Generator Pto backup generator - are they practical

[Newbie7100HST]

Would having a PTO generator be better/more practical than having a stand alone generator. I've got a 7500 watt gas backup generator sitting in my garage - it may have 20 hours on it and I don't think I've fired it up in 3 years (local grid has been way more stable since when we first moved in). Obviously I'm going to have to change the gas and probably clean the carb if I ever expect to use it again - but that said it will probably just sit there till the gas goes sour again (guess I could lay it up dry and just store/rotate gas short term in a can or 2 but knowing me I'll get caught short on gas because I filled up my snowmobile atV and chainsaw all at the same time.

I remember people being out of power for +2 weeks from the ice storm in 98.
That's the kind of outrage I'm trying to be prepared for but I would want to come out of the other end of needing to rebuild a tractor motor because it sat running a generator for too long.

Thoughts/suggestions are appreciated.

 

[patchnball]

According to internet it takes 30 pto HP to run a 15 KW generator. Just saying.

 

[Tonyinohio]

I prefer a standalone generator. Frees up the tractor for other stuff and keeps hours off the tractor.

I have a 6K gas generator that is about 15 years old i close off the fuel line valve and run it dry every time. Never have issues with the fuel.

Last year i cleared a 1/4 mile of honeysuckle 30' wide using an electric chainsaw and my trusty generator. Easier than a heavy gas unit in my opinion. Sharpened the chain each day and stayed out of the dirt.

 

[zzvyb6]

takes a lot of horsepower to run a decent size generator........they have gotten better.

I do not agree with this statement because MOST homes and barns don't really need a lot of power. Just add up the wattages of all your needs and go from there. If 7500 watts is your current capacity, that seems to settle the level you need. Heck, you could run that off most lawn mowers (as I do). My pto alternator has 50 kw max capability. I run it off my 22 hp diesel lawn mower just fine. Even A/C.

Well, furnace, cooking, A/C, garage doors, TV, Uverse access point and wireless, lights, laptop and other chargers is all I need.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

For me, I don't care about the hours on my tractor, that's what I bought it for. IF it can't take it, I will buy one that can!

Having said that, I MUCH prefer my pto generator, but we just don't loose power all that often so it's not putting many hours on my tractor.

I really like the idea of NOT having another small gas engine to take of...and if I would have bought a generator that would power my whole house, of the same quality of my pto gen set, it would have cost my 4 or 5 times more money...

SR

 

[topbuilder]

For me, I don't care about the hours on my tractor, that's what I bought it for. IF it can't take it, I will buy one that can!

Having said that, I MUCH prefer my pto generator, but we just don't loose power all that often so it's not putting many hours on my tractor.

I really like the idea of NOT having another small gas engine to take of...and if I would have bought a generator that would power my whole house, of the same quality of my pto gen set, it would have cost my 4 or 5 times more money...

SR

Agreed. This was my thought as well. Never a problem keeping the tractor ready at a moments notice. I don't need it running hours on end. That being said, I went another direction. My generator is run off of my propane tank. That eliminates the gas engine problem. Just need to maintain high propane tank levels.

 

[OregonCraig]

Lots of aspects to consider. I seriously considered a PTO generator, primarily because I didn't want another gas engine to maintain. At some point, I realized that my wife would have a lot more trouble using the PTO generator if I were not home to take care of it. I ultimately decided to go with a gas stand alone unit that is very easy for her to use. I run it once a month with a moderate load.

 

[k0ua]

Lots of aspects to consider. I seriously considered a PTO generator, primarily because I didn't want another gas engine to maintain. At some point, I realized that my wife would have a lot more trouble using the PTO generator if I were not home to take care of it. I ultimately decided to go with a gas stand alone unit that is very easy for her to use. I run it once a month with a moderate load.

Hey Craig, cool dog in your avatar:thumbsup:

 

[OregonCraig]

Hey Craig, cool dog in your avatar:thumbsup:

Thanks, James...she's just a mutt, but she's a good dog.

