power tools from inverters?

[handirifle]

I've been looking at some cordless sabre saws, and got to wondering if you can safely run tools like a 110v sabre saw or drill from a properly sized inverter?

 

[Travelover]

Sure. Brush type motors do fine from an inverter. Induction motors, I believe, not as well.

 

[Dmace]

I highly doubt the inverter can handle the amperage from something like a sabre saw.

Typical Sabre Saws at 110 volts pull about 10 amps. Your average power inverter can only handle 2-4 amps. 12v power supplies in a vehicle also typically have a 3 amp fuse. You will pop a fuse the second you pull the trigger.

 

[grsthegreat]

Ive used my inverter that rests under the cab of my van to power up a rotohammer and a sabre saw in the past .... when my battery powered drills had not been recharged. It works fine as long as the vans engine is running. I use the inverter to charge batteries and run a microwave oven. Its a 1000 w inverter with peak to 1500 w.

 

[Travelover]

I highly doubt the inverter can handle the amperage from something like a sabre saw.

Typical Sabre Saws at 110 volts pull about 10 amps. Your average power inverter can only handle 2-4 amps. 12v power supplies in a vehicle also typically have a 3 amp fuse. You will pop a fuse the second you pull the trigger.

Bigger inverters attach directly to the battery.

 

[Skyco]

Works great for me- 2000 watt invertor installed in my truck.
3 amp fuse? HAH:laughing:
This thing has 00 welding cable direct to the batteries, draws over 150 amps at max output.

 

[grsthegreat]

Works great for me- 2000 watt invertor installed in my truck.
3 amp fuse? HAH:laughing:
This thing has 00 welding cable direct to the batteries, draws over 150 amps at max output.

my 1000 watt inverter has this huge fuse. i think it was 90 amps, from a stereo shop supplier. #2 copper cables also, but only 3 feet from battery.

 

[Soundguy]

I highly doubt the inverter can handle the amperage from something like a sabre saw.

Typical Sabre Saws at 110 volts pull about 10 amps. Your average power inverter can only handle 2-4 amps. 12v power supplies in a vehicle also typically have a 3 amp fuse. You will pop a fuse the second you pull the trigger.

why guess and pull numbers out of thin air????

tools have a rating.. inverters have a rating.

match them up.

You can EASILLY get inverters up to 5kw 'affordably' ...

10a at 120v is 1200w.. I'd go no less than a 2kw inverter to run one though.

we use that setup.. an electric sawsall ( kawasaki brand ) to cut mitered end sections on metal 'squash' pipe.. IE.. corrugated culvert. we do so with said 2kw inverter and the diesel trucks dual bat.. etc.

works great. just have a good supply of high quality metal blades on you.


I routinely use a 1/2" drill and inverter on my farm property using a similar setup, when doing fencing, using forestner bits to drill fence posts ( 7/8 posts ) hinge pin holes..

right tool for the right job.

don't send in a tack hammer to do the job of a sledge.

soundguy

edit: fixed 12 to 120

 

[Soundguy]

Bigger inverters attach directly to the battery.

yep.. and our diesels, and my personal one, has 2 bats to help out..

big cable, maxi fuse or CB and you are good to go.

soundguy

 

[tcartwri]

DO NOT charge your tool batteries on an inverter. When the charger goes into float, the inverter will cycle the AC power and will start the charge routine all over again. We almost burned the work van down when the battery on my impact caught fire.....

 

[Soundguy]

not all inverters drop the output when the load goes low... and many smart chargers check battery level after a few seconds of charge and shut back off... then again.. not all do.. so as you point out.. good to check what you have.

lots of variables...

i routinely charge a laptop off an inverter.. it's a type that will not drop the output when the load goes low..

 

[Travelover]

.............10a at 12v is 1200w.. .............soundguy

Anybody seen a missing zero around here? :laughing:

 

[Soundguy]

wattage is correct.

it's this darn 7" keyboard.. half the time I look up and am typing in caps.

will see if it will let me go correct it.

glad to see we are focusing on the minutia and not the real subject though

 

[Dmace]

why guess and pull numbers out of thin air????

tools have a rating.. inverters have a rating.

match them up.

You can EASILLY get inverters up to 5kw 'affordably' ...

10a at 12v is 1200w..

soundguy

Speaking of pulling numbers out of thin air...
I also said typical inverter assuming he was talking about one that plugs into a cigarette lighter not one you have to connect straight to the battery.

 

[Soundguy]

a typo? you are equating your guess to my typo? weird. besides. end number was correct. was 100% obvious what I was showing.

as for 'typical' I'm still not sure a cig lighter model is typical.

I own .. lets see... 6 inverters.. one is a cig lighter style.

i see plenty in the 60-150w range that are cig lighter styles. but most units higher have a multi option for bare wire /terminal, or cig lighter, and if you read their manual.. they usually state for 'x' wattage to go wire and terminal to the bat.. nt a cig lighter.

on the question of the cig lighter outlet.

I'm not up on anything new.. but all my old vehicles are fused at 20 or 25a.. that's a paltry 240w or 300w

neither of those would be good for running much of a power tool.. that's 2a or a hair more.. and I don't like being at the edge on an inverter.. thus if I had a 2a capacity.. i'd personally like to use 80% of that as rated.. thus 1.5-1.6a load.. etc. that 80% number is my own personal protection margin I like to use on most electronic devices when looking at their ratings. YMMV.. etc.

in a thread talking about power tools, I respectfully suggest that 'typical' is going to be a much bigger size than say if this thread were talking about a gps / cellphone / laptop charger capable device... in which case.. typical could be small.. like 45-150w.. vs the 500-700-2k+ units that a real power tool might want. IE.. something that is using 4-10a.. etc.... drills, sanders, small and medium saws.. etc.. just trying to keep some perspective and subjectivity going here, since the thread title does mention power tools andnot power toys..

soundguy

 

[grsthegreat]

DO NOT charge your tool batteries on an inverter. When the charger goes into float, the inverter will cycle the AC power and will start the charge routine all over again. We almost burned the work van down when the battery on my impact caught fire.....

?? ive been charging mine this way for 5 years. never an issue.

edit: My milwaukee charger is a smart charger. If it senses a full charge it shuts off within 5 seconds. so non issue

 

[texasjohn]

I have a 2500 watt inverter on my RTV. Use huge wire direct battery connect with fuse properly sized. it runs drills shop vacuums you name it. extremely useful add on. take all of your power tools anywhere your vehicle will go.

 

[Qapla]

I have a 1500w inverter that connects to the battery. Not only will it run may electric impact and my sawsall, it also runs my carpet seaming iron - as long as the truck is running.

It will still run them if the truck is off ... but not for long.

 

[handirifle]

Great, thanks for the replies. I guess i was concerned more about a "brush" type motor, than power consuption.
To me matching the inverter output to motor requirement, was obvious. I had NO intention of running any inverter from a cig lighter, my tractor doesn't even have one , besides, this is not going to be a heavy duty operation, but is intended to save me having to fart around with cordless tools, of which I am no fan, again.

Thanks again for the replies. I will see what various motor amperage requirements are and get an appropiate sized inverter.

Now to figure out how to mount my MIG on my tractor???? Just kiddn!

 

[tcartwri]

?? ive been charging mine this way for 5 years. never an issue.

edit: My milwaukee charger is a smart charger. If it senses a full charge it shuts off within 5 seconds. so non issue

My tools are a certain 'yellow' brand. After the first battery let its smoke out, we tested another with the same result.

We have 5 and 2.5 kW inverter in our work vehicles. Very handy, but spendy.