inverter for cement mixer?

[legin]

Hi all, Hoping to start my self build shortly and the thought of power has crossed my mind. Have been looking at genertors and obviously these would do the job but they use 2-3 gallons a day if run constantly, Average say =A310 per day =3D =A350 per week, would soon add up. I know it could be started and stopped with each mix but this is more work and hassle. A thought came to mind. I have several van batteries about that still hold a decent charge. A 600w invetrter can be had for approx =A360- =A370. me thinks ah that'l do nicely. However one of the inverter's destructions says it won't work drills, saws in fact anythink with a motor as it is a modified sine wave. Has any one tried it ? Any other ideas from the group. Yes, I could possible tap a neighbour up but don't want to burn my bridges just yet.

Regards

legin

[[news]]

trade uses diesel engined mixers for a reason.

noisy, stinky, yes but reliable and in the absence of mains A/C, cheaper than the alternatives.

'tapping your neighbour up' for mains at less than £10/day cash in hand, via a leccy meter, may be the best introduction you could give to him*

RT

*unless he's the tax man, best suss him out 1st

[Harry Bloomfield]

I doubt it would work at all and even if it did the batteries would not last very long. The output is a rounded square wave, not very acceptable to motors. Also think of all the recharging and heaving of those batteries about.

The best option would be a borrowed supply from a neighbour, second best might be a temporary supply from the leccy company, after all you will need a more permanent supply at some stage. Don't forget you will propably need an 110v site tranformer, you cannot safely run 240v around a building site.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'd be surprised if charging batteries off the mains, using and invertor, and the likely costs of replacements bring the costs down anywhere near to that of even highly taxed petrol.

[Rick]

I'd look for a diesel generator, and a farmer (or other) that can supply red diesel. My local famer sells at 25 litres for a fiver, and he is making on the deal.

Rick

[John]

How about the mix of cooking oil and 25% white spirit trick. Supposed to be fine on low tech diesels, but not on the latest car engines.

[[news]]

'parrenty it's ok if it's got a bosch pump (or a merc) which will run on lard

/burp

RT

[Aidan]

Yes; no legal requirement to pay excise duty unless the fuel is used in a vehicle on the public roads. A diesel generator set could run on gas-oil heating fuel, or red diesel sold for construction, agriculture or boats. An oil supplier would sell it by the drum, but expect a follow-up visit from HM Customs & Excise to test any diesel vehicles you're running.

I think you'd need a lot of batteries to run a mixer for a day. I wouldn't fancy humping round plastic batteries full of lead and sulphuric acid.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Holly, in France expressed precisely :

Absolutely!

The 110v is very much safer, because it is centre tapped to be only 55v potential to ground.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

'Car' batteries run flat by an invertor won't last five minutes - let alone several months? worth of on site work. Cheap invertors - ie a 60-70 quid 600 watt one won't either.

Since you appear not to have mains electricity on site, I'd address that one first - like either getting in the supply early - or buying a decent secondhand industrial diesel generator which will be eminently saleable afterwards and can be run on red diesel - ie tax free.

[Nick Atty]

It will *eat* your batteries. Think about it. 600w at 12V = 50A. A typical vehicle battery is a lot less than 100 Amp hours, and for these purposes is useless at 50% discharge. So you'll get less than an hours use per battery, taking it from full to dead. And they don't like this sort of use, not one little bit. That's what you pay for in "leisure" batteries.

Also a 600W inverter, while it might turn a 600W tool, will never start it.

I've used hand power tools off an inverter, driven from a running engine, without problems in terms of waveform. But you can hear the engine note change when the tool bites.

[Steve Firth]

Err no, that's bollocks. I use a 2600AH generator at my farm for upwards of eight hours a day. It uses 15 litres of fuel every five days, not 15 litres a day. the inverter is a daft idea, you won't be able to keep pace with charging the batteries and you would need to use 200AH batteries not some poxy knackered ex-van 80Ah units.

As others have said buy a diesel powered mixer or use a diesel powered generator. Or simply stop beign such a tightwad, FFS how long are you intending keeping the project going for?

[Holly, in France]

Me too. Failing that a diesel mixer if possible, or if not a petrol mixer. Th generator will run all the other tools as well as the mixer though as the job progresses, as long as it's big enough. Don't forget you might need to run an angle grinder and boil the kettle too :-)

Can't you buy it at the pump? Maybe not in urban areas?? Or as heating oil? Some boilers (inside ones, Rayburns etc) use kerosene but others use diesel.

-- Holly, in France Holiday Home in Dordogne

[Holly, in France]

The French seem to manage and live to tell the tale, they think us very odd with our 110V stuff! I do agree with you though, 110v is better if you have it. But you don't only need the transformer, you need the tools in 110V versions as well.

-- Holly, in France Holiday Home in Dordogne

[The Natural Philosopher]

I am speechless.

First of all get a petrol mixer. For a couple of days

Secondly, get a portakabin and an electrical connection. Fake up a CU and some external rings even if you have to knock up a cabin to do it.

Building a house without power tools is almost completely braindead.

As soon as possible, get the incoming mains feed and a meter in place - even if its temporary. You will also need water supply in.

These are no 1 prorities on any site, if only to be able to make a cup of coffee.

[Andy Dingley]

I think that depends on whether Mike Tucker is talking to him again.

(Generator - but S/H petrol gennies are dirt cheap and diesels are admittedly expensive, even if you can sell them on later)

[John Rumm]

Most fuel oil suppliers will stock it.... my erstwhile neighbour used to buy a 40 gallon drum from time to time for refilling hired machines etc. (otherwise the hire companies have a nice little ruse going where they charge you for fuel used at DERV prices but refill them with red diesel)

[legin]

Thanks for enlightening responses. Looks like the inverter is a no-no. I hadn't planned to lug batteries around. I was going to leave them in the back of the van. Charge them at home. Park van next to mixer. Hadn't even given the red diesel a thought. Brilliant idea. Always fancied a diesel gen set as well! To start with the house build will be very slow to begin with. I have got so much work piling in that I don't know when i will be able to get on it. For the next three months I will probably just get the footings out, trench fill, bit of drainage, to blues and floor slabs, one course down to allow for screed, cos I want UFH. Understand the cuppa point of view but the site is only 1 mile from home and I've got a big flask. Thought about a portacabin but then thought that maybe a small caravan would be better. Would have toilet facilities but would probably get messed up real quick. I have been waiting patiently for years hoping to buy an adjacent property for other resasons and if this happened then it would solve all my issues.

Regards

Legin

[Rick]

There are a few places I know that sell Red Diesel, for use in diggers and the like, but its 40p a litre, so they are making a HUGE profit on it, which is why I found a friendly farmer.

Beware, if you put this in your car, and get caught, its gonna cost you a pile of cash, and the "red" can be detected at tiny concentrations.

Rick

[Rick]

A mile of extenion leads from B&Q is only gonna cost you a a couple of hundred quid, not that I would do this.

I get the fealing we are about to find out why this is a bad idea.

As somebody else said, get your site sorted. I am DIY building, and I have 2 approaches to all tools. 1) buy cheep junk - cause I only want it once 2) buy the best There is no point in having a cheep drill, you will burn it out, and loose a days work.

Rick