Power Your Home with Your Compact Tractor! PTO Generator Pros & Cons!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- Whole house backup electric power is as close by as your tractor! A tractor PTO generator is a portable, convenient and reliable solution for emergency back-up. Tractor Time with Tim shows the Baumalight pto generator that he intends to use to power the homestead in an emergency event.
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I posted 4 months ago. Diesel tractors are built to work as you said to run hrs on end for thousands of hrs if needed. Came across another tractor forum about a tractor used @ silver dollar city for tractor rides had 5000 hours to see if it needed overhaul. No they’re built to run 24/7 whenever needed
Great video Tim. You hit all points perfectly. I have a portable gas gen, pto gen and the large Ecoflow max. All have a purpose if the power goes out. Ecoflow is nice for a light, fan and fridge to run at night with out the roar of the bigger units. My gas gen has never failed yet but like all gas engines requires care and fuel storage issues. With 3 diesel tractors and 250gal of diesel storage I can guarantee power if needed with the pto unit if the gas unit decides not to start.
Good information. In my case I have a diesel motorhome with a 10 KW diesel powered generator. With 300 gallons of diesel fuel and a burn rate of about 0.5 gallons/hour, that give us weeks of power before needing to refuel. After a few big storms with power lost for up to 14 days, that diesel generator sure came in handy. However, it was a pain to setup and configure breakers to backfeed the house. Something only I would do and no one else. A few years ago, the finance committee (wife) approved a 22KW natural gas whole house generator. The convenience and safety trump the use of the generator in our motorhome to power the house. This was one of the best home upgrades we did.
I have a 8500 225 miller welder ,,bought 1999 . It's a grateful pace of mind
Tim, where these are a genius idea is where people think about a solar panel/ Tesla power wall type source installed around your home or business and on a 5 acre or larger property you always have a tractor. With the power wall you only have to run a tractor a couple of hours a day.
Very interested in this topic. I appreciate the explanation about 2-4 poles and dirty power concerning electronics.
Been using my Baumalight 12kw since 2009 hasn't let me down yet it powers our whole house and farm when needed and works great for mobile field repair with the welder and air compressor I added to it
So you added regular 240v compressor and welder?
@@TractorTimewithTim a 240 volt Lincoln tombstone welder and a 120 volt small air compressor works great for mobile repairs or projects away from a power source
After Hurricane Michael I used my PTO generator to power our house for 29 days. If you live in a rural area and have a tractor, you need a PTO generator. I promise you I did not care about tractor values, fuel cost (which were later recouped from the insurance company), nor anything else other than having water, power, and air conditioning. We were able to take showers, watch TV, play on the computers, and cook with no problems. It (the generator) made life tolerable after the devastation the hurricane left.
Wow, how many hours did you add to the tractor? 24/7 use?
I live in a rural area. Been on tractor forums. My opinion people who have & rely on pto generator for emergency & just inconvenience of electric power outages that own newer tractors (2000) & newer have a problem useing them for 12/24/72 /168 hrs. Except for say the old forfeit 2n 8n ect 30/40 yrs old tractors they just keep gas in them && run 24/7/? Never think 2twice about it. Just saying 😊
I have both I use a small inverter generator for basic electricity. It is limited being only 110. The PTO will do 220 volts so I can run my water heater. Everything else is gas. We had one outage and couldn't get gas for 24 to 30 hours. Yet I had 30 gallons of diesel. I could have borrowed more if needed from neighboring ranches.
great timing 😄 been seriously considering getting some kind of generator
I saw someone else mention this but for a different reason. Tying up a tractor for the generator is a con if the power is still out and you need to clean up your home or the neighborhood in order to get out or start emergency repairs on buildings. Also in a rare event the tractor might be your only running mode of transportation.
Excited for the future videos on this!
Lots of tech stuff use the hertz of power supply to run clocks. Running 50 hz can make your minutes longer in hvac timers for example.
That was a great video TTWT... another disadvantage of PTO generator is needing to use the tractor elsewhere for projects or needed work during outages. (That's speaking if one only has one tractor). Generators are key now days for rural living in today's world IMO.
Only one tractor!?!? Hmph!! Just kidding.
