Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Power Inverter help

I'm looking to install a power inverter on my truck with a dedicated bank of deep cycle batteries...

I want the ability to run a table saw or a miter saw in a remote location without having to start up a generator every time I cut a piece of wood.

I'm also not interested in advice on cordless battery powered tools.

I have a 2000 watt inverter that I picked up from Harbor Freight a few years ago an an open box special.

Although mathematically, 2000 Watts/ 120 volts equals 16.6 amps it is not sufficient to run my tools. It overloads at startup.

I am thinking I need 3000 watt inverter or possibly a 3500 watt inverter.

Looking for advice from people that know the industry and know the products that are available.

Specific name brands and links would be most appreciated.

By bank of batteries... I am referring to two 31 series batteries dedicated to the inverter. They will be recharged every night as needed... and also tied to the alternator as need be.

Task... building cabins in remote locations. No power and don't want a generator running constantly when a miter cut is only needed every 5-10 minutes.

Thanks

Just go buy a 2021 Ford, saw a guy build a cabin in under 60 seconds while powering his tools [and lights] solely from his truck.

FYI, if you plan on changing two batteries off the alternator you'll need an isolator to split the charge. Otherwise only the battery with the higher charge will consume all of the output from the alternator.

Goal Zero
Yeti x 6000-Watt Hour Portable Solar Generator

What size wire are you feeding your inverter with, do you have an amp clamp and how much wire to the inverter/ cord on the saw?

My reason for asking is you may be able to run what you have with the right answers and possibly simply adding a capacitor to the saw.

I assume you're planning to put the two batteries in parallel? That can be a problem. You'll probably do better with 2 6V golf cart batteries in series.

Power tools suck a lot of juice. The reserve minutes rating is a bit deceptive, because it assumes that you run the battery down to 10.5 volts. Your inverter is going to kick out long before you reach that point. So knowing your real storage capacity is a bit tricky.

Good luck. Let us know how it works out.

I buy quite a few from

https://theinverterstore.com/product-category/pi/

Just ordered one from them yesterday along with the nessasary fusing.

Take your pick, the skies the limit.

You're gonna find getting much real time outta those two batteries pretty limiting running the chop saw, rips on a table saw even more so.

6000 watt, 4 of those batteries would get you closer.

I'd just get use to listening to a sweet little Honda inverter generator running, their quite as a mouse at idle.

You can charge your batteries off of your truck alternator without any special "isolator" or anything. In parallel, the battery voltages will equalize on their own. If you install a diode of large enough wattage to handle the charging load, you can charge the inverter batteries and the truck load won't discharge the inverter batteries. You will probably end up finding out there is a reason everyone uses a generator and not an inverter for just something more than casual power usage. It sounds like a good idea, but may require more battery supply than you may think for reliable all day use. Brush universal motor (AC/DC) power tools are notorious inefficient power hogs. High inrush starting currents and power consumers. Pinch a circular saw and the overload breaker will probably trip out early.

That's how they figure the power but pulling it down that far time after time will damage it. Keep it at 12v or higher for the best life.

You are correct that the startup load is causing the problem. When the motor is not spinning, it acts like a dead short and draws a lot of current. A larger inverter may work but you will need very large wiring connecting to your batteries. 3000W at 12V is almost 300 amps assuming 90% efficiency.

To run a miter saw that probably has a universal motor you could hook several smaller 12V batteries in series and run it on DC. The table saw may have an induction motor on it which would not run on DC. If it is a smaller one with a universal motor then it could run on the same battery bank.

Jerry

My inverters automatically shutdown at 12 volts.

Yep, the 2000 watt inverter I ordered yesterday required 200 amp fusing.

I'm not sure if you don't have enough battery power or if your inverter is the problem.

Find out how much power(both startup and running) the tools consume that you plan use. I used these.
Then you can use it to find out how much power your inverter is putting out. A multimeter would be useful for monitoring your batteries.

I'm in the process of getting a pure sine wave inverter...Don't buy junk...GoPower /Samlex/Xantrex/Wagon or even Aims are good inverters that experienced RV guys recommend..Krieger isn't bad for a modified sine wave but all mentioned make both modified and pure sine wave inverters..


Jayco👍

4/0 and 2 feet of length.

Do you ever do anything with all this sheit you ask about, or is it just internet drivel?

Cheaper just to get a Honda inverter generator.

Run it straight to the battery with heavy cable and ground it might not be the correct way but works

Rough numbers

2 good (Interstate or equal) group 31 batteries made for solar/rv/remote applications will produce around 200 amp hours of power.

A good 3000 watt inverter will draw around 3 to 4 amps without running anything.

The inverter left on for an eight hour day will use 30 or more amp hours.

You do not want to draw down your batteries more than 50 to 60%.

That leaves you around 70 to 80 amp hours to use.

If you your saw is drawing 10 amps on 110 volts it will pull around 100 amps off your batteries while it is running.

You will use the remaining 70 amp hours in around 15 to 20 minutes of cutting time.