 

[Fallon]

I went PTO. Less engines to maintain. It's an emergency generator, not a standby generator. I'm not going to bother hooking it up for a few hours unless it's really cold. My wife probably couldn't hook it up, but can wait for a few hours until I get home & can.

I'm storing a few hundred gallons of diesel for speculation & emergency use anyway. No way I could do that with gas, only propane & diesel. Ya hours on the tractor & it's in availability when doing so suck, but I got it to use, not as barn art. It's for emergency use, not constant use, so I can unhook it & do work if needed.

 

[petegoud]

I have 3 generators, A 12,000 PTO, a 12,000 watt stand alone gas, and a 2000 watt Honda EU2000i. The one I use the most is the little Honda. Next would be the stand alone, followed by the PTO powered generator. I don't like the tying up the tractor to use the generator, besides I usually have a backhoe attached to the tractor. That being said, if I was out of power for longer than a couple days, the tractor PTO generator would be the least expensive to run. The gas powered one drinks about a gallon per hour running under a load.

 

[Newbie7100HST]

Agreed. This was my thought as well. Never a problem keeping the tractor ready at a moments notice. I don't need it running hours on end. That being said, I went another direction. My generator is run off of my propane tank. That eliminates the gas engine problem. Just need to maintain high propane tank levels.

That's actually a brilliant idea - I'm seriously considering getting rid of my oil furnace and putting in a high efficiency propane furnace (I mostly heat with wood - the change would primarily be for electric savings (DC fan motor and noise reduction).

The last tank of heating oil I got was more per litre than what I paid at the pump for my truck - had I been complaining in person rather than over the phone to the delivery company I might have ended up choking the salesman.

 

[tessiers]

PTO, we have used one on the farm for years. Tractors are made to run under load for hours, that's what Farming is all about. If you want efficient power, diesel is the way to go. If I were buying a stand alone, it would be diesel as well. Maybe you just need another tractor, I just tell the wife 1 more.

 

[newbury]

I own 4 generators for three houses.
A 6.5Kw gas bought after Hurricane Isabel at my main residence in Virginia.
A "10KW" at the house I'm "renting" to my son and his family BOUGHT IN MAY 2015 (THANKS SODO!) http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/336996-smokin-deal-10-000watt-generator.html?highlight=generator
A 12KW, (virtually unused before I bought it for $600 w/ a PTO shaft) Winco PTO in Mississippi.
And a little movable 1KW HF.

I was in Germany doing Army stuff for Hurricane Isabel (Sept 2003) and it's after effects, but SWMBO made sure I heard about them. Usually just after I got back to the hotel from celebrating Oktoberfest .

Since then I've run the generator about every 3 to 6 months for about 10 minutes AND ONCE FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR DURING A 6 HOUR POWER OUTAGE!!!

The Sodo buy was timely, about 2 months later there was a major power outage (where my son lives) for most of a week. I think a car knocked down a major transformer. Now I've owned that place since 1978 and that has been THE ONLY LONG DURATION POWER OUTAGE. And beside my son and HIS SWMBO there is a 3 yr old grandson and a 2 month old (at the time) grandaughter. He fired it up and it ran all the time, plugged into frig, freezer, a/c unit etc.

And the 12KW Winco I've only run to test it maybe 4 times.

So I've invested about $1,800 in three generators since 2003 and have personally used them for about half an hour. Now I have to admit I looked the I could read the future by supplying that generator to my son.

So I would say a PTO generator can be very practical. I'm looking forward to taking mine out for stick welding some gates. (Thanks to Shield Arc and the < $300 Everlast PA 300)

 

[buickanddeere]

I do not agree with this statement because MOST homes and barns don't really need a lot of power. Just add up the wattages of all your needs and go from there. If 7500 watts is your current capacity, that seems to settle the level you need. Heck, you could run that off most lawn mowers (as I do). My pto alternator has 50 kw max capability. I run it off my 22 hp diesel lawn mower just fine. Even A/C.

