power inverters

[CCP]

Looking for a power inverter to charge cordless tools in my work truck. Years ago when I did service Plumbing in PC Beach  our vans had two batteries connected to a power inverter under a panel in the van. This feed up to a standard electrical outlet that I plugged in my cordless tools to keep continually charged while on the road. I also used it when no power was available to run sewer machines for a short length of time.

Now while doing a short search on Google I find a lot of inverters warnings “DO NOT plug in battery chargers for cordless power tools if the charger carries a warning that dangerous voltages are present at the battery terminals.” With the new cordless technology we have today and using cordless more and more keeping batteries charged is a high priority. I was thinking the two batteries I have running the Dodge work truck and strong alternator could help me hit the ground running every morning.

Now when we pull up on the jobsite the first priority is getting 2 batteries of each type on charge. We usually have 4 batteries of each type, 2 charging while 2 are being used. The problem is at the end of each day there are usually some in the tools being used and don’t get charged till the next morning on the jobsite. It would be nice to throw these on the truck charger and be charged on the way to the jobsite the next morning.

So do any of you guys use power inverters for this purpose and if so what type/brand and how well do they work in your application?

[FinsnFur]

I installed one that actually created an outlet on a cord hanging from the dash, several years ago, and we charged Dewalt batteries with it.
I'm not recalling the name of it though...I'd have to do some searching. I might even have it boxed it up in the shop yet

[Yotehntr]

I find a lot of inverters warnings “DO NOT plug in battery chargers for cordless power tools if the charger carries a warning that dangerous voltages are present at the battery terminals.”

Rich this is so you don't get shocked sticking your fingers into the charger.... same threat as when you plug the charger in at your house.  When you pick an inverter make sure you don't go over the amperage and wattage rattings and you'll be fine.... add the ratings of both chargers and make sure you don't go over the inverters ratings.

Got to thinking about this and did a search on the net.... you know the inverter is changing the car battery's DC (Direct Current) voltage to AC (Alternating Current) ... then you plug the charger in to change the AC back to DC...     You can skip the middle man and get a car charger like this one... Car Charger  and go from DC to DC.

[CCP]

You can skip the middle man and get a car charger like this one... Car Charger  and go from DC to DC.

My problem would be we upgraded from the Dewalts long ago. They dont hold up as well as the Mikita's and Milwaukee's. I used the Ridgids to replace the Dewalts in the beginning but they switched somewhere along the way and have fallen short also.

We use

Milwaukee M12 Lithium-Ion
Mikita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion
Mikita 10v Lithium-Ion

Mikita mostly for drill/Drivers and SawZalls
Milwalkaukee for pro press, Swedging tools and laser  plumb lines.

I have looked for those in the DC configuration but cant find them.

[FinsnFur]

Interesting We always had just the opposite results.
After trying Makita, Porter Cable, Milwaukee, and Craftsman, we couldnt find anything that would outlast the Dewalts.
But some days we had these things running non stop for most of the day, like if we were screwing down steel on the roof of a 60 by 120 pole shed or something Makita and Porter Cable just couldnt endure what we were feeding them.
We ran our Dewalts "so non stop" that the batteries needed to cool before they would charge and we ran 3 to 4 batteries most of the time to allow ourselves to keep going.

I will say this though, the Dewalt 18 volt with the plastic collar4ed chuck was garbage. I went through three of them in less then a year. Burned up motors, burned up variable triggers.
I went back to the 14.4 and never had a lick of trouble again.

[CCP]

Interesting  We always had just the opposite results.

You been out of the construction business to long Jim.  The Dewalts were the top of the line to some extent at one time but no more.One reason they were so popular was because they had so many different cordless tools in the 18V market. Cordless power tools have come along way in the past 5 years. I still see electricians, Maintenance personnel and some house carpenters toting around  Dewalt's on some jobs. Looking around the Commercial/Industrial new construction heavy use jobs it's mostly Mikita and Bosh.

Now we do have to take into consideration what you or some may call heavy use. Drilling screws all day in wood or cutting 20 or 30 2x4's, or drilling holes in thin meatl for EMT doesnt count as heavy use.

On another front Dewalt doesn't make some of the specialty tools we have in Plumbing now days. On another note Cordless impact drivers are one of the best new tools that has revolutionized the construction industry. I am old school and still make the guys pull cords when ever possible but when working out of litfs high in the air a cordless is alot safer than a bunch of corded power tools.

[FinsnFur]

If you woulda just said, "Jim shut up" it woulda saved you some typing.

