pto backup generator

[LouNY]

I have had my 25KW pto unit for over 20 years, it sits on it's trailer chassis parked next to the house with a piece of ag bag plastic on it for weather protection.
Back up to it hook up the pto plug in and go, I have the economy pto on one tractor and have used an adapter and a 1000 rpm pto at half throttle.
It is whole house quite easily.

 

[zzvyb6]

Not saying it would not work on a larger tractor.

BUT, I do have a JD 2:1 splined shaft gearbox and tried running my Onan 15KW PTO set on my JD 770 (Maybe 21 HP PTO HP or is that Engine HP). Big disappointment. It would barely turn the Genset at Rated Speed with no load. I never did try that on our 6200. I'm not running a 100K tractor to make a few hundred watts of power, in the summer, at night.

Funny: I often run my 50 kW WinPower of od my JD F-935 (~21 hp) without any problems. Sure, I'm never using all 50 kw because of the 3 cyl diesel power output. I run the 2100 rpm pto thru a 3.x :1 reducer to get 540 at the alternator. (Yes it runs the reverse direction but who cares (Santa Clause, the IRS, Howdy Doody, Hillary Election Campaign, ...)

This setup allows me to use my farm CUT to do other more important things after a storm (like fetching brews from the closed party store, getting the mail, clearing the pond for a hockey game, walking the dogs and of course running over the mole tunnels).

 

[AndyMA]

Funny: I often run my 50 kW WinPower of od my JD F-935 (~21 hp) without any problems. Sure, I'm never using all 50 kw because of the 3 cyl diesel power output. I run the 2100 rpm pto thru a 3.x :1 reducer to get 540 at the alternator. (Yes it runs the reverse direction but who cares (Santa Clause, the IRS, Howdy Doody, Hillary Election Campaign, ...)

This setup allows me to use my farm CUT to do other more important things after a storm (like fetching brews from the closed party store, getting the mail, clearing the pond for a hockey game, View attachment 566171walking the dogs and of course running over the mole tunnels).

746 watts per hp at 100% efficiency. That's it. At 90% efficiency 21 PTO HP - 746 X 21 X .9 = 14.1 kW possibly some more for very short surge due to inertial storage of rotor.

Personally I have a 13 kW PTO gen still sitting on it's crate. In 10 years total outage time less than 2 hours. If I run it, it will be on Deere X748 24HP Yanmar, Same engine that runs refer trailers 24/7

Andy

 

[Industrial Toys]

But you are running at rated speed. Not trying to run the genny at half throttle.

1:1 it worked GREAT. I once tried (with the Onan 15K PTO) to kill it, turning on all baseboard heat and all stove elements and I was impressed enough to call the experiment quits.

What RPM do reefer Diesels run?

 

[diesel85]

Never heard of that, can you explain?

Means you can fill it without turning it off.

 

[Katahdin]

I have the 15KW from Rural King. It worked great for a 5-day power outage we had last October. It only cost me $999 plus shipping, and I got a 12% rebate which I put towards a new chainsaw.

I estimate it took about 1 gallon/hour of diesel to run it. I ran it about 5 hours a day when we needed whole-house power to take showers, cook meals, etc. To power the fridge around the clock, I used a small inverter generator at night and a RV solar collector during the day while I was away at work.

I keep my old 5KW gas generator as backup if the tractor needs to be used for other tasks. The 5KW runs my most basic needs: well pump, oil burning boiler, etc.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Personally I have a 13 kW PTO gen still sitting on it's crate. In 10 years total outage time less than 2 hours. If I run it, it will be on Deere X748 24HP Yanmar, Same engine that runs refer trailers 24/7

Andy

That's like my $600 12 KW Winco. Sitting in the shed, only ran a few times since bought in 2012.
Face it - for most of us generators are like spare tires - you only use it in emergencies, you hope to never HAVE to use it, you check it once and a while.

When I bought mine I anticipated also using it for remote power more and didn't foresee the vast improvement in battery powered tools which eliminate the need for carrying a generator.

/edit - interesting fact - I was looking up my 12KW manual and they also have a manual there for the tumbling bar. First time I heard of calling a PTO shaft a tumbling bar,

 

[MGMAN45]

I looked into pto generators a few years ago, even bought my last tractor with enough pto hp to run a 15kw generator. Haven稚 pulled the tigger yet though.
Currently I run a Generac 7kw open frame unit powering one 200a panel on an interlock switch, so I have to pick and choose circuits. The generator sits close to the house and it is LOUD, plus I have to maintain 55 gallons of gas on hand.
I also would have no problem running my tractor 24/7, but in reality it would probably be shut down at night. My issue with a pto generator years ago was the wife setting it up if I was at work. Now retired, that痴 not a problem.
Now my debate is to just bite the bullet and get a whole house natural gas genset with auto transfer... I知 still all over the page!

