Ask the Tech: Using Power Pools with Generators
August 31, 2009 by newsdesk
Q. “Why doesn’t my power tool keep its speed up on my generator and often heats up to the point of being hot to the touch?
A . Generators make a quasi sine wave when they make electricity. This is only half of the wave that real electricity makes for your home or business. Real electricity is a full sine or “pure sine”. Back in the day (30s-80s), the brush type universal motors used in small portable power tools were made to run on D.C. or A.C. current. They had no reverse or variable speed. D.C. generators were welders and the other generators were A.C. current only, but with quasi sine.
Today, almost all portable corded power tools have computer chips in their switches. Whether it is variable speed, electronic feedback, slow start, electric brake or whatever is next. These electronic devices are very sensitive to the spicks that generators produce.
If you have to use a generator and you have a variable-speed drill you can bypass the switch, simply pull the trigger and then plug in your variable-speed drill. Most saws and grinders are just on off switches with no bells and whistles and they will work OK on GENS. You will have to look at the tools label first. But keep in mind that most generators do not regulate their power so the voltage can be as low as 80 volts and as high as 150 volts. Not to mention, highs and lows of their cycles per minute. I won’t bore you with all the other bad things that generators can do.
In short, the tools of today need real electricity that come from your wall or expensive electronic generators that produce pure sine electricity and have voltage regulation. Therese have built-in inverters that change that quasi since to pure sine and governor regulators that keep their speed maintained at 120 volt/60 cycles mark. Honda has a small one 3,000 watt and Kpor has a range from 1,000 to 6,000 in pure sine. Milwaukee will be next, I’m betting.
The good things that old generators can do are powering lights, induction motorss like the one in your refrigerator, freezer, well, furnace but not you plasma T.V., o.k., . . . . play scrabble!
Ellery Deane
Minuteman Tool Repair
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