3-Point Hitch PTO Generator arrived today

GC1710 · Jan 8, 2018

I won’t get it setup until later this month. Planning on mounting it in a hitch plate and it will mount on my 3 point hitch receiver. I will build legs on the hitch plate.

Read a lot of info and decided on the IMD brand (which is all sourced from Italian made hardware). 10kw rated, with substantial ability for spikes (my geo heat pump).

Will update once I get it up and tested!

mrmikey · Jan 8, 2018

That is a nice looking generator. How's the unit itself mount, can't see any lugs or feet to mount a frame to...........Mike

GC1710 · Jan 8, 2018

they are integrated into the frame, you can see it easier in this stock photo. The 3 point mount was an extra $350. I have enough steel bits to weld my own up for about free, except I'm going to make it fit into my 3 point hitch receiver. (Easier to explain once my mind gets it welded together)

mrmikey · Jan 8, 2018

yup, I see now.
How many HP does it take to run it maxed out?......Mike

GC1710 · Jan 8, 2018

mrmikey said:
yup, I see now.
How many HP does it take to run it maxed out?......Mike

20hp....the old saying is 1kw per 2hp....I'll have to load it up and see how many amps the Massey can push....

Sawyer Rob · Jan 8, 2018

NICE! I hope you like your pto genset as much as I like mine...

It's amazing how nice it runs my welder, and I can have some lights on and some one running a side grinder all at the same time...

SR

GC1710 · Jan 8, 2018

Sawyer Rob said:
NICE! I hope you like your pto genset as much as I like mine...

It's amazing how nice it runs my welder, and I can have some lights on and some one running a side grinder all at the same time...

SR

Told the wife it was for emergency back-up power, which it is....however I have dreams of welding, cutting, and building something in the middle of the woods.....:thumbsup:

Langanobob · Jan 8, 2018

Another implement/accessory for GC1710! Hard to keep track of your adventures, this tractor seems like it really turned your life around! Seriously, I don't know anything about PTO generators and I have a question or two. What RPM does the generator spin at, 1800? I can understand using it in the woods to power a welder or other equipment but I知 not sure about home backup power during an extended outage of say a couple of days. Is your tractor going to like running at 2600RPM or so continuously? If you have the throttle set for 540 PTO RPM to achieve 60Hz generator output under no load and your heat pump kicks in, will the tractor engine slow down enough to drop the generator frequency too low? Almost seems like it would need a governor?

zzvyb6 · Jan 8, 2018

These generators have huge rotating inertia (i.e. potential energy storage). When a high start current device kicks in, a small change in rpm dumps power from the inertia into the load. On mine, it's barely detectable on either tractor engine (1 governed and 1 is not governed). This is especially true with this generator because its 1800 rpm meaning 4 poles and some heavy gears to crank 540 up to 1800 rpm. AND, I sure don't run my generator for the entire outage (hours or days). I start it up when we need water, heat, internet, and food.

The rest of the time it's on standby (as in stopped). Why would you run it all the time ? Seems like a foolish waste of fuel, wear are tear.

Jcoon · Jan 9, 2018

They most deff can run all the time though, they are Diesel engines, it’s what they are designed to do! I’m hopefully picking my Dayton pto generator up this Saturday, looks like you got yourself a nice a little setup too! I can’t wait to see how mine will do with a test on the house.

Sawyer Rob · Jan 9, 2018

I've never understood why think they shouldn't/couldn't run their tractor 24/7?? YET, they think it's fine to run a small much less reliable and weaker Honda, Generac, B&S or Kohler 24/7...

Lots of pumps have the same diesel engine that's on a tractor, irrigating fields for days on end, used year after year.

I've baled hay at "pto speed", loaded pretty heavy with a baler, from morning to night, day after day. I guess you wouldn't do that with a tractor either??

So, I have no problem leaving my tractor run as long as I need it to run and IF I felt uncomfortable doing so, I'd say I bought the wrong brand of tractor in the first place!

SR

Jcoon · Jan 9, 2018

Amen to that! Lots of standby generators are diesel also, and they start up and go wide open! No idle time what’s so ever. Just keep fuel to it and let it run!

