Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator

   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator #1  

fatjay

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I'm looking to build a diesel generator. A kubota D600 out of a grasshopper showed up on craigslist, and I was thinking of pairing it with this generator from harbor freight.

Will the kubota run at 3600rpm? I'm seeing conflicting information on sites. Also some list it as 14hp and some at 18.
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator #2  
Why not gear the generator to the motor so the diesel is running a bit slower?

Do you need MAX power out of that generator head?

SR
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator
  • Thread Starter
#3  
I haven't been able to find the power curve for that motor. The motor is out of a grasshopper 1822d which is 18hp from what I found on the net.

I don't know that I'll need the max but I'd like to have it available if I need it. I'll be running the whole house on the gen which means furnace, well pump, washer, dryer. It's not uncommon for me to lose power for multiple days at a time. My hot water is my furnace and I have baseboard hot water which involves a pump for the water.

The plan is to tie it into my heating oil tank which would provide enough fuel to last me a while. My primary source of heat is wood, furnace is a back up and for hot water.
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator #4  
You might have a problem with the output shaft bearing on that gen.
It might be designed to be coupled to engine rather than belt drive. ??
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Direct engine works for me too. I saw in the gen reviews people putting pictures of a double pulley, and a few people talked about success with that in the reviews, so I think I should be ok either way. I'm fine with couple it directly to the engine, as long as I have a way to do so.

Seems the D600 makes 18hp at 3600rpm, however it might be a bit hard on the engine. 16hp it looks like is at 3200rpm, so I would need to size up a slightly smaller pulley on the gen to put it at 3600rpm.
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator #6  
How to get around a pulley on the gen shaft would be to couple it to a jack shaft running on pillow blocks.
Then you could adjust pulleys for what ever rpm you wanted.
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator #7  
How to get around a pulley on the gen shaft would be to couple it to a jack shaft running on pillow blocks.
Then you could adjust pulleys for what ever rpm you wanted.
OR put a properly geared "gear box" on the generator head.

SR
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator
  • Thread Starter
#8  
I don't know what a jack shaft or pillow block is. I don't know what the driveshaft side is like or how to adapt it to the gen. I'm still figuring this stuff out.
 
   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator #9  
Kubota makes their own diesel gen sets which run at 3,600 rpm.

KUBOTA GENERATORS | PRODUCTS | Specifications : GL Series : U.S.A.

There is also a marine version which is rated at 3,600

Beta Marine Canada - Standard Engines

For satisfactory generator operation, the engine needs to be running on the downward slope of its torque curve so that if it slows slightly under load the available torque is increasing.

Starting to try and run the engine slower means you may be at a point on its torque curve where the torque falls off as rpm's decrease which can lead to a sudden stall.

I apologize for resorting to technical jargon to make a point but it is critical in generator operations.

The torque curve shows a downward slope as it goes from 2,800 to 3,600 rpm.

If you have the engine rpm's in that range and the load on the generator increases as the engine starts to slow down from its 3,600 rpm needed to produce 62 cycle AC, the torque output of the engine increases so it accepts the extra load without any fuss.

If you think it is a good idea to slow the engine down and use pulley's and V belts to turn the generator head at 3,600 rpm, you are now operating on a place on the engine torque curve where a slight lowering of engine rpm produces less torque and this situation quickly deteriorates into the engine stalling.
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You need 2 HP to produce 1 kW of electricity. so in your case to turn the HF gen head you need at least 20 pto HP which you do not have.

Yes you can run the gen head with less engine power but not with a stable output.

Some engines are designed with a tapered shaft specifically for powering water pumps, generators etc, If this engine has a tapered shaft it is not the best for your application as lots of fiddling will be needed.

Dave M7040
 
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   / Kubota D600 engine + Harbor Freight generator #10  
Yes you can run the gen head with less engine power but not with a stable output.
Dave M7040
That's not true, AS LONG as you don't try to pull more out of the generator than the max rated hp of your engine.

I run a 15kw gen set with a 12.5 hp diesel, and it works perfectly as long as I don't try to pull over the rated hp of my diesel.

IF, I need more generator power, I use a bigger diesel to power it.

I've run my putters, tv, fridge and everything else, it works perfectly...

SR
 
 
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