This is an excuse to buy one of those old junkers at the auction I have attended.
@@TractorTimewithTim I actually have a second tractor with a Deutz diesel engine, fel, & pto... it's called a "CAST 430L" that was made in Italy.
Not just slightly cheaper but a lot, I was looking at a home generator and settled on a 22kw pto generator can run my whole house on it
Not wasted at all this is good stuff
Thank you for creating this video. It answered a lot questions I have about PTO powered generators. I am looking forward to your additional videos about this subject. Great video!
Also if you are charging a power wall instead of being a direct source then there is no problem with clean power or not
Voltage regulator etc.
Nice introduction to these types of generators. I'm going to guess the fuel consumption rate is probably 1 cup/hr. You did make a good point on the business aspect of using one of these for when one might trade-in their tractor. I do recall during a three-day outage a former coworker of mine used the generator in their motorhome to power the house until the power was back on.
Awesome!! I am really looking forward to this series.
Love the scene stealing cat on the door looking out the window and everywhere on camera
Yep. My new catwalk is working out beautifully!
Go old school. If you live in town get a propane standby. The gas doesn't go bad. If you have natural gas you may end up having to put a bigger gas line to your house which could be a lot more expensive. Avoid everything with a circuit board if you can. After dealing with an off brand portable gas generator with a circuit board that failed only to find it was no longer available then getting a 15,000 watt generator which was not only way to heavy to get out but also had some electrical failure which I have not gotten to the bottom of, I bought a 25 kw PTO generator. No circuit boards to be run by my Oliver Super 77 diesel, my John Deere 4020 diesel or worse case scenario, my Oliver Hart Parr 70 row crop gasser, which has a magneto and can be hand started if I have to. No circuit boards on anything. The only thing I do have to worry about a little bit is if we lost power in cold weather it might take a little time to get the diesel started so I will usually have them plugged in as preparation for bad weather coming. The other real down fall is if there is a major event which causes a long term grid failure you have to have a good stock pile of fuel and oil and filters. But I just got the Oliver tractor running on ten year old fuel so at least if stored properly will last a long time. I grew up working on dairy farms. Everyone around here had a 4020 John Deere out by the may pole turning the Winpower. That how you knew you would be coming home to a dark house.
I dont treat my gas. I just ran my generac 7500 for like an hr just to run it. Its nice now my landlord friend installed a electric heater in his entry area of the barn so it started fairly easy being at 30°f. Ive thought about a pto gen idea but my 2 tractors are a 57 JD 520 ( 25 belt/engine hp currently a little weak) and a 48 or 49 JD B (was siezed but at friends getting running with junkyard block bored out with new pistons and rings and valve job) that i think will put out more hp currently on the 520
I wonder how PTO generators that have AVR (automatic voltage regulation) would be effected by only being a two pole generator? Would that alleviate the problems with generating "clean power" for electronics? I know so little about electricity that I'm completely ignorant, but am about to buy a PTO generator for my 73HP Kioti. I have a lot to learn yet.
A plus is the generator is mobile. You can put power someplace else or a friend or neighbors house also
Hi Tim
When are going to hook the pto generator to your 3046R tractor I like to
See it hooked to your tractor and to your house to.I just got a JD 3039R with the loader and a 72” box blade and 42” forks and roto tiller
And so far it doing good for what it will do for me.
I have I pto generator and I will hook it to my tractor to run my park model trailer I live in
On a friend of mine’s property hhere in the Central Valley in California in the Fresno area
So it will be interesting when you hook yours up to see it operation.
Hope to here here from you soon
No electrical engineering degree Tim? Me neither. I am just a retired CPA. Hard to do but nothing like electrical engineering,
One disadvantage with an automatic standby generator is that it must be sized to run your entire house which you may not need in an emergency!
That's probably the one advantage to using a portable generator with an interlock system in the breaker box. I can run my entire house off a 5500 watt Honda inverter generator. I simply turn off breakers for things I dont need like the water heater. If for some reason I need to run the water heater I just turn off some other breakers until the heater is finished. By having inverter power you have a perfect clean sine wave. Even sensitive medical equipment runs just fine from an inverter generator. I'm sure that somewhere out there someone makes a PTO generator with an inverter for truly clean perfect power. That would even eliminate the requirement that the tractor engine run at a steady RPM.
