groundcover
Veteran Member
May want to move to a safer place !!
Do's and Don'ts and recommendation for buying a PTO driven electricity generator?
- Thread starter Sid Post
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workinonit
Elite Member
LOL. Agree.
I wonder how the natural gas supply for home generators is holding up in Texas. Anybody have direct experience down there ?
That's why I stuck with a diesel tractor powered Winpower 25 kW job. Plus I can get my neighbors well, furnace and battery chargers going at any time. Once my house is warm, It will stay that way for 4 hours. So I can use the tractor for a 4H parade or whatever your 'critical tractor needs' are that everybody talks about. You can pull trees out of the road, plow snow or teach driver's ed with a truck. No tractor really needed.
BTW: I was told that a log cabin would stop a .50 cal. Ain't so. My Barrett will penetrate a 12" dried oak log at 150 yards and still have enough momentum left to dent a (full) beer can.
That's why I stuck with a diesel tractor powered Winpower 25 kW job. Plus I can get my neighbors well, furnace and battery chargers going at any time. Once my house is warm, It will stay that way for 4 hours. So I can use the tractor for a 4H parade or whatever your 'critical tractor needs' are that everybody talks about. You can pull trees out of the road, plow snow or teach driver's ed with a truck. No tractor really needed.
BTW: I was told that a log cabin would stop a .50 cal. Ain't so. My Barrett will penetrate a 12" dried oak log at 150 yards and still have enough momentum left to dent a (full) beer can.
Diggin It
Super Star Member
I'd be more concerned with holding up against a Tornado. And my neighbor is a 1/4 mile away, so that'd be a fairly long extension cord.
It'd be nice to have a diesel genset, but the cost was not too nice. I wouldn't think of running my little blue bomber as a power source, even IF I could get it up to the house during a storm.
It'd be nice to have a diesel genset, but the cost was not too nice. I wouldn't think of running my little blue bomber as a power source, even IF I could get it up to the house during a storm.
LouNY
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2015
- Messages
- 12,335
- Location
- Greenwich, NY
- Tractor
- Branson 8050, IH 574, Oliver 1550 Diesel Utility (traded in on Branson) NH 8160. Kioti CK2620SECH
Been using PTO generators since we got the first on on the farm back in the mid 60's.
I've had portables and larger engine drive units I'll stick with the PTO's or an 1800 rpm diesel of good size.
And for those that think they are too complicated to hook up and use, they need to get good and cold to have an incentive to learn.
I've had portables and larger engine drive units I'll stick with the PTO's or an 1800 rpm diesel of good size.
And for those that think they are too complicated to hook up and use, they need to get good and cold to have an incentive to learn.
52wej
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2008
- Messages
- 268
- Location
- Central Virginia
- Tractor
- 2004 Century 2535 (3510 Branson equivalent), 2016 Kubota MX 5200
Here is another vote for a 25 kw pto generator. On our home farm when it was a dairy we purchased a 25 kw Onan which ran all of the milk barn, coolers and main house. We still have the transfer switch, but the Onan wore out and also a subsequent tiger power 15 kw (over about 50 years). Right now my daughter who lives at the home place has been on the pto generator since mid day Saturday. Round the clock connected to a 35 horsepower Century/Branson tractor. It burns about 3/4 gph of diesel. Other than stopping to change engine oil and service the generator, it just keeps chugging along. It is a Winco and I have been pleased with it so far.
Here in Central VA there are thousands whose power is still out from the ice. We know where the problem is on the farm with a broken line. But this line only serves 3 connections and so is low on the priority list. I live on a different leg and only was out of power for about 3 days. And I have a small 6600 way Northstar that i use for essential circuits in my house. As others say it really depends upon your particular situation and needs. Both of these options have worked well in our case.
Here in Central VA there are thousands whose power is still out from the ice. We know where the problem is on the farm with a broken line. But this line only serves 3 connections and so is low on the priority list. I live on a different leg and only was out of power for about 3 days. And I have a small 6600 way Northstar that i use for essential circuits in my house. As others say it really depends upon your particular situation and needs. Both of these options have worked well in our case.
ehcrain
Bronze Member
Ive got a 17kw propane backup with auto switch, been out of power since Saturday morning. Propane tank ran empty last night with delivery scheduled yesterday but not showing up. PTO generator is much easier to refill and stockpile fuel for. I will be getting a generator plug added to run a smaller generator in the coming weeks once the local electricians get caught up. In central VA supplied by Southside Electric Co-Op, they have gotten about 1/3 of their customer restored to power since Saturday.....
Sawyer Rob
Super Member
Those Isuzu gensets are really nice, but it only cost me $1,200. for my 15kw Winco pto generator, and now I have a nice diesel generator...
I don't see any reason a guy can't put a small enclosure/shed by their house to keep their tractor and pto generator in, and run a wire to your house, not really any different than wiring for a stand alone generator, other than it's not auto start. That part doesn't bother anyone here, my wife says she's not helpless... lol
I keep fuel around for the tractor, so it's no big deal to keep some close to the tractor to fuel it once a day or so...
SR
workinonit
Elite Member
When I built my shop I ran a 200 amp service to it from my 400 amp house service. I park the tractor and generator in my shop, hook the cable to the 100 amp welding plugs on each end, line up my breakers and let it run.
RjCorazza
Elite Member
My well used 7kw Generac broke down last year and I replaced it with a 15kw PTO generator from Winco. Other than testing I haven't used it yet. I agonized over the various issues with dedicating my one tractor to producing power, mostly because I use the tractor for contract snow plowing. In the end, I realized my plow run is 2-3 hours at a time, and hooking up the generator is painless.
I moved half a dozen circuits from one 200a panel to the other 200a panel, which is manually switched over with an interlock. My electrician neighbor has been great in getting it all done. This spring I want to put an interlock on the the other panel so I have full (selective) control.
In addition to the expense concerns, a big consideration for me was the hassle of storing gasoline for the Generac. Diesel is easier to handle, and stores better / longer than gas (plus I already carry 37g of diesel in a transfer tank in my truck).
I moved half a dozen circuits from one 200a panel to the other 200a panel, which is manually switched over with an interlock. My electrician neighbor has been great in getting it all done. This spring I want to put an interlock on the the other panel so I have full (selective) control.
In addition to the expense concerns, a big consideration for me was the hassle of storing gasoline for the Generac. Diesel is easier to handle, and stores better / longer than gas (plus I already carry 37g of diesel in a transfer tank in my truck).