Folks,

Had had in my head for a long time ideas to use the humble a series for various industrial purposes. The key drivers are availability, and low cost. In fact the lower the cost, the better.

1. Air compressor. (long term project) Get a lump of steel machined to fit a block with one way valvles fited into each cyclinder and run and electric motor on a pully to the crank. As long as the rings seal well enough to give 100psi, and its rotating at 500rpm would give the same as a 17cfm compressor. (17 ft³ = 0.481386 m³).

2. Short term project. Wood coarse ripping saw. Due to recent events in my local area, my supply of firewood from my place is in high demand, and me on the saw cant keep up. Thinking using an A10/12 to drive a shaft with a 18" ripping wood disk/blade. This way, once the wood is cut into manageable chunks, I can cut the stumps into usage sizes.

I was thinking that to achieve the low cost requirement, that I could use a 4 speed box, connected to a h15 diff cut in half, with once axle driving the blade. Weld the centre up of course to drive the one side.

This mounted in a trailer or a frame that fits in a trailer means portability.

I have seem a similar setup, but with a 25hp stationary motor. This struggled with a larger stumps, so a 50hp a12 should have ample power.

The gearbox would give me options about disk speed and torque, although it would probally sit in 4th all the time with a 4.11 dif centre that the h145 usually had.

Ideas and opinions?

This looks like it will be this summers project as it wont be done by this winter, but ready for next winter.