tool review...

BigDanT · Feb 28, 2017

Bought this little tachometer from amazon. Reviews of this item were mixed but I decided to try it anyway. Paid $15 for it including shipping. I needed to sync a set of carbs on my ATV and thought if it works it would be exactly what I needed. Much to my surprise the dern thing worked great, gave me a reading of 1100 RPMS. It fluctuated some (maybe 20 to 30 rpms) but I thought that would be fairly normal. Anyway if your needing a tach I can give this little thing a thumps up.
Dan

Gary from Muleshoe · Feb 28, 2017

I bought mine at HF and was amazed at the accuracy of it. Mine uses a little piece of reflective tape on the flywheel. I think I gave $20.00 for it.

guido · Feb 28, 2017

Hello BigDanT,

Man! They have really come down in price. Mine goes to 50.000 R.P.M's, but I paid at least a couple hundred US. Maybe $250. I guess I paid for the name? Not really...... mine is 30 years old, that was the price then. Still have it and use it on occasion,

Guido.

Geo-TH,In · Feb 28, 2017

I needed a tack to set up my Kawasaki 4010 mule. It must idle between 950 and 1050. Less than 950 on a hot day will cause oil light to come on. More than 1050 will grind gears and jerk forward.

I bought a tack that you wrap a wire around the plug wire. I was surprised how accurate it was too. I got a tack that I could replace the battery. It cost way more than $15. However there is no way to see the moving engine parts on the Kawasaki engine.

Terry G · Feb 28, 2017

Have one just like it and I think i paid less than $10 for it. Came from China and took about two weeks for delivery. Use it on drill press, metal lathe, electric motors, even on a die grinder at several thousand rpm. I think max is 99,999 rpm. Very handy tool.

BigDanT · Mar 1, 2017

Geo...I thought about one of those but, I never got a clear picture on how to deal with the fact that my Kawasaki 650 Prairie has a twin cylinder motor. My guess was I'd have to multiply the reading by 2, just thought this would be easier and I could use it when setting idle on any engine. I just took the stator cover off and attached the reflective tape to that.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 1, 2017

All I do is wrap the wire around one plug wire and get the accurate reading.

Don't by my type unless you can change the battery. Some have battery soldered and glued in place and you can't replace it.

guido · Mar 1, 2017

Hello BigDanT,

Engine R.P.M.'s is measured at the crankshaft, one cylinder or ten,

Guido.

BigDanT · Mar 1, 2017

Guido... "Engine R.P.M.'s is measured at the crankshaft, one cylinder or ten" I understand that and that is why I went with the type tach that I did. The simpler the better for me. The inductive type that Geo was referring to measures how many times spark is delivered to a single plug, which is fine for a single cylinder but like on my ATV with twin cylinders I assume that you're going to have to modify that number by something. I just don't know what that is Lol...
Dan

stonerock · Mar 1, 2017

they check RPM on antique tractor pulls, allowed 1850 rpm, 3 different meeters will read three different rpm's. think mine was about $100.00 from snap-on, doesent match theres

bjr · Mar 1, 2017

I've a old JD 240 with the Briggs twin oppose cylinders Garden tractor that I go thru engines frequently. I finally mounted a TinyTach $50 on it and there was a way (I can't remember now) to set the number of cylinders. Works great. Now if I can just the old twin cylinder Briggs and Stratton two hold together for more than one mowing season without ruining the rings and smoking real bad.Engine is rated for 3600 rpm's and all the experts I talked to said that's where to run them to keep the blade rpm's up. bjr

WGM · Mar 1, 2017

In the testing and balancing industry they are known as strobe tachs. You calibrate by pointing at a fluorescent light. It will register 14,000 rpm's. Don't know if you need to do that with the new ones tho.

rustyfarmall · Mar 1, 2017

The reviews on Amazon need to be taken with a grain of salt no matter what item is being reviewed. Some reviews are given by folks who obviously don't know how it is supposed to work. Some are given by competitors whose sole purpose is to give the item a bad reputation, and then there are those who know what they are doing, know how to use it, and are well pleased with the item. Sometimes you have to read in between the lines.

guido · Mar 1, 2017

Hello BigDanT,

You assume wrong. A magnetic pick up is just the trigger for the meter. Selecting the cylinders at the meter will give the right R.P.M.'S. This one I built as a kit, maybe 35 plus years ago? the black thing on the left is the R.P.M.'S pickup coil for the trigger signal.

GUIDO.

guido · Mar 1, 2017

Hello GigDanT

The picture of the meter did not load, here it is.

Guido.

guido · Mar 1, 2017

Hello bjr,

You will find many newer mowers running a lot less R.P.M.'s. Can you guess why?. That is the maximum engine speed and were it will develop the rated H.P. NOT many engines will have a long or reasonable life span maxed out!
Now that you have your handy dandy Tack, do your self and your engine a favor and LOWER the MAX R.P.M.'s. A few hundres.
You did not say how many hours you put on the engines before the wear out. But running them $alls to the wall sure is not helping their longevity,

Guido.

Dusty MI · Mar 2, 2017

(quoted from post at 20:34:59 03/01/17) Hello bjr,

You will find many newer mowers running a lot less R.P.M.'s. Can you guess why?. That is the maximum engine speed and were it will develop the rated H.P. NOT many engines will have a long or reasonable life span maxed out!
Now that you have your handy dandy Tack, do your self and your engine a favor and LOWER the MAX R.P.M.'s. A few hundres.
You did not say how many hours you put on the engines before the wear out. But running them $alls to the wall sure is not helping their longevity,

Guido.

I have a 2 cylinder Allis Chalmers hydro garden tractor that is least 30 years old. That mowed lawn, tilled garden, moved dirt and snow with blade, and snow with blower, on 1 acer. The only time I ran it full RPM was using the snow blower in deep snow.
It is still running fine.
Four years ago we moved and now mowing 3-4 acres, so I bought a new zero turn mower. I was told that I needed to run it full bore because of the hydro. I wonder how long it's going to last running full bore?

Dusty

dhermesc · Mar 2, 2017

You'll learn real quick that running it slow and lugging it will really shorten the life of an air cooled engine.

gab · Mar 2, 2017

What do you call real quick? I have a 518 and 520 Wheel Horse, both 2 cyl. Onans. The 18 does the mowing, the 20 blows snow or plows or might pull the lawn roller. The 18 has over 1700 hours, the 20 has over 1200, both are 1988s and never run wide open. Wide open I couldn't stand the noise or afford the gas. I do keep the engines clean.

tool review...

BigDanT

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Gary from Muleshoe

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guido

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Geo-TH,In

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Terry G

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BigDanT

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Geo-TH,In

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guido

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BigDanT

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stonerock

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bjr

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WGM

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rustyfarmall

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guido

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guido

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guido

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Dusty MI

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dhermesc

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gab

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