Good morning All,
Still sticking at home waiting for freezing rain, and area roads to get fully debris cleared (the travel-too-home nurse wife) so I am still some on headphones “researching” . . .
This is actually true. She asked me to research and confirm the new replacement cloths washing machine she liked to replace the 30 year old Maytag Neptune now talking it will be quitting any day.
Somewere recently SeanO. had pointed out to me that I and other maybe using not the best batteries in our Millwaukee brand of tools.
I found these advices. The first 2 years old now, but needed to fully understand the second one I’ll put up:
Yeah. Too much of this guy is hard to take.
But gleem for the info.
I now have three M-18 tools and only two of the XC5.0 batteries.
I need to decide which best-value two-pac to buy sometime (SOON!) before I am down to just one battery.
Regards
Steve Unruh
Steve U,
Good luck replacing your washing machine. The machines today are nothing like 30 years ago, except for perhaps the deceiving looks. I think that I’ve heard Speed Queen washers are still made mostly like the old mechanical models, but they are expensive.
Ha! Ha! Yes, SteveB. good couples joke that.
Wife has asked around and decided now on a top-loader agitator style this time.
We’ve aged and stooping down to a front loader transferring over wet heavy just ain’t cutting it anymore.
So she decided on an L.G. brand. Family and friends all got caught short trying 1st generation agitator-less Maytags and Whirlpools. Just NOT getting their cloths clean. Had to trade off early, and go then to adgitator models.
So I did research out Speed Queens as the most recommended reliable. Simplest internals designed. And still made-in-USA.
A firm no-no from her. It is drum capacity (and friends recommendations) got her onto L.G.'s now.
And only one particular LG model has the large drum for our now inherited Oversized KING bedding. I’m not complaining. We are both larger than average. Have three largish dogs and now five cats.
Very common to have two-dogs, and one-two cats nights; hopped up warming us.
Speed Queen after years and years of lost sales supposed to have a larger drum model out in Dec 2024.
We will not have the time to wait.
And I would never want to buy a 1st years production anyhow.
The reason I did put up the two Milwaukee batteries videos. NOT the newest, latest, so-called greatest, ever, for me. Last generations evolved, use-proven Best. Bought now discounted still new, to use today.
Steve unruh
Yeah, I have an on-line homesteading buddy that used to own laundromats and he always recommends Speed Queens. Here we also finally burned out an older Maytag without electronic controls and have gone through a whirlpool and and an newer Maytag in the last 8 years. Now we have probably the cheapest Amana, no bells and whistles, made. At least when it craps out it won’t be much of a loss.
“30 year old Maytag Neptune now talking it will be quitting any day”
It might outlive us all!
I don’t want to get into an EV argument on Steve’s small engine thread. Not everyone has a nice garage in the suburbs to warm and charge their EV in. If you live in a high-rise apartment in the big city, this is a reality you have to deal with. Winter happens, and the charging infrastructure to support EV’s is not built out enough yet. EV is your fair-weather friend, better have a back-up plan.
1971 my grand parents bought an Osby (Swedish made). They past away in 1995 and wife and I “inhereted” it. We used it up until our kids moved out 12-13 years ago and I still have some good parts of it saved It was a 6kW 3-phase and washed a full load in less than 30 min. They don’t make washing mashines like that nowdays.
Steve, when using different size engines for work loads using a gasifier, the single cylinder engines have a tendency back pressure because of the piston stroke. Was there ever a consensus to moving the mixer valve a distance away from the engine to helpful on limiting the back pressure problems related to this? I think you suggested using two piston engines if I recall correctly.
But what about a resonating tube of some sorts for the intake air? Or would that mess up the operation of the single cylinder engine?
My point is the battery packs have their built-in temp control. They don’t need a heated garage.They work fine in the cold weather provided they are charged.
Otherwise I agree, There needs to be better charging network and faster charging. I agree they aren’t for everyone and all use cases at this point.
The largest issue is oil. Prices have tanked our economy 5 times which has required trillions in bail out money. It is actually cheaper to use less then to bail out the economy in massive spending bills.
BobMac,
I did try first extension tubes from a 3600 RPM single cylinder engine mounted mixer progressively out to ~36 inches. Too sensitive to engine loading changes.
The back pressure pulsations seemed to stack up into bands of too-rich; too-lean.
Then tried diffnert near cylinder head mixers with a variety of in-tube pressure wave stopping and reflective-back steps. And angle-in gas introduction tubes. I could make better electrical loaded power. But only again in narrow not-3600 synchronous RPMs.
Then did try remotely mounted 24-36 inches away mixers. Ha. Like a bath shower with a long flex hose extension waiting-waiting-waiting for a temperature change; remote mounting was too long of response time for generator loading changes. Actual backfires happening in the long flex feed tube.