That can be avoided. A typical true whole-house generator installation has an automatic transfer switch installed between the generator and your existing breaker panel. However, there are two other options.
The first option is that you can have a sub-panel installed with the critical circuits moved to it, and the generator only powers the sub-panel. Depending on the number of circuits and how well or poorly the original home wiring was done, the cost of the labor may be more than moving up to a larger generator that can accomodate the entire house. This is what most people normally do when they're using a plug-in non-dedicated generator.
The other option is that certain high current devices like dryers, ovens, or electric water heaters can have a device installed that cuts power to them when the generator is running. I know these exist, but I don't know the cost or installation process. These are effectively the same thing some power companies will install on those devices for load-shedding purposes during peak demand periods.
Cool 😎 good info 👌
How about running the generator on the electric tractor. You can power your home and charge the tractor at the same time. Never ending power.
The T slot on the duplex are 30 amp. The tang can be forward or twisted. You are doing well.
Where’s the next video??? I can’t find it on your list.
Should have watched the rest of the video. Did know you can't run the tractor and charge it at the same time.
Great episode. I am an electrical engineer with over 35 years of experience in the power industry. I teach classes on generators several times a year. You did a very good job explaining the difference between a 2 pole and a 4 pole generator for the average person. Looking forward to you future videos on the PTO power generator.
In my opinion the biggest advantage to the PTO generators is simply the power output you get for the money. A 30KW generator with it's own powerplant would cost significantly more and would be another relatively expensive engine to maintain.
Except that a $5,000 30 kw PTO generator requires a minimum of a $65,000 60 HP tractor.
Now, if someone has a $65,000 tractor they mostly likely need it for various tasks and jobs around their place. You can't do that and run the generator at the same time.
@@trustme7731 I've got that 75HP tractor. When my power is out, that tractor will be devoted to keeping my house in power. I could give a (you know what) about any other tasks around my property until the power is back on.
Hey Tim: well I live on the east coast and we have hurricanes come by every year. Some close some far but we always have winds and downed trees. I installed the additional house panel for using generators. Works great. I was using portable 3-5 kw generators for fans, the fridge, freezer and lights and outlets. The problem I had was when we went a year or two without the need. The generator was stored out of sight, out of mind. Then the time came to use it, it was raining, blowing sideways and half the time at night. Well the generator didn’t want to start. Some times bad gas, a crusty carb would prevent it. My wife often thought I was a sailor while trying to get it going.
It was then that I considered a pto driven one. The tractor is used all the time so never have bad gas in it. It’s been the best way to have power in bad weather.
I really don't mind these "talking videos " because it shows how much thought and research you have put in. I feel that helps for those to make a more informed decision. I really enjoyed learning a few things new about generators.
💥 I really like how you covered all the pros and cons most people wouldn’t think of. Great job!
*Keep on tractoring!*
Great episode! I have a Winco Cummins pto 40kw pto generator that I use to power my farm. One thing that you didn't mention is the surge start up. This particular model is 40,000 watt continuous with 50,000 watt surge, to cover the start up draw of equipment or other electrical components.
My particular model has also hp input sensor so the generator automatically limits itself to the size of tractor. Handy feature for i can run my barn and garage with my B2601. Or when I need to run my shop and house as well i can hook my 120 hp M series Kubota on it and have the power to run the whole establishment.
I chose pto driven generator, because I already have the tractors, and a generator unit of the size i needed is very costly. This setup serves me well.
Great episode! One unmentioned con with a PTO-generator is (obviously) that one is tying up their tractor--not a problem if they have more than one tractor. I see PTO generators as good for transitional use, but for longer-term use I'm leaning towards wind/solar feeding a battery system.
