PTO driven generator

[unnet]

I've been pondering buying a miller welder/generator but I also own a Kubota tractor. Does anyone have any experience with PTO driven generators? Maybe I should buy a cheaper stick welder and a good PTO generator?

 

[Soundguy]

there are probably dozens upon dozens of threads on pto gensets.

I have one.. I like it. they aren't for everybody.

if you are the type that needs power 24/7, have 1 tractor, and think you need to be outside cleaning up storm debri while the tornado is still in your yard, AND you need power at that time..

don't get a pto gen.

also.. hobart makes a nice 10kw genny with stick welder...


soundguy

 

[bubbacuse77]

I guess that depends. Are you trying to mainly weld and if so what kind of welding are you looking to do with it? the Miller set up is nice. We have a big one on a tandem trailer at work that sits in the corner and never gets used. We spend more hours keeping the engine up than we use it. presenting the other question? Do you want to maintain another engine? Do you want to use your tractor while the generator is powering the house or can you part task the use of the tractor as needed? The Miller set up will cost you many thousand and a PTO generator and stick welder together can be had for under 2K.

I myself already have a couple welders and would rather have the ability to use them mainly in the shop then for the few times in my life I need them outside I can hook up to the PTO generator.

 

[unnet]

Got any brand suggestions for the gen set

 

[nybirdman]

Check out Tiger Power- Switching Power Supplies Design and Manufacturing - About Us ,I have their 10k PTO generator,not cheap but comes with everthing but the transfer switch.Nice unit and works well.

 

[Soundguy]

My ptogenset os a northstar ( northern tools ).. I have th 12.5kw unit.. good unit.. never lets me down.

as another poster mentioned. a pto genny and a stick welder can easilly be had under 2000$

soundguy

 

[robs660]

I bought the miller for job sites and it's good. I would not want to run my house on it for 3 days the way I had to last week. I have a 15k for that task. It runs a small panel we installed in trailer and can run lighting and power tools well.
Not a fan of pto generators because I know I will need my tractor when the wife needs house power. If I had a couple tractors then maybe I would reconsider. Hmmmmm. Maybe I just found a reason to buy another tractor!

 

[bubbacuse77]

I hear good things about the Northern Tools North Star gens as well. Even if you look at the one that John Deere relabels it is the same gen head as the North Star. I am buying the 12.5K one and am just trying to decied between a small trailer or a 3pt mount. If you have the skills, build your own trailer or mount and save some "cheddar". Northern tools wants $600 some for the trailer.......outrageous. :confused2:

 

[bubbacuse77]

My ptogenset os a northstar ( northern tools ).. I have th 12.5kw unit.. good unit.. never lets me down.

as another poster mentioned. a pto genny and a stick welder can easilly be had under 2000$

soundguy

soundguy- many people said the voltage meter goes out.....have you had any issues? the 50 amp outlet looks really low on the unit.....any issues with getting a angled cord on it?

 

[Soundguy]

my volt gauge works fine, and I mountd the unit on a small pallate, and that pallate to a 3pt carryall, so the unit is 'up' a bit.. never had a cord issue. been using it since the 04 hurricanes for house and farm power as needed.

ran a well daily for a few months till I got power to t he back of my property.. also I've tied my stick welder to it and toted it around to do mobile welding when needed. old ford 660 powered it most of those times..

soundguy

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Harbor Freight has a 15kw PTO generator for $1500 at

Tractor-Driven PTO Generator - 16,000 W Max

That's 50 amps plus some extension cord load.

Just mousing around, it looks like you can get the same thing for $1100 at

http://www.ruralking.com/generator-15-000-watt-pto.html

maybe minus the 3-point? Hard to tell. This generator is not rotating field. In other words, it uses brushes, with the attendant high frequency static, which may or may not be filtered. That's also one more thing to wear out.

Most PTO generators on the internet seem to be back ordered. It's that time of year.

 

[Soundguy]

one reaon i like the northstar units.. brushless.. etc..

soundguy

 

[RoyJackson]

Most PTO generators on the internet seem to be back ordered. It's that time of year.

Yeah, I've noticed that too...

 

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,
PTO generator

If you have a tractor that is large enough and is kept in good running shape, then a PTO generator can really work well. Approx. 2hp is required for each KW made. And a PTO generator needs a constant 540rpm pto speed. That means your engine is not idleing. And a welder can be plugged into it and used wherever as well.

PTO generators in the market.
some have internal speeds of 3600rpms, these are cheaper to make and the longevity are not as long. The more expensive ones turn internally at 1800rpm. But like anything, it really depends on the overall use you will get out of it.
I bought a Tiger Power PTO generator myself. I like it. I also noticed that today's prices are a lot more than I paid.

Tiger Power although more information can be found at Tiger Power PTO Generators

 

[RoyJackson]

I bought a Tiger Power PTO generator myself. I like it. I also noticed that today's prices are a lot more than I paid.
View attachment 237185
Tiger Power although more information can be found at Tiger Power PTO Generators

Yeah, a bit higher then others I've seen, but Messick's also includes the trailer and PTO drive shaft...these are additional costs for some of the "value" priced PTO generators.