LouNY · Jan 9, 2018

I have run my pto generator almost non-stop for long periods of time, several years ago it ran for ten days almost non-stop. I'd shut off the generator once a day to take the tractor to the fuel tank and then back it up reconnect and go again. That was using my Oliver 1550 that had several thousands of hours on it, I even went so far as to mark the oil dipstick with a running full mark. Now I normally use my Branson 8050 on it, this tractor has an economy 540 gear that lets me have pto speed at 1750 engine rpm, I have used my IH 574 on it using the 1000 rpm pto at half throttle, it works for night loads , lighting, oil furnace and water well pump during the day when the load varies so much more it has trouble holding steady enough so I take it back to the 540 shaft and more rpm. Now with less people and loads some nights I shut down for 4 hours or so and then restart for an hour but that's mainly for fuel conservation ($$$$) then any other reason. Of course I am considering a small low rpm diesel gen-set also.

HarryVanderpool · Jan 9, 2018

Everyone's circumstances are different. But in a power outage, we run our generator 3 hours in the morning and 4 hours in the evening. Any more than that is just a waste of fuel and added wear & tear.
We have wood heat also.

cdaigle430 · Jan 9, 2018

For my circumstance I chose spending 5k for a 16kw generac and home auto switch. I thought about getting a PTO Generator but chose the Generac for several reasons over the PTO generator.

1) Didnt want to tie up the tractor from other things like snow removal. Generator was 5k installed and is dedicated-has cold weather package and runs on unlimited natural gas.
2) did not want to leave tractor running overnight
3) Takes time to warm up tractor, connect and fuel up.
4) My tractor and implements cost me around 25 grand not including PTO generator and hookup to house if I got one. Generac was 5.5k hooked up including house autoswitch. Generator has 10 year warranty-when it goes I just buy a new one for 1500 to 2500, hookup is already there.
5) Generator is always waiting and it exercises itself bi - weekly.
6) Diesel is more expensive than NG and I dont have to store gallons on site and dont have to worry about gelling or treating. I dont have to fuel up every 12 hours and I can run my Generac for several days without needed downtime.
7) love my MF too much to leave it outside in bad weather or for thieves to come get.
8) If im on vacation and power goes out whos gonna setup my MF and run it? My hot tub would freeze up, my pipes would burst.

Nice backup plan option for me but for now Im good with just the Generac.

blackrams · Jan 9, 2018

Was seriously interested in upgrading my emergency power capability and this thread gave me reason to enquire so, I sent an email to IMD and asked. This is the response I got.

Ron,******
*************** Thank you for your interest in our products.
*
We generally recommend that you have 2 PTO horsepower for every 1 KW. So you would not be able to fully compensate for the power draw of our 10KW. You could pull about 7 KW out of any PTO generator but you could run into the issue pulling more than your tractor could handle. This could cause a drop in Hz and offset your voltage output. So it is possible to run but there is risk involved.
*
Best regards,
*
Shane Huffman
Plant Manager
IMD LLC
Tel.: 864.968.0858 Ext:14
Fax: 864.968.0878
www.imd-us.com

Pretty much confirms what I had previously discovered. Settles the issue. My Ford 1210 only has 13.5 PTO horse power. Not sufficient to safely power a 10k generator. Guess I'll stick with my Onan 4500 and be satisfied with it till the power comes back on.

This I know. This is the last all electric home I will own and although this is not my first experience with a heat pump, it will be my last. Of course, this depends on where I relocate to once my other half retires. Looking like MS or maybe southern TN. I'm hoping for S. TN. My next home will be natural gas or propane.

Rams

Jcoon · Jan 9, 2018

Let’s just hope you don’t loose natural gas during the power outage, my point being there not 100% fail safe.

blackrams · Jan 9, 2018

Jcoon said:
Let’s just hope you don’t loose natural gas during the power outage, my point being there not 100% fail safe.

As my ole Pappy used to say, if man built it, it's gonna break or fail at some point. Nothing is 100% failsafe. Actually, I prefer propane.

Rams

LouNY · Jan 9, 2018

A lot of places don't have natural gas available, and up in the northeast to my knowledge there are only a few main lines feeding it with several booster stations, the booster stations are relatively new the pipelines are not, who knows what the future will be for them.