But also a plus is the generator is mobile. You can put power someplace else or a friend or neighbors house also
@@forceon959 or if your aways from power you can use it to run tools
Combine it with a battery Backup system such as an ecoflow delta, zendure super base V, etc. You could run your whole house off those for a couple hours if you had to say detach the tractor to plow your driveway or clear debris. It's also more efficient to run at medium loads intermittently rather than very light loads continuously
Great Episode Tim being a tractor guy and an electrician for the last 22 years it was very interesting one other disadvantage of a tractor generator and why I didn’t get one is typically I lose power when it snows my tractor is also my plow and it can’t do both at once
What I’m hearing is you need some more tractors! 😂
Add a battery backup system such as an ecoflow delta, etc. Plow and then hook it back up to recharge the battery and resume powering the house
Here in Louisiana after a hurricane ,a lot of the stand by generators from a particular manufacture would not work... I have used my welding machine for years. I up graded after the hurricane in 2021 to a 26kw pto generator on a 50 hp. tractor.
I am curious how these perform under changing load conditions in regard to fluctuations in frequency. One nice thing about most standby generators is that they monitor the current draw and adjust RPM to keep a constant frequency under changing load conditions. Most electronics are DC so the AC/DC conversion eliminates the dirty power. Pumps, motors, AC drives would be my concern. They can be pretty sensitive to frequency changes. Look forward to some testing!
This wasn't wasted at all! Very interesting stuff! Can't wait to see it in action.
I'll add a couple observations, pros, and cons for your consideration. I have a 22KW Generac whole-house system that's propane powered (natural gas is not available in my area). It claims to use between 2 and 4 gallons of propane an hour, and propane is running $2.89/gallon at the moment. Propane doesn't go bad, but when you're out, it's going to require a delivery truck. There's no going down to the gas station (which if there's no power isn't going to be pumping gas anyway). It exercises itself every 2 weeks for 15 minutes, and will fire up when the power is out for more than 15 seconds. No getting generators or tractors out in the rain, hooking up cords, etc.
For an extended weather outage, your tractor is (in all probability) going to be sitting within 50 feet of your house, unprotected, running at whatever throttle position provides 540 PTO RPM. That's going to be pretty loud. Like an open frame generator, you also probably have the fun of refueling in the dark and/or rain and/or wind. While the point about depreciation has already been touched on, what wasn't mentioned was those hours contributing to the service interval, so that's hydraulic oil & filters, engine oil & filters, and air filter(s).
Another issue is the cost vs usage time. The whole-house system isn't cheap, and if you look at the investment vs operating hours, it'll never pay for itself. I accepted that because I can't stand being without power. We're also on well water at this property, so no power means no water. The heating system is propane, but requires power for the blower. We have a fireplace insert that heats part of the house, but it requires power for the blower (and you can't run it without the blower). All the critical systems could be put on a sub-panel and a portable or PTO generator used to run that sub-panel, but I'm all about my creature comforts, so I like to things to operate as normal. Anyways, seeing what the PTO generators cost, the payback time is way out there.
The PTO generators seem to be more targeted at farm operations, particularly where there are irrigation systems. Many of those use electric pumps, and if you have a walking irrigation system (can't think of the name of those), those have electronics that control them (if they didn't, you could use a PTO driven water pump instead). I think the addition of the Anderson connectors for powering a house is almost an afterthought, or maybe a way to expand their appeal. The only time I see these being justified is that they are portable and they do provide more output, so if you need both, that'll work.
Finally, chicken house operations typically have a huge generator with a couple 1000 gallon propane tanks feeding them. This is a requirement from the companies like Fieldale, et al. They have a huge investment in chickens in those houses and they're not going to rely on the operator getting his tractor fired up and run down to the chicken houses to power them. The generators are all set up to start and switch over automatically on power failures. I'm not sure what the actual power requirements of each coop is, but the two coops on my property had a 120KW generator to handle them.
I have a whole house Generac 22kw as well. The entire system, installed last March cost just under 10k, which included the transfer switch, surge protector, natural gas piping, etc. So far, I have logged just over 60 hours of use in less than a year and as you have stated, we may never see our returns on that initial cost, but that peace of mind that I get when the power goes out and I don't have to fumble around in the dark to drag my portable geni out, uphill, through two feet of snow, then fuel it up, connect cords, yada, yada, yada - You get the point. Also when I'm out of town and iI get that message on my phone that my generator is running and I know that I have no worries my basement won't flood because my sump pump still has power... is a good feeling!
