PTO Generator?

[Iplayfarmer]

You can either pay a lot up front for a generator that will sit idle for 99% of its life but will give you all the comforts of your home with no interruptions during a power outage, or you can go a lot cheaper and just plan to cut down on power usage for the 3 to 5 days that you might be out of power. Keep in mind too that the larger more expensive unit is going to require larger and more expensive fuel storage too.

Me?... For the cost of a full power backup generator, I can handle heating water for a bath on a propane stove and hanging clothes on a line during the rare instance of a power outage. I have a small gas generator that will run my water pump, some lights, and my heater fan.

The biggest advantage to a PTO generator is that the engine that drives it (your tractor) is used regularly, serviced regularly, and you'll know as soon as something is wrong wrong with it so that you can get it serviced and back to running again. The next biggest advantage is cost vs. Kilowatt.

I'd say get the biggest PTO generator that your tractor will easily run and maybe get a wood stove or even some of those portable kerosene space heaters. You might also see if your heating system can be divided or run on half power or some such scheme.

I get a kick out of people that will live comfortably for a week in a small camp trailer, but think that they're going to die if they don't heat and power a whole 3,000 square foot house for a day and a half if the power goes out. Cut back to one floor or a few rooms.

 

[whistlepig]

You pretty well much have to decide how much it is worth to you. Spending too much is just as bad as spending too little. Decide what you can get by with in places with few power outages. A generator is a true comfort. Well worth the money. Big or small.

 

[radioman]

The biggest advantage to a PTO generator is that the engine that drives it (your tractor) is used regularly, serviced regularly, and you'll know as soon as something is wrong wrong with it so that you can get it serviced and back to running again. The next biggest advantage is cost vs. Kilowatt.

I agree here. Although I wished I gotten a pto one instead of gas due to ethanol issues now popping up.

I get a kick out of people that will live comfortably for a week in a small camp trailer, but think that they're going to die if they don't heat and power a whole 3,000 square foot house for a day and a half if the power goes out. Cut back to one floor or a few rooms.

I nearly spilled my coffee when I read this! This is SO true!


Anyway- if you looked on this TBN ads and select the smallest PTO power: IMD, LLC 10KW PTO Generator The 10K Gen requires PTO they say is 20 PTO HP and the BX's have about 17-18 PTO power. Not only that, the other issue is the rated pto speed on the BX's which is 3200 rpms .

I am not saying it won't work, I would also love the fact of one less engine to maintain, I don't care if it ties up my tractor from doing cleanup- it can wait till the storm is over when power comes back on (even if the PTO gen is not used to 3 hours it won't hurt anybody just like iplayfarmer said above).

Just use these facts I stated for the BX's and draw your own conclusion.

 

[Dargo]

I get a kick out of people that will live comfortably for a week in a small camp trailer, but think that they're going to die if they don't heat and power a whole 3,000 square foot house for a day and a half if the power goes out. Cut back to one floor or a few rooms.

Some of us are in the position of taking care of elderly parents (remember, they took care of us for many years) and some equipment requires constant power and elderly seem to like warmth. We also have, many times, provided a warm comfortable place for other relatives to stay for quite a while when power was out. In general, applying you particular situation to other people isn't a good idea.

BTW, my idea of camping is in a class A diesel pusher motorcoach.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Some of us are in the position of taking care of elderly parents (remember, they took care of us for many years) and some equipment requires constant power and elderly seem to like warmth. We also have, many times, provided a warm comfortable place for other relatives to stay for quite a while when power was out. In general, applying you particular situation to other people isn't a good idea.

BTW, my idea of camping is in a class A diesel pusher motorcoach.

I would wager that you'd be the first to admit you are in an exceptional circumstance with an 800 amp service, etc. I'm glad that you're intent on not applying your particular situation to the rest of us.

It sounds like you like camping in comfort. Those motorcoach's are nice.

P.S. I bet your motorcoach doesn't even use a fraction of the output of that 50 kw generator you're looking at.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

I nearly spilled my coffee when I read this! This is SO true!

Thanks. Nearly spilled coffee may be the best compliment that I could receive.

