Hour meter for splitter engine

[TreePointer]

I'd like to install an hour meter on my B&S engine (1550 series, single cylinder, 342cc) that came with my Huskee 35-ton splitter. Anybody have recommendations or thoughts on this?

 

[isaaccarlson]

why? you suspect someone is using it?

just change the oil and split wood.....no real need for an hour meter.

 

[oneoldbanjo]

Any of these self powered hour meter/tachs from sellers on eBay will work just fine. They use a small wire wrapped around the spark plug lead to pick up a signal and read the rpm's and to know when the engine is running.

This seller seems a bit fishy....as all the bids start out at $ 0.99 and they all end up between $ 14 and $ 15 when completed. It sure looks like he has someone bidding for him to bump the prices up for each bid.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hour...98072989QQptZSnowmobileQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Here is another one for sale that is the same type of meter.
http://cgi.ebay.com/TACH-HOUR-METER...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c10d480bc

I tend to agree that it is nice to have an hour meter to keep track of the oil changes and how many hours you have on an engine. However.......if you spend $ 20 getting one of these meters and you change your oil every 25 hours and you pay $ 2.00 a quart and use 20 oz of oil with each change......the cost of the $ 20 Hour Meter will be able to pay for enough oil to provide 400 hours of operation.

I love my splitter and couldn't get along without it.....however I don't put a bunch of hours on it and I just change my oil once or twice a year.

 

[Blowncrewcab]

You can buy the same ones at almost any motorcycle shop, the even have resetable units.

 

[jbighump]

i just put a hour meter on my new splitter.
my brother and i will be using the splitter and i want to be able to keep track of hours for maintanence reasons.
http://www.brandnewengines.com/5081.aspx
this is the meter i used and it works great

 

[TreePointer]

I was thinking that I probably could get by with annual/semiannual changes (works for the lawnmowers). This is my first hydraulic splitter, and after using it for a few days, I realized that I'm putting more hours on it than I thought I had, so the idea of an hour meter made sense. The manual for this engine recommends an oil change at every 50 hours, BTW.

I did notice that some models have a replaceable battery. Maybe that's the model to get if I do get one.

Thanks, everyone, for the replies.

 

[loadthestove]

I change mine after 10 cords of splitting.

 

[fred bergman]

with a new splitter, I think I will add a hour meter also

 

[ihookem]

I just bought a new wood splitter and want to put an hour meter on it. Why???, cause I just want to... Should have put one on my 25 horse Mercury in 1997 when I bought it too.

 

[lone wolf]

You can buy the same ones at almost any motorcycle shop, the even have resetable units.

Resetable is the way to do.

 

[mga]

i put an electronic temp sensor on mine that will shut the splitter down when the oil is at 150 degrees.

i'll go for the hour meter next.

 

[lone wolf]

i put an electronic temp sensor on mine that will shut the splitter down when the oil is at 150 degrees.

i'll go for the hour meter next.

150 is too hot for the Hyd oil?

 

[FishNJ]

I just bought a Hardline Products unit for $20. Combo tach and hour meter can use for tuning saws also.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mga]

150 is too hot for the Hyd oil?

supposedly.

any thing over may begin to deteriorate seals.

 

[lone wolf]

http://www.precisionfluidpower.com/oil_recommendations.htm

 

[mga]

http://www.precisionfluidpower.com/oil_recommendations.htm

• 
  from your link.....
  
  "recommended. 120° F to 140° F. (50° C. to 60° C.) is generally considered the optimum system operating temperatures. High temperatures result in rapid oil deterioration and may point out a need for an oil cooler or a larger reservoir. "
  
  

 

[BeatCJ]

We have several Tiny Tachs on small engines at work. They are great, give you RPMs when the engine is running, hourmeter when it's off., Easy to read and pretty much bulletproof.

http://www.tinytach.com/

 

[fixit1960]

I can't remember the brand name of it but I put 4 on trash pumps at work that used the 6 hp Hondas. They were purchased through Northern Tool and Hydraulic. They have been in service about 3 years now and work great. Easy to install and accurate. I use them to tune the engines also. Setting governors and checking idles. If I remember they were about 25.00 each. Recommendations on Hondas with out oil filters is 50 hour change intervals.