Generator PTO driven generator

[Racer71]

Does anyone make a PTO driven generator? How would the engine adjust for the varing load?

 

[Dmace]

Northern Tool has a PTO driven generator for about $1200. It requires 24 PTO HP runs and 12k watt continuous with a 13k surge. Looks like a rugged unit with some good reviews. That sure would be nice to have for those camp site jobs with no power.

I am sure the engine of the tractor will just bog a little with big power draws but with a diesel engine putting out 24 pto hp or more, I doubt it will put much of a load on the engine at all.

 

[sheepman]

Yes, you can get a PTO generator. When I bought my farm site this summer, the previous owner left one for us. He used it if/when electricity goes out for long periods. It runs the electricity for my barn and house. It's made to operate at PTO speed (540RPM). Mine is made by Winpower, Newton, IA. There are many companies that make them, and different sizes, depending on what you want to use it for. The way I understand it, as the load increases, it turns harder (works the tractor's engine harder).

 

[RonMar]

Diesel tractors typically have a governor in the injector pump. The foot and hand throttle is not really a throttle, it is a speed/RPM selector. You set the RPM to deliver 60HZ out of the coupled PTO generator and lock the throttle lever at that position. The governor in the injector pump controls fuel delivery to maintain that RPM and output frequency untill load exceeds available power. The only drawback is possibly oversize. To get PTO RPM out of the tractor, you are running the engine at nearly it's maximum RPM rateing(where the HP lives). A tractor with 24 PTO HP can sustain a 12KW output. That is a LOT of power. As I type this my evening electrical load is less than 2KW. It will jump to as high as 3 kw depending which appliances or well pump is running and will go over 7KW when the electric hot water heater element kicks in. Unless you need that much power, the engine spends a lot of time droneing away at full RPM with little load. A 2 speed PTO would add some economy if you don't need the full available output all the time as you can get 540 RPM on the PTO shaft with less engine RPM.

 

[sandman2234]

Volt meters and cycle meters are a good idea if your running anything that is sensitive to low voltage or variances in frequency. I bought one on fleabay delivered for less than $25 that does volts, amps, watts, hz, kwh. It is called a Kill a Watt and is made to determine just how much an item draws in power, but comes in handy for a generator for monitoring the outputs. A simple light bulb plugged in will tell you if your generator is putting out 120 volts and 60 cycles and if one circut is working right, most likely the other side is also, but you can buy two of them to figure out if the 220 is working right.
David from jax

 

[mrutkaus]

Just a Kill O Watt note, not sure of the details, check it out, but if you use the Kill O Watt to measure the output of some kinds of 12vdc to 120vac converters, it kills the Kill O Watt!

Mike

 

[jimmer2880]

I was looking for a bottom-line PTO generator. I was trying to get 6000 watts. The smallest I found was on Northern Tool's website at 7500. But, by the time I paid for shipping & the PTO driveshaft, I was at $1,000.00.

So, I ended up buying a new Gas powered generator. 5500 watts (6500 surge) for $500.00

 

[Dmace]

Honestly, I would much rather have a gas powered generator sitting there doing what it is made to do rather than have my $20k+ tractor sitting there idling for the same output power. The tractor could be doing many other useful things instead of running a generator.

 

[jeffinsgf]

Honestly, I would much rather have a gas powered generator sitting there doing what it is made to do rather than have my $20k+ tractor sitting there idling for the same output power. The tractor could be doing many other useful things instead of running a generator.

To run a power tool on a job site, you might be right. To power your home in an emergency, you need a heck of a lot more power than a portable generator will deliver. You can invest several thousand dollars in a stand alone back up generator, or a couple thousand for a PTO generator that will be ready to go when you are. Stand alones have to be maintained, too.

 

[Racer71]

Thanks for the feedback. These sound like a good value for the price. I live about 15 miles out of town and a winter storm can take the power out. My 5kw will keep us alive and the tv running but that is about it. We have to run the well, lights and coffee maker. The heat and hot water are on propane.

The coffee maker will take 1,500 of the 2,500 watts available. (Note that 5kw is for 220 and 110 only gets half way there.)