Generator PTO Generator?

[JohnDeere4300]

Why not? I did?

it came truck delivery on a pallet. I unloaded it with my tractor using a carryall to lift the pallet off the drop deck on the truck.. I put a couple lag screws thru the pallet intot he carry-all and then, and connected my pto shaft to it.. 10 seconds later I was making power.???? just grap the extension cords and go.
it's obvious you don't like pto gensets and was not happy with your experience with them has a tractor he's not afraid to use, and wants a low-ball dollar per KW cost.

soundguy

*Glad you know how to unload one from a truck and already had a cheap extension cord on hand.

*No i don't like the PTO generators, i like the whizzbangs.

*I have a tractor that I"m not afraid to use, i just use it for the right purpose, like digging, hauling dirt, plowing, pulling logs and etc..etc. etc.

*And yes i want a low-ball dollar generator, i have 2 whizzbangs right now, may buy a couple more next week.

* When i bought my PTO generator i didn't have a heavy duty extension cord, place to plug it in and the 2 plugs. so i had to buy those extras to get power, because they sure don't run wireless.
And if i needed the PTO whizzjunk generator, i had to take off my backhoe, it stays on all the time unless i need to plow or use the bush hog.

Here is a list of different whizzbang motors that i have to keep up with, and they all start every time i need them.

2- whizzbang generators
2- John Deere riding mowers
1- rear tine tiller
1- push mower
1- weed eater
2- chainsaws
1- 26-ton log splitter
1- pressure washer
1- leaf blower

I would say that 99.9% of members on here have some kind of small motor.

(I also find it hard to believe that you don't have some sort of whizzbang small motor.)

(I still haven't seen the pictures of your PTO generator.)

 

[skent]

I have a PTO Gen (10KW), a 6000 W Coleman and a 3500 W Dayton. The B&S (or Kohler) air cooled gas engines will not give the service life of a water cooled multi cylinder diesel tractor. When we've lost power for > a day at a time, I don't run my Kubota 24-7. Unless we want to run the heat/AC non stop. We usually run 4 hours on, 4 off. (figure that even ten days of this schedule is only 120 hours) The water stays hot, pressure tank full and freezers stay cool using this schedule. I've found the Kubota running the 10 KW uses much less fuel than the 12 HP 6000 W Coleman, regardless of the load. The diesel can keep the RPM's up and run a lean mixture when not under a big load where the gassers need to maintain a 14:1 air fuel ratio regardless of the load.
Don't get me wrong, both have their place in my shop, and there have been times during the shorter outages that I've used the Dayton, but having a farm and animals to water (using wells), I feel better having a PTO system.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto that. i get tired of caring for cheaply made gas engine carbs that gum up if you don't run them every X months. I ditched a good weed eater and mower for those reasons.. too much time lost to dinking with sticky float needles.. fuel 'saver's didn't seem to help much.. especialy on B&S carbs. After my 3 yr warranty on my crapsman mower ran out and I stopped getting free carbs every year.... I sold the mower..

soundguy

Well, I have the North Star 13 kw. I'm the world's worst when it comes to firing up all my gas powered gizmos. I got the pto genny because I wanted to know it would work when I needed it. Too many times, I've gone to use a weed eater or a chainsaw, only to spend hours getting it running again. Sometimes, after a bad hurricane, the parts store isn't open for days.
On the other hand, I do manage to take good care of the tractor. And I use it pretty regularly. And it is reliable.
I used the pto genny and the tractor for over two weeks after Katrina. I didn't run it 24/7. We didn't know when we would be able to buy more diesel. So, we only ran the tractor for about 3 hours every morning and about 5 hours every evening. We have a well, (not city water), so without electricity, we don't have water. I've got the genny mounted on a 3ph stand, so it only takes a minute to uncouple. I was able to use the tractor during the day without any problems.

 

[Soundguy]

See.. you keep leaving out pertinant info.

if you have a 'all the time' mounted backhoe.. IMHO.. buying a pto gen was not a great choice for you in the first place... thus buying it and then complaining about it seems kinda pointless.. be kinda like me buying a natural gas powered generator and living in an area that had no nat gas service.. it's a bad fit.

had you stated al this upfront.. I'm sure there would have been less discussion. that setup simply didn't meet your needs.. no harm no foul.

soundguy

*Glad you know how to unload one from a truck and already had a cheap extension cord on hand.

*No i don't like the PTO generators, i like the whizzbangs.

*I have a tractor that I"m not afraid to use, i just use it for the right purpose, like digging, hauling dirt, plowing, pulling logs and etc..etc. etc.