[CCP]

If you woulda just said, "Jim shut up" it woulda saved you some typing.

OK Jim shut up and send me the power converter you have. You obviously aint using it. .

[FinsnFur]

If you woulda just said, "Jim shut up" it woulda saved you some typing.

OK Jim shut up and send me the power converter you have. You obviously aint using it. .

I dont have a converter. I thought you were looking for an inverter.

[CCP]

I don't have a converter. I thought you were looking for an inverter.

Richard logs into Expedia.com buys plan ticket to Bloomington WI.

[Hawks Feather]

I installed one that actually created an outlet on a cord hanging from the dash, several years ago, and we charged Dewalt batteries with it.

Jim,

I was just wondering if you could add a splitter (two receptacles) to the "cord hanging from the dash"?  This way you would be able to plug your rechargeable tool batteries into one of the outlets and a truck battery recharger into the other.  With this you would never need to start your truck to recharge the truck battery and could just keep recharging all your batteries.  In reality, you would never need electricity on a work site: just a battery, car/truck battery charger, and inverter.  The battery would feed into the inverter which would feed the tool chargers and the car/truck battery charger.  I may have just found a way to eliminate my electric bill each month.

Jerry 

[FinsnFur]

  I never thought of that. CCP, you listening to this?

[CCP]

I never thought of that. CCP, you listening to this?

yea Einstein worked on this most of his life. He had an inverter too but over coming the energy of the combustion engine running the alternator supplying the original batteries that supplied power to the inverter and so on down the line was the beginning of the problem he had trouble with.  But i do like the way Jerry thinks.... Scary but I like it......

i believe I have actually found a inverter for my purpose and hopefully have the office order it in the next few weeks. I want the inverter under the hood and hard wired all the way to the truck bin the batteries reside.

[Bills Custom Calls]

An inverter will never draw a battery down all the way it will shut off and leave enough starting power to start the motor

Jerry
I had asked the question once about plugging a battery charger into an inverter to keep the battery charged while charging tool batteries or running saws drill ect
I was told don't do that or it will burn up the inverter

I never tried it so i don't know if that is true

[5 SHOTS]

Power inverters don't change dc into ac. they change dc into a "square wave" dc that "looks" like ac to MOST consumer electronics. Some thing will not work due to the square wave dc. They are not very efficient while increasing voltage. To get just 1 amp output at 120 v they need about 12 to 15 amps at
12 v. Volts times amps equals watts. I would NOT put one under the hood in a hot moist climate because of the need to keep them cool and dry. They do run hot. Another thing I learned is to run wire way bigger than the manufacturer calls for. If the wire is too small the thing will put out low voltage when under load. Low voltage will kill most things faster than high voltage. I have had to jump start my truck a few times because I run an inverter too long without starting the engine. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

[CCP]

I would NOT put one under the hood in a hot moist climate because of the need to keep them cool and dry.

Thanks Art I will try and find another location than the hood. Maybe I need to plug it under the seat? in the shade,the trucks are usually out in the sun.

Another thing I learned is to run wire way bigger than the manufacturer calls for.

That I will do and the old one from years ago had VERY large stranded wiring going to and from them. I learned that lesson years ago when I burned up a very good wench motor.

[George Ackley]

RICH. what truck fo you have your doing this in?

Rich I have a 5000 Watt Continuous/10, 000 Watt Peak Power Inverter in my hunting truck.
it runs my tools and compressor for working on my truck wile off road . and also my box freezer to keep meat frozen on trips.
its also hooked up that if my truck is off and the batteries start to drain low it will start my truck up.
most of the time if I am going to be down at night wile sleeping I just let the truck run .I have let it run for 2 days already

i dont know lots about it a friend helped install it and i maybe able to try and ask him to help us out in doing this.

[George Ackley]

rich you can see one of the outdoor outlets i have setup on the left side of the bumber

[coyotehunter_1]

George, it looks like all your turkeys have fainted.  

Richard... Google search Solar Generators... There is some pretty interesting technology out there that can be had fairly cheap or even built yourself.

[CCP]

Dayum George thats a nice setup but afraid that is more than I need but I sure want one like that.

After searching the net and with all the choices I may go by the car electronics store. After seeing so many inverters and options I am afraid I may get something that is not correct for my setup. Maybe show the guys there what I am plugging up. In the beginning I thought i could just get one you guys recommended or find what I needed on Google but it appears much more complicated that that in keeping a budget.

George wouldnt mind seeing some pictures of you whole setup when you get time to take pictures?