Do's and Don'ts and recommendation for buying a PTO driven electricity generator?

[workinonit]

Yes. Yes they are.

 

[Diggin It]

Yes, which is why everyone has to evaluate their own situation. Households with one or two adults with no pressing medical issues might be able and willing to go without power for a few hours while a tractor is used for other tasks . Others may not, or may not want to. No two homes or families have the same needs or desires.

I'm going to have to adjust how I do things and make sure my LP tank is always above 50%. In the past, I've let it get below 20% fairly often. I won't be able to do that and will have to make sure to order far enough in advance for them to deliver if I know a storm is coming.

I'll be keeping the gasoline units as back ups.

 

[WranglerX]

Having done with quirks of California Utility companies failure and wild fire and earthquake and more recent the "mono winds", the power grid here is not reliable at all......... A generator is almost a must in mountain country where we have been with out power for 3 to 5 days, Ironical we get buy with a old used 6500Watt Generic stand alone .... So it works for us, but we only run it a few hours in morning and evening mainly to keep well tank full of water and keeping refrigerator cold.... Really can't see tying up my 14,000 dollar tractor and a 3,000 dollar PTO generator when a $800 (new) standalone will do.... Of course you needs will vary, but if you power loss in a yearly thing and for long extended periods I really believe dedicated system with auto start and cut over is better solution.... The 10 seconds of with out power when utility company power drops off and the standalone with auto start comes online is not really any inconvenience...

Dale

 

[LouNY]

Having done with quirks of California Utility companies failure and wild fire and earthquake and more recent the "mono winds", the power grid here is not reliable at all......... A generator is almost a must in mountain country where we have been with out power for 3 to 5 days, Ironical we get buy with a old used 6500Watt Generic stand alone .... So it works for us, but we only run it a few hours in morning and evening mainly to keep well tank full of water and keeping refrigerator cold.... Really can't see tying up my 14,000 dollar tractor and a 3,000 dollar PTO generator when a $800 (new) standalone will do.... Of course you needs will vary, but if you power loss in a yearly thing and for long extended periods I really believe dedicated system with auto start and cut over is better solution.... The 10 seconds of with out power when utility company power drops off and the standalone with auto start comes online is not really any inconvenience...

Dale

Well let's see my newer tractor was more then $40,000 my old one was $5000 but seeing as how I already have them and would have them with or without a pto generator
I fail to see were that cost has anything to do with the generator cost.
A $3000 pto generator should be a high quality 25 Kw unit or larger which will provide a 100 Amps of clean 240 Volt power,
your $800 3600 rpm screamer likely will be providing dirty power and not that much of it and your going to have to keep gasoline around to run it.
And you can not run any heavy loads with it.
But you are welcome to use what you wish to, I would never suggest such a system but you can if you wish.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

My F-150 with the 7.2kw generator comes in on the 27th. I was hoping to use it as my backup energy source with a manual transfer switch. I知 trying to figure out how difficult/costly it will be to install the exhaust system that fire stations and auto shops use so I can run it with the garage door closed. We are building a home this spring and I知 hoping to plan for it rather than trying to make it work later. Weæ±*e building with ICF, so just punching a hole in the exterior wall won稚 be too easy if I don稚 plan for it.

Talk to your plumber; there are many ways to do a pipe through a wall into an access panel. Simply plug and play after that. I just ordered my wife a new 150 with the powerboost and 7.2Kw 30 minutes ago. Sometime in May is what the dealer is telling me.

 

[LouNY]

My F-150 with the 7.2kw generator comes in on the 27th. I was hoping to use it as my backup energy source with a manual transfer switch. I知 trying to figure out how difficult/costly it will be to install the exhaust system that fire stations and auto shops use so I can run it with the garage door closed. We are building a home this spring and I知 hoping to plan for it rather than trying to make it work later. Weæ±*e building with ICF, so just punching a hole in the exterior wall won稚 be too easy if I don稚 plan for it.

Here are several hoses;
Garage Exhaust Hoses - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

 

[Diggin It]

I’m trying to figure out how difficult/costly it will be to install the exhaust system that fire stations and auto shops use so I can run it with the garage door closed. We are building a home this spring and I’m hoping to plan for it rather than trying to make it work later. We’re building with ICF, so just punching a hole in the exterior wall won’t be too easy if I don’t plan for it.

Talk to your plumber; there are many ways to do a pipe through a wall into an access panel. Simply plug and play after that.

He's talking about a pipe for a hose to attach to the exhaust of the truck. That will need to be done before the concrete wall is poured. Conduit from the garage to the power panel should be part of the construction plans.


That said, this is probably the least wise plan for backup power I've seen anywhere. Leaving a motor vehicle running inside a closed or semi-closed garage to power a house ... well ....

 

[RalphVa]

One of the best things we did was to install a 12.5 kw Isuzu diesel generator from Central Maine Diesel in December 2012. It is a little gem. Uses about 0.25 gph for an average of about 2.5 kw for our whole 200amp panel on the generator, e.g. essentially all lights and refrigs, 2 heat pumps, 1 electric hot water tank and clothes drier. Has 60 gallons belly tank.

Would not like a PTO unit. Means you'd have to get a tractor out in the worst possible weather to connect it up and to get it a EXACTLY the right rpm, and its tank is entirely too small.

Ralph

 

[DrRobM]

He's talking about a pipe for a hose to attach to the exhaust of the truck. That will need to be done before the concrete wall is poured. Conduit from the garage to the power panel should be part of the construction plans.


That said, this is probably the least wise plan for backup power I've seen anywhere. Leaving a motor vehicle running inside a closed or semi-closed garage to power a house ... well ....

One of the reasons for building an ICF home is the protection aspect, not only from the weather. The way the country is going, living in a home with walls that can stop a .50 cal is pretty appealing. I don’t want my backup energy source exposed. That’s why I’m trying to plan for fresh air intake and exhausting the fumes. I agree there are better solutions, but the wish list is 10 pages long and the budget can only cover 5 pages. Thanks for the input on the conduit.

 

[workinonit]

Stopping a 50 cal is impressive.