*And yes i want a low-ball dollar generator, i have 2 whizzbangs right now, may buy a couple more next week.

* When i bought my PTO generator i didn't have a heavy duty extension cord, place to plug it in and the 2 plugs. so i had to buy those extras to get power, because they sure don't run wireless.
And if i needed the PTO whizzjunk generator, i had to take off my backhoe, it stays on all the time unless i need to plow or use the bush hog.

Here is a list of different whizzbang motors that i have to keep up with, and they all start every time i need them.

2- whizzbang generators
2- John Deere riding mowers
1- rear tine tiller
1- push mower
1- weed eater
2- chainsaws
1- 26-ton log splitter
1- pressure washer
1- leaf blower

I would say that 99.9% of members on here have some kind of small motor.

(I also find it hard to believe that you don't have some sort of whizzbang small motor.)

(I still haven't seen the pictures of your PTO generator.)

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. similar run situations.

when we lost power during the florida hurricanes a few years back.. I only rant he tractor an hour every 3 hours... that pumped water.. heated water.. and cooled the refers.

no need for lamps.. and the only tv service up at that time was 'air' .. thus didn't need tv's... all utils were down.. cable, electric, phone.. etc.... heck.. during 04.. even cell phone service was spoty in my area.

at night, I'd runt he tractor 2 hours right before lights out and that kept the refers till am. I had a 12v bat and jumper pack and a few inverters for incedental 120v power that needed 500w or less.

soundguy

I have a PTO Gen (10KW), a 6000 W Coleman and a 3500 W Dayton. The B&S (or Kohler) air cooled gas engines will not give the service life of a water cooled multi cylinder diesel tractor. When we've lost power for > a day at a time, I don't run my Kubota 24-7. Unless we want to run the heat/AC non stop. We usually run 4 hours on, 4 off. (figure that even ten days of this schedule is only 120 hours) The water stays hot, pressure tank full and freezers stay cool using this schedule. I've found the Kubota running the 10 KW uses much less fuel than the 12 HP 6000 W Coleman, regardless of the load. The diesel can keep the RPM's up and run a lean mixture when not under a big load where the gassers need to maintain a 14:1 air fuel ratio regardless of the load.
Don't get me wrong, both have their place in my shop, and there have been times during the shorter outages that I've used the Dayton, but having a farm and animals to water (using wells), I feel better having a PTO system.

 

[Dargo]

Ditto that. i get tired of caring for cheaply made gas engine carbs that gum up if you don't run them every X months. I ditched a good weed eater and mower for those reasons.. too much time lost to dinking with sticky float needles.. fuel 'saver's didn't seem to help much.. especialy on B&S carbs. After my 3 yr warranty on my crapsman mower ran out and I stopped getting free carbs every year.... I sold the mower..

soundguy

I guess it all depends on the engine and if you use Stabil. My Honda generator is about 5 years old and hadn't been used much at all until this ice storm. I only start it whenever I think about it...like every 4 or 5 months...and let it run for about 20 minutes. The same goes for my Yamaha generator. During this last ice storm I ran my Honda generator over 300 hours, basically non-stop, and I put almost 200 hours on my Yamaha running my office. I only shut them off to fuel them and to change the oil (takes about 3 minutes). Using a high quality PAO synthetic I only change the oil about every 150 hours in them. Both ran perfectly without a hitch.

I needed my tractor a lot during that ice storm. I personally would have been screwed with a PTO generator. I've been planning on getting a 30k or so automatic generator for my house but now I'm not sure. I may just get a manual transfer switch and go with my two gas powered generators. They go over 12 hours between fuel fill ups and performed great. Granted neither of my gas generators are cheapo models, but I'm not so sure I need anything else unless I feel the need to be able to run my A/C units when I'm off the grid. I did learn that, in my situation, I certainly don't want a PTO generator. Obviously your mileage may vary.

 

[Soundguy]

I guess it all depends on the engine and if you use Stabil.

I used stabil in the B/S lawnmower carb.. never helped... that float needle just liked to gum shut.. wasn't a bad carb to rebuild mind you.. actually took more tome to remove/reinstall it than to pop the bowl off, clean needle and readjust float/slap back together with new gasket.. I just got tired of having to do it every time I needed the mower! On the weedeater i used the mix-oil with fuel stabilizer in it.. again... that carb was a POS as well.. AND it was hard to get to to clean and rebuild... more like 30 minutes... as with the mower.. i got tired of rebuilding the carb to trim around the house..... might have beent he brands i was using? I switched later on to a toro weed eater that runs straight gas.. so far.. no problems in a year. And I swapped to a mower that uses a different carb.. etc.

