Which tach to use?

[ancy]

Will this work to set the RPMs on my new Makita 6401? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

If not what do you guys use? Thanks

 

[ancy]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/tach...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Or this?

 

[watsonr]

I use a Fast Tach from Edge and Engine, they are a site sponsor. Cost $85 and is wireless, updates at .5 seconds and reads from 100-20,000rpm. Bailey's also a site sponsor sells them also, different brand and version is a Pulse PET 302r, also wireless, cost a little more but do more than just two stroke single cylinder.
Wired versions require you to attach a wire to the plug wire, works the same, make sure it reads high enough, some only go to 10,000rpm and response time is fast or you have to hold the trigger forever.
Hope that helps,

Randy

 

[blsnelling]

I like the Tiny Tach from Fast Tach.

 

[Brian13]

I use a Fast Tach from Edge and Engine, they are a site sponsor. Cost $85 and is wireless, updates at .5 seconds and reads from 100-20,000rpm. Bailey's also a site sponsor sells them also, different brand and version is a Pulse PET 302r, also wireless, cost a little more but do more than just two stroke single cylinder.
Wired versions require you to attach a wire to the plug wire, works the same, make sure it reads high enough, some only go to 10,000rpm and response time is fast or you have to hold the trigger forever.
Hope that helps,

Randy

+1 Have that one and it works very well. And Edge and Engine was great to deal with. Definitely my suggestion.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/tach...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Or this?

Started out with one similar if not the same. Very slow refresh rate, and somewhat of a pain to hook up. I dropped 40 on that and a few months later upgraded.

 

[JustinM]

Will this work to set the RPMs on my new Makita 6401? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

If not what do you guys use? Thanks

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/tach...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Or this?

Honesty, Ancy - dont bother with either.

The first one, if you can even get it to work, will give you very innacurate reading. Its not meant to work with this type of engine and at $3.99 BIN Im pretty sure its about as poor quality as they come.

The second one, as Brian mentioned, may just work - but it will piss you off, take forever to refresh and possibly not be very accurate. I had one very similar to that model & it seemed to never hit full RPM. Once I tried a "real" tach I could see how inaccurate it was - not to mention that you'll need to wrap it around your plug line, ground it etc.


Like the others, I wholeheartedly recommend spending the money & getting one of these:

http://www.edgeandengine.com/webstore/wecs.php?store=edge&action=display&target=DTI+FT100

it refreshes like lightning, is handy, durable and even features a replaceable battery.

 

[BobL]

- not to mention that you'll need to wrap it around your plug line, ground it etc.

The advantage that the ones with the line have is you can do this.

One of the reasons for this is that I find tuning easier without having to hang onto a tacho with one hand. The other is most of my saws are milling saws so I find using a tacho while I'm milling quite useful so I now have a tacho stand more or less permanently mounted on all these saws and am moving the Sendec wired tacho (with velcro backing) between the saws

I did a similar thing with a fast tach

But it does not work as reliably as it has to be held closer much closer to the spark plug lead than a wired tacho.

Of course one can use gaffer tape or even velcro a tacho direct onto the body of a saw.

 

[gemniii]

Unfortunately unlike BobL most of us can't mount a fixed tach on OUR 880 'cuz we can't afford an 880

I use the fast tach also, easy, gives a quick reading.

Note it takes a user replaceable ~ $2 battery.

 

[ancy]

Is there someone in my area that will just tune my saw for me? I live in Midwest Iowa near Carroll.

 

[gemniii]

Is there someone in my area that will just tune my saw for me? I live in Midwest Iowa near Carroll.

Look for a GTG.

 

[mtngun]

The advantage that the ones with the line have is you can do this.

BobL, the Fast-Tach can also be used with a wire, even though there is no connection for a wire. According to the instructions, "Loop a piece of wire around the ignition lead wire and lay Fast-Tach on top of the wire. Fast-Tach should now read normally."

 

[ancy]

Look for a GTG.

What is GTG?

 

[Chop]

Gtg?

I think it stands for "Git Tew Gather"

Search GTG on here for well-documented threads with pictures and more than ample and often funny explanation. I wanna find one myself...good weather for it down South.

 

[JustinM]

BobL, the Fast-Tach can also be used with a wire, even though there is no connection for a wire. According to the instructions, "Loop a piece of wire around the ignition lead wire and lay Fast-Tach on top of the wire. Fast-Tach should now read normally."

Yup - it does work well actually - ive used it this way on my quad.


@ BobL - thats a great setup & you're right, if you dont mind leaving it on a saw (ie milling) it makes sense, but I dont think it meets the needs of the OP.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the Sen-Dec you are using has MUCH faster refresh rate than the cheap tach he's showing on ebay. I know those things say they refresh every .5seconds or something, but the true refresh rate is closer to 2-3 seconds in my experience. Way too long to routinely use safely WOT if you're trying to tune out of the wood.