BillyP
Veteran Member
$17,420
Generators, LP or Diesel
- Thread starter LSmith
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dmccarty
Super Star Member
Lsmith,
All throw out another idea. Do you want/need a welder? I priced out some engine welders, I think they had 10,000 watts or there abouts. A gas welder from Lincoln was something like 3-4000 dollars. A diesel welder seems like it was $8,000 or so.
Now that is big money compared to a PTO generator especially since the PTO genset will be more than 10,000 watts for a lot less money.
For me I really want to get the important engines running on diesel. I want to get a tank for fuel for the truck, tractor, and maybe the Wifey's car if she gets an oil burner. Makes things cheaper and easier. Northern used to have a portable diesel genset, I think it was 6200 watts. I figured for the price of the
wired power welder plus the diesel genset I could get the diesel powered welder, which had more power, for about the same price.
Maybe this will fit into what you are doing. On the other hand I just noticed the $8,000-$9,000 buys a lot of standalone genset. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Later,
Dan McCarty
All throw out another idea. Do you want/need a welder? I priced out some engine welders, I think they had 10,000 watts or there abouts. A gas welder from Lincoln was something like 3-4000 dollars. A diesel welder seems like it was $8,000 or so.
Now that is big money compared to a PTO generator especially since the PTO genset will be more than 10,000 watts for a lot less money.
For me I really want to get the important engines running on diesel. I want to get a tank for fuel for the truck, tractor, and maybe the Wifey's car if she gets an oil burner. Makes things cheaper and easier. Northern used to have a portable diesel genset, I think it was 6200 watts. I figured for the price of the
wired power welder plus the diesel genset I could get the diesel powered welder, which had more power, for about the same price.
Maybe this will fit into what you are doing. On the other hand I just noticed the $8,000-$9,000 buys a lot of standalone genset. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Later,
Dan McCarty
_RaT_
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Unless power outages are a problem in your area and it seems to be more of an issue back East, I would opt for a far less expensive approach. If it is absolutely necessary to have power to more then the well, the freezer/refrigerator and a couple lights, your going to need a large unit. Going propane makes a lot of sense if you already have propane. Diesel is great but not only pricey, will need the fuel replaced as it picks up algae. I use a simple setup with a Honda 3500 watt to run a 240V well pump and the refrigerator and most any light in our small home. Some of the units from folks like Generac have weekly "exercisers" built into their generators to run them 15 minutes each week. A 12,000 watt unit like that would be about $4000 in gas or propane, I would opt for propane purely for the reliability of the fuel staying fresh. My power goes out a couple of times a year for a couple of hours, hardly worth the effort on my part to even have any backup. When the power goes out here, it's more of an adventure, lighting candles and enjoying how really dark it can get, I wish it would happen more often /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Junkman
Super Member
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ......................... When the power goes out here, it's more of an adventure, lighting candles and enjoying how really dark it can get, I wish it would happen more often /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )</font>
Stay tuned.... it will probably happen again this summer with the rolling blackouts that California is so famous for. Has your new Governator fixed things yet. Haven't heard much about what is going on out there, here in the East. No news good news??????? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Stay tuned.... it will probably happen again this summer with the rolling blackouts that California is so famous for. Has your new Governator fixed things yet. Haven't heard much about what is going on out there, here in the East. No news good news??????? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
_RaT_
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I think your more of victim of media hype, we never had them in our portion of the state, (Northern California) not anymore then we had them in the past. I think again, during the hype of the power issue, we lost power twice in the summer on two hot days when everyone was running their air conditioners. It never ceases to amaze me how much our wonderful media can inflate a story and remanufactuer it as front page news. Even at that, it amazes me not so much what they report and consider news as what they fail to report that truly is news. Kobe Bryant, Michael Jackson and Scot Peterson, it was news once or twice, but having a daily update? Perhaps that is why I go to the net and quickly gloss over the news. From many of our rag newspapers to the alphabet media, I gave up using them as a source. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Sorry, I vent like this with media. Rat...
40Kchicks
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I think both LP and diesel engines will last plenty long. The LP generator is usually easier starting and if you have a tank ready to tap into it may be the right choice. However diesel is also an excellent choice. I’m guessing that if you ran it for a long time the diesel would be cheaper. I know I have an 85KW LP generator for my poultry farm that is pretty thirsty but I only run it during testing and emergencies. I got it used from a hospital cheap so I don’t care too much about the efficiency of the unit.
If prices and performance were equal I would probably go with the diesel but either one will serve you well.
Eric
If prices and performance were equal I would probably go with the diesel but either one will serve you well.
Eric
BIGUN
Gold Member
We used to have a couple of Onan generators at work. One was gasoline and the other natural gas. The natural gas was the much easier starting, better running of the two. Even with test running them weekly, sometimes the gasoline one would fail to start.
We replaced them a few years ago with brand new Kohler diesel generators. The engines were made by John Deere and had block heaters. These said “Rapid Start” on the cover and they sure were. They started very rapidly and ran very well.
I see a problem with long term storage of diesel, seems it would go bad unless your tank is fairly small and you use it for fueling your tractor so that fresh fuel is added on a regular basis. If you have propane for use in the house I would think that would be the better way to go.
We replaced them a few years ago with brand new Kohler diesel generators. The engines were made by John Deere and had block heaters. These said “Rapid Start” on the cover and they sure were. They started very rapidly and ran very well.
I see a problem with long term storage of diesel, seems it would go bad unless your tank is fairly small and you use it for fueling your tractor so that fresh fuel is added on a regular basis. If you have propane for use in the house I would think that would be the better way to go.
