How to secure tractor while operating PTO generator

[rpeter]

Hate to say it but I kinda agree with Duffster. If you have small kids then you can not leave it unsupervised.

 

[LarryD]

I think you answered your own question, lock it in the garage.

Depending on the length of pipe necessary to exhaust outside, you could add a small blower to the end to assist.

Home - Nederman

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Even with a pipe on the exhaust, and a blower on the pipe for negative air pressure to suck it out, you're going to get exhaust gas buildup in an enclosed garage; unless you have some pretty big holes in it. Back when I was working on the shop floors, in the winter time, that wasn't a big problem as we'd be moving trucks and equipment in and out every hour or so, and the roll up doors let a big exchange of fresh air in. But there were still too many times (once or twice each winter) we'd have guys with bright red faces and splitting headaches (signs of CO poisoning) from doing engine tests inside and the doors hadn't been opened in a while, even though the exhaust system was running full out.

Only thing you can do then is transport them to the base Emergency Room for oxygen. And they'd be off the floor for a day or two until fully recovered. Then we'd have the OIC hammering us about safety for the next 2 weeks.

If the garage is connected to the house, don't run it inside.

If the garage is separated, open the big doors first before going inside if it's running inside. Locking the doors is sufficient for safety/liability

If it's under a car port, or open shed, or even totally outdoors, it should be in some kind of fenced in area with a locking gate so no kids can just wander in. (Just like a lot of towns have swimming pool regulations to keep kids from wandering in and drowning.)

If you want to secure it from theft while it's running unattended, best thing I've seen is a logging chain wrapped around the axle and padlocked to a ring set in concrete in the floor/pad. And I recall that in the old days with antique tractors, they'd pull a rear wheel off and run a belt over the axle as an erzatz PTO to drive equipment; which makes driving the tractor off kind of hard.

 

[JohninCT]

Sounds like you need some kind of portable fence. Maybe something like this dog kennel

PetSafe Preferred Dog Kennel, 6 ft. W x 8 ft. L x 4 ft. H - 3606504 | Tractor Supply Company

As far as running the tractor inside the garage if its attached to your house don't do it. People can and do die every year from CO poisoning from malfunctioning furnaces. Don't risk it.

 

[SPYDERLK]

How about a motion sensing alarm that sends video to a security service.?
larry

 

[manganos]

Too much work lol. After talking with the wife it looks like we will be looking into a whole house generator with an auto transfer switch. I'm still going to keep the PTO generator as it will work well if I have to power the welder away from the house.

Thanks everyone and Merry Christmas!

 

[whistlepig]

We have a portable generator. This was a good post showing some of the issues for those that are considering a PTO generator. Securing a portable generator is not much different than securing a PTO generator. Children must be protected from both.

 

[taborekle]

I understand you're pursuing a whole house generator and transfer switch. If it were me, I'd hang a sign on the tractor with generator warning that it's dangerous. Then go to my neighbors with the kids I'm concerned about and let their parents know what my concerns are for their safety and my equipment. After that, I think I'd be done.

 

[PILOON]

I'd like to keep it running if I run to the store or something but I guess it is not out of the question to shut it off etc.

The tractor lives in the garage therefore no one can climb on it and drive away.

I wonder if I could leave it running in the garage and hook up an "extended" exhaust to route the exhaust outside.

Extended exhaust will be a problem!

Added lengths of piping will cause back pressure and you'd risk overheating the engine.

I'd suggest perhaps a short flex pipe to simply direct the exhaust to the outlet and then a through the wall fan (or even a window fan)to draw and exhaust the fumes.
Also another opening (window?) to allow fresh air to enter for replacement.

Moving air will be your friend as even the engine heat will rapidly warm up that garage.

PS; I once rigged up a small portable genny with piping to exhaust to the outdoors and that pipe got hot enough to scorch my hands and I swear I could hear the oil boiling.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

Too much work lol. After talking with the wife it looks like we will be looking into a whole house generator with an auto transfer switch. I'm still going to keep the PTO generator as it will work well if I have to power the welder away from the house.

Thanks everyone and Merry Christmas!

There. You fixed it.

2 things I will never understand....Liquid in tires and a pto generator for a house.??

Call me whatever you want. I will never understand those 2 things.:confused2:

 

[Kendrick]

Is this a serious question?

keep asking that question as the cops and lawyers are banging on your door because some neighbors lil precious got its self killed.

you have 2 parts to secure. 1 pto shaft and generator. 2 controls on tractor.

3 options, 1 portable electric fence that is 7-8 ft high movable insulated base so you can move it away when neccessary. metal chain and padlock for the door. wear lineman boots/gloves to access.

2 lockable shed like structure. a battery room would be a decent starting point for how you would want to design it. you would need a large section that is chicken wire at the bottom and top of opposet sides. you can easily put hinged pannels so that when not in use the place could be completely sealed.

