Generator PTO generator problem

[chriswheeler]

I'm a little concerned about the lined up drive line thing. Having just spent a month building adapters to build 1 1/2 to 3 degrees into 4 high powered pumps. ( Machinist for a public utility ) We discovered that U joints fail if put in direct alignment and need a small offset to function under continous loads. I know that our 1000 hp pumps powered by V12 diesels are just a little different than your application. But the principal of U joint operation and early failure is the same. Ideal angle should be around 2 degrees, early failure under continous loads starts at 6 degrees. We operate and repair gen sets from 25 KW to 2,000,000 MW @ 4160 volts. You might consider starting your tractor with the PTO engaged to lessen the gear box start up torque. On the 2MW sets powered by V20 Detroit diesels, you don't notice this at all, and they ramp directly up to 1800 RPM. I'll quit rambleing here but bottom line is watch your drive line angles. They can go from 0 - to something extream, best service life is with just a small offset. That trailer is junk!!!
Chris

 

[schmism]

You might consider starting your tractor with the PTO engaged to lessen the gear box start up torque.
Chris

generally theres a safty switch that prevents that exact thing.

FYI for all of you wondering... a diesel outputing 2MW is in the 2700 HP range

 

[bucmeister]

I will agree something weird is going on. No way should that thing bind up like that. Personally, I disagree with the service rep. , I think the problem is on the generator end of the operation, how would something on the tractor end cause the PTO shaft to twist the trailer up like that, as others have stated it is as though something in the genhead was locked up. The tractor just turns the shaft and if everything on the other end rotates as it should then there should be very little load on the shaft until a load is applied. The cus rep is full of it, big time.

 

[cp1969]

It looks to me (from my 1000-mile-away perspective) that the torque of start-up raised the trailer in the air and the damage was done when it dropped back down. The right wheel, which looks undamaged, would be the one absorbing the torque from the tractor, not the left.

If my theory is correct, the whole problem is caused by too rapid of a start-up. Plus a very flimsy trailer.

Sorry if this has already been posted. I didn't read all the posts.

 

[JHTFarmer]

so they supply you with a single 50 amp 220v plug on the back?

i guess they expect you to be running that into some sort of transfer switch/distibution pannel....

Thats a 60 amp plug and there are two standard 120v plugs
that may not be visible in the photo. It also has a hertz meter (important to
keeping the driven motors supplied with 60 hz).
don't get me wrong,
I think the generator is a good machine, its just that that trailer is way
underengineered.

I will be using the genny to power my house via a 400amp manual transfer
switch. That switch cost quite a bit more than the
generator and its toy trailer. The original owner of the home had 300amp service installed
and so code requirements would have frowned on the more affordable
100amp switch.

I have done a couple of dry runs so far. Its pretty cool to power the entire house
with this machine and my 40 horse. I'm actually looking forward to our next power outage

 

[Soundguy]

Sounds like the dealer is not the problem and that he's going halvesies on a 3pt hitch adapter for the generator. I've often thought that the 3pt hitch set up for a generator was better anyway although it makes it impossible to move the thing around without the tractor.

I mounted my northern tool pto gen on a 50$ 3pt carryall from tsc. i use dthe same shipping pallet that the genny was bolted down to when UPS dropped it off.

I can sure tell you that I have no intentions of moving that heavy pto gen without the tractor.. it's darn heavy...

Soundguy

 

[BobRip]

I wonder if they have the generator on the wrong cart. Could this be one for a smaller generator?

 

[Soundguy]

Looking at it.. it 'may' be the cart for the non working 'demo' pto gen. I honestly feel.. that that cart is a POS.. just by looking at the pics... Perhaps a 1-2kw genny might be ok on it... Whatever comapny sodl that should be very ashamed..

Soundguy

 

[fastpat]

I had just gotten this new WinPower 15kw PTO generator last weekend.
The tractor is a Case DX40.

I followed the start up directions perfectly. That is, ensuring the PTO shaft is in a straight line and that the PTO is engaged at a slow speed and then gradually brought up to speed. When the PTO is engaged at idle speed ---> something very dramatic happens.

An obviously powerful force is applied to the PTO shaft, then to the generator, and then on to the ground through the trailer. The trailer is the weak link and folded under the impulse. The opposite wheel rim was bent by the bounce back force. The tire had no tube and collapsed.

To me, the trailer seems underengineered for this size generator. It is made from pressed steel, each axel is about six inches long and held together with two u bolts, and the wheels seem very lightly made.

I contacted the company, and they said the trailer is fine, but I should get my tractor checked out right away because something had to be wrong with my PTO. I told them the machine has about 200hrs on the clock with multiple PTO implments: brush cutter, finish mower, and tiller without any problems whatsoever.

Anyone have thoughts on what could be wrong or what I should do next? I plan to let my implement/tractor dealer take it from here.

As others have said, I find it hard to believe that the company expects to use a trailer like that(it's really more of a dolly) to move a 15KW generator around. This is what Northern Tool sells for them, is that what you have?

 

[sandman2234]

I recently purchased a PTO generator for my Steiner 525, and like it alot. I decided that the Steiner would be easy to run across the street and power my inlaws house, so I thought I would look at buying one for my John Deere.
Glad I found this post, as now I know which one not to purchase. I don't want to find out 2 days before a hurricane hits that my pto generator company doesn't stand behind their merchandise.

As far as the dealer splitting a new one with you, I wouldn't waste my money. Find a different manufacturer of one, that will stand behind it, and actually puts some thought into the design of it.
David from jax