Just use these facts I stated for the BX's and draw your own conclusion.

That's it right there. It's just like Dargo alluded to... Your particular situation ultimately all comes down to our own personal needs and wants pitted against our own available resources. The OP is in his right mind by asking the question here. He's guaranteed to get a variety of opinions from different sides of the issue. In the end he'll make a more informed discussion after considering our various ramblings, banter, and musings.

 

[Dargo]

I would wager that you'd be the first to admit you are in an exceptional circumstance with an 800 amp service, etc. I'm glad that you're intent on not applying your particular situation to the rest of us.

It sounds like you like camping in comfort. Those motorcoach's are nice.

P.S. I bet your motorcoach doesn't even use a fraction of the output of that 50 kw generator you're looking at.

Arghh, my smiley faces didn't show. Still, you're right on as to my opinion; gather all the info you can and then buy what you feel best suits your needs. And, sometimes those needs change. I used to think that using a tent when camping in the 'rough' areas of national parks was the way to go. Clearly I've changed my stripes a bit from those days.

But, you're right, what fits for me may not fit for you and what fits for you may not fit for the next guy etc. I think it boils down between weighing needs vs. wants along with realistic vs. unrealistic for each situation.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Arghh, my smiley faces didn't show. Still, you're right on as to my opinion; gather all the info you can and then buy what you feel best suits your needs. And, sometimes those needs change. I used to think that using a tent when camping in the 'rough' areas of national parks was the way to go. Clearly I've changed my stripes a bit from those days.

But, you're right, what fits for me may not fit for you and what fits for you may not fit for the next guy etc. I think it boils down between weighing needs vs. wants along with realistic vs. unrealistic for each situation.

Amen to that. I also neglected to commend you in my previous post for being willing to consider the needs and comforts of others and being willing to share when needed.

A troubled time like a widespread power outage really brings out the best in some people and the worst in others.

 

[brandoro]

It would be usefull to know where in Canada the OP is experiencing the "Canadian" winter. Canada is a big country where winter can and does vary a lot, same as for our neighbours to the south. What works for me might not work for him.
What works for me is a 10kw PTO generator that I run inside my shop with a pipe to run the exhaust well outside through an exhaust port in the over head door. That way the heat from the tractor engine heats the shop and power is fed to the house panel via the cable that normally feeds the shop from the house. Even in the coldest part of winter, -30-40C, if I power the house for an hour I can easily disconnect and leave the house unpowered for three or more hours while I use the tractor for other things, cleanup of storm felled trees, snow removal etc. If I did have a dedicated generator rather than the PTO generator I would want to be able to use the heat from the engine to heat the house and/or domestic water. Otherwise, if you are generating 10kw of electricity you are wasting close to 10 kw of heat from the engine.

 

[Soundguy]

Because you have a small power plant available.. I'd probably look into getting a 10-12 kw pto gen.. and use it as emergency power as needed.. supplementing with the smaller genset for other needs.

Whatca need 100 / 200a during a power outage. ????

I'd just be looking at keeping cold stuff cold, and sleeping quaters warm enough to survive, plus perhaps a lamp if i needed to read.. or to run a radio.. perhaps pump up a well / water heater.... etc.. etc.

soundguy

I use to live in a house that had a hybrid fireplace to heat the place and I have a small 5.6 KW generator which I used for a couple of things during power failures. My current house is all electric and this generator is just way too small to power the heating. We don't have many power failures, but if we have one, not fun during Canadian winters.

I have a BX25, and I am wondering if anyone has ever seen or heard of some kind of generator system that would run off the tractor? Something on the market or maybe something someone concocted on their own. I was thinking something that could run off the PTO? Also, this being as an emergency backup it would be used rarely, but if there is anything of this sort possible, any thoughts if this would be bad for the tractor's engine or just a bad idea?

I would need minimum 100 KW but could really use up to 200 KW. Dedicated units of this size are cost prohibitive, they are as much as my tractor which I can't afford, especially because the use would be just for the odd occasion. But the dedicated generator units I have seen are usually run by a diesel engine about the size in my BX.

Any thoughts guys?

Thanks