BTW, 540 at the PTO on my Kubota is generally around 2100 engine rpm for me, and although I'm told diesels get decent fuel consumption, my B2650 only hold 7 gallons and it seems to not last long (filled it yesterday at $5 per gal)
That BaumaLight KR30 generator he has goes for $8,200 BTW. I think we made the right choice.
Very well spoken Tim! I like the comparison and explanation regarding depreciation with adding hours on a new tractor VS an old tractor. Bought a Massey 1835M a little over a Year ago. the first 100 hours I watched that hour meter almost every turn it seemed... Now, about the only thing i watch close is the maintenance record and the fill level on the fuel tank :-) GREAT VIDEO once again! PS that 3046 is a beautiful piece of equipment!
Well...I love these topics.. this is an area that can ..🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🧐💡🧐🧐🧐💡💡🧐🧐🧐 be improved a bit.i have a simple way. 🙏🏾💡💡🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡np one speaks on. Very common..in India... take notes... write down the max....🧐💡R.P.M...and..before...thelow....do some Matth...🧐💡👍🏾say..16KW..to a3/4....hp..to a1hp...to..run the.. generator..the power..of the..gen...runs on the..1hp...now you have a ➰ ➿➰➿➰➿➰ now the remaining power..is what you use..get it. You will have to fire 🔥 up the1hp manually then the gen..
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Very good educational video here Tim!In my youth working on dairy farms you needed a minimum 75 hp tractor to run the 25 kw pto generator to have electricity power on the farm!We had big ice storms that broke power lines somretimes for a week or more(Memories of 1997 and 1998!)Today i m pretty sure your JD3046 could run this generator for farm use!
Tim, I live in South East Louisiana, The last two major hurricanes we had and lost power, we are talking 3 to 6 weeks without power. Forget the 3 to 6 days. In my case, I decided and invested in a whole house or standby Generator, (generac). As you have been explaining, each case, location, and people involved makes requirements different for each one. Continue with your story. LOL
Interesting. We have been out of power for about an hour total in the last 4 years!
You are right. Lots of difference in our needs.
I live off grid, therefore I've got a couple generators. I don't need a PTO generator at all, but I REALLY want one. Thanks for the information Tim! As always, we love every episode!
This paired with a battery Backup system is perfect, the inverter could charge off the generator and filter the power as well as allow you to disconnect for intermittent other tasks such as plowing or clearing debris during a storm
Batteries add a lot of cost real fast.
@@swashington942 5kWh, self heating batteries are $1800 a piece, depending how you set up you may only need 1 or 2
I bought a 10k dual fuel duromax portable generator, wired it semi-permanently to my panel, installed an interconnect on my panel and plumbed the generator into my 1000gal propane tank. Total cost $1200. I have no fuel to go bad, plenty of fuel available as needed and don't tie up my tractor for a lot less than these pto generators. There are way better ways to get power imo. But, the harbor freight pto generator looks interesting.
Good video!
Years ago I ran my house on a portable generator for 11 days. Everything was fine except keeping supplied with gasoline was a chore.
I recently installed a stand alone whole house generator.
I’m getting older and wanted the automatic transfer feature.
The power only goes out during a storm, at night or when I’m away.
My sump pump doesn’t care where the power comes from.
I would NOT recommend a PTO generator as a backup generator because you likely put a lot of unnecessary hours on your tractor. A separate standby generator would be a better option. Remember that unlike a standby generator, your tractor also has a hydraulic system which the hydraulic fluid needs to be changed as was as the filter periodically (depending on the tractor model).
