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Booster pack for 120 VAC

D

DMartin9N-2N

Member
Hi to any booster pack experts:
I have a booster pack meant to boost 12 volt vehicles. It also has several outlets, one being 120 volt AC to plug in corded devices. My question: Can I connect this booster to a 12 volt battery (like in a tractor) as though I were going to boost the tractor, but I want the tractor battery to keep the booster up to 12 volts while the AC output is being used?? I know, it seems kinda backward, but this would let me use my little tractor as a 120 VAC supply to power a reciprocating saw when I'm out away from the house. Any advice appreciated!

Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
 
I'm not familiar with every design of booster pack but in theory it should work. The only exception is if it has a diode in place to make sure the current only flows one direction. Probably wouldn't hurt to try it. I'd let it run down a bit, measure the voltage, then connect to the tractor while running and see if the charge has come up. Disconnect from the tractor before taking your measurement.
 
The 120 volt AC outlet probably can not supply enough current to run a saw. There should be some specifications printed near the outlet or in the manual. The
saw label should tell you how much current in amps that it needs. Just as a guess the booster pack might be good for 3 or 4 amps at 120 VAC & the saw probably
takes at least 6 amps.
 
Hi, Ralph & other poster:
My reciprocating saw happens to say 6 amps on its nameplate. I guess I can try the idea any way, if I can't cut the hedge branches I have in mind, nothing will be lost. Thanks for the quick replies!!

Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
 
Hello DMartin,

Yes you can. Both battery will SHARE the charge. However you AC output is not that much. Mine is only 300 or 400 watts, have not looked lately, it is just a guess. The pack is a 1200 amp capacity one. Guido.
 
6 amps at 120 volts is 720 watts. There are quite a few 1000-1500 watt power inverters listed on Amazon.com. Most of these use a modified sine wave which should not be a problem for your saw. However I wouldn't recommend them for heavy use.
 
6 amps at 120 volts is 60 amps at 12 volts; that?s with no
losses in the conversion process. Getting 60 amps from a
power outlet is not likely.

You would need a hard-wired inverter.

Footnote: if the saw has a ?universal? motor with brushes and
no variable speed, it would probably run on 120 VDC also; so
Sine wave quality is not fussy.
 
Do these booster packs have a built in inverter?

How does 12 volts DIRECT Current get converted to 120 volts ALTERNATING Current ?
 
Hi, CWTech:
Yes, mine has an inverter, with two 120VAC outlets. Also, it has 12VDC outlets that look like cigarette lighter sockets. This is a three year old DieHard booster/jumper pack. No Craftsman branding on it, I bought it on sale and within a month or two, the Sears automotive store where I got it was closed. Our local Kmart-Sears shut down a while back; the big Sears in town looks shakey. Changing times!


Even though it has the inverter feature, I decided not to use the pack for my reciprocating saw. The saw needs 6 amps, 120 VAC, the pack's manual indicates the inverter is rated well below that for 120 VAC. Thanks for everyone's interest and suggestions!

I decided to use several heavy duty extension cords to reach my weeping privets, and that method works well.

Dennis M. in W. Tenn.
 
Hello cwtech,

To convert DC power source to A.C. it takes an inverter. New ones will have a very stable A.C sine wave,

Guido.
 
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