I needed my tractor a lot during that ice storm. I personally would have been screwed with a PTO generator. ... Obviously your mileage may vary.

awe schucks.. that's just a sign you need a second tractor!

soundguy

 

[Tom_Veatch]

I don't know which, if any, post this will show as being in response to, and it really doesn't matter since I'm responding to the thread as a whole, not any specific post.

I own a PTO generator. I do not own a self contained engine powered generator, either diesel or gasoline. Why? Because that suits my needs. If it didn't, I would have bought a different type. OK, it puts hours on my tractor. But, it's my tractor. Putting hours on it was what I bought it for, and I'll put the hours on it that I need to, doing what I need my tractor to do.

My needs aren't the same as yours. Your's aren't the same as his. I don't think you're a particularly bad person if you choose a different solution than me. And I don't accept that I'm a particulary bad person because I chose a different solution than what you chose. Nor do I think I have to convince you that my decision was right and your decision was wrong in order to validate my decision.

If you have a self contained, and it meets your needs, enjoy it in good health. If you have a PTO generator and it meets your needs, enjoy it in good health.

I'm outa here!

 

[whistlepig]

I don't know which, if any, post this will show as being in response to, and it really doesn't matter since I'm responding to the thread as a whole, not any specific post.

I own a PTO generator. I do not own a self contained engine powered generator, either diesel or gasoline. Why? Because that suits my needs. If it didn't, I would have bought a different type. OK, it puts hours on my tractor. But, it's my tractor. Putting hours on it was what I bought it for, and I'll put the hours on it that I need to, doing what I need my tractor to do.

My needs aren't the same as yours. Your's aren't the same as his. I don't think you're a particularly bad person if you choose a different solution than me. And I don't accept that I'm a particulary bad person because I chose a different solution than what you chose. Nor do I think I have to convince you that my decision was right and your decision was wrong in order to validate my decision.

If you have a self contained, and it meets your needs, enjoy it in good health. If you have a PTO generator and it meets your needs, enjoy it in good health.

I'm outa here!

I agree with Tom. I don't think a portable is any better than a PTO generator
or the other way around. I think it depends more on how we have to set the generator up when the time comes. Ease of use so to speak. If it's nasty, dark, cold, and power is out that's hassle enough. If it's easier and quicker to set up a PTO generator and still keep you fur dry and warm so be it. If a portable does this better then that would be the better choice.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

and connected my pto shaft to it.. 10 seconds later I was making power.???? just grap the extension cords and go.

soundguy

Hmmm.

Still no pictures.

 

[Soundguy]

What pictures do you want? of the gen itself? I probably posted some back in 04 when i got the thing.

Like I said.. it's mounted on a pallet, bolted to a carry-all, pto shaft attached and hanging by a lanyard from the carryall top frame.

If you -need- a pic of that.. next time I walk by the barn I'll open the door and snap one.

soundguy

 

[Dargo]

What pictures do you want? of the gen itself? I probably posted some back in 04 when i got the thing.

But you didn't pose next to it in your 2 piece ******.

 

[Soundguy]

Yeah.. I'm trying to figure out what he's getting at in that question.

( I wear a 1- piece now.. the underwire chafes too much! .. have been think of switching to a bananna hammock style though..)

soundguy

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I got one the cheap whizbangs. Just a small one at 3600 watts. It weights around 125 pounds so it is portable. It would even fit in the trunk of a car.

During Hurricane Juan it kept the houses of several relatives going when they lost their Hydro. The cost of freezer and fridge food saved was definitely greater than the cost of the Whizzbang. They surely didn't complain about it.

It can fit in the back of my P/U so I can go out to the lake and use some power drills etc. when splitting rocks. The tractor don't fit in the box!

Last time I used it it had been sitting for a year and a half and did start on the first pull???

So far this piece of JUNK has served me well. I didn't even get ripped off when I bought it!

It does seem reasonable that whizbangs will come in all type of quality grades. It would also be reasonable to expect the PTO Generators to vary in quality.

Now I don't really care what any one else buys. I got what I need/want at the moment.

Honda = Whizzbang ??

I have always been able to start some sort of Whizzbang motor without any problem.

