Generator 15KW PTO Generator Harbor Freight

[msukegrat]

NorthStar PTO Generator — 7200 Watt, 14 HP Required | PTO Generators | Northern Tool + Equipment

Here is a good one for $1,000

 

[Eyecatcher]

Hurricane season is upon us, as a matter of fact we have 2 brewing in the Caribbean right now. Been in Fl for over 30 years, and have been w/o power numerous times, never bothered me much, but now we have a well for water, and two refrigerators and afreezer full of food. I think it's time. Been all over Harbor Freight, and although their online ad says the 65309 may be in stock in your local store, none of them within 100 miles have any, and they
tell me it's an online or mail orde only. By the time you pay the extra shipping, it's no long quite so attractive. So I'm still looking.

 

[bjmsam]

Thanks for the informative thread! We lost power for three days last week and this PTO genset looks like a great way to avoid a repeat of that experience (too bad I missed the recent sale - $1119.99!). Would those of you who have owned it for a while please provide an update?

 

[Newtothis1]

I am considering getting a PTO generator as well. Does anyone know of a gear box to double Pto RPM's so you can run your single speed tractor at half throttle to power the unit or would you have to fabricate one?

 

[bjmsam]

I am considering getting a PTO generator as well. Does anyone know of a gear box to double Pto RPM's so you can run your single speed tractor at half throttle to power the unit or would you have to fabricate one?

Hub City Model 390 PTO Speed Changer

But:

Running a 540 Gen on 1000PTO at reduced engine speed is not viable unless your governor holds speed exceedingly well under load changes or you are running a constant load. At 1k pto gearing the pto speed changes more as the engine speed changes so the engine must hold better [about twice as well] at the chosen rpm for the gen speed to stay as constant as on 540 gearing.
larry

a factsheet published by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food titled Tractor-Driven Generators: Producing Quality Power states, "Operating a tractor with a 1000 rpm PTO at approximately one-half its rated engine rpm to deliver 540 rpm to the generator is not a recommended practice - do not operate your tractor with 1000 rpm PTO and half engine speed."

 

[Newtothis1]

Hub City Model 390 PTO Speed Changer

But:

Shux, it sounded like a good idea, oh well

 

[brewdog]

I was also considering a 15KW PTO mounted unit. After a thorough research, I decided to buy a 7500 watt gasoline Generac generator. I just recently bought a 60 amp breaker for main Service panel so I can mount a model 6295 Generac manual Transfer switch. The most important circuits are the water well, furnace, refrigerator, some lights on all floors and 120v outlets. I have propane gas for our cooking stove. Heating water is not a problem for us. After running the generator a few times it was the right choice for me. I move it around with my tractor bucket and it's not hard on Gasoline.

 

[bjmsam]

Shux, it sounded like a good idea, oh well

It works well enough for some folks. The guy who posted this video commented:

Overall we have been very satisfied with the unit. It seems to be holding up well although we have only needed it for light duty situations. As for the 1000 RPM PTO setting with lower engine RPM, we continue to use this configuration successfully. The tractor has enough HP to easily manage the load. However, as "Danielthechskid" mentions in one of the post, it does reduce the engine governor accuracy so maintaining 60Hz is a little more challenging with changing electrical loads.

Note that he has a '78 Case (David Brown) 990 tractor with about 54 hp at the PTO. Running a diesel engine at lower RPM reduces noise more than fuel consumption. FWIW, I lived in Europe for more than a decade and never had trouble running my 60 hz appliances at 50 hz, but there was no fluctuation...

After a thorough research, I decided to buy a 7500 watt gasoline Generac generator.

Would you mind summarizing your findings? My take: for 15 KW (I need 7500 watts for just the hot water heater!), a PTO generator is much cheaper, is driven by a robust, economical engine that sees regular use, requires no additional maintenance or volatile fuel, and is easy to move to where power is needed, but must be attached in potentially poor conditions and ties up the tractor which is relatively noisy at the rated RPM (some of the best counterarguments I've seen are here). Thanks!

 

[Soundguy]

I am considering getting a PTO generator as well. Does anyone know of a gear box to double Pto RPM's so you can run your single speed tractor at half throttle to power the unit or would you have to fabricate one?

keep in mind that running your tractor at half pto rpms will likely yeild LESS than half the output capacity of the genny.

IE.. a 10k genny needing roughly 20 pto hp, and you are doubling the pto speed and running at half rpm.. don't expect 10pto hp and 5kw available electrical power. you will be OUTSIDE your engines power band.. which is usually situated at or near pto speed.

just saying....

now if you have a 95 hp tractor and want to run that genny.. then you are fine. half rpm or not...

 

[SPYDERLK]

remember.. half tractor rpm likely does not mean half pto hp.. the pto setting on your tractor is placed in it's power band. You may need quite a powerfull tractor to run at half rpm and still get 30 pto hp.

soundguy

Running a 540 Gen on 1000PTO at reduced engine speed is not viable unless your governor holds speed exceedingly well under load changes or you are running a constant load. At 1k pto gearing the pto speed changes more as the engine speed changes so the engine must hold better [about twice as well] at the chosen rpm for the gen speed to stay as constant as on 540 gearing.
larry

back in post 38 i mentioned the issues with 1k pto and 'half' engine speed being an issue.

no one seemed to care about it then either..

fine with me.. someone else can do the expensive expirement with a 1000+$ head and tractor and then figure out what they really need...

soundguy

Maybe theyll see it with the explanation. Even with ample ptoHP at reduced rpm the governor will have to control the engine twice as close for equal genny performance with load changes.

keep in mind that running your tractor at half pto rpms will likely yeild LESS than half the output capacity of the genny.

IE.. a 10k genny needing roughly 20 pto hp, and you are doubling the pto speed and running at half rpm.. don't expect 10pto hp and 5kw available electrical power. you will be OUTSIDE your engines power band.. which is usually situated at or near pto speed.

just saying....

now if you have a 95 hp tractor and want to run that genny.. then you are fine. half rpm or not...

Still no explicit or even implied mention of the speed control issue.:confused2:
larry