Diesel Generator or PTO Generator?

[bullbreaker]

Been enjoying thread , I realize pto mounted genny has its advantages in certain applications , but two things I don't like about it is leaveing tractor running unattended and even though they tend too be short-spinning PTO shaft even w/cover and I'am not around. As for hrs my tractor even though well cared for is a tool. I don't care about hrs on it. Even at resale or trade-in. Just my :2cents:

gas Subaru powered !

 

[DarkBlack]

I Run the whole house from a 5k generator that cost <$600. I put it out in the snow, freezing rain, or whatever and let it run all night and all day while I go to work as needed.
Not in a million years would I leave my $20k tractor running full bore to get 540 PTO rpms while I try to sleep, or while I'm away at work.
I change the quart of oil in the generator once a year. The choice is a no-brainer to me.

 

[Bigfoot62]

This was the most sensible post in the whole thread. People got by just fine before electricity. You can be comfortable with 19th century technology. I have a generator, but don't even bother to get it out of the barn until the second day of a power outage. . . . .

Larry, and others that have made similar comments:
You don't live in the Gulf South. Wish y'all could have been down here when Hurricane Rita came through. Daytime temps near 100, and overnight lows in the 80's. Humidity near 100% too. In those conditions, you really NEED to be able to pump some water and take a bath. And you NEED some A/C to be able to sleep. We were very fortunate, as our electricity was only out for 4 1/2 days. Many were without power for 2 weeks or more.

While the OP doesn't live down here near the coast, he does live in an area that is occasionally visited by tornadoes in the summer and perhaps an ice storm in the winter. In one of his posts, he said that he was without power for a week one summer, and that it was "miserable" in the house with no A/C.

I still have the 5KW gasoline portable generator that we got by on. But, my plans are to buy a "whole house" PTO unit as soon as my budget will allow.
Another issue that we had with the gasoline units is that we had to drive more than 50 miles to get gas for the gen. I have two bulk tanks for diesel, one for the trucks and another for the tractors. I usually have several hundred gallons on hand. That eliminates the fuel problem.

Just my :2cents:

 

[Olympus]

Yeah, the summer storm that took out power for a week was not fun. We went to sleep in the basement and it was cooler down there for the first day or two then it got stifling down there too. It's just impossible for me to sleep when it's that hot. And more than two days with minimal sleep is enough to drive me crazy. I'm used to 8 or 9 hours every night in the cool.

I also thought about doing a smaller dedicated generator and just buying a window unit a/c to put in the bedroom with the door shut. But by the time I buy a 7500 watt diesel gen and a decent size window unit a/c, I'll be at the same cost for a 13kw pto unit that will gun the whole house and my central a/c.

 

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,
I understand everyone has different requirements here. I guess the main thing would be is it just for convenience or for running a farming operation?

for me, multiple tractors, farm diesel tank, 3 wells, and cattle to water. The PTO generator does not get pulled out and hooked up as soon as the power is out, but, I might investigate why, and make the call when I see the issue will be a day or two. The family can make due... I need the water working for cattle that is the deciding factor here. Same thing would happen is a well pump went out, move the cattle around to another area that is serviced by another well. It just so happens that the main central farm distribution feeds a lot of stuff, and a large PTO generator hooked at this point covers 70% of the farm. If it is just for a house, then the best bet is a small generator. You are worried about hours on a tractor... run a generator all you want.
30k PTO generator
7250 gas generator
6500 generator
4500 generator
1750 generator

 

[zzvyb6]

Sorry about reposting this notion, but if you have a decent lawnmower, you can run a PTO generator with it, too. This is a 3:1 reducer with a splined 540 output shaft I rigged up. Just switch the transmission shaft to the reducer input and set the throttle. I use a Kill-A-Watt to get the rpm just right (rpm = frequency). This is a 50kw alternator and a 22 hp diesel mower, but it runs the whole outfit. Yeah, I know, when I want to launch the Space Shuttle with it, I won't have enough grunt.

Now keep in mind that you can't be cutting the grass when this is connected because of the power cord. So, this is probably only good in the winter for many of you. So, now my tractor is freed up to drive to the Waffle House for dinner, plow all the roads (that are closed anyways), split the logs for firewood (wait, I have a gas furnace), and park it in the barn where I can wax it and admire it over a cold one (Summer only).

BTW, the disadvantages of portable units should be obvious to you all. You might be asked to help out a neighbor whose dinky gas unit won't start, has run out of gasoline, won't hold rpm and or Mom lost the keys. And, the permanent units require very long extension cords when you might need a welder way out in the Back forty to fix a broke farm wagon gate or even worse, to put that trailer tongue back on during hayin' just before that thunderstorm.

Another thing just hit me! I realized that the parts most likely to wear out on a tractor under any kind of use are the TIRES, so make sure you keep it parked when a PTO alternator is hooked up. Do you all realize what a set of decent tractor tires costs these days? Some of you probably think you need cruise control and a short turn circle to run a pto jenny by the tone of this thread. That would wind up the power cord for sure, so get yourself a decent slip ring when you make your purchase decision.