If i had a problem with a Whizzbang motor that couldn't be fixed, i would rather throw it in the garbage than have a motor problem on a tractor from using a PTO generator, and cost $$$$$$ to get it fixed

I guess it all depends on the engine and if you use Stabil. My Honda generator is about 5 years old and hadn't been used much at all until this ice storm. I only start it whenever I think about it...like every 4 or 5 months...and let it run for about 20 minutes. The same goes for my Yamaha generator. During this last ice storm I ran my Honda generator over 300 hours, basically non-stop, and I put almost 200 hours on my Yamaha running my office. I only shut them off to fuel them and to change the oil (takes about 3 minutes). Using a high quality PAO synthetic I only change the oil about every 150 hours in them. Both ran perfectly without a hitch.

I needed my tractor a lot during that ice storm. I personally would have been screwed with a PTO generator. I've been planning on getting a 30k or so automatic generator for my house but now I'm not sure. I may just get a manual transfer switch and go with my two gas powered generators. They go over 12 hours between fuel fill ups and performed great. Granted neither of my gas generators are cheapo models, but I'm not so sure I need anything else unless I feel the need to be able to run my A/C units when I'm off the grid. I did learn that, in my situation, I certainly don't want a PTO generator. Obviously your mileage may vary.

Well i tried a PTO generator and it wasn't a good investment.

I use Sta-bil in everything i own and it does help, never had a problem with a small engine starting after sitting a while.

I thought about getting a automatic that runs on LP or natural gas, but did some research on something else and going to invest in that.

I will start a thread when i get it all done, but i will always keep a Whizzbang generator around here.

 

[Egon]

Back when I was a young lad there used to be a brand of .22 shells called Whiz Bang!

 

[Soundguy]

If i had a problem with a Whizzbang motor that couldn't be fixed, i would rather throw it in the garbage than have a motor problem on a tractor from using a PTO generator, and cost $$$$$$ to get it fixed

There's your falacy... tractors are made to be used... not stored...

Not uncommon to get 4k+ hours on a cut with minimal care.. and 8-12k+ on larger diesels.

You are not hurting your tractro by using it within it's designed paramaters.. IE.. running at rated rpm, within is load capabilities.

soundguy

 

[JohnDeere4300]

There's your falacy... tractors are made to be used... not stored...

soundguy

I don't store my tractor, i just don't want it sitting there like a statue running all day at 540 RPMS, when i can use it for what its supposed to be used for.

I just figured you would show a picture of yours, since i showed a pic. of the Whizzbangs me and Egon use.

And the guy who started this thread might want to see the type that you claim is better.

 

[Dargo]

There's your falacy... tractors are made to be used... not stored...

As long as you're not talking about his phallicism. You know, like some people have about the Washington Monument. It's supposed to be a symbol of power, so I guess a tractor could work.

FWIW, this last weekend I did start and run every fuel powered engine I own. That includes 8 Honda small engines, 2 Yamaha small engines, 1 B&S, 1 Kohler, 5 Kawasaki, 4 Kubota, 2 JD, 1 Chevy, 3 Fords, 1 Mazda, 1 Dodge, 1 Mitsubishi, 1 Acura, 4 Stihl, 3 Lawn Boy 2 cycle engines and anything else I could find. I'm not going to count the gas powered string trimmers, edgers and hedge trimmers. If I did, I can include more Stihl engines, Echo engines and whatever Toro uses in their 4 cycle string trimmers. Fortunately I didn't have a problem starting anything other than finding a dead battery in the Suzuki 750 King Quad. So far Stabil seems to work well for me.

Just don't ask me if I can change the oil in everything over one weekend. I don't see where it's possible!

Oops, forgot the Kubota RTV1100 and all the watercraft. They didn't get started. Dang it!

 

[Soundguy]

when i can use it for what its supposed to be used for..

That's my point.. it's all application. for some of us.. 'what it is suposed to be doing' IS running things.. like pto implements, performing a task. If you need to mow a field and are running your tractor for hours on end at pto speeds.. it's doing what it is suposed to do. if you are needing power and hookup your pto gen and make power for hours on end to do whatever 'work' you need to do with that power... then the tractor s doing what it is suposed to be doing. That's my sole point. It's application... which is a very subjective situation. I don't want another small engine to take care of.. thus I try to find pto implements to do those small engine jobs.. for me, the genset is one of them.. and when i'm using it.. the tractor is doing exactly what it is suposed to be doing.. IE.. turning the pto at 540 rpm to make power at the genny.

I just figured you would show a picture of yours, since i showed a pic. of the Whizzbangs me and Egon use.

will have to be later.. I can't lay my hands on a single pic at the moment.

And the guy who started this thread might want to see the type that you claim is better.

better for me...

In any case.. a generic pic of a ptogenset.. this one happens to be the near or same model I have.. 12kw rated / 13kw max unit.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Ok, here's a pic of the genset.

soundguy