Generator PTO Generator

Trev · Apr 9, 2003

(
Secondly, before you play the load calculation game on anybody's web site, ask Trev how much he is overpowered and overspent to do it.
)

Yep, we got taken and big-time. So-called electrician tells us we *need* a 200-amp circuit, instead of the original 100-amp. Okay, sigh.. bite the bullet and have it put in.. I don't remember the price but I remember it hurt.

Then I buy this big honking PTO generator (17KW, 35 surge) and Franz is kind enough to wire it up for me. Puts his AmProbe on it during a test run, with *everything* in the house turned on, and, whatdaya know, the entire house isn't drawing even a fraction of what the genset puts out, let alone what the 200-amp service provides.

My personal advice.. listen to Franz. Yeah, he's a crotchety old fart, calls a spade and spade, and probably ah, how do I put this on a public board... *irks* some people? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

He did good by me.. and everything he said would happen, happened. The things he said wouldn't happen, didn't happen.

Hey, by my reconning.. that ain't a bad track record!! I guess being responsible for running the gensets in Vietnam, and working for the power company for decades... just *might* cause a guy might learn something! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Von · Apr 9, 2003

Trev, Now that we had your little ice storm! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif If you could do it over again would you get a PTO genset or would you buy a stand alone unit? I for one am glad I didn't have to put an extra 130 hours on the meter of my tractor for your little storm! Let us know what you would do differently, if any.

JEP · Apr 9, 2003

( I live in Binghamton and I'm not aware of the company that you are referring to!

Please post asap. )

I've dealt with a small company in Binghamton that does hybrid bus work and custom/prototype gen-sets among other things. But I don't think they have any type of production of products to sell to the public. They could probably do something for you, but would not be cheap /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Anonymous Poster · Apr 9, 2003

PTO GENSETS IN NEW YORK
OK, I was a few miles off, the guy is in PenYan, not Binghampton.
E&L Sales
315-536-0363
The last time I talked with him, he was offering good equipment at very reasonable prices, and had local stock.

There's another outfit,
National Wholesale that claims nobody will beat their prices.
800-346-2348

For guys looking for Quality stand alone units,
Yanmar 5KW diesels $1650- according to the ad in Rock & Dirt 863-382-4632

Trev · Apr 9, 2003

( Trev, Now that we had your little ice storm! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif If you could do it over again would you get a PTO genset or would you buy a stand alone unit? I for one am glad I didn't have to put an extra 130 hours on the meter of my tractor for your little storm! Let us know what you would do differently, if any. )

Hi Von,

As Franz pointed out in "Ice Storm Trev", I *can* do it all over again. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Next time I'll try a different setup and see which is better. Is next week convenient for everyone? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

No, seriously.. it's hard to answer your question given that this is the only generator I've ever used. It worked perfectly.. so.. I am happy. I didn't find any problems that made me wish I had something else. The issue of hours on the tractor is a real one.. but figuring how often power outages happen versus the lifetime of a tractor, I'm not especially worried about it.

One thing I would like to improve, but haven't though of a good way to do it, is the fuel replacement system. Picture this.. each morning I get dressed for work, then go out and pump myself a 5-gallon can of diesel, take it into the garage and pour it into the tractor. Of course some gets on my hands. You can't get the smell off, so you basically spend your life reeking of diesel. Normally I'd just pull the tractor up to the pump, and skip the can.. but who wants to keep connecting and disconnecting the power, resetting all the flashing clocks, etc.? So I would carefully fuel it up while letting it continue running the generator. Of course we were also under a water advisory, so this made the problem even worse. But, seriously, if smelling of diesel is the worst I can complain of, it really wasn't a bad experience.

BTW, I got mine at the place Franz mentioned.. E & L Sales and Repair, 3332 Havens Corner Rd., Penn Yan, NY 14527. Phone is 315-536-0363. Very good people.

Hope this helps....

Bob

alco141 · Apr 9, 2003

i havge had one of these for about 4 years, and they are heavy industrial units, that work very well. i have a 25 kw generac which i power with a 19 pto hp tractor. gives me all the power i need and if i up size the tractor at a later date i will get more power as needed. a lot of the do's and don'ts have been covered, the one thing i would add is can your wife/ kids attach the thing to your tractor. are you going to be there always to hook up the the generator. i dont think my wife could hook it up. since i am rarely away from home it is not that big an issue. if this is an issue then a stand alone unit is better, it could be wheeled out of the garage, hooked up and then fueled in place as needed. just osome food for thought.

alex

Anonymous Poster · Apr 9, 2003

Trev, "will next week be convenient?" let me put it this way, and you can take it as a warning, or any other way you want to; What Franz connectuth Franz can disconnectuth, and YOU will NOT get it working again on your own.
There are 2 sides of that barn Viv can't see, and I can unscrew a sheet of siding in minutes. Viv won't know I've been there till the lights go out, so that will give me time to get away.
I'm getting a little sick of RG&E's failures, having done it in 2002 and 2003. I've been doing a little research, and the present RG&E is a mere shadow of the company that was in 91. This restoration is an embarrasment, and the company will be running to PSC for a rate increase to cover restoration costs. We've been robbed of Bebee, Russel and Ganay genberator stations, by some slick MBA types, and NO maintainence has been done to lines in the last 10 years.
Today's RG&E is a baby ENRON, and I have a feeling it's sister subsidiary NYSEG is in the same boat.

Trev · Apr 10, 2003

( Trev, "will next week be convenient?" let me put it this way, and you can take it as a warning, or any other way you want to; What Franz connectuth Franz can disconnectuth, and YOU will NOT get it working again on your own. )

All hands, please note: next weeks unauthorized generator test is hereby cancelled!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Trev · Apr 10, 2003

Hi Alco,

Yeah, it's true.. wife and kids could definately NOT get the PTO genset running.. and there are a lot of hours added to tractor hour meter.

My wife and I discussed this last night. If I'm not home, well, the house will stay warm for a few hours until I get home. If I die on the way home, the neighbors can hook up the genset for her.. they are all farmers and all have tractors and generators.

I bought my JD4300 to *use*.. not to trade it in.. so I don't pay any attention to the hour meter aside from a rough indication of when service should be done. Mostly I just look at fluids and change them if they need it.. or if the hour meter says they do, whichever comes first. I *like* the fact that I am getting more work out of this expensive investment. I don't want to spend that kind of money, and then buy other tools so the expensive one can sit there and look at me and wink occassionally. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif I'm happier maintaining the one machine, and using it for real work.

I like that I can wheel the PTO gen around by hand, easily, wherever I want it. Or can tow it with the tractor out to the middle of a field if someone needs light or welding power. I can tow it to a neighbor's house if they need power. Flexible setup, no need to maintain an extra engine (I have enough now!) and serious power output. Works for me. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

alco141 · Apr 10, 2003

trev,
i agree with you that these units are built heavier and are just about bulletproof. but for a guy that may be traveling a lot they might not make sense for home bodies like us there is not much of a problem. i work about 5 miles from my house, all rural roads, no traffic. so not a problem to get home and get things up and running in 10-15 minutes.

just adding more qualifications for one to consider when making a selection.

alex