Electric Inverter Run off Tractor

Joe1 · Mar 3, 2012

Sound guy:

I don't have a pto gen but can't run a pto gen and my chipper/shredder at the same time. I'll be running the chipper while tree limbs are being cut with the saw. Thanks for the input.

Soundguy · Mar 3, 2012

could 2 step it if you had the pto gen....

here's one I say.. not same setup as you.. but similar.

guy hooked a 50$ 90a gm alternator to a frame he built on an implement. he could pto power the implement and it also ran the alt.. that charged a big 4dlt bat on the implement that was hooked up to a 2500w inverter. Inthis case it was a pto cement mixer for a small construction sidte. guy had a lil SCUT tractor with loader and that pto cement mixer witht he alternator

inverter ran his power tools off the huge tractor battery.. gm alt kept it charged up..

another one i see alot at tractor shows is people taking old push lawnmowers, removing the blade and putting a gm alt on it and a small car battery, and then they have a push around 'jump starter' for tractors needing a boost. quick pull start and then a good jump.

neat lil rigs.

I plan on making one when my push mower gets a lil too old to do the job..

use that to power an inverter with a bat combo.. etc..

SPYDERLK · Mar 3, 2012

Joe1 said:
I have a 770 John Deere with a 20 amp alternator. I want to be able to run an electric pole saw (8 amp) and some other small electric tools by hooking up an Inverter that would develop probably 1,500 watts continuous power. I know the 8 amp 110 volt motor will draw about 960 watts ac or about 80 amps DC. The saw would only run for a minute or two at a time. A 1,000 watt inverter would be close to the max draw and would probably not last too long at that rate.

I also do not want to hard wire the inverter to the tractor if I can avoid it. I would like to be able to place the inverter in the front of the tractor with alligagtor clips to the battery thru the grill opening (which I would remove or open). I don't want the inverter full time on the tractor as it will only get dirty and fail earlier, hence the alligator clips.

It is important to minimize losses in the DC feed. A battery clamp with a stud you can use a butterfly nut on would make a much better connection than alligator clips or clamps. You want clean and tight or itll starve the invererter of voltage and it will kick off.
larry

k0ua · Mar 3, 2012

SPYDERLK said:
It is important to minimize losses in the DC feed. A battery clamp with a stud you can use a butterfly nut on would make a much better connection than alligator clips or clamps. You want clean and tight or itll starve the invererter of voltage and it will kick off.
larry

How about some Anderson Powerpoles. I use smaller versions for my Ham Radio eqpt. but they make them big enough to run an electric forklift, and some in between.. Mount them so that they are out of the weather under the hood. and good direct permanant connection to the battery thru a heavy duty fuse of course., put them on the inverter, so you now have a good high current low resistance connector that is self cleaning due to their nature, and your inverter is easy on and off. I have used dozens of the smaller ones, and I really like then. Most APC UPS's will have the larger ones inside to hook up the batterys. This is how I would do it.

Anderson Powerpole & SB Multipole Series Sets: Bags of housings and contacts in different sizes

James K0UA

aczlan · Mar 3, 2012

Soundguy said:
you can get large 2 pole DC to DC molex type plugs for quick connection..

k0ua said:
How about some Anderson Powerpoles. I use smaller versions for my Ham Radio eqpt. but they make them big enough to run an electric forklift, and some in between.. Mount them so that they are out of the weather under the hood. and good direct permanant connection to the battery thru a heavy duty fuse of course., put them on the inverter, so you now have a good high current low resistance connector that is self cleaning due to their nature, and your inverter is easy on and off. I have used dozens of the smaller ones, and I really like then. Most APC UPS's will have the larger ones inside to hook up the batterys. This is how I would do it.
Anderson Powerpole & SB Multipole Series Sets: Bags of housings and contacts in different sizes

Excellent suggestions IMO ^
You will get a lot more power through a disconnect than through a pair of clips. No messing with trying to get the clamps on right either.

Aaron Z

ultrarunner · Mar 3, 2012

My concern would be the prolong draw... it should work for a few minutes just fine.

Since 1990 I have run a 1500w statpower inverter... cost about a $1000 back then in my truck... even runs my small air compressor... I have a group 29 RV battery and upgraded to a 120-30 watt alternator... the biggest I can run with a single belt.

Mine is hardwired but I have also used old stick welding cables and the plug in ends to make another one portable...

sandman2234 · Mar 4, 2012

James beat me to what I was going to suggest, which was electric forklift charging connections. I have the charging end, but not the battery end. (48v).
When I was running over the road as a truckdriver, I used several different inverters. The one incident that came to mind was a 500 watt inverter that would trip out when I plugged my laptop in if it was almost completely discharged. If it was 1/2 way discharged, no problem but fully discharged was a problem. Turned out the cigarette plug I was using was not carrying the load needed to give the inverter full capacity. A change to hardwire immediately solved the problem. Later a connector similar to what James suggested was procured from a used source and that eliminated the problem completely. My 2000 watt inverter REQUIRES hardwiring but it has reverse capabilites which allows it to charge a battery in addition to deplete it. (Exide brand, no longer made)
David from jax

mitch becton · Mar 4, 2012

your tractor has what is called a permanent magnet alternaor the rating of 20 amps pretty well will max out the output as someone has already suggested going to a higher out amp rotor stator activated alternator would solve that end of the problem as stated many times on this forum 10/12si delco is the most common one to use if you get a true 12si it will be a 94amp unit. they are a couple of small denso units that can be used also. my personal thought from past experience is if you dont bump up the amp output your ongoing life of the charging system is going to be very limited but what you are trying to do can be done. also as someone mentioned the lawnmower/generator is somewhat simple to build google 'converting lawnmower into generator' this will tell you all you need to know in building this set up and most of the stuff required you probably have or can be gotten very reasonable in fact i have a 10hp briggs that i am planning on doing later

SPYDERLK · Mar 4, 2012

A big alternator is not necessary unless your electric drain is a high duty cycle. We run a 1000W inverter on the BX1500 for limbing and occasional big cuts. The battery takes care of it. It does fine with a 10A alternator. No problem in 9yrs.
larry

k0ua · Mar 4, 2012

SPYDERLK said:
A big alternator is not necessary unless your electric drain is a high duty cycle. We run a 1000W inverter on the BX1500 for limbing and occasional big cuts. The battery takes care of it. It does fine with a 10A alternator. No problem in 9yrs.
larry

My thoughts exactly. Didn't the OP say he was going to run for about 2 minutes? I ASSumed that to mean the inverter would be unused for many minutes in between while he was chipping. I am thinking he is good to go as is. I still think my Anderson powerpole connectors are a good idea for good connections and quick removal.

James K0UA