Today’s idea: quick change small engine tools?

Gatorgrizz27

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I’m going to need to buy a pressure washer before too much longer, and while I don’t have a pressing need for other small engine driven tools, it’s nice to be able to do certain things. It seems dumb to me to pay for the small gas engine on a whole bunch of different tools, in addition to it being more stuff to maintain, take up storage space, etc.

Here’s the pressure washer I’m looking at, based primarily on the fact that I’ve done very well by buying the lowest level of commercial grade tools from Stihl. I’m sure there are better performing, cheaper, etc, options, but this is what I’m leaning towards now.


It has a 7hp Kohler that turns 3,600 rpm, and when you remove the pressure washer pump it’s basically just the engine mounted to an easily portable frame.

My idea is to remove the pump, add a Love Joy coupling between it to allow for slight misalignment and not have to deal with seized rusted shafts, and then add some type of flat universal mounting plate with a pair of cam clamps like these.


Then various things for the engine to run can be mounted to flat steel plates at the right height, with half the Love Joy coupling attached via a section of keyed shaft and green Loctite. To change things out you open the cam clamps, pull the attached tool out, plug another one in, and close the clamps.

Here are a few things I could run off the top of my head, not tied to any of them specifically.

Generator head to run a 110v welder, lights, fans, etc. I have a generator for home use thats a heavy bastard.

Semi trash pump for emptying my pool, firefighting, filling a pond, whatever.

Hydraulic pump for a log splitter, auger, crane, or anything else. Obviously would need a reservoir and valve.

Assuming the motor is strong enough to run whatever I hook up to it, and the RPM and direction are correct, any potential problems with this, besides certain things not fitting in the pressure washer frame? Seems like a good idea to me.
 
I like the idea, but in reality its just gonna be a hassle. Then the 1 time you really need the engine to work, its gonna screw up.

My pressure washers sit until they're needed, they fire up every time and I dont have to worry about it.

I use my small predator generator every day, and Im gonna buy a bigger one in the 3500-4k watt range as an upgrade for the 2k watt one. So the small one will get turned into a back up.

I believe in the 2 is 1 and 1 is none thought. Always have a back up.
 
bgaidan said:
Generator's going to need some type of load sensing/auto idle.


Other than that, sounds like a pain in the ass.
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Are you referring to how most generators will idle down when they aren’t under load? Mine at the house has that feature, but I can turn it off and it just runs at full rpm, it appears to just be for noise and fuel economy. The thing with this generator head is it would only be used while I’m actively working, so even if it’s running at full RPM when I’m measuring for a cut or something else, it’s not a big deal.
 
Set it up like this :lmao::lmao:
1628990005816.png
 
tracyb said:
you must have a ton of free time on your hands.
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That's no ****.

I get the idea behind it but it is not a practical idea to depend on one cheap engine to power everything.

Here's the kicker of all the tools you want to power. Buying the tool ready to go with an engine is not priced at what it is because of the engine. Engines are dime a dozen.

Let me guess, you're planning to keep a couple spare engines around ready to go in case the main one fails? :homer:
 
tracyb said:
you must have a ton of free time on your hands.
Click to expand...
Mostly just in my mind while driving or sitting. I miss the days when this crowd used to actually build stuff. At least we have Water horse. :flipoff2:
 
DWT said:
That's no ****.

I get the idea behind it but it is not a practical idea to depend on one cheap engine to power everything.

Here's the kicker of all the tools you want to power. Buying the tool ready to go with an engine is not priced at what it is because of the engine. Engines are dime a dozen.

Let me guess, you're planning to keep a couple spare engines around ready to go in case the main one fails? :homer:
Click to expand...
The opposite actually. That Kohler 7hp thst comes on the Stihl pressure washer is a commercial unit that sells for $500. One good engine to keep fresh gas in, change the oil, have spare spark plugs and air filters, and take up space.
 
Seems like it would be just as easy to have multiple engines on tools that you need. Most things are probably cheaper to buy as an assembly with the engine than getting one without engine.


Also note that almost all of the small 3600 rpm generators are single bearing - the front end of the armature is supported by the engine crankshaft. They are also a taper shaft. So the only way to make you idea would would be to fabricate a new front shaft / bearing support assembly.
 
HillbillyDeluxe said:
I like the idea, but in reality its just gonna be a hassle. Then the 1 time you really need the engine to work, its gonna screw up.

My pressure washers sit until they're needed, they fire up every time and I dont have to worry about it.

I use my small predator generator every day, and Im gonna buy a bigger one in the 3500-4k watt range as an upgrade for the 2k watt one. So the small one will get turned into a back up.

I believe in the 2 is 1 and 1 is none thought. Always have a back up.
Click to expand...

