PTO Generator Question

[LawnSpecialties]

My TYM has around 36 HP at the PTO. The PTO generators I see out there are primarily two ranges:
1. Around 13 - 15 KW which requires a HP in the upper 20s.
2. Around 25 KW which requires a HP in the upper 40s.

If I used a generator larger than rated for my tractor but I am only pulling around 16 - 20 KW, would this create problems? As long my tractor can maintain the 540 rpm, am I OK regarding providing clean power to my home?

 

[RickB]

As long my tractor can maintain the 540 rpm, am I OK regarding providing clean power to my home?

You are OK. You can monitor line voltage and frequency at any outlet being powered with a handy little device called a Kill-a-Watt.

 

[groundcover]

Rule of thumb is 2 hp / KW. Spinning a big gen isn’t an issue as long you don’t try to squeeze past what the tractor is capable of.

 

[WranglerX]

A diesel engine running for long periods of time is not exactly "clean power"....

That being said...

First I would have a good understanding of what home requires.... If you have new electronic meter that gives readout of power usage, I would do a study.... Maybe go around and turn a lot of stuff and turn on pump or air conditioner and observe KW usage.... You may be better off with small standalone generator than one the ties up your tractor if you have need for extended use of generator....

Also would your PTO generator have frequency/voltage regulation to throttle up or down engine to maintain proper voltage/frequency of some of you appliances....

Just been through that study for AUX power for my home because of power losses due to wildfire loss of power in Calif foothills...

Dale

 

[Sawyer Rob]

A diesel engine running for long periods of time is not exactly "clean power"....
Dale

I'm not sure what THAT means??

I power my whole house with my PTO generator, and it does a GREAT job, as does MANY others around here. No one that I know has any problems doing so, and I power my puter TV and everything else.

As for the diesel part, MANY generators are diesel powered, not a problem at all...

To the OP: What you want to do will work perfectly, as long as you buy a good quality pto generator in the first place.

SR

 

[WranglerX]

I'm not sure what THAT means??

I power my whole house with my PTO generator, and it does a GREAT job, as does MANY others around here. No one that I know has any problems doing so, and I power my puter TV and everything else.

As for the diesel part, MANY generators are diesel powered, not a problem at all...

To the OP: What you want to do will work perfectly, as long as you buy a good quality pto generator in the first place.

SR

Don't play naive... You known the soot and other garbage that the eco freaks are worried about that comes out of the exhaust....

Dale

 

[RickB]

Don't play naive... You known the soot and other garbage that the eco freaks are worried about that comes out of the exhaust....

Dale

Naïveté works in mysterious ways. Surely you don’t fail to grasp the term clean power in the context the OP intended refers to the electricity being generated?

 

[LouNY]

A diesel engine running for long periods of time is not exactly "clean power"....

That being said...

First I would have a good understanding of what home requires.... If you have new electronic meter that gives readout of power usage, I would do a study.... Maybe go around and turn a lot of stuff and turn on pump or air conditioner and observe KW usage.... You may be better off with small standalone generator than one the ties up your tractor if you have need for extended use of generator....

Also would your PTO generator have frequency/voltage regulation to throttle up or down engine to maintain proper voltage/frequency of some of you appliances....

Just been through that study for AUX power for my home because of power losses due to wildfire loss of power in Calif foothills...

Dale

every tractor I have run had a governor, once that generator is up and making power tweak the rpm if needed to get 60 Hz. and relax

 

[RickB]

every tractor I have run had a governor, once that generator is up and making power tweak the rpm if needed to get 60 Hz. and relax

Exactly. Frequency and voltage are linear. If the voltage is correct, the frequency is.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I work at lots of Menonite shops. Lasers, robots, overhead cranes and somewhere a Diesel Generator spewing out carbon. Like the Indians in remote areas. Kind of piises me off.

 

[3Ts]

I'm not sure what THAT means??

I power my whole house with my PTO generator, and it does a GREAT job, as does MANY others around here. No one that I know has any problems doing so, and I power my puter TV and everything else.

As for the diesel part, MANY generators are diesel powered, not a problem at all...

To the OP: What you want to do will work perfectly, as long as you buy a good quality pto generator in the first place.

SR

I don't know if you're serious or not. So, The home generators typically have +/- 5% voltage regulation so anywhere between 228 and 252 is considered within tolerance. The better generators which are usually intended for industrial use have +/- 1% voltage regulation so between 237 to 243. Much better regulation and a "cleaner" power supply. Of course, 3rd harmonics and frequency factor into the "clean" evaluation, any deviation from a pure sine wave makes the power "dirty".

