PTO Generator

[TractorDad3]

Looking for a reliable, durable, long-term solution to PTO power generation in the 26-48 PTO HP range. Open to ideas about battery charging as well vs. just plugging in extension cords.
More details below if you’d like to read:


I live in a fire prone area where our power company has been through a recent fire event and will likely now shut our power off on a more consistent basis when it comes to high wind and dryness. I do have solar panels, but no battery. I do think a battery would be a worthy addition to the system, someday. No A/C

I understand the smaller portable gas/diesel options are far more economical and likely a better option for our modest needs. That being said, I love the sound of my tractors and for this entertaining activity, it is worth $50-100 in fuel to me to run for a few or more hours at a time irregularly. Shoot, they all need every chance they can to get a workout, especially my diesels. Does it work them good if you’re charging up all your devices and giving the fridges a reset? Is that more than they are capable of?

Thanks for sharing any thoughts, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

 

[Jim.ME]

I understand you wanting to use your tractors. You can use 2 HP required per running kW so 26 to 48 PTO HP could be 13 to 24 kW. The first thing to do is figure out what the kW load you want to cover is, to get a size for the generator, then look at the HP needed to power it. And unless you are fully loading the generator on a tractor at the minimum HP needed, it is not going to get a workout, it will just sit there and run, not working, maybe not even running up to temperature in cold weather if more HP than needed. Your tractor's governor needs to be in good shape to hold the output steady. Diesels are better in that area than gas in my opinion.

I have a 15 kW PTO generator and am going to get set up with a standby. The reality is the tractors are there for power and it works ok on the power end it takes time to hook up each time needed, I don't leave a tractor hooked to it all the time, and power outages here are usually in a storm. Also, at our age while she could do hook it up if needed, it would be a major undertaking for my wife, especially in a storm. And then there is fuel to lug to it every 10 to 12 hours.

If you don't want to go the full standby set up look at the dual/tri-fuel portable units. During sales you can get 10 to 13 kW units in the $1000 range. I am currently using a 13kW portable on propane (it can set with no worry about the fuel going bad). A couple 100 lb. propane tanks and a transfer switch for the main or even just circuits you need, a unit this size will likely run your entire house. With a small shed and a bit of wiring it can be ready to go and brought online in just a few minutes. It can be as simple as throw the transfer switch, turn the fuel on, and start the engine; the only thing better will be getting to the dedicated standby with an automatic transfer.

My PTO unit is an older Onan. Winco is another PTO brand that has been around in wide use for years.

You need to decide what will work for you. Our outages are often weather related and may only be 3-4 hours, often they are more like 8 to 12 hours, 2 to 5 days has not been uncommon. YMMV

 

[JOCCO]

Remember those little gas generators are made for temporary use. Try to get something like Honda/Kubota the quality is much better. You can get diesel and things like kohlor/onan but the price is scary.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Looking for a reliable, durable, long-term solution to PTO power generation in the 26-48 PTO HP range. Open to ideas about battery charging as well vs. just plugging in extension cords.
More details below if you’d like to read:


I live in a fire prone area where our power company has been through a recent fire event and will likely now shut our power off on a more consistent basis when it comes to high wind and dryness. I do have solar panels, but no battery. I do think a battery would be a worthy addition to the system, someday. No A/C

I understand the smaller portable gas/diesel options are far more economical and likely a better option for our modest needs. That being said, I love the sound of my tractors and for this entertaining activity, it is worth $50-100 in fuel to me to run for a few or more hours at a time irregularly. Shoot, they all need every chance they can to get a workout, especially my diesels. Does it work them good if you’re charging up all your devices and giving the fridges a reset? Is that more than they are capable of?

Thanks for sharing any thoughts, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

When my neighbor was building his shop he was renting a battery powered man lift to put up ceiling, wiring, lights, etc. He was trying to charge the man lift batteries with his single cylinder generator, to no avail. He was very frustrated as he only had the man lift for the weekend. I brought up my Case VAC with my Winpower 25/15, (I think those are the numbers) and saved the day. He didn't think the tractor burned any more gas than the screaming single cylinder. And it was quieter! I've read about "dirty power". I've also read that battery chargers are fussy that way. Must have been something like that going on. My generator is hooked to one of my little diesel tractors, sitting in the shop, waiting for an outage. I agree with Jim that diesels are much better as far as precise governor control. I eventually obtained a meter so I can set the throttle based on 60 cycles rather than on voltage. I run everything (except for major grain drying equipment) here on this generator and have had no problems. I bought this generator in the first place in case I got bin full of wet corn and the power went out. It would be maxing the generator out, and I couldn't run anything else, but I could save the bin full of corn. Then I need a minimum of a 60 HP tractor to start a 10 HP motor.

 

[buickanddeere]

What are the property’s electrical loads ?