3 2 part. a mini shed to cover the generator up to the rear axel/wheels with a bottom cover so no crawlers get under. you need to protect the outlets as well as the pto shaft. you dont need some idiot sticking a nail in a 30 or 50 A socket and wondering why it smells like kfc. nor do you need some one pulling the plug to the power of your house.... lock cab or have chans blocks on the controls so use of clutch steering wheel shift levers are disabled


JD ill be happy to call you strange the auto switch is nice and all but 1) its yet another engine i have to pay maintance on, but wont see a whole lot of real use. 2) most people don't realize this but 90% of the generators void warranty of electronics. those include generac auto switching units. got a farmer near here who drops about 500$ in light ballests when his generator kicks in because they are digital equpment and cant take dirty power.

I specifically bought my generator head as it is listed as electronics safe.

 

[rjkobbeman]

There. You fixed it.

2 things I will never understand....Liquid in tires and a pto generator for a house.??

Call me whatever you want. I will never understand those 2 things.:confused2:

I'm with you on those! :thumbsup:

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Hey JD, I must be pretty strange, but then again, I'm a cheap, closet survivalist in my spare time.

Liquid in the tires makes sense to me. It adds weight to the rear end, and since air and liquids are both fluids, as long as it's not corrosive or super expensive, shouldn't be a problem.

I'm with a couple of the others on PTO generators. Why maintain more engines than absolutely necessary?

There is a caveat with a PTO generator. Unlike many dedicated household generators, a PTO generator doesn't have load sensing to throttle up the tractor engine when more power is needed. So if you have kids turning everything on at once, the furnace igniter and forced hot water pumps, the dryer, dishwasher, freezer, washer, AC, and the well pump, you're going to get a massive dip which won't do your appliances' motors, or your electronics much good. What I would recommend with a PTO generator (or even a cheaper stand-alone generator without that load sensing) is a smart UPS/power conditioner that can store power in batteries in the unit and deliver a level and smooth cycle of power whenever you get spikes in demand.

 

[BethesdaEC]

There is a caveat with a PTO generator. Unlike many dedicated household generators, a PTO generator doesn't have load sensing to throttle up the tractor engine when more power is needed. So if you have kids turning everything on at once, the furnace igniter and forced hot water pumps, the dryer, dishwasher, freezer, washer, AC, and the well pump, you're going to get a massive dip which won't do your appliances' motors, or your electronics much good. What I would recommend with a PTO generator (or even a cheaper stand-alone generator without that load sensing) is a smart UPS/power conditioner that can store power in batteries in the unit and deliver a level and smooth cycle of power whenever you get spikes in demand.

Tractors have a governor throttle unlike a car or truck. If you set the speed to PTO speed with no load and then place a load assuming you have enough power it should maintain the speed just like a generator.

 

[JB4310]

I do take it as a serious question, but unless the kid is deaf there's enough natural instinct to stay away from a tractor running at pto speed. If anything try and bring a kid in close they will be scared, even kids who ride around on Daddy's lap on the lawn tractor would be apprehensive about approaching by themselfs IMO

Swimming pools, ladders, open holes in the ground yes dangerous for kids.
A tractor grunting away in a strangers yard I really doubt it.

Teens looking for a joyride or something to vandalize sure, but they're not gonna want to mess with a spinning pto shaft.

But since there's no guarantees and we are talking about the little kids, safety, liability etc.
I know someone mentioned a fenced in area but how about just a roll of that light weight construction fence, just wrap it around the whole package, tractor and generator, and tie it together, simple, cheap, temporary and should keep all but the most determined away.

JB.

 

[Duffster]

you have 2 parts to secure. 1 pto shaft and generator. 2 controls on tractor.

Like I previously said.

Shouldn't be a problem with a properly shielded PTO. If you are that uneasy about an unsupervised running tractor then the tractor shouldn't be running unsupervised.

 

[wvpolekat]

There is only one right answer. A tractor is not designed nor intended to be left running unattended. If you need something to do that, buy something designed to do that, like a stationary generator with the appropriate safety features.

 

[Duffster]

There is only one right answer. A tractor is not designed nor intended to be left running unattended. If you need something to do that, buy something designed to do that, like a stationary generator with the appropriate safety features.

Really?

You should tell that to the thousands around here that use their tractors for real work.

 

[wvpolekat]

Really?

You should tell that to the thousands around here that use their tractors for real work.

Oh please. "real work" does not mean leaving your tractor sitting in front of the barn running at PTO speed while you go to lunch or shopping. Let alone in front of your house. Fact is, they are not made to do that UNATTENDED and you know it. Yes, you can use them to run a variety of equipment while stationary off the PTO like augers, conveyors, pumps, and even PTO generators. But, they are, obviously, not made to sit there and do that with nobody around. That would be why they have those "wheels" and a "seat" for an operator to sit on. It's also the reason they are called "tractors" and not "stationaries". It is simply the wrong choice to do work like that in that situation. If you need something to run a pump or generator for hours on end with nobody around, you should consider a proper stationary power plant. Obviously, an emergency it could be used to run a pump or a PTO generator, but I wouldn't consider a power outage to be an emergency that warrants this, particularly when nobody will be home. If you need to leave, shut it down.

The mere fact that he has to ask the question says that it is a poor choice.

 

[RPW]

For people who are concerned or need a more presice power from their PTO generator you can look at this one from IMD IMD PTO 16-S AVR PTO Generator - PTO16-SAVR - 16kW Tractor-Driven PTO Generator w/ AVR (540 RPM) which looks interesting. Price didn't look to bad either.