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Na?et works in mysterious ways. Surely you don稚 fail to grasp the term clean power in the context the OP intended refers to the electricity being generated?

I should have seen right away that he was from califoracator land and was worried about the air...

Truthfully, I never gave it a thought that THAT was what he was referring to.

SR

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I don't know if you're serious or not. So, The home generators typically have +/- 5% voltage regulation so anywhere between 228 and 252 is considered within tolerance. The better generators which are usually intended for industrial use have +/- 1% voltage regulation so between 237 to 243. Much better regulation and a "cleaner" power supply. Of course, 3rd harmonics and frequency factor into the "clean" evaluation, any deviation from a pure sine wave makes the power "dirty".

IF my pto gen set easily runs EVERYTHING in my house, including electronics, it's plenty clean enough for me...

That's why I told him to buy a quality pto generator in the first place...

SR

 

[WranglerX]

every tractor I have run had a governor, once that generator is up and making power tweak the rpm if needed to get 60 Hz. and relax

Funny I don't have such governor on my tractor....

Dale

 

[zzvyb6]

Yes, If it was a trade-off between freezing to death, watching water pipes burst or dying of thirst or watching my horses and dogs die slowly because my power went out, I'd go for the clean air.

I have a 50 kW Winpower pto genny on my 22 hp lawnmower. I set the frequency with the Kill-A-Watt and run all there is that's needed, except for the A/C.

I got a Honda EU6500Is inverter type genny at an estate auction a year ago and tried it out a few weeks ago after a wind storm brought down a lot of limbs onto wires that the tree huggers had insisted on saving. The Honda can show real-tire kVA. 2.80 was the max: well, microwave, tankless gas water heater, garage door openers, TV, routers, stove and lights. Ran just great in throttle down mode, too.

My air smelled like home cooking: breakfast. Dogs and horses thanked me and asked for us not to move "out West" where people stampede and cause earthquakes and forest fires.

 

[daybreak1998]

Howdy,
I am in the HUH? camp too.

I thought this was the tractor forum?

A diesel tractor operating properly, turning a PTO generator works fine. Then again, I too am not looking to run 24/7 all year either. Standby emergency use. When needed, it runs everything which is needed. It also depends on the time of year which I need to run on generator power. If it's mid summer, 99 degrees out, I am going to have a lot more load. If its winter, I can get by with less generation power.

My PTO generator puts out a very steady clean 240v 60Hz. Loaded, unloaded, cycling power demands and such.

If you get technical. The equation actually more around 1.82 hp = 1kw power

You can run a 50kw pto generator if you want. Usually any PTO generator of larger size, also spins internally at 1800 rpm having 4 poles in the alternator gen head. The smaller cheaper alternator genheads are 2 pole, and need to be spinning at 3600rpm to have the 240v 60hz.
The 540 PTO shaft conversion gears, to make 3600rpm spinning genhead add to the noise equation. A 540 PTO shaft conversion gears to make a 1800rpm genhead are quieter, and longing lasting rated. Also considered commercial grade.

 

[RickB]

Funny I don't have such governor on my tractor....

Dale

Not a matter of not having but not knowing.

 

[LouNY]

Funny I don't have such governor on my tractor....

Dale

I find that to be a bit unusual if you have the sub compact listed a MF GC1715, if you set the engine rpm at 2600 rpm and apply a load doesn't it maintain that engine speed?
Heck even my air cooled lawn mower has a governor on it ( JD 110).

 

[Sawyer Rob]

They ALL have a governors, I'm always amazed at how many on this forum think THEIR tractor doesn't have one!

SR

 

[CobyRupert]

They ALL have a governors, I'm always amazed at how many on this forum think THEIR tractor doesn't have one!

SR

Count me in as one who never knew one way or other. Just assumed it didn't, but maybe it has to. Now I'm curious...
I thought diesels because of their flatter speed-torque curve could maintain rpm better than gas without one? Perhaps this is a topic for another thread, but....
Where is governor typically located? Doesn't throttle cable go to pump? If I put hand throttle on (say) 2200 rpms then drive it up a hill, it doesn't stay at 2200 rpms. Same if I'm mowing and get into a heavy patch, it seems rpms will dip and stay there unless I reduce load. That is, I've never noticed a response that seems like a governor. ...though I suppose any governor has its limitations.