 

[Brown David]

At the risk of derailing this thread I'm going to ask a question that is kind of pertinent.

I've had several opportunities to buy a PTO generator reasonably but have let them all pass me by. My question is, are these generators required to be run at 540 PTO RPM?

My guess would be yes they are. Would I be right?

 

[rrlund]

I've got a 12kw PTO. I bought it at an auction a long time ago. I run it with an Oliver 66. The limitation isn't the power of the tractor, it's the size of the circuit breaker on it. It run's everything for the house just fine, submersible well pump, electric water heater, electric stove, the works. When we milked cows, we could do it, but had to be real careful. We had 2 three horse vacuum pumps and could only run one, couldn't run the bulk tank compressor at the same time, had to turn off the water heaters in the house and barn both until the milking was done. When the milk transfer pump kicked in, you could hear the change in the sound of the generator. No dairy cattle anymore though, so 12kw is fine.

 

[rrlund]

At the risk of derailing this thread I'm going to ask a question that is kind of pertinent.

I've had several opportunities to buy a PTO generator reasonably but have let them all pass me by. My question is, are these generators required to be run at 540 PTO RPM?

My guess would be yes they are. Would I be right?

Most are 540, yes. You have to run the PTO speed so that the gauge on the generator is in the proper place, so that might of might not be exactly 540.

 

[John Deere D]

At the risk of derailing this thread I'm going to ask a question that is kind of pertinent.

I've had several opportunities to buy a PTO generator reasonably but have let them all pass me by. My question is, are these generators required to be run at 540 PTO RPM?

My guess would be yes they are. Would I be right?

As the add a photo is not working here on "YT"........
My Tractor driven PTO Gen,Operates at 460 PTO RPM......
Amps 100
Hertz 60
24,000 Watts
Volts 120 /240
A built in Gear box established the required pto of 460,the 60 cycle gauge lets me know when 460 is reached...
When the pic posting is reestablished I shall post more info.
Gen set was buit in Italy and is of first class quality..
Bob...

 

[JOCCO]

At the risk of derailing this thread I'm going to ask a question that is kind of pertinent.

I've had several opportunities to buy a PTO generator reasonably but have let them all pass me by. My question is, are these generators required to be run at 540 PTO RPM?

My guess would be yes they are. Would I be right?

Couple things yes on 540 but 1000 rpm might be available. You have to get the cycles right, 60 in USA Or things will run but not quite right. Sensitive items forget it. There are pros and cons of tractor generators just like tractor irrigation pumps. For me I like the portability of a small generator and welder generator. Back up systems like generac reduce the need for tractor generator.

 

[Brown David]

Thanks for the info fellas.

I was quite sure about that but I've learned to ask questions anyway about things I'm quite sure about.

Lol, before I could hit post my power went out.

I waited half an hour or so before I started the generator, high winds and heavy rain is in the forcast. Must be happening somewhere now as I still don't have power.

 

[John Deere D]

Thanks for the info fellas.

I was quite sure about that but I've learned to ask questions anyway about things I'm quite sure about.

Lol, before I could hit post my power went out.

I waited half an hour or so before I started the generator, high winds and heavy rain is in the forcast. Must be happening somewhere now as I still don't have power.

When the dreaded Cov_d was the buss word(2021),....we did not leave our Northern Albert very rural residence that winter.....power was lost for 9+ hours...-30 C... Our Massey Ferguson 35 X 3 cylinder diesel was plugged in and ready to run!
I had ran a separate electrical circuit in the summer residence,plugged gen set in......all was great.
Only the Furnace,(Propane) Water,Sewage system.....couple of 60 Watt lites....Coffee maker..
Cooked on backup wood stove.......
Last summer, we lost the public power grid.......had gen set on a 1950 Harry Ferguson TEA-20..Ran 100%
Bob...

 

[buickanddeere]

Remember those little gas generators are made for temporary use. Try to get something like Honda/Kubota the quality is much better. You can get diesel and things like kohlor/onan but the price is scary.

With synthetic oil and operating at 80% of rated current . just about any consumer grade generator will go 500-1000 hours . We have a 1000W yamaha invertor generator that our neighbors used from April to November for 15 years . Except when the AC was operating . Very conservatively it has 8000 hours on it . It is worn enough that 60wt motor oil is required to limit oil consumption. to two tanks of gas per oil top up. Still smokes enough to keep the skeeters away.

 

[Jim.ME]

At the risk of derailing this thread I'm going to ask a question that is kind of pertinent.

I've had several opportunities to buy a PTO generator reasonably but have let them all pass me by. My question is, are these generators required to be run at 540 PTO RPM?

My guess would be yes they are. Would I be right?

The basic answer is yes for most if they are advertised for 540 RPM. I am going to say most if not all drive into a gearbox to spin the armature up to a higher speed. Mine has to be right around PTO speed and might be right on allowing for variation in the accuracy of a well-used tach/proof meter; to be at voltage and hertz.

