Power tools

Hi all I had my PM and Defib put in on the 9th of Feb 2013
Im told by a few doctors what tools I can use and what I cant
but cant get a definite answer
I have a 100 amp stick, welder a 100 amp Mig welder,
3/8th power drill, 9 inch and 4 inch grinders,
bench grinder battery drill and battery charger
2 chain saws one 2 stroke and one mains power @240 volts
a 4 stroke lawn mower and a 2 stroke leaf blower
all of which I use occasionaly not full time
can I use any of them ? or is my life over
thanks John in Australia

5 Comments

Are They A Problem

by SMITTY - 2013-02-16 08:02:22

Hello John,

The welders will take some precautions but I'll wait and let electric Frank tell you about them. As for the others, 3/8th power drill, 9 inch and 4 inch grinders, bench grinder battery drill and battery charger 2 chain saws one 2 stroke and one power @240 volts
a 4 stroke lawn mower and a 2 stroke leaf blower, should not be a problem. Just to be on the safe side, keep any of them at least 4 to 6 inches from your PM location.

As I've told others, if your PM is affected by any tool you will feel it as an irregular heart beat. Should that happen just move away from the tool in use at the time and your heart beat will return to normal in a few seconds. There will be no harm done to your heart or the PM.

Take care,

Smitty

John,
I wasn't trying to walk on DONR's comments but I had written mine before I knew he had commented and I didn't want my hard work to go to waste.
Smitty

Your Life has just begun!

by donr - 2013-02-16 08:02:39

You have an ICD - so you need to be a bit more careful than us pedestrian PM hosts.There will probably be a welder wander by & give you some good info on them from first hand experience. Generally speaking keep the high current lines as far from you as you can. There is a limit on how much current you can tolerate but I don't recall what it is. BUt at this point relax - your life has not become one of a cardiac cripple!

Power drill - no sweat - just be careful leaning into it w/ your chest.

Grinders, no sweat either. Except - I'm guessing that they are angle grinders. Be a bit careful - the vibration just might set your ICD off. Take it easy using them.

Battery operated drill - No sweat, as is the battery charger for it's power cell.

Chain saw is no problem for the PM part, perhaps the vibration will be an issue for the ICD. Electric chain saw - only if the vibration is a problem. Electrical fields are not.

Lawn mower & leaf blower. Now here's a fertile field. Do you enjoy using them or abhor them? If you enjoy it, they are absolutely no problem. If you hate them, here's your out,. but anything negative you say will be a total fabrication

Bench grinder is no problem.

I host a PM, & I use all of those tools all the time - & then some, all w/o problems.

A lot of things you have to learn on your own by testing them out. Affect on a PM is no big deal - if it affects the PM, just back away & all will return to normal. You really DON'T want to accidentally activate the ICD feature.

Just watch out for snakes.

Don

Riotten socks

by donr - 2013-02-16 11:02:18

Smitty, doesn't it just rot your socks when you prepare a reply & discover that simultaneously someone else did the same thing - just posted it a few seconds earlier.

At least he has independent opinions that agree. Nothing wrong w/ that.

Don

Don't Bother Me

by SMITTY - 2013-02-17 04:02:00

Hey Don,

Having someone post a comment on a question while I'm still working on my comment for the same one doesn't bother me. My typing skills are so poor that my greatest concern would be that the question was still in the 7 day period when I got through. I do have concern at time that I will contradict somebody, which has happened. Although I've had people get a feisty when I contradict them, I just try to think of the fact that few of us are really experts in this field and let it go there. If they get ugly I can always fall back on my warranty. That is I'll tell them all of my comments carry a 100% guarantee and if you think I'm working, or don't like what I said, just tell me where to send your refund and it will be on its way immediately. So far I've not had any takers. I've been doing this '06 and at one time having my comments challenged was not uncommon.

Take care

Smitty

PS - I'm going to post this on the post where you asked if I didn't like people getting there answers post before some of readers can think I got my nose out of joint maybe about your question. Smitty

ICD issues

by ElectricFrank - 2013-02-17 12:02:22

I don't have an ICD, but my main concern is what my body would do if it fired. It wouldn't need to be due to interference from the tool.

Some folks describe the shock as knocking them to the ground. Others say it's nothing.

A fellow TV repairman of the 1950's was reaching in the back of a set to adjust something. He got his arm too close to one of the old metal cone picture tubes with 15,000 volts on it. A spark jumped into his arm causing him to jump. He snagged the skin on the inside of his arm on some sharp object and tore a several inch incision down it. Actually the spark didn't have enough current to be a risk of electrical shock.

I agree with don that non of the tools should be any direct problem to the ICD.

frank

You know you're wired when...

Jerry & The Pacemakers is your favorite band.

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