Maintenance Tachometer

[USMC1310]

I do my own lawn equipment motor repairs myself. So lately I have been thinking and it would be good for me to have a good means to check the rpms on some of this equipment. I know I can buy an Ebay or amazon tach that you wrap the pickup around the plug wire but not sure if this is the correct way to go. So, question is what do you real world repair people use? If you all feel that the inexpensive ones are good enough than I would go that way, they just seem to be hokey. Because of having 2 and 4 cycle plus single to twin cylinders the inexpensive ones you have to keep changing the info to get the proper rpm readings. I don't think I would need to spend $300.00 to get something that would work for my use. Thanks Maybe I am just over thinking this.

Been using one for years because adjusting RPM by ear is about as accurate and tightening a bolt to torque value by feel. Go for it.

 

[Rivets]

A SKILLED technician can get RPMS and TORGUE pretty close using the ears and touch. That said when you are charging for your services you want to use the appropriate tools to get even closer. We don’t want it coming back because we were only close. As I always told my students, “Never time to do it right, but always time to do it over”.

 

[TobyU]

The vibra-tach works fine but is more inconvenient than the cheap digital ones available on eBay and amazon. I can find a picture but don't have one currently. It's a little small black plastic box with a gray window with two buttons on the front. It's about an inch and a half by an inch and a half by half inch thick and has a long wire pigtail coming off of it. That's what you wrap around the plug wire but you don't have to do that at all. I just leave the thing wrapped up in the rubber band like it comes from the factory and if you simply hold the top part on the opposite end of the wire right against your plug wire or plug tip anywhere it will pick up and show you the reading.

 

[mecanive]

https://www.amazon.com/Small-Engine-Tachometer-Hour-Meter/dp/B09NVRZCSK/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=38QXGOBKMUUS7&keywords=small+engine+tachometer+rpm+tester&qid=1675896927&sprefix=tachometer+rpm+t%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTzVYQTJEUzdTVUEwJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDU2MTg2QkhYR0g1RVBXSllKJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NTUwMDYySEpDMVlWOEZYTTZCJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

y use one like this one you can cut the induction wire and just put the body of the tool near spark wire and get an accurate reading
without lose time to roll induction wire you ajust it to one cylindre for all smal motors witout distributor you also test rpm on multicoils engine for cars and trucks

 

[OldDiyer]

Heres a few photos of what the Tach/Hour meter looks like now that it is done. I also added the clamp so that I could just clamp it onto something.

 

[thirdroc17]

After trying several kinds, I found the optical tachs to be the easiest to use. You can use it to check the RPM of anything turning. Which means it works just as well on my diesel as it does on my gas engines. I can check the speed of PTO, attachments, electric motors, etc.

 

[Rivets]

Reported