Starting a Generator

Syncro · Jun 17, 2005

Thought I'd pass on a near tragic experience that happened to me while using a generator. I was drilling some holes in wood using a Milwaukee 3/8" drill and a large spade bit with the trigger locked on. For whatever reason, the generator stopped, which meant so did the drill. As I walked toward the generator to see what was wrong, someone else restarted it. Well, I had draped the cord over my shoulder with the drill hanging by my legs. The instant the generator fired back up the drill immediately began turning, the spade bit caught my blue jeans and began winding its way into my leg. Fortunately I was able to stop it, but it was amazing how fast it caught and how quick a serious injury can happen, just a second or 2.

It never crossed my mind since the drill had stopped when the generator stopped, no sound, nothing moving. Now I unplug everything before starting, or re-starting a generator.

btolle · Jun 17, 2005

( I was drilling some holes in wood using a Milwaukee 3/8" drill and a large spade bit with the trigger locked on.)

That was your original "sin". Never use something like a spade bit with the trigger locked. Spade bits are especially prone to hanging up and can hurt you when the do.

I was using one and had a Milwaukee drill. It hung and before I could get my finger off the trigger the drill had spun around about 3 times and wrapped the cord around my arm. Milwaukee drills are stout and can hurt you.

I finally ground the button down that locked that drill so that it could no longer be locked in the "On" position, too dangerous with a 1/2" Milwaukee Magnum drill.

Bill Tolle

SkyPup · Jun 20, 2005

I agree, the torque on these kinds of electric drills is tremendous.

Syncro · Jun 20, 2005

Both you guys are missing the point, the problem was not the drills torque, or the 'stay on' trigger button, but rather a tool that suddenly went dead and seemed harmless until the generator suddenly restarted.

PineRidge · Jun 20, 2005

Syncro I think that they actually hit the nail on the head. If your drill wasn't in the locked on position there would not have been a problem with the restart of the generator.

I'm a lefty, and by nature when I grab an electric drill my hand almost always depresses the lock on button. I leaned early on to do just what Bill suggested and disable the button. If you do it will save you some grief in the future.

Syncro · Jun 20, 2005

Alright I guess I'm out numbered, and I suppose if I had filed the lock button off or otherwise didn't use it, the accident wouldn't have happened. But I like that button /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Anyways the button is avoiding the root of a very dangerous issue, which is never to have anything plugged into a generator recepticle when starting it. Think about what electrical tool or appliance could suddenly start up, there is now a 'live' 120v wire that an instant before was dead. Thats my point. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

tillerkiller · Jun 20, 2005

Ummmmm... I'm with Synchro here. He sounds like a reasonable guy (like any of us) and his 'train of thought' got derailed when the generator quit. It did not even occur to him to release the trigger lock on his drill because the thing went dead on him. He viewed it as an inert object because it just quit on him. When the juice came back on, he realized what happened, and didn't want any of us to have the same kind of experience that he had.

Thanks for the heads up I say, this is why I always read this kind of stuff, so that maybe when the same thing happens to me I will release the lock on whatever tool just quit on me.

Highbeam · Jun 23, 2005

I will continue to leave devices and extension cords plugged into generators. I will be sure to turn them off though. This is also a problem for generators, leaving a power draw on when the generator is off. I seem to remember something in the owner's manual about the generator head demagnetizing or something if you leave a load on a dead generator and start/stop the generator with the load applied.

The important lesson is the misuse of the drill. Another device with equal or worse characteristics is a 4.5" angle grinder. I frequently use the lock-on button for this device but if the device stops working then I must remember to disengage the lock-on button.

Soundguy · Jun 23, 2005

( will continue to leave devices and extension cords plugged into generators. I will be sure to turn them off though. This is also a problem for generators, leaving a power draw on when the generator is off. I seem to remember something in the owner's manual about the generator head demagnetizing or something if you leave a load on a dead generator )

Um.. yeahright.... the plug your 'load' is hooked to is a big loop of copper... Having a load plugged in shouldn't be a problem. Our genny we pickd up from TSC states to have large loads ( 220 side ) plugged in and on when you start the genny.

Newer brushless units don't have issues with demagnetizing.

Soundguy

woodlot · Jun 23, 2005

Thanks for the tip. I will remember that one. I thought I'd share a bone-headed moment I had with a drill., you might get a "spin" out of it. I was drilling out some holes in drywall for elec boxes. I was doing it before hanging the drywall. Well I had a hole to make about 4 ft off the ground and I decided to hold the sheet with my body and drill from the backside. All was working great untill the spade bit popped through the drywall and came at my body. The spade bit caught my shirt and twisted it instantly. I had a ruined shirt but the worst part was that it ripped all the hair off my chest in about a 4" diameter circle! God did that hurt and did I look goofy!