I have a slightly used (like 15-20hrs) Predator 4375W generator I'm looking to sell to upgrade to a 9k unit for my race car trailer. PM me if your interested
 
meh farmers been doing it for years, just buy a tractor with a PTO, then mount everything to that

you'll notice pretty quick that a used genset is cheaper than a used PTO generator head
I'd imagine pumps, welders, and such to be pretty similar
 
I have a Honda pressure washer I got used for $100, an almost new Predator generator for $300, and my Lincoln 180HD was $300. I barely have time to use them much less reconfigure then each time I need to pressure wash something for 10 mins.
 
Buy your pressure washer because of their components not because of the brand. I have several Stihl gas powered tools but Stihl didn't design the engine, pump or anything else except the decals on that pressure washer and the engine is not a Honda. Dumb idea to pay extra for Stihl name on pressure washer but not as dumb as all the time wasted swapping **** to run off 1 gas engine.
 
ChiScouter said:
Buy your pressure washer because of their components not because of the brand. I have several Stihl gas powered tools but Stihl didn't design the engine, pump or anything else except the decals on that pressure washer and the engine is not a Honda. Dumb idea to pay extra for Stihl name on pressure washer but not as dumb as all the time wasted swapping **** to run off 1 gas engine.
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My Ryobi pressure washer has a Honda on it. I'm no fan on Ryobi outside of their electric lawn mower and now the pressure washer. I've had it over a year and only run non ethanol gas. Fires first pull every time.
 
DWT said:
My Ryobi pressure washer has a Honda on it. I'm no fan on Ryobi outside of their electric lawn mower and now the pressure washer. I've had it over a year and only run non ethanol gas. Fires first pull every time.
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That same pressure washer was sold under about 20 different names. All with the same honda engine and same import pump. Most were red and black....ryobi paid an extra $1.50 to have theirs done in gree. :laughing: I have the homelite version. I've had to put 2 pumps on it in 10 years, but the engine just won't quit.
 
bgaidan said:
That same pressure washer was sold under about 20 different names. All with the same honda engine and same import pump. Most were red and black....ryobi paid an extra $1.50 to have theirs done in gree. :laughing: I have the homelite version. I've had to put 2 pumps on it in 10 years, but the engine just won't quit.
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I have no doubts on that. Ryobi makes ****ty tools so they must have gotten a smoking deal to mold the plastics in green and slap some steekers on there.

Best thing I did was put quick disconnects on both ends of the whip so it's easier to roll up at the end of the day. Need to make a 5' hose on the feed side so I'm not on my knees hooking up the hose.
 
DWT said:
I have no doubts on that. Ryobi makes ****ty tools so they must have gotten a smoking deal to mold the plastics in green and slap some steekers on there.

Best thing I did was put quick disconnects on both ends of the whip so it's easier to roll up at the end of the day. Need to make a 5' hose on the feed side so I'm not on my knees hooking up the hose.
Click to expand...
Does that one have the rear bottom discharge? Mine's like that and you drag the ****ing connector on the ground whenever you tilt it to move it around on the wheels. After ****ing up the original I found one that was an inch or two shorter. It helps, but still drags if the hose is connected. I keep meaning to give it a body lift and put some spacers to move the whole engine/pump bracket up on the frame and inch or two.
 
bgaidan said:
Does that one have the rear bottom discharge? Mine's like that and you drag the ****ing connector on the ground whenever you tilt it to move it around on the wheels. After ****ing up the original I found one that was an inch or two shorter. It helps, but still drags if the hose is connected. I keep meaning to give it a body lift and put some spacers to move the whole engine/pump bracket up on the frame and inch or two.
Click to expand...
Yup, intake and output are both draggers. A lift kit wouldn't be a bad idea, I'll have to look I to that one, or just moving the wheels back a few inches would do the same thing.

Looks like whoever is their oem is making them with Kohler engines now. :laughing:
 
A wise man once told me, "Build the things you need while you can build them." Swapping components around seems great now, but if life hits you and you can barely pull a recoil start you're going to regret having to LEGO your tools together before using them.
 
Gatorgrizz27 said:
Mostly just in my mind while driving or sitting. I miss the days when this crowd used to actually build stuff. At least we have Water horse. :flipoff2:
Click to expand...
Somethings don’t get done because it just doesn’t make any sense. I bet you can get complete trash pumps, generator and hydraulic pump for about the same as the implement in its own and not be out the work up front of building it into legos, only to have to work at using them down the road.
 
Look at a BCS or a Grillo, both make something that does just what you want to do.
I think either Troy-Bilt or Dr Power also used to make something like that. You could switch between a mower, a pump and a generator.

Aaron Z
 
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