sendec hand held tach

[woodsjunkie]

Anyone use one of these tachs?
Are they any good ?or can someone recomend one.
I'm thinking it might be a good investment.

 

[rahtreelimbs]

woodsjunkie

I use a tach made by Stihl. They make 2 models, the cheaper model has a perminent battery. The better model has a replaceabale battery. I use the better one. Cost me a little over a hundred dollars. I use it all the time, rather than using the 2 stroke - 4 stroke method.

 

[Mack]

They are a good investment. Just try not to spend too much for one. I've seen them from $59-110.
We have saws come in that have just been "tuned", and they are running as much as 2000 rpm off the mark. Although a good tech can usualy get it done by feel and ear, most people who shove a screwdriver into a saw carb. don't have a clue as to what they are doing.
Look at the power curve for many saws, 1000 rpms (under or over) can cost 10-20% of its power. Not to mention what a lean mix and overspeed can do to spinning metal parts.
Ya, I like those little tachs, the Stihl ones are nice too but cost a bit more.

 

[jokers]

True value of a tach?

I know that having a tach versus tuning by ear is all the rage these days, but I think this is misguided, over simplified, thinking. Before I go any further, I have to admit that I have one myself, the small one made for Stihl, DET 303. It is a nice small unit and has an ungodly projected battery life of somewhere around 20,000 hrs. Turns itself on when needed and then turns itself off when not needed so battery life is not likely to be an issue. Here`s the rub, I don`t think these tachs are accurate enough. I vaguely seem to remember reading that they have an accuracy somewhere around ± 10%. Someone correct me if I am recalling this wrong, but if I`m right, think about what that means on a saw running between 13k and 14k rpm. When I was deciding which one to buy, this or the larger Stihl tach with replaceable batteries, the specs were the same as I recall, and there was only about a $15 difference(dealer price) so I opted for the smaller one. After using this tach periodically for a few years now I have found that I routinely set the saw to run leaner using manufacturers specs and the tach, than I do when using my "calibrated ear". I noticed this early on, and the evidence has been born out by observation of ease of starting, off idle performance, color of the sparkplug, and most importantly, timed cuts in hardwood logs to justify my own suspicions. Remember here Guys, that the manufacturers have to satisfy the EPA as well as the consumers, and I think they generally choose a number that is just a hair on the lean side. EPA regs are getting progressively tighter on chainsaws and with two stroke engines that routinely blow up to 30% of the unburned fuel mixture out the exhaust, by the nature of their design, running a little lean can mean some substantial decreases in engine emissions when being tested for the EPA. Manufacturers serve many masters, and if they don`t satisfy the government agencies with jurisdiction, it`s a moot point what the level of customer satisfaction is. I don`t believe that using a tach will make a skilled saw user any better at engine tuning, than adding a scope to a rifle will make you an expert marksman. You still need to be adept at the fundamentals. Just my random thoughts. Russ

 

[Methoss084]

I plunked down the $90 for the Stihl Tach a couple of years ago. It has worked great for me.