gas powered vaccum pump

[erhino10]

I am looking for a gas operated vac pump is there anyone else around that uses these and if so who did you buy it from and a rough price?

[Haynes Forest Products]

What is your budget? I built mine.

[Rhino]

Your 2nd option would be, just start looking for a gas powered generator that is big enough to run your electric vac. motor. Before we worked out a deal with buying power thru a neighbor we used a coleman 10 horse with a 5 gal. capacity gas tank. would run 10 hours on a tank full. Ours was a 4000 watt and had no trouble, might get by with a smaller one?? Very dependable and no figureing out clutching. just plug it in. If you watch sales you might get one for just under $400.

[maple flats]

Rhino, what size motor did you run on the 4000 watt genny? What was the rating on the tag, amps and volts? I was considering a 3HP with 17A@240v running load but began thinking my 5500 watt would not do it at start up surge. MY genny is rated 8500 watt surge but I would be very causcious about going that high for so many hours run time with this size gen.

[mountainvan]

alamo vacuum pump(with reclaimer), $150- free. 5.5 horse honda engine- $386. 1 gal gas for 8 hrs at 25" of vacuum.

[Haynes Forest Products]

If I was going to convert from elec top gas I would look at the generator idea only because its another peice of equipment that I dont have but could use.

[Haynes Forest Products]

The only draw back of a generator is getting out to the bush early to start it. I took that type pump and built a frame for it and put a timer on it so when I showed up at 8:00 AM to start the gas vac I had sap flowing in the other tank. Theft might be another.

[3rdgen.maple]

Haynes that is why you get a generator like the one I have. Diesel and remote start. Just drive by her on the way to work and hit the remote and keep on rolling.

[erhino10]

rhino did you have a vaccum pump with a 110v electric motor? what kind of pump was that guess i dont know much about them other than the one my dad has in the barn from when he milked cows is a 220v motor.

[lpakiz]

erhino10,
I ran a Surge SP-11 with a 3 1/2 HP gas engine. PLENTY of power. Would usually start with a few pulls without loosening the belt. Would run approx 6 hours per gallon of gas. Worked great! Another plus was you could regulate (somewhat) the inches of HG by using more or less engine speed. Some days (and nights) we had 22 inches and the motor was just above an idle.

[Rhino]

What we used was a Delavel pump and it had a 2 horse 240 volt motor. We had to convert the plug in end on the motor because the generator plug in end was way diff. Right off hand I don't know the amps/watts at start up, but that 4000 watt wouldn't lug down very hard when we would start the pump motor. The Honda/Alamo idea mentioned earlier in the post sounds really good to with 1 gal. of gas for 8 hours of run time. Just a side note...Years ago i picked up a 1981 Toyota Corrola car for next to nothing, and i fabricated a PTO splined shaft to the front hub of the car,(front wheel drive), and i mounted the female splined end to a vac pump, and that car powered my vac pump for about 3 years before parts started to give out. Worked good, just ran it a hair over idlel in first gear. Still sitting out in the woods as a reminder of ideas and syrup years gone by. I think this year i will haul the old gal to the scrap yard. Will keep the PTO shaft just in case??????

[DS Maple]

First get a vacuum pump (price variable) and then a gas motor. I have a simple little milker pump hooked to a 5.5hp honda engine and it works like a dream. I ditched the stock gas tank and hooked a line up to an old 5 gallon generator tank which allows the pump to run for a really long time at idle speed, which is all you need. Don't go the generator route unless you want to burn a lot of gas. You can't control the engine speed on those and a lot of energy winds up being wasted, (I've tried it.) I've heard of people getting really fancy with temperature on/off switches, electric choke and start and other technology to allow easy starting and stopping. I'd start with the basics, pump, engine, belt, and go from there. Good luck! (also, look on ebay for a motor. I picked up the little Honda, brand new, for like $250. Much cheaper than places like Northern Tool.)

[Haynes Forest Products]

On my beast I have a 9HP motor and its way to big. Its nice when its cold but that lasts about 1 min then its up and running at little over idle. A good used Honda 5.5 would run mine. You could even look for the gear reduction one if you want to be up in the power curve.

[erhino10]

I decided that I am going to go with the generator and just put a 110v motor i askes somwe of the electricians at work today and thay said to figure 746 watts per horsepower on the load on the generator and seeing as i have the vaccum pump and reciever jars from dads barn and I already have a gas fired Miller welder / generator I think I am going to get the beast set up and and try running i know this vaccum pump is going to be way big so i will have to turn it down but I will give it a shot and hope i can run around 900 taps in one section of the woods with it anyhow so it dosent take all day to gather bags.

[Haynes Forest Products]

When you say TURN IT DOWN how do you mean. You cant have to much vac or High vac with high CFMs. How will you slow the motor without a restat.

[DS Maple]

That welder generator is going to cost you a fortune in gas. Don't those things have like 18hp twin cylinder engines? Make your life easy and just find a nice small engine that can run at idle speed.

[maple sapper]

Just a side note...Years ago i picked up a 1981 Toyota Corrola car for next to nothing, and i fabricated a PTO splined shaft to the front hub of the car,(front wheel drive), and i mounted the female splined end to a vac pump, and that car powered my vac pump for about 3 years before parts started to give out. Worked good, just ran it a hair over idlel in first gear. Still sitting out in the woods as a reminder of ideas and syrup years gone by. I think this year i will haul the old gal to the scrap yard. Will keep the PTO shaft just in case??????

Rhino, If you have any pictures of this rig, Please post that. I just need to see this. You should also sent that pic to toyota. You may end up in an add or commercial. Thats great.

[erhino10]

The welder/generator will run 120v on low idle on a 5 gal tank for a long long time during a storm when the powet went out i ran my fridge and deep freeze and 2 neighbors for 7 hourson low idle

[Rhino]

I will take a picture of the Toyota the next time i get to the woods. Toyota motors would probably just send me a warning notice about the gas pedal sticking and that damage to my vac pump could happen...LOL...Or they would all have a good laugh and say,"look what this crazy backwoods hic did."

[NH Maplemaker]

Todays ago I picked up a new 6hp Honda gas engine at tractor supply for $2.49.00! May save your welder from problems down the road!! Would much rather keep my welder healthy and just buy a motor! Welder is a big buck item compared to a motor. Jim L.

[erhino10]

yeah im gonna save the welder.....my dad just stopped by a farm supply and got me a 4000w generator for 379.00 so im gonna use that now i guess...lol