 

[DarkBlack]

:comedy:

 

[Notforhire]

Because I lost my power last night I figured I'd comment.

Yesterday afternoon I pulled my bush hog out of the shed, hooked it up, and got it ready to start cutting our field. It started to rain, so I quit for the day.
Early this morning I discover the power is off. I roll out the old 5kw Honda, two pulls later I have power.
It would have been a PITA to detach, then reattach the bush hog, just to run a generator.

My load is light. I only require 5KW. Your millage may vary.

Best, Bill

 

[Soundguy]

It would have been a PITA to detach, then reattach the bush hog,

wow...

 

[newbury]

Lot of good points.

I guess it depends on how he uses his tractor. If it just sits parked most of the time then using it to power a PTO generator would not be a problem and not really tie it up. But if he uses the tractor for farm work and its the only one he has then it would be tied up using it to power the house or barn when he needed it for other jobs.

As many posters metioned you can work around "tying up the tractor".

Either type of generator will need to be tested periodically, but stand-alone more than pto since presumably, you know your tractor will start when needed.

Personally, I would be more likely to faithfully do that testing with a stand-alone set compared to hooking up the tractor pto.

Your power does sound very stable. If you aren't in a location that could see long outages from storms causing wide-spread damage, the advice to consider your actual needs is worth considering. You might be driving a tack with a sledge hammer.

In this day and age of crumbling infrastructure one good tornado or ice storm can shut down several counties for a week. We have to trade off what it cost to be prepared vs suffering without.

Went through the same dilemma as the OP a few years ago. Here in No. VA we have pretty reliable power, but we lost it for four days from the June 2012 derecho. Was real glad to have a dedicated portable gas generator, 8250 watts. With so much tree damage, we needed our tractor a lot, and in 95 degree heat, we also needed power for the fans, 400 ft. deep well pump, freezers, fridges and TV for the news and weather. Can't power our AC units with that size gen set, but that's just an inconvenience. During "Snowmaggeddon" in February 2010, we lost power for three days and needed the tractor even more, to clear the mile-long driveway that serves us and some neighbors. Now that we've added another tractor, we could use the smaller one for a pto generator, but I still much prefer wheeling out the portable and pushing the start button. Especially if it's in the dark with a flashlight.

Also in No. Va. but my area has only had a few power outages over a couple of hours in the last few years. And last year I finally got to run my 10 yr old generator because the power went out.

Ok.. so lets boil this down. You bought a tractor to work with. It reaches it's rated hp at or very near the engine speed needed for 540 pto speed ( by design )... and.. you are AFRAID to use your tractor as it was designed.

You do realize the tractor does not know if it is mowing ( 540 pto rpm ) for 7 hours.. or turning a pto genset for 7 hours.

It's all pto rpm and laod. Your machine was DESIGNED to run at rated hp for extended intervals. Yor car? not so much... it is designed to make hp to get you on the freeway, and then back off for travel. if you ran your car floored for extended times.. it wouldn't last. Luckilly.. the people that built your tractor designed it to make it's hp on a continous basis.

No.. i wouldn't strap myself down to a small dedicated engine 6500w genset. if you want to run your house.... your machine is more suited to a 10-12k genset .

All that said.. if you are afraid to run your tractor.. I suggest selling it, buying a lawnmower and a dedicated larger genset for the house with the money.

( you do realize those dedicated gensets run for extended intervalvs makeing the same hp your tractgor engine would.. right? and you somehow think it's fine for those engine to run but not your tractor? which.. IMHO.. likely has a better engine than the whizz-bangs they stick you with on lawnmowers and gensets anyway.

Now Soundguy - don't hold back, tell us how you really feel. I agree w/ the 12K genset.

I wouldn't be running 24/7 either. I don't live in an area that will flood. I'm wanting to power the a/c because I've been out for about a week in the heat of the summer and it was miserable in the house. I'd like to be able to cool the house off at night if that happened again.

Yeah, the summer storm that took out power for a week was not fun. We went to sleep in the basement and it was cooler down there for the first day or two then it got stifling down there too. It's just impossible for me to sleep when it's that hot. And more than two days with minimal sleep is enough to drive me crazy. I'm used to 8 or 9 hours every night in the cool.

I also thought about doing a smaller dedicated generator and just buying a window unit a/c to put in the bedroom with the door shut. But by the time I buy a 7500 watt diesel gen and a decent size window unit a/c, I'll be at the same cost for a 13kw pto unit that will gun the whole house and my central a/c.

Get a generator SOON. There's a 3.5KW size gas generator on Craigslist for $250 in St. Louis. Or you can pick up a Harbor Freight generator. IF you procrastinate and wait for the "right" generator and the next calamity hits it will be to late. Then get a small 8K a/c from Walmart for about $200, and enough extension cord to hook it all up. Then you are "safe" and can look for the ideal solution.

I've got 3 generators - A $90 HF unit that will basically run a frig. A $600 6KW Honda engine gas unit. A 12KW Winco PTO I got for $600. Thankfully I've only HAD to run the 6KW once for several hours. But there's nothing like the security blanket to know you are prepared.