Just saw a neat little toy...

[DIYDAVE]

Called the mini-ductor... Can't see enough of a reason fer me to buy it, I only average a coupla stuck nuts/studs a year, but I could see where this thing would have some advantages, over the red wrench...

 

[Ronsii]

Have one of these, works great especially for smaller stuff <3/4" If you're going to use it a bunch it pays to get extra coils. Also works great for touching up the hardness on chisels and punches ;-)

 

[John C.]

Would have been nice to see all of the tool instead of just the coil. I take it that it is an inductive heater.

 

[DIYDAVE]

Would have been nice to see all of the tool instead of just the coil. I take it that it is an inductive heater.

Just google mini ductor, its quite small, hand held unit...

 

[mikebramel]

Would have been nice to see all of the tool instead of just the coil. I take it that it is an inductive heater.

The power unit is about a foot long and 3" in diameter. The coils are held into the power unit by thumb screws. Works really good. The duty cycle is 30-60 seconds on. 5 minutes off. You can heat around 1" nut after about 45 sec glowing

 

[Ronsii]

The power unit is about a foot long and 3" in diameter. The coils are held into the power unit by thumb screws. Works really good. The duty cycle is 30-60 seconds on. 5 minutes off. You can heat around 1" nut after about 45 sec glowing

The duty cycle is only for the coils as they tend to get pretty warm... the duty cycle is 100 percent for the actual unit. This is one of the reasons I have extra coils, when one gets smoking hot I do a quick switch to another and keep going

 

[Planedriver]

I did a google search and found them on Amazon of all places. They make all sorts of soils, pads, bearing ropes etc for them! Pretty cool.

 

[PJ The Kid]

Had one at the last shop I worked at... I hid it in my toolbox most of the time so no one else could break it. I loved that thing

 

[DIYDAVE]

Ended up buyin this:

Used it a little, last fall, then I hadda mount a radidio on my new lawnmower, used it to heat some 3/8 bar stock, cause I didn't wanna drill any more holes in the frame of the new machine, which might void the warranty... Worked like a charm, takes about 10-15 seconds, to bring a 3/8" rounder, to red hot. Can't wait fer the first wrench I gotta bend, noe, this thing is loads faster, and safer, than draggin out a torch cart! $400 fer the tool and 12-12 tips. Since them tips aint nuthin but heavy copper wire, I bought me some ceramic insulation, from McMaster-Carr, and all I gotta do is to use scrap #10 wire, to make tips, as needed!

 

[DIYDAVE]

Used it more, today. Had 2 tie rods, 60 years old, or so, onna hay wagon, lock washers, between 2 nuts had cracked and fallen off leavin the rusty nuts about 3/16" apart, and the bracket that they tighten to loose, and a floppin. 1"-14 thread, 1-1/2" nut size, the biggest that will fit through the biggest inductor tip I have. Took about 3 minutes, to get 'em smokin, and another heat of about 5 mins, to finally get 'm movin. Never got quite to deep cherry red, but it moved 'em!

 

[Mike L]

I’m glad you like it. I’m 0-3 with mine.

 

[DIYDAVE]

I gotta nother one to try, the hinge pin of the same hay wagon, its a 5/8" pin, frozen fer about 2", in the middle of the ears of the tongue. First thing I gotta do is to figger out how to wedge the ears of the tongue apart, sos I can get a sawzall blade through the gap, to cut off the second piece of the pin, to get it all apart! I'll post the results, when I try!

 

[DIYDAVE]

Well, I tried the heat on this joint of the hay wagon tongue. No joy! took the part in question, off, tried a heat and beat, with the OA torch, No joy, either! since the pin was cut to dis-assemble, there's no way to twist to free, so I'm goin with cut the bustard off! Pin and bushing are gonna fall to the chop saw, one way or another, it won't beat me! Anyway my experience with the bolt buster shows me that as the part in question approaches the size limits of the heating coil, success drops. Go figger!

 

[Vetech63]

Im partial to my acetylene torch. Just used it yesterday to remove 4 broken 1/2 bolts.

 

[DIYDAVE]

Well I finally finished up the hay wagon tongue... Hadda take a sawzall, and cut that bustard rusty bushing offa the tongue, and weld in a new one. Alls I had was a coupla scaffold bushings, but the 2 bushings added up to the same length, as the one I hadda cut out. I knew I'd eventually prevail, but as usual, it took longer than expected... Didn't drill in a grease zerk, so I just smeared the inside real thick, with anti-seize.

 

[jonno634]

Ive had decent luck with the bolt-buster induction heater. Works great for heat with no flame to release red-loc-tite, even on large bolts. I like it for out in the field, to reduce fire danger during harvest. Our inside the engine compartment doing power steering lines on my wife’s jeep. Worked for those things, really well. I’ve used it on a few other projects where I don’t want fire everywhere, and its about 50% successful. But, for some things, its been well worth it.

 

[Coaldust]

I've been debating getting one. Can't use open flames inside a fuel terminal or on a fuel truck. A seized frame bolt becomes a huge ordeal with the need to drain, vent and de-gas a cargo tank. Then issue a all-clean certificate. Hot work permit, Yada, Yada. Would a terminal operator require a hot work permit to use an inductive heater? I've discussed this with some safety dudes, with no real consensus. The technology is new and the subject has never came up. But, I would feel safe using it on a chassis and nobody would be the wiser.

 

[jonno634]

I know the electric power hacksaw can be used on most locations, when open flame is prohibited.... but I am unsure on the inductive heater. (Just an FYI, the induction heater can create a spark, if the insulation on the coil burn turn or gets damaged.)

 

[DIYDAVE]

I know from experience, the insulation wears out. Thank god for mcmaster -carr, they sell it by the foot!

 

[crushermechanic]

in