I am running a 45KW Kohler standby generator.Powered by a 300 inline Ford engine powered by Lp.Would rather keep tractor freed up for other things.

 

[lakeside]

I have a B26 so I probably wouldn't be able to run a PTO generator anyway. After living through, and being deployed to assist during, the 1998 Ice Storm I bought a Kubota G11000 diesel genset. It's installed in a separate garage and is wired into the main house using a buried cable. 11kw is enough to power my whole house except for baseboard heaters, oven and clothes dryer. I have two propane space heaters that will keep the house livable even when it gets down to -33c as it sometimes does where I live.

Living in the country during a power outage means no water and no sewage. The G11000 gives me enough power to run what I need to run.

Having seen what happens to generators that sit for months and are never started (they usually won't start!) I run mine for 20 minutes every month.

 

[kuboman]

I have a B26 so I probably wouldn't be able to run a PTO generator anyway. After living through, and being deployed to assist during, the 1998 Ice Storm I bought a Kubota G11000 diesel genset. It's installed in a separate garage and is wired into the main house using a buried cable. 11kw is enough to power my whole house except for baseboard heaters, oven and clothes dryer. I have two propane space heaters that will keep the house livable even when it gets down to -33c as it sometimes does where I live.

Living in the country during a power outage means no water and no sewage. The G11000 gives me enough power to run what I need to run.

Having seen what happens to generators that sit for months and are never started (they usually won't start!) I run mine for 20 minutes every month.

Your B26 would run a 15kva pto generator just fine. Your G11000 is much quieter and convenient though.

 

[Katahdin]

I had a well technician at my house yesterday to raise my well cap above grade. My well was drilled in the 1950s and the cap was below ground, rainwater runoff and clay had been leaking through the cap and contaminating my well. The well cap is raised by removing the pump and welding on an extension pipe, then reinstalling the pump.

Well, excuse the pun, the technician couldn't get their 15KW gas generator started to run their ARC Welder. My Yanmar LX and PTO generator to the rescue! In about 10 minutes I had the PTO generator hooked up and in place. A home standby generator wouldn't of been much use in this situation.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Good job...

I use mine to run my welder too, and as I can have lights going and a helper running a grinder as I weld, it's VERY handy.

All running, on my diesel tractor sipping diesel fuel...

SR

 

[TractorGuy]

Not apples to apples but I tried a cheap 10KW unit on my JD 855 and was way less than happy. The gearbox on the generator was super noisy and I had to run my tractor above regular PTO speed to maintain 58hz under load.

You tractor would run one with no problem I'm sure. I would spring for teh higher price and quality of an 1800 RPM unit though.

I ended up with a stand alone 10KW diesel military unit that will run everything I need in an outage. When the power goes out I just walk out back and hit the key then go inside to the panel to flip a few breakers and we are back in business. With a PTO generator you could leave it connected to the house but will have to connect to the tractor to get going.

These Perkins generators look like a good deal if you can afford new.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

There ARE high quality 3,600 rpm pto generators, I have one.

As for hooking it up, just back the tractor up to it, hook the pto shaft and start the pto..

Not too big a deal as far as I'm concerned, especially when you consider the money saved....

SR

 

[ruffdog]

For the people that run pto generators.....trailer unit or 3-point mount?

 

[Jcoon]

For the people that run pto generators.....trailer unit or 3-point mount?

Mine is trailer mounted, factory made trailer, all Dayton.

 

[Katahdin]

For the people that run pto generators.....trailer unit or 3-point mount?

The most important thing is that the PTO shaft and yokes are close to level. Too much angle and you'll notice voltage fluctuation in any lighting you're powering, the lights will pulse or flicker a little.

With the three point mount its easy to adjust the PTO shaft height and angle, but when I move the unit into a corner of the garage I wish it had wheels. I keep my three point unit on a moving dolly when storing it in the garage.

Ultimately for me it came down to cost. With the Rural King unit I got the complete package: generator, 3 point mount, and PTO shaft for only $999 plus shipping. I also got a 12% gift card rebate that I put towards a new chainsaw.

 

[LouNY]

I prefer the trailer style,
it gives me more room hooking up the PTO,
also I can move it with a multitude of vehicles
and its easily transported.
Quick hookup; back up drop in a draw pin, crank up the jack hookup PTO
and its ready to make power.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Mines on a trailer right now, the reason is, I can also set my welder and tools on that trailer and power it where even I want. I can still pull it to the house and power that too...

I see no reason the gen set can't be put in a small room/bld. or even a water proof box near your house like a dedicated genset is. Then just back up to the box, extend the pto shaft out, hook it and power your whole house just like a dedicated genset.

I've seen folks mount the genset in the garage with a small door through the wall to run the pto shaft out, to power it.

SR

 

[Industrial Toys]

The Onan unit I bought years ago was like that. A hole in the wall of a chicken barn for the shaft and the set sitting on concrete blocks!