Is a Tiny Tach a good choice for testing?

[guy48065]

Most tachs & timing lights need battery power. When working on smaller OBs (and other small engines) I need something quick & easy to use to read rpm.
Suggestions/experiences?

 

[stresspoint]

hand held digital is the most accurate.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Tiny tach must be wired. The trigger wire must be wrapped around a spark plug wire to induce the signal.

As stated above, a hand-held photo tach is quick and easy

 

[QBhoy]

They are pretty good…as long as you have the ability to understand what setting it needs to be on, to suit the cycle and number of cylinders on the engine

 

[dingbat]

Just bought a knock off on Amazon to set the idle on the mower.

Has a bit of hysteresis when changing rpm, but seems to be pretty accurate once it settles down. Can't complain for $15

 

[Texasmark]

hand held digital is the most accurate.

I have one of those and got it off the internet for a very reasonable price...forget the number. It has silver strips that you put on whatever you want to test.....I've used a white paint marker to make a line when I ran out of strips.

You turn on the tach, get the test item running, point the tach (laser dot) at the thing turning with the marker and push the execute button. Piece of cake.

 

[BWR1953]

Most tachs & timing lights need battery power. When working on smaller OBs (and other small engines) I need something quick & easy to use to read rpm.
Suggestions/experiences?

I've used the Tiny Tach with great success. Haven't tried the hand held photo types, but I'd think they'd be fine too, if you don't mind stopping whatever you're doing in order to take a measurement.

One big advantage of the Tiny Tach is that once you set it up, you don't have to mess with it again until you're done. That leaves your hands free to make adjustments while the engine is running and you don't have to stop adjusting in order to get a measurement. I've used it while adjusting carbs for best idle and have it right where I can see it while turning the adjustment screws. Very convenient.

 

[stresspoint]

I've used the Tiny Tach with great success. Haven't tried the hand held photo types, but I'd think they'd be fine too, if you don't mind stopping whatever you're doing in order to take a measurement.

One big advantage of the Tiny Tach is that once you set it up, you don't have to mess with it again until you're done. That leaves your hands free to make adjustments while the engine is running and you don't have to stop adjusting in order to get a measurement. I've used it while adjusting carbs for best idle and have it right where I can see it while turning the adjustment screws. Very convenient.

the hand held is simple , point , take a reading > just keep pointing while holding the button till desired RPM is set.
when looking for max RPM > point hold button > press button for stored max and min RPM .

no need for measurements , just stick or paint a dot on anything that spins and you can see how fast its going.

quite simple really.

 

[JASinIL2006]

MyTiny Tach is great. Cheap and accurate.

 

[BWR1953]

the hand held is simple , point , take a reading > just keep pointing while holding the button till desired RPM is set.
when looking for max RPM > point hold button > press button for stored max and min RPM .

no need for measurements , just stick or paint a dot on anything that spins and you can see how fast its going.

quite simple really.

Perhaps simple for someone whose hands don't shake.

But for some of us folks, it's nice to have the little tach just sitting in a stable location while making adjustments.

This is my old tach when checking idle speed a few years ago. One hand to steady myself or the screwdriver, my other hand to make the carb adjustments. Tach is hands free.

Also simple, really.

 

[guy48065]

One big advantage of the Tiny Tach is that once you set it up, you don't have to mess with it again until you're done. That leaves your hands free to make adjustments while the engine is running and you don't have to stop adjusting in order to get a measurement. I've used it while adjusting carbs for best idle and have it right where I can see it while turning the adjustment screws. Very convenient.

My thoughts exactly.
Outboards aren't the only thing I'll be using this on. Many motors don't have an exposed flywheel (or anything) to point the beam at. But they do all have a sparkplug wire.
I use photo tachs at work, and strobes, and tone wheels, and digital timing lights. I'm not unfamiliar with those choices.
The tiny tach clicks the right boxes for me--i just needed to know if it works as advertised.

 

[dwco5051]

My thoughts exactly.
Outboards aren't the only thing I'll be using this on. Many motors don't have an exposed flywheel (or anything) to point the beam at. But they do all have a sparkplug wire.
I use photo tachs at work, and strobes, and tone wheels, and digital timing lights. I'm not unfamiliar with those choices.
The tiny tach clicks the right boxes for me--i just needed to know if it works as advertised.

I bought one out of curiosity when I dropped the old tach I used in the shop on the concrete floor. Used it to set up timing and carb on the new to me Tohatsu on a boat I bought that didn't have a tach. When I got a new tach to mount in the boat console I was surprised that they both read exactly the same. I left it glued on to the inside of the transom mostly to keep track of my engine hours for maintenance purposes and it is easier to see next time I have to fiddle with adjustments. Well worth the 13 bucks it cost.

 

[Texasmark]

They are pretty good…as long as you have the ability to understand what setting it needs to be on, to suit the cycle and number of cylinders on the engine

Not complicated. Put the reflective strip on the rotating part, run it, point the laser at the strip and press the button. Done deal.

 

[QBhoy]

Not complicated. Put the reflective strip on the rotating part, run it, point the laser at the strip and press the button. Done deal.

An. That’s different from mine for sure.