Well, furnace, cooking, A/C, garage doors, TV, Uverse access point and wireless, lights, laptop and other chargers is all I need.

Better to add the amps. Prevents being booby trapped with VARS vs Watts.

 

[4570Man]

I prefer natural gas powered stand alone. This is the most expensive option, but certainly the most convenient. The problem with a PTO generator for me is the tractor is rarely stored at my house.

 

[bdog]

If we have an extended power outage it likely will be due a big snow storm. When that happens we usually need the tractor for other things.

 

[Jkott]

What do you NEED to power when the power goes out? Heat, water, lights, fridge, freezer, and maybe TV? For me it's several servers and computers to work from home.

My $400 3250w gas Generac has been able to do all that for me. I put over 40 hours on it the first weekend I got it. Two major storms came through and knocked a half million customers in the Twin Cities out for the weekend. Being on a stub street, I was out from Friday Morning until Tuesday. I've used it a couple of times for transformer cooked squirrel outages.

It's was enough to run the lights, some fans, and the well pump at my cabin.

I ended up getting a 7kw generator for the cabin, mainly because while the 3250 started the well pump, it struggled to start it and with above ground power lines with a lot of trees in a rural area, it was going out often. The 7kw runs everything, including the electric water heater.

I only use non-oxy stabilized fuel in each. I run them every couple of months (well, maybe twice a year?). About once a year I siphon the gas out and use it in the atvs and lawn mower before it goes bad, and put fresh in.

I've thought about a propane generator just for ease, but it would be permanently installed, can't be loaned to neighbors, and our propane tank is mostly for heat and gets filled once a year. An extended outage in February could be a problem for me.

I can teach anyone over the phone how to wheel out the 7kw gas, hook the cable up between the generator and the hookup box on the garage, turn on the choke, hit the electric start, and safely use the interlock on the panel. I really don't want to teach someone while I'm not home, how to maneuver the tractor up to the generator, hook everything else up, and correctly set the RPms to not fry stuff.

 

[vsteel]

PTO generators are very practical but not if you are the "I need power 24x7 type", that is better left to a dedicated standby generator. If you need power just a few hours a day to get things done, then a PTO generator can be a great choice.

The hours you put on a tractor are nothing. People that say they put on to many hours probably also have a separate mower to save tractor hours and a separate tiller to save hours. See where I am going, most people keep their tractors in good running shape and it is one less motor to take care of. Tractors are good for a HUGE amount of hours and are designed to run. Don't forget the cheap box store models are not built to take the long run times. You are going to have to spend some money to get a generator that is designed to run for hours and hours on end.

Most of the PTO generators will also put out clean power. Every time someone compares a cheap big box store model to a PTO generator I laugh, they are not even in the same league for quality and power output quality. Again you are going to have to spend some money to get good quality power output.

Diesel is a good fuel that stores well. Gas stores OK but not as well as diesel, in either case proper steps must be taken for long term fuel storage. Propane stores great but generators can be really thirsty when on propane or natural gas so make sure to take in fuel consumption per hour into your calculations. Don't forget either that if you are only using propane for your generator and are not getting it filled regularly, you might be really low on the list when a power outage hits and you need more fuel. The delivery guy is going to take care of his regulars first. You may or may not get fuel.

That being said, how easy will it be to hook up the generator to your tractor, can your significant other or one of your children do it if you are not at the house? Are you going to need the tractor and will need power during the time when you are using the tractor for other things?

PTO generators are very practical but not for ever situation.

 

[AndyMA]

I have both portable & a 12 kW PTO generator. Short runs I use the portable, Long runs the PTO. 12 kW on a Deere X748 24HP Yanmar. This is the same motor that many refrigerated trucks use which runs for days on end. I would not use one of my larger tractors since the fuel consumption would be too high.