Back up Generators - finally looking.

[check]

My step son was in a car accident and he is now confined to a wheel chair. He was using a portable generator for back up power but that is no longer an option for him. Wife wants to buy him a whole house standby generator and run it from the 500 gal propane tank that is there. I am still working on sizing it, which will depend on if she also decides to give him central AC as the house is in NC. My question is, do folks have recommended brands we should be looking at, or brands to avoid. My neighbor in Maine just installed a Kohler standby unit and it is LOUD, it drowns out all the other generators in the neighborhood when it is running. So Kohler is off my list unless someone knows this might be just one bad model. I don't know what model he installed. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Yes, check further. My 17kw Kohler on propane is very quiet. The manual will tell you how many decibels it is.

 

[LouNY]

They cost more but the lower rpm liquid cooled units in a decent enclosure are much quieter.

 

[twowoode]

I put in a kohler for the whole house 20kw. It runs on propane and I have a 500 gallon tank. I have been happy with it so far but wish I had gone with a 1000 gallon tank. Look at the propane consumption and you may want the larger tank.

 

[5030]

And yet, both of my Honda generators keep going and going and going...

SR

When they crap out' forget about parts. Tactyl isn't the only one. The other Utuber, Cotten I think is in the same boat. No parts and NLA. Least you have a good motor though limited use as generator motors all have tapered keyed shafts.

I have a Champion Inverter that is at least 12 years old and I can get parts for it. 1/2 the cost of a Honda and runs like a top.

 

[5030]

They cost more but the lower rpm liquid cooled units in a decent enclosure are much quieter.

Absolutely. The propane and gas run ones spin at 3600 rpm. My turbo diesel Generac turns at 1800 rpm and it's totally enclosed too.

You cannot hear mine 15 feet away which is why I had an electrician install lights on the side of the shop so I can look out and see what it's doing.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

When they crap out' forget about parts. Tactyl isn't the only one. The other Utuber, Cotten I think is in the same boat. No parts and NLA. Least you have a good motor though limited use as generator motors all have tapered keyed shafts.

I have a Champion Inverter that is at least 12 years old and I can get parts for it. 1/2 the cost of a Honda and runs like a top.

Like I said, one has easily paid for itself and the other is well on it's way...

As for tapered shaft, no problem at all IF you know what you are doing.

SR

 

[5030]

Like I said, one has easily paid for itself and the other is well on it's way...

As for tapered shaft, no problem at all IF you know what you are doing.

SR

So please elude as to how you convert a taper shaft engine to a straight shaft. I'm curious.

 

[pmsmechanic]

So please elude as to how you convert a taper shaft engine to a straight shaft. I'm curious.

I would just machine an adapter to fit the tapered shaft. It's not a conversion but an adaption to enable the engine to do what I want it to do.

But then SR might have a different idea.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

So please elude as to how you convert a taper shaft engine to a straight shaft. I'm curious.

There is more than one way to do it, but you can buy ready-made adapters, depends on what you want to use the engine for.

SR

 

[5030]

There is more than one way to do it, but you can buy ready-made adapters, depends on what you want to use the engine for.

SR

Care to link one please? The other issue is, the genny head direct bolts to the engine block so the hole pattern isn't conducive to much of anything else, especially a direct couple. Even my diesel standby, the genny head direct bolts to the back of the JD bell housing.