Harbor Freight Drill to turn Barley Crusher

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eyedoctodd

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First off, yes - I know you get what you pay for. I read many reviews that said this drill (Harbor Freight Chicago Electric D-handle 1/2" chuck drill, model #47991) is a beast and will buzz through the grain bill with no problems. The specs state that this drill will do 0-800 RPM with no load.

Received my BC today with 15# hopper (THANKS SWMBO!!) and immediately connected the above-mentioned drill. I think the drill (at minimum speed) is going too fast, maybe I'm wrong. You decide:

[ame="http://youtu.be/l_HLqmUnD7w"]YouTube video of 47991 drill[/ame]

I asked for and received this mill for my bday to crush my own grains and improve/get consistent efficiency. Please chime in if you think this drill is a problem...

Thanks!
 
Yikes, that drill is loud! Straight cut gears and lots of slop, I bet.

No way to tell from here whether that's spinning too fast or not. I'd just grab some grain and run a few pounds through the mill and see what the crush looks like - and whether you end up covered in grain dust ;)

One thing you could do is get a speed controller like for a fixed-rpm router, would likely make it a lot easier to run the drill at a comfortable speed than trying to hold the trigger "just so"...

Cheers!
 
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In reply to both of you, the trigger IS straight on-off but there is a separate speed adjustment knob that you can't see in the video. It is set to minimum there. So it is in fact variable but IMO it goes from fast to faster. I don't see any way it is 0-800 RPM.

Bummer because the other nice feature it comes with is a trigger lock so if I had >15# of grain I could start it out, lock the trigger, then let go and add any remaining grain that wouldn't initially fit in the hopper.

I am going to check out that 93632.. I want to do this "right". I know that might sound like it conflicts with the idea of getting a harbor freight drill but this will be basically the only thing it's used for, so I feel like I shouldn't need to shell out for a DeWalt.
 
I have this same drill, it will slow down a bit under load. The HF Spade Handle drill will turn a bit slower. Like you, I also thought the D-handle was a bit fast...I actually put a tab of tape on the chuck and let it brush my hand to get a feel for the RPM...can't remember what I estimated but it was slower than I thought...I think you will sleep better using the Spade handle drill:mug:

edit.......HF has a reasonable return policy...get both and report back....thanks and cheers!

 
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jip, load makes a difference and if it is still to fast for your liking, mill it twice


Oo..oo.. and dont forget to condition your grain before milling, that made all the difference for me, seems it does not mater now what speed I mill at
 
So I stopped by harbor freight on my way to work and exchanged (spent the extra $5) the D-handle 47991 for the Spade-handle 93632. Just tried it out by itself (my barley crusher is at home) and it in fact will do super low RPMs if I want it that low. It also goes really fast. I think this is definitely the better HF choice for this application. The only downgrade is this drill is 7.5 Amps vs. 10Amps on the 47991 but I don't that will matter for crushing grain. Thanks all for your input.

DannyD - can you link a thread or a wiki page about grain conditioning? Thanks
 
This is the HF drill I've been using since august with my BC.

3/8" Variable Speed Reversible Drill

Item # 3670 Manufacturer: Drill Master
Drill Master

image_11292.jpg


It's adjustable, and it is fast, but so what, I just fire it in bursts.
 
Yeah, I initially bought that 3/8 drill but then I read of several people burning them out with grain crushing, so I returned it unused. The $19.99 price was nice though!
 
Yeah, I initially bought that 3/8 drill but then I read of several people burning them out with grain crushing, so I returned it unused. The $19.99 price was nice though!

I've been using mine a couple times a month since august. And haven't had any issues.

I also think I paid 9 bucks for it with a coupon so I guess I figure that even if after a year or more it burns out I can just pick another one up with a coupon when it dies.
 
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