I agree with Chuck Perry, great explanations with comparisons and different scenarios. We'll be watching for the 2nd part if you do one on showing the portables in use. I myself have a whole home generac installed as soon as I bought my current home. Its probably got more than 30hrs run time on it in a little over 2yrs and one was after a recent proximity lightning strike knocking out lots of various equipment including temporarily disabling the generator. Luckily I got that going and ran for about 22hrs until local power company could install a new Pedestal. While this unit isn't portable, I purchased it for the warm fuzzy feeling and maybe false sense of security of having my sump pump running in middle of summer during major rainfall. Avoiding insurance claims and swamped finished basement is well worth the installation fee of the whole home genny. Minimal maintenance and with wifi capabilities, you always know when its running if not at home and I set mine to exercise every 2wks. Actually the dealer that came by to repair my unit after lightning said its a very good idea to do exercising frequently since he's seen where bees have made nests inside of a unit and it didn't run when needed. Living in Northern Wisconsin with rain and ice storms in winter, it came in very useful a couple months ago when power was out for several hours during ice storm with temps later dropping severely. The LP consumption for me for about 24hrs run time was 8% from a 1000gal tank. *I installed a 2nd tank right away too for those worse case scenarios where storms in the area have kept power off for up to 3days. The small honda portable was only good for keeping freezers and refrigerators cold back when I had that problem. Keep the variety of videos coming. You seem to hit on things we don't usually think of for uses. Which reminds me, I need to drain my gas out of the honda 2000i I last used ice fishing a couple years ago. Thanks!
Interesting.
I live in hurricane country in the TX Gulf Coast. I used to have a portable generator but now have a fixed whole home generator.
One aspect you didn’t touch on this episode is theft. During an extended power outage it’s quiet and your generator can be heard a long distance. Post- hurricane the news is full of generator theft stories. Back in my portable generator days my first step prior to even starting it was chaining it to a tree.
It’s disconcerting to look in your backyard to discover a stranger staring at your chained up generator which happened numerous times to me. Most are there for honest resasons (heard your generator and hoping you could charge my cell phone) but not everyone who hears it is honest. The news even had a story of the thief starting the family’s lawnmower in the middle of the night so there was an engine sound even though the generator had been stolen.
Not sure I’d want a $20k to $50k tractor that can drive 15+ mph with a $10k generator attached as my post hurricane generator. If you do, better think about how to secure it.
Nice video! Good explanations, too. I'm not a fan of pTO generators, because of the dirtier power they produce. I'm a generator tech. and an electrical contractor and I work around a lot of back up power systems. I will personally be adding a PTO generator to the back of my tractor for their possibility of really extended outages. This will bolster an automatic standby and a portable with the proper main breaker interlock and flanged NeMa 3R inlet. I figure the diesel tractor can run for long periods of time, as long as there is diesel on hand. The biggest drawback to a PTO generator is that it is a pain to set up, especially in the dark, or during a storm. Tim, and audience, I encourage all of you to engage the services of a quality licensed electrician when interfacing with your home or business electrical system. If installed improperly, you can kill a Lineman and cause serious damage to your property. The last 30kW PTO generator we set up for a farm, we used a Ronk 200 Amp manual transfer switch. If you want to put your generator to the test, Tim, look up a generator testing company in your area and ask them to help you with a load bank test. the procedure will be similar to when you ran the tractor on the dyno after the turbo install.
Ive ran a PTO generator with my 35 horse massey. 20 gallons of diesel for 24 hours. I have a 8000 watt 3 cylinder diesel generator from a motorhome. I use it for my maple syrup operation. It will run 24 hours on 7 gallons of diesel
Great episode!!!! You laid out the ground work for future generator episodes. I have been looking for information like this for years! Thank you!
Thanks Steve!
Most homes can get along with a 40-60 amp - 240 volt generator, at least temporarily. Like most PTO powered attachments, PTO generators in that range are more expensive than the stand-a-lone versions at the big box store. I've never prices 125A versions. Then there's the cost of auto throttle to keep engine RPMs consistent to maintain the specific RPM the generator requires to produce 60Hz AC cycle under varying loads as bigger appliances cycle on and off. If you test any PTO generators, I'd love to see the power output waveform on an oscilloscope to see how clean or dirty the power is coming out of the generator.
There’s a product that not many people know about. It allows you to easily hook a portable generator to your house. It’s called a “GenerLink” system. It’s pretty cool. Had one on my house for years. Always worked perfectly.
I personally put Stable in my gas tank, then I will shut the fuel of on my generator and run the carb dry. I personally wouldn't recommend keeping a steel tank empty, because they will rust over time. Better to keep them full. Plastics tanks however can be drained out no problems. I've had my generator sit for 4 years with Stable in it, (I would add a little bit more stable at the end of every year) and it still smelled like gas and ran fine 4 years later. Just remember that Stable has a shelf life. 2 years after it's been opened.
