Put the $24 Tach through its paces today

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Ok, i have been in research mood and found that the little cheap tachs of $38 and under have a update speed of every 2.5 seconds. The better tachs I found update every half .5 second. So there we go on the slow reading of the cheapie tachs.
 
Just got the $24 one in today. Man, that is a little bitty feller, I thought they sent me an empty box. Which one of the contacts on the back side of the unit is the ground?
 
Top right looking on the back on mine. right across from wire lead, that should be top left.
The safe way i learned to use it was blip the throttle to allow time for the rpm updating. Then when she gets close to max rpm, i crack it open to get my final reading. I wouldnt WOT from the beginning with this tach, it takes to long to read for that.
 
Lakeside53 said:
all Stihl's tachs are wireless. The 5 has just been replaced by the 8.
Lakeside, This is the one i have been looking at EDT-5.
Is this the one you have been using? Whats the max rpm's on this unit 16K?
EDT-5.jpg
 
I got my EDT8 on Monday. Havent yet had a chance to use it. Its a handy size, and comes with a 6" wire, 24" wire with a spring clip on one end, or you can use it wireless.

Cut, that looks like the Ebay listing from the seller I got mine from.
 
CaseyForrest said:
I got my EDT8 on Monday. Havent yet had a chance to use it. Its a handy size, and comes with a 6" wire, 24" wire with a spring clip on one end, or you can use it wireless.

Cut, that looks like the Ebay listing from the seller I got mine from.
Thats where i found this good small pic to use. please let me know how you like it and if it reads super fast. i want one with, like right now clocking speed.
 
Im sure it will read at least as fast as the EDT2 its replacing, and that seemed to update every half second or so. Ive seen my dealer use the 5 you pictured and it read almost instanenous.
 
CaseyForrest said:
I got my EDT8 on Monday. Have'nt yet had a chance to use it. Its a handy size, and comes with a 6" wire, 24" wire with a spring clip on one end, or you can use it wireless.

Cut, that looks like the Ebay listing from the seller I got mine from.


I use the wires pretty much all the time - It just extends the reach so I can use my other two hands. I just clip it onto a part of the plastic near the spark plug wire.
 
Lakeside53 said:
I use the wires pretty much all the time - It just extends the reach so I can use my other two hands. I just clip it onto a part of the plastic near the spark plug wire.
Wow, just get it near the plug and it works on the plastic near it, thats what I am talking about.
 
Lakeside53 said:
I use the wires pretty much all the time - It just extends the reach so I can use my other two hands. I just clip it onto a part of the plastic near the spark plug wire.

I remember you saying that. Ive got the 6" wire in it now, see how that works. I can see how having the clip on the end would make things easier.
 
I haven't been to the address I had mine send to yet. But I like that set-up you got there, CUCV. I want set mine up on the side of milling saw so as to watch rpm's while milling. Think that'll work the same? How did you stick it? Shoot, I'm going to need a few more.
 
Adrpk said:
I haven't been to the address I had mine send to yet. But I like that set-up you got there, CUCV. I want set mine up on the side of milling saw so as to watch rpm's while milling. Think that'll work the same? How did you stick it? Shoot, I'm going to need a few more.

I had had some other ideas for the surface mount and the bolt on version but was only able to get the panel mount. So with a bit of thinking this is what I had come up with. Basically I cut the hole very tight, popped it in and the little tangs popped out holding it in. I will run it a bunch tomorrow to see how it holds up but I suspect I will also silicone it in. Here is a view from the inside.
 
I attached a ground wire to mine today and tried it out. I couldn't tell much difference with a ground connection or without it. I juiced the throttle a bunch of times to get the numbers up then held it WOT and my Makita was topping out at about 13,300 rpm. Specs call for 12,500 to 13,000 so I adjusted it down to 12,800. I then set my idle to 2,500. That was the easiest part. I didn't like having to hold the saw at WOT for as long as I had to...I get a little anxious after about 5 to 7 seconds.
What is a reasonable and generally accepted length of time that one can hold a saw at WOT?
 
Elmore said:
What is a reasonable and generally accepted length of time that one can hold a saw at WOT?

If I had money to burn, I would buy a new saw break it in, check
the rpm, hold it at WOT and see how long it would go.
So maybe if we all kicked in a dollar or two to one of the saw
dealers her on AS we could find out. I would put in $5 in a heart beat.
Then after it is over maybe we could have a drawing for whats left
of the saw.:D
 
Trigger-Time said:
If I had money to burn, I would buy a new saw break it in, check
the rpm, hold it at WOT and see how long it would go.
So maybe if we all kicked in a dollar or two to one of the saw
dealers her on AS we could find out. I would put in $5 in a heart beat.
Then after it is over maybe we could have a drawing for whats left
of the saw.:D


I can get you a refurbished Poulan Wildthingy for about $80.00 ..The store had a couple hundred ..

.
 
Elmore said:
I attached a ground wire to mine today and tried it out. I couldn't tell much difference with a ground connection or without it. I juiced the throttle a bunch of times to get the numbers up then held it WOT and my Makita was topping out at about 13,300 rpm. Specs call for 12,500 to 13,000 so I adjusted it down to 12,800. I then set my idle to 2,500. That was the easiest part. I didn't like having to hold the saw at WOT for as long as I had to...I get a little anxious after about 5 to 7 seconds.
What is a reasonable and generally accepted length of time that one can hold a saw at WOT?

It may be a good idea to give the "H" screw a 1/4 turn fat for questionable adjustments, if this tach updates slow?

A 1/4 turn would bring the speed down, rev it , get the reading, it should be fat and slow, it wouldn't take much time to know just how far you are from the target, and just how much in the screw would need to go to hit your target.

On the same idea, for a say, say you have the saw set at your target speed, for a say, say 13K , dial it in, then back the screw out a 1/4 turn and note the speed, say it is an even 12K every time,,,, all you would need to do to retest your saw, give the screw a 1/4 turn out, test it, if it is at your pretested fat speed, 12K, return the "H" 1/4 turn, and it should be good to go. It is fairly easy to give a screw an accurate 1/4 turn, but this may be too much difference for some carbs, so apply the same idea but with 1/8th of a turn.
 
CUCV said:
With the super price on these tach's I figure why not have one on every saw. So this was my first stab, I did a quick run tonight and plan to cut all day tomorrow.
Thats to wild. Bet we see this New option on saws in the future.
 

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