 

[JOCCO]

With synthetic oil and operating at 80% of rated current . just about any consumer grade generator will go 500-1000 hours . We have a 1000W yamaha invertor generator that our neighbors used from April to November for 15 years . Except when the AC was operating . Very conservatively it has 8000 hours on it . It is worn enough that 60wt motor oil is required to limit oil consumption. to two tanks of gas per oil top up. Still smokes enough to keep the skeeters away.

There are some of those cheap ones that do not last long and don't seem to be calibrated well. They do not due well under load either. Yamaha is not one of them but Yamaha is not to prevalent around me.

 

[buickanddeere]

There are some of those cheap ones that do not last long and don't seem to be calibrated well. They do not due well under load either. Yamaha is not one of them but Yamaha is not to prevalent around me.

Prior to purchasing , one has to check if the generator has a real voltage regulator and not just a simple rectifier. I have a 20 year old 5500 watt generator with 15 minutes on it . Have not got around to adding a voltage regulator yet. The piece of crap has 145V no load and 90V full load.

 

[Alvin 41]

At the risk of derailing this thread I'm going to ask a question that is kind of pertinent.

I've had several opportunities to buy a PTO generator reasonably but have let them all pass me by. My question is, are these generators required to be run at 540 PTO RPM?

My guess would be yes they are. Would I be right?

I got first pto alternator in 1974 to run dairy after an ice storm kept power lines down for 5 days.. Was 25 kw and couldn't run everything at once . Learned that speed ,540 ,was ctitical to avoid damage to some equipment .Found best way to keep speed (voltage) correct was to use an electric clock plugged in to alternator and compare it with your watch .

 

[johnofnewhaven]

Looking for a reliable, durable, long-term solution to PTO power generation in the 26-48 PTO HP range. Open to ideas about battery charging as well vs. just plugging in extension cords.
More details below if you’d like to read:


I live in a fire prone area where our power company has been through a recent fire event and will likely now shut our power off on a more consistent basis when it comes to high wind and dryness. I do have solar panels, but no battery. I do think a battery would be a worthy addition to the system, someday. No A/C

I understand the smaller portable gas/diesel options are far more economical and likely a better option for our modest needs. That being said, I love the sound of my tractors and for this entertaining activity, it is worth $50-100 in fuel to me to run for a few or more hours at a time irregularly. Shoot, they all need every chance they can to get a workout, especially my diesels. Does it work them good if you’re charging up all your devices and giving the fridges a reset? Is that more than they are capable of?

Thanks for sharing any thoughts, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I have a

Looking for a reliable, durable, long-term solution to PTO power generation in the 26-48 PTO HP range. Open to ideas about battery charging as well vs. just plugging in extension cords.
More details below if you’d like to read:


I live in a fire prone area where our power company has been through a recent fire event and will likely now shut our power off on a more consistent basis when it comes to high wind and dryness. I do have solar panels, but no battery. I do think a battery would be a worthy addition to the system, someday. No A/C

I understand the smaller portable gas/diesel options are far more economical and likely a better option for our modest needs. That being said, I love the sound of my tractors and for this entertaining activity, it is worth $50-100 in fuel to me to run for a few or more hours at a time irregularly. Shoot, they all need every chance they can to get a workout, especially my diesels. Does it work them good if you’re charging up all your devices and giving the fridges a reset? Is that more than they are capable of?

Thanks for sharing any thoughts, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I have a 15kw Winco PTO generator. It is plenty for my house. I had my breaker panel wired for it and I have a plug on the outside of my house. I have two diesel tractors that are capable of operating it. I also have two gas tractors that are capable of operating it but have never used them on the generator . During the winter one of the diesel tractors always stays hooked to it. I rarely lose power for more than just a few minutes or so but there has been a handful of times that I've lost power for 1 to 2 days. Pretty easy to get the tractor and generator out of the building, back it up to my house and plug it in. Takes all of about 15 minutes. Yes if you have to do it in inclement weather it's not real fun. Without a doubt the way to go is a automatic standby generator that runs on propane or natural gas. But since I don't live in an area where the power is prone to go out often and for long periods of times I never could justify the expense.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

If you're looking for brand recommendations, Winpower used to be the brand to own. There were many brands back in the day, Dayton, Pincor, Winco, Generac to name a few.

Today there are only a few left. Winco is still in business, and they own/support the old Winpower brand. USA made, and they aren't all that expensive.

But yeah, the RPM is important because that's what determines the frequency of the power. It needs to be within a couple of cycles of 60Hz for certain things. Modern electronics are NOT one of them. They usually have universal power supplies these days that will work off electricity from anywhere in the world, 120-250V, 50-60Hz.

 

[buickanddeere]

An 1800 rpm machine is usually much quieter than a 3600 rpm machine .