My guess is the problem with your old laser printer was not the number of poles or dirty power but was the amount of watts being pulled by the fuser lamp. Those older laser printers used a lot more power than the units of today, some as much as 1000 watts. My old HP LaserJet Series II was too much for my APC 1000VA UPS but my newer HP P2035N network laser runs off the same UPS just fine.
Looks just like My 15Kw Winco built Generator. Ive been running mine for years on my Turbo JD 3005 .
This is a great episode lining out the pros and cons of generators, applications and touching on what best suits your application. I actually built a 7kw generator from a surplus Yanmar diesel and Mecc-Alte generator head. The 2 cylinder diesel was intended to be used for an over the road semi auxiliary power unit. So far it works alright. I would like more power to run my welder from time to time, but I've made do with it.
I really like Kubota's Lowboy line of generators. I feel like it would be something viewers of this channel may want to look into. They are compact and come in 7 and 11KW sizes.
I feel like a PTO generator is an excellent option for many people who already have small tractors because it is somewhat portable, but it does tie up your tractor. Also, a PTO generator eliminates one more engine to maintain as well.
Beat me to it thought maybe electric tractor could charge itself 👍That would be cool
My uncle has a hog farm and the leave a tractor run hours on end sitting stationary running a irrigation pump and because of their experience it always freaks me out leaving a tractor running stationary hours after hours. They had a radiator hose start leaking and run the tractor out of water and well you can only imagine how that ended. The problem I see is the fact that it’s left unattended the operator isn’t in the seat constantly monitoring everything. So if I had one I’d definitely recommend checking the tractor quite often. BUT to be fair their tractor was an older tractor so may not have been top notch mechanical shape so if running newer lower hour tractors it might not be as bad. It also seems like they had troubles with it over heating several times because it would be running under load for so long and not really moving so no air other than what the fan was pulling through the radiator. But not saying I’m against a tractor generator at all just saying that’s something to consider, thanks for the video I enjoyed it because a pto generator is something we never really see videos on
I had a similar overheating concern last summer when our power was turned off due to wildfires. We were without power for approximately two weeks. I placed a box fan in front of the tractor(bunged it on) and power it from the generator. Worked well for one stretch of 16 hrs.
I purchased a used Dayton 25KW 1800RPM PTO generator from a old farmer 4 years ago, gave $1,500 for it, run it off my 2017 workmaster 35, runs my entire house no problem obviously. you cant beat them, only downside is your tractor is tied up, but i havent really found it to be an issue, if i really do need the tractor i can go without power for an hour or two if i had too. my tractor burns around 1 gallon an hour though, which is a little pricey, but i think its worth it, also helps out with my DPF because its running wide open for hours on end. If i come across a cheap 2 or 3 cylinder diesel engine i may try to mount it permanently to the generator so that it frees up my tractor. its a good piece of mind knowing i have a huge amount of portable power sitting around "just in case"..
I would be bothered that my tractor would sit outside in the severe weather to run the generator. I would have to add the price of an enclosed, lockable cab, which would semi- comfort me.
You are quite correct that accurate frequency control is important. A lot of items will not work well unless the power is at 60 Hz. In a PTO driven generator this requires the engine to run at PTO speed and to maintain that speed. To produce this frequency a two pole generator runs at 3600 RPM and a four pole at 1800 RPM as you said. There are also six pole generators that run at 1200 RPM and even eight pole that run at 900 RPM. With advances in power electronics there are now "inverter" generators that allow the engine to run at whatever speed is needed to produce the power needed. This is then rectified to DC and then converted with a solid-state inverter to accurate 60 Hz. power regardless of the load. These generators are generally available in the small portable sizes but typically cost twice what a conventional model of the same size does (one of your photos shows an inverter model). As to load on the tractor, the conversion factor is 746 watts per horsepower. Given normal efficiencies it is often assumed one horsepower per kilowatt. Your 30kw generator should not be a problem to drive.
Put a UPS in between any sensitive electronics. Ideally a generator should not directly run anything; it should, again I say IDEALLY, be used to charge a battery bank then devices/appliances/whatever run via an (pure