pto generator?

[HK45]

Im up in the air about getting a pto generator for my bobcat ct450. Can somebody tell me if its safe to run the pto and tractor for a few days at a tiem if need be? Also any suggestions on who makes go pto generator? Thanks

 

[pmsmechanic]

Safe depends on your aversion to risk. If you aren't going to be sitting on the tractor and it overheats or loses oil pressure then you aren't there to shut it off. Chances of that happening are very slim. Can you afford to replace the motor?

Install some Murphy switch gauges. They aren't cheap but they work. They are also relatively easy to install and will protect your investment. I just went to their website Murphy by Enovation Controls and looked at whet they all have. It might be a bit of a challenge to find what you need but if you have a local supplier they can help you sort things out. In southern Alberta they are very common on irrigation engines which can run non stop for weeks at a time.

As far as a PTO generator goes I don't have any experience yet but am in the process of building my own. Store bought ones are designed to run at 540 pto speed and I don't need full power so I'm designing one that runs at approx 300 pto rpm. I'm only planning on useing it for running my shop and having showers, washing clothes etc. during power outages. The rest of the time my yard can comfortably run on a 2200 watt Yamaha generator that we use for camping.

 

[bobmisi]

I have a 13000 watt pto generator and a Branson 3820i. The generator is designed for 540 rpm but I run mine at 1000 rpm at barely above an idle. Never had a problem, and keep in mind that most of us do not run the generator every minute the power is out. I run mine a couple of hours at a time to get things done and cook or whatever. Then I shut it down for a couple of hours. I don't need to run a generator all night long to keep my night light lit and my alarm clock running. I also have a woodstove to keep the house warm when the power goes out in winter. I believe tractors were designed to run for many hours at a time. Just keep checking the fluids and grease it often and you should be fine.

 

[Cord]

I'm of the opinion that a PTO generator makes way more sense than a purpose built generator or worse, a permanent home generator. They just don't get enough use to justify the maintenance. Besides, because it has been neglected that engine won't run when you really need it. Starting a carb tear down is not what you want to do when the power is out because of a blizzard or ice storm. That brings up the second point, what do you really need? Farmers around here have them because it's cheaper to have the pto generator sit around unused for 20 years than to loose a batch of milk. You can easily track the limits of the power outage by the unmanned tractors outside with a spinning drive shaft.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Here's a 6 page discussion of that: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/rural-living/315826-diesel-generator-pto-generator.html?highlight=generator

But, to answer your question: A diesel tractor is perfectly fine for continuous run for a few hours, or a few days. They do it all the time. There are thousands of tractors running water pumps, aerators, mills, etc., every day.

A PTO generator is on my short list. I just haven't had the extra money to buy one yet. Hope I can do it before we get another hurricane up here. (Rita, in 2005, was the first time we ever saw a Cat II storm this far from the ocean. Maybe it won't ever happen again)

 

[nybirdman]

I have a PTO generator back-up.It runs at PTO speeds to keep the voltage correct.Running it any less will give you low voltage(not good).Mine has a meter built in.Tiger Power is the name on mine but I don't believe they are still in business.

 

[MH8675309]

Last winter when we had an ice storm one of the gas stations north of Marlette ran a generator with a tractor about the size of a Ford 6000. It ran the whole store and they had people lined up for gas fuel and kerosene. The generator itself didn't look very big but it handled the store fuel pumps and all.

 

[Utopia Texas]

I have a 13000 watt pto generator and a Branson 3820i. The generator is designed for 540 rpm but I run mine at 1000 rpm at barely above an idle. Never had a problem, and keep in mind that most of us do not run the generator every minute the power is out. I run mine a couple of hours at a time to get things done and cook or whatever. Then I shut it down for a couple of hours. I don't need to run a generator all night long to keep my night light lit and my alarm clock running. I also have a woodstove to keep the house warm when the power goes out in winter. I believe tractors were designed to run for many hours at a time. Just keep checking the fluids and grease it often and you should be fine.

You are kidding aren't you about running the generator below rated speed? The lower voltage output will eventually burn up any electric motor rated for a particulate voltage.

 

[TerryR]

I'm of the opinion that a permanent home generator makes way more sense than a portable generator, or worse a PTO generator. There's no need to tramp through the snow banks to get the generator, hook it up to the tractor in the snow and ice, drag it to the house, and hook it up to the house. Run it on the natural gas or propane supply for the house and you have no need to worry about plowing out the road to get fuel, or your fuel supply going bad. No need to tie up the tractor if you need it for something else, like plowing the road out.

Of course, the truth is which is better depends on a number of factors, including the conditions you expect to use it in (blizzard or hurricane, for example), fuels you have available, length of outages you expect, your trust your tractor running at full speeds for extended periods, and what other needs you may have for a portable electric supply.

Terry

 

[bobmisi]

You are kidding aren't you about running the generator below rated speed? The lower voltage output will eventually burn up any electric motor rated for a particulate voltage.

The generator is running at the same speed due to the pto spinning at 1000 rpm at a slower tractor engine speed. The generator has a gauge to set the engine/pto speed to the correct speed to get the correct output.