In the mean time in the same shop in the same time periods 3 cylinder natural gas Kubota engine would hum along just fine with simple air cleaner converted mixers. Or a fancy turned sideway round WayneKeith copy mixer. Or a later butt-simple rectangular-ish mixer box.
A 1000cc Generic Chinese twin engine on a 17kW generator was just fine good-enough with an air cleaner mixer conversion. Later not by me others had good sucesses with simple air cleaner box conversions on smaller V-Twins. DeanL., here on the DOW.
And charcoal-man Gary had proved great success with just going variable RPM inverter-generator single cylinder units.
What Dave-down-under has done for years now.
Dinking around with tiny and small fixed RPM single cycled engines is a road I no longer want to travel. Tiny, small and medium fuels sippers inverter engine generators for me now. Fed gasoline. Or a true long term Grid-without woodgasing the largest.
The same with my years set-backs lost dinking with stick form wood fuels. Never want to go back to what would seem easy, but using, proves very hard. Needs as demanded from the top down, or sides ports “char-breaking” (Soviet forestry systems) and sticks forms devolved char beds settling. Just pre-chunk it up for real mostly hands-off control.
Steve Unruh
That comparison with a long hose bath-shower was really spot-on, im going to borrow that one, if im in need to explain “phenomenon” of slow-response, self-regulating feedback systems, and regulating hysteresis.
Lots of words, i hope they “means what i meant”?
This is a good clue that I am thinking about when I rebuild the Jenbacher with one big cylinder. I will definitely install a gas mixer similar to the one I use on my tractor, and behind it a much larger cylinder of approx. 20 liters, which will act as a “condenser” for smoothing pressure fluctuations. The gas mixer also acts as a non-return valve in case of possible back-ignition of the mixture, I will also add a relief valve.
All I can say is be mindful almost all of your previous exprences with multi-cyclinder engines and even gasoline carbureted; or propane pressure fed engines will greatly deceive you.
It is the engine loading sucking of the gasifier and separation/filter trains.
My attempt I described above were done winter of 2010/11. I stopped it because it became a costs-fail for that shop as anything that could have been made, then sold, to guys with small engine generators. No one would be willing to spend $100, then raised to $125. then I was projecting out to $150 by then on generators they had spent $250-500 for.
Better for them to sell off the too small, and just spend out the additional cost for 8500 to 10,000 watt generators.
Plus ALL of my vacuum and gas flow mechanical metering ideas were a complete fail. Me, thinking deceived by evened out intake vacuum engines.
And the slow reponse time changing convinced me that high speed electronic control was a better approach. Designing/fabbing for that was not me. Picked up then by others.
I did prove that getting rid of flow choking off Venturi’s would allow more air/gas flow for more power.
Just as Tone, Joni and a few others, have now proven that engine modifying for compressions raising can get better power equivalencies.
Tone I am not sure about your mixer set up on pulsating single cylinder engines.
This I am sure - do not allow air and gas mixed to occur in tanks!
Next I first have to prove that our 9500 (8600 watts continuous) inverter-generator actually will operate our submersible deep-well pump on full power gasoline. Then try it derated on propane. Only then would I convert it to woodgas. I am always looking for the release of available V-Twins inverter units. Not much hope on that with my political-State heading for the ban on all new small IC engines.
What I’d try then is a system emulated the old town/city gas plants.
Gasifier cells blower sucked for operating safety. The blower outside pressure raising a gasometer reservoir. They then used that to constant low pressuere deliver to consumers.
Me than mixer metering that deliverable low pressure fuel woodgas somewhat similar to propane mixer ideas.
Tone and others do realize all four stroke single cylinder engines have very strong crankcase pulsation too.
Another proportional to RPM power or triggering force useable.
Regards
Steve unruh
Thanks Steve I was pretty sure you had experiment with this using woodgas, a few years before I joined DOW.
That would be cool a smaller build of a twin cylinder genset.
I will second this. I would add ‘pressure relief’ type of valve so if it does explode it goes in a safe direction. like a sealed piece of tinfoil over a hole because it is inevitable when the engine isn’t running air is going to get into it.
When my cooling tubes tree behind the window of the 92 Dakota rusted out and developed small holes that leak air into the system all the way through it up to the intake. I was glad I had 2 tennis ball relief valves in place and more would have been better. Lol.
I still had some piping under the hood come apart on that explosion. This is why you need pop off valves close to the intake when mixing the air with the gases. When gasification on wood or charcoal is being done always keep checking for leaks in pipes and tight fitting pipes that will come apart just in case.
Good Morning All
Still searching for the best value to add to my now three Milwaukee M18 tools with only TWO batteries - just one failure away from having N-o-n-e! backed-up-capability by my living-systems:
Any still wanting to learn real-world working capacities and times to any working battery powered systems these guys put up a lot of info in working watts and working times. This all is applicable to PowerWalls, EV bikes, and even EV vehicles.