 

[JB4310]

Most PTO generators on the internet seem to be back ordered. It's that time of year.

It's not the time of year, it's the fact that 2 million people just lost power here in New England. About half a million for a week.

I'm sure that did something to spike sales, though many of those orders will probably be canceled now that everyone is back on the grid.
Unfortunately QC is gonna be way down while they rush to meet production.

I've always been interested in generators, fearing the potential harm a prolonged outage could cause. But this Arboreal Holocaust has me even more interested, even though I did not lose power for any more than a few hours in my entire life.

The lesson learned is you can't get a generator when you need it especially when 2 million other people need it, but not only can you not get a genny you can not get anything related to a generator.
After just a few days you could not even buy bulk wire, never mind cord sets or any type of male/ female cord ends.

There are many generators for sale now on Craigslist, in the past around here, buying a used generator usually meant you were getting a decent unit that sat in someone's garage till the carb got so messed up they couldn't start it. Now you will never now if it was not one of the ones that ran for 10 days straight without an oil change.

Another lesson learned, even though I don't like cheap junk, alot of cheap pieces of crap generators saved alot of people, since they still do make ac power. I saw far more cheap gennys powering people's homes than I saw quality ones.

JB

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Another lesson learned, even though I don't like cheap junk, alot of cheap pieces of crap generators saved alot of people, since they still do make ac power. I saw far more cheap gennys powering people's homes than I saw quality ones.

JB

I'm afraid I'm on the cheap junk side of the fence. I bought a 4400/5000 watt Harbor Freight cheapie in 1997 for $279. I installed a similarly cheap 60 amp transfer switch that only energizes the small loads in the house. Since then the generator has run 5 days during an extended power outage, and 3 days while a contractor built a shed. I run it empty, drain the carb, change the oil (synthetic only), fog the cylinder, bag the exhaust and put it back in the box it came in. It hasn't been out of the box in 5 years, but I need to run a Skilsaw at the shed, so I'll fire it up sometime in the next month.

My other generator is a 1000/1200 watt 2-cycle interrupter governed cheapie I bought at Coastal Farm for $149 in 2004. It's my travel trailer generator, and has gotten a lot more use. It's very handy way out in the boonies, and will run for 4.5 hours on a gallon of gas. I only use Red Line synthetic 2-cycle oil, real gasoline and never leave gas in it. It will run a 30 amp battery charger and lights at about half load, and is very quiet. It will also run a 750 watt heater, though the travel trailer has a propane furnace if things really get cold. In a pinch it will run a refrigerator or freezer.

I couldn't see spending a bunch of money on something I rarely use. For the price of a whole house generator I could just check into a hotel. I have a rural house with wood heat and keep a full wood shed, so heat is not a concern. I installed a low pressure gravity feed water system, so the only reason to fire up a generator is to take a shower. If the generator doesn't start for some reason, I have a big old 15 gallon copper boiler and can heat enough water for a bath on the wood stove.

My wife comments that the comfort level of our home doesn't change when the power goes out. We just didn't abandon 19th century technology, which worked fine without electricity. A generator may be the only solution for someone who has built themselves into a grid dependent position, but it's not necessary. An expensive generator is really not necessary.

 

[Soundguy]

I'm actually considering one of those cheap lil 1000-2800w gennies for real small tasks where I need power.. but don't feel like running 200' of extension cord.. or toting a tractor down there.

between walmart and harbor freight.. gennies aren't bad priced.

I don't want to get the lil 800-900w 2 stroke though..

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

then again.. a 4dlt bat out of my tractor and a 2kw inverter might be even easier..

 

[JB4310]

My wife comments that the comfort level of our home doesn't change when the power goes out. We just didn't abandon 19th century technology, which worked fine without electricity. A generator may be the only solution for someone who has built themselves into a grid dependent position, but it's not necessary. An expensive generator is really not necessary.

I hear ya, I have become accustomed to the creature comforts electricity affords, but I think I could still survive without it for awhile, with the aid of occasional power generation and alternative heat source etc.

I always plan for worst case scenarios, but have never been tested. we rarely lose power for any extended period of time.

My kids commented upon seeing the lights flicker recently "dad, got those generators" this was like 10 pm. I told them there's no way I'm going out in a storm at night just so they could pamper themselves and not miss a beat on line etc. Told them I'll just go to bed early and deal with it in the morning. I'm not sure how well the younger generation will deal with any interruption in their daily routine

I think this recent major outage up here was a critical wake up call, you better be prepared to fend for yourself.

then again.. a 4dlt bat out of my tractor and a 2kw inverter might be even easier..

I think a decent inverter is an important part of an alternative power plan.
But for that application out in the field, the little genny will be quicker, easier, more versatile and about the same cost.

JB