# Inverter question



## BFFhiredman (Mar 24, 2005)

Greetings:

My wife does most of the weed whacking chores around our place. She has a "workx" battery powered trimmer that works well but the batteries are pretty bad. One lasts about 20 minutes and the other about 5. I have a 200 watt inverter that I could hook to the garden tractor and she could take an electric string trimmer around the place. Where can I find if a 200 watt inverter will power a 4 or 5 amp trimmer? Thanks, Darrell


----------



## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

Volts X Amps = Watts

I don't get it. An inverter will change DC current to AC current. I don't think this is what you want to do. The trimmer runs on DC battery power, not AC. What you need is a transformer that will change the voltage of the tractor to the voltage the trimmer uses and will handle at least the amperage the trimmer uses. The wire between the trimmer and the battery has to be big enough to handle the amperage too.


----------



## BFFhiredman (Mar 24, 2005)

Hi Nimrod. I didn't explain myself very well. I want to use a 120 v corded trimmer and run it off of the inverter that I could connect to the garden tractor battery. Not sure if it is just a wild and crazy idea. Thought it would beat dragging several hundred feet of extension cord around. I have a 400 peak / 200 continuous watt inverter. The trimmers I've looked at are 4 - 5 amp draw for what I'd consider getting. Thanks for your response.


----------



## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

I think a cheap string trimmer would cost less than an inverter that would power an electric trimmer would cost.


----------



## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

A cheap small inverter like that will have a very short life.....
Constant start stop surge would do it in.
A inverter like that would soon kill that garden tractor battery = more $$$$

Haven't you checked on new bats for what you have ?????


----------



## wannabechef (Nov 20, 2012)

A gas trimmer and 1 gallon of mix will beat a heavy, underpowered corded trimmer. There are places for electric, this is not one of them.


----------



## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

BFFhiredman said:


> Hi Nimrod. I didn't explain myself very well. I want to use a 120 v corded trimmer and run it off of the inverter that I could connect to the garden tractor battery. Not sure if it is just a wild and crazy idea. Thought it would beat dragging several hundred feet of extension cord around. I have a 400 peak / 200 continuous watt inverter. The trimmers I've looked at are 4 - 5 amp draw for what I'd consider getting. Thanks for your response.


To start with a average electric string trimmer will not run on a 200 watt inverter. Second the battery on the lawn mower would not last but minutes(if it would even last to startup the weedeater) once you get the right size inverter.

I do what you are describing all the time. I use a 1500 watt inverter hooked to 6 6 volt trojan golfcart batteries on a trailer. I use my electric weedeater, electric chainsaw, small air compressor, circuliar saw, etc, etc and when I need a little more for the electric miter box I just switch to a 2500 watt inverter. Works good!


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

Fire-man is correct. I do something similar. I have a 2,000 watt generator that will power hedge clippers, a small electric chainsaw-on-a-stick, or electric string trimmer. Even at 2KW it won't power a larger electric chainsaw. There are significant advantages to setups like this. The tools are much lighter and easier to use for extended periods, the yank motion of starting the gas engines is minimized (great for reducing chiropractor visits), and it is quieter.

A 200 watt inverter is_ way_ too underpowered. 5 amps x 120 volts = 600 watt just to cover rating, and inrush current will be close to double that.


----------



## BFFhiredman (Mar 24, 2005)

Thanks everyone. I was pretty sure the inverter I have was too small but thought I'd ask. Guess I'll just have to take over the weed trimming chores for my wife. The gas powered one I have is too heavy for her and it's one of those chores I just hate. Guess I'll have to man up. Darrell


----------



## standles (Apr 12, 2013)

How about solar cells on a backpack frame hooked to an inverter for the trimmer


----------



## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

standles said:


> How about solar cells on a backpack frame hooked to an inverter for the trimmer


When you get the kinks worked out on this set-up---take some pictures----I would Love to See it in operation. That would be One Big Back-pack rack of solar cells.


----------



## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi,
You might check the voltage of the battery for the string trimmer and if it close to your garden tractor voltage, you might be able to wire the trimmer directly to the garden tractor battery with an extension cord. If the string trimmer uses an ordinary brush type DC motor, they are typically not to fussy about voltage.

You might be able to take the battery cells out of the nearly dead battery, and just use it as the connector to hook up your tractor battery to your trimmer.

Gary


----------



## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Warning; . . . . . .Your small little wife will soon turn into a "Rambo" muscle body in order to carry that back pack of PV panels and inverter...................

Warning . . . . . . .DO NOT GO OUT IN THE WIND with that back pack of PV panels. With the wind just right, you could sail away into the next county. . . . . .


just say'in


----------



## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

I did a search. The ones that I've seen operate between 18-24 volts. A garden tractor isn't going to work, being it's a 12 volt system..

I had company stay for a week but I didn't have enough room for everybody in the house. I set up my camper for them to stay in. I used one of my outdoor lighting batteries strapped to a 2 wheel cart to provide a couple of 12 volt lights and a small D.C. TV/Radio so they could at least experience a little city comfort.. 

During the day, I had connected a 32 watt panel and a small charge controller to recharge the battery so it could be used at night. The panel was strapped to the cart and easily removed for placement during the day. Unplug from the camper, wheel it out into the open, unstrap the panel and tilt it towards the sun in the morning. (Just leaned it against the cart and changed the alignment when needed) In the evening, strap the panel back on, wheel it back to the camper and plug it in.. (They learned a little about solar power too!)

Just some food for thought. Could turn into a neat project..


----------



## LincTex (Oct 11, 2010)

12vman said:


> I did a search. The ones that I've seen operate between 18-24 volts. A garden tractor isn't going to work, being it's a 12 volt system...


I have gutted old battery packs from 12v cordless drills to run directly off of a 12v battery with a 10-15 cord. You could do the same, but you would need two small 12 volt batteries wired in series. Would you wife mind dragging a small battery pack around? All, the same, this is a lot of work. 

If you only need the trimmer for brief periods (like out by the mailbox and gate) like I do, I just use one good 12 volt battery and a bigger inverter (1600 watt peak, 800 watt continuous) that runs a regular 120volt string trimmer. I either use the tractor and its single battery (or the dual batteries in my diesel truck) and will typically park by the gate and use a 50 foot extension cord to do the trimming (all of about 15 minutes worth).


----------

