and who knows what else.
>> Would you use a lawnmower etc that were that crappy?
>>
>> What I want is a way to use an automobile as a whole house generator.
>> Think about it, they can drive for an hour at 30mph on one gallon of
>> gas. A 4kw generator uses a gallon gas an hour while doing maybe 5%
>> of the work.
>> Or maybe a NG powered A/C that can also be hooked to a generator.
>>
>
> It has been done for decades with trucks and it might be possible with
> an automobile too if enough space can be found under the hood. Basically
> an AC generator is installed via brackets to the engine block and driven
> by belt from the crankshaft. I'm not sure how the generator was
> engaged/disengaged from the drive. Most likely it was via a mechanical
> linkage and might even have been done by slacking the belt tension. But
> given the efficiency of air conditioner compressor clutches something
> along that line would be more user-friendly.
>
> These generator sets were routinely used on construction sites to power
> tools before power lines were installed and probably were capable of 5kW
> or more.
>
There is an AC generator that takes
power from a car or truck. It's the
AuraGen from http://www.aurasystems.com.
But, they have to be installed
on the vehicle and are not cheap. Very
good, just not cheap.

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Posted by DerbyDad03 on July 2, 2007, 10:27 am
>
across a solution to the proliferation of small (5 to
> > 8hp) engines?
> > I've a lawnmower, generator, and pressure washer, chipper/shredder and
> > might buy another tool with a 5hp gas engine. I never use more than 1
> > at a time. I'd like an elegant PTO solution for small engines.
>
- Look at that Black and Decker thing where you pull the front off and
use it
- as a drill, saw, sander, and who knows what else.
- Would you use a lawnmower etc that were that crappy?

It sounds like you are not using your toys in the most efficient
manner.

I often use my generator to power the radio while one of my sons grabs
the branches off the lawn and puts them in the chipper/shredder while
I follow behind with the lawnmower while my other son follows with the
pressure washer, cleaning the clippings and chips off the driveway.

It's real noisy, but it's quality family time.

I have to agree with Toller's sentiments but not specifically about
the B&D line of products...

In my lifetime I have tried:

A Saw Table - Mount your 7" circular saw under this table and you now
own a table saw.
A Drill Stand - Strap your hand held drill into this device and you
now own a drill press.
A Right Angle drill bit holder. - Chuck this into your drill and you
now own a right angle drill.
etc. etc. etc.

None of these "turn your tool into something else" devices work
anywhere near as good as the tool they are supposed to mimic. Whenever
you design something to serve multiple purposes, each of the
individual purposes are bound to suffer a little.

Designing an engine that could be moved from device to device would
probably end up hurting the performance of each device.


Posted by Chris Lewis on July 7, 2007, 7:29 pm

> Designing an engine that could be moved from device to device would
> probably end up hurting the performance of each device.

Having played with one or two of the "turn X into Y" devices
(especially a circular saw attachment for a drill ;-), I mostly
agree.

At the prices/sizes most consumers would pay for, yes.

But tractors and their PTOs are used to do the functions the OP
asked about all the time. If you have $10K or more ;-)
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Posted by hallerb@aol.com on July 7, 2007, 8:24 pm
costs too much, messy conversion and time, too many compromises
engine speeds mounting etc. the more complex the heavier it weighs and
more it costs, and harder for people to use.

engines and motors optimized for a specific use are way easier and
less costly

economocally its a loser, or you would see it all the time


Posted by zxcvbob on July 1, 2007, 10:12 pm
gemniii@gmail.com wrote:
> Has anyone come across a solution to the proliferation of small (5 to
> 8hp) engines?
> I've a lawnmower, generator, and pressure washer, chipper/shredder and
> might buy another tool with a 5hp gas engine. I never use more than 1
> at a time. I'd like an elegant PTO solution for small engines.
>


Sounds a little like the David Bradley tractors that Sears used to sell
about 50 years ago. (used a long v-belt for the PTO)

Bob

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