Re: (ET) Wood Chipper Conversion

["David Roden" <etpost drmm net>]

On 21 Jun 2009 at 11:16, Barry wrote:

> An AC powered chipper is way underpowered and if you use an
> extension cord it becomes more useless.

The little imported ones that the catalogs and Harbor Fright sell are 
pretty 
useless for any kind of real work.  They usually have grossly inflated 
claims of power and capacity.  These are good for shredding a few leaves 
and 
twigs, and that's about all.  

I have a big US-made Flowtron that's surprisingly gutsy (and noisy enough 
that I wear hearing protectors).  The only downside is that I have to take 
it apart and sharpen the blade about once a year.  Alas, I don't think 
it's 
made any more.

If I had to replace it today, I'd probably go for a Patriot.

http://www.patriot-products-inc.com/products.htm#eleccsv

http://www.amazon.com/Horsepower-Electric-Wood-Chipper-
Shredder/dp/B000GLWWW2

It isn't cheap by any means, but it appears to be at least as well made as 
my Flowtron, and should last a long time.

OTOH if you're converting you can use an even more powerful DC motor with 
lots of torque.  If you want to run the machine on 120v AC you're pretty 
much limited to 12 amps (15a circuit) or 16 amps (20a circuit).  So your 
realistic continuous power is about 1.5 to 1.9 hp.  You can double that 
for 
a 20a 240 volt circuit, so about 4hp.

But with a DC motor it's down to what the battery can produce (and the 
motor 
can sustain).  A 36 volt golf car pack like the ET's can easily produce 
around 11 hp without breaking a sweat (though not for long; only for maybe 
a 
half hour if used at full power the whole time).


David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA

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