They do need to add heat lamp exposing to simulate a tool pac left out in the sun imho.
S.U.
No time to see the full video and someone who really knows the details (Bruce?) but I think I saw some Lipo bags? You dont want that in your machines. High power at the beginning but it degrades way faster. 18650 is the way to go in cordless, I think. Really big tools they show. If you really want to work all day with those, stay with the cords?
Hi JeopK.
My topics title says my current pursuit of portable tools batteries.
I do use and need these real work-multipliers on my Rural living daily life. No big family here with other can-be-put-to-work hands here. Not willing or wanting to take on literal endentured young full of too much energy no-payed Interns - the modern way.
I do hire out as needed for support help. Then I will pay premium for experienced work by professional bring thier own specialty tools.
My cordless working tools began back in 1994/95 when I saw our one-man house remodeler getting such more effective work done with two deferent sized cord-less drills.
It was the very good variable speed with control and excellent torque.
My two diffident sized corded drills had relatively poor speed control, poor torque at forced low speeds. And would overheat at forced low speeds.
Any how cordless motors and batteries now 2-3 generations later are actually real capable at the portable work needs of 2 1/2 (~1200 watts) horsepower and less jobs.
Still in mine and other working tool users opinions; still not good enough to take over for the 3-5 1/2 hour power corded, air hose, and gasoline engined tools.
Last evening at our local Grange bi-monthly executive meeting our local elected leader as our district and state Grange representative in his state Grange packet says we are all being asked to forward our opinions up to State Grange on positions of Yes, or Nay opposing a bill moving forwards in our Washington Sate legislature banning the sale of any new IC engines under 25 horsepower.
The vocal around the table was no-big deal as how could they ever enforce it.
1st presentation of this to the Grange membership group. So I chose to remain quiet for now. Let it be brought up again then as previous business next month. I will speak then.
Actually on a geographical political-State basis since everyone seeking to sale to the public must have a State issued business license to account and collect mandatory State revenue tax it would be damn easy to enforce. No one legally selling to the public would be allowed to wholesale buy equipments with small IC engines for retail sale. Even service providers like landscapers and greenskeepers having to business license would be at jeprody of license not be able to go out of state and buy bring in equipment. The equipments must have manufacturing ID’s, production date codes, and serial numbers inputted or durably labeled.
Plus anyone working using IC engined equipment makes running engine noises.
The political Eco-Greens have been sold the belief that battery powered equipment is now perfectly able to take over now for all under 25 horsepower portable equipments needs.
They are dead stinking wrong. Willing to make us all choke on thier bought-in beliefs and lies.
Steve unruh
Mr Steve, my reaction was pure technical, not political intented and me too started those years and did see the cordless evolve to what they are today. Battery life is, besides the power, very important. Expensive tools I expect to work for a long time, therefor my reaction about the Lipo. Lipo is very high power low weight but a lot less cycles. Cycle life maybe worse then in the 90’s.
And with the same experience from the 90’s, maybe it is time to scale up to 25 hp. Bad thing is to forbit things, let the electric tools fight their way in, they can and will in the same way as happened in the 90’s. So, I am with you in your fight against the IC, let that be clear. The right tool for the right job.
The conversation has kind of moved on but I wanted to circle back to small engine bans, v-twins and inverter generators.
Converting “wild” AC from a genhead to 120V 60/50hz sine wave isn’t trivial. I have an electronics engineering background and it would be quite a project for me to make the control system and circuits for such a thing while keeping the engine at target RPM. What is much easier is wild AC to DC. That DC could charge batteries and then the batteries are hooked up to a DC->AC inverter.
Field control in the genhead or phase skipping in the rectifier could be used to keep the engine at a target RPM. Battery charging circuits can take a wide range of DC inputs.
On the “grid” side… DC-AC inverters are a pretty standardized part and an adventurous person could trace the circuit, check the specs on the parts and “rebuild” a broken one one with some effort.
So why do all that? Well if you can’t buy off the shelf inverter generators because of a small engine ban, you might have to have such a set up.
Eventually it might become difficult to source the small engines as well, even lawn tractor v-twins. There may come a time when we’ll need to re-sleeve old blocks and swap out/in car parts that are still available (pistons/rings/valves/etc).
Blocks / heads can be cast and machined to tolerance. Cams are tougher - really has to be machined from steel. Cranks? tougher still given the loads they carry. At least on a generator you don’t need to worry about mass in the crank… steady RPMs are a feature not a bug.
I take inspiration from those youtube videos of people in Pakistan and the like rebuilding engine parts with basic tools… OSHA approved safety sandals and all.
It’s much easier to buy a predator inver-gen off the shelf at harbor freight. I guess we have to get them while they last.
It was a 6kW 3-phase and washed a full load in less than 30 min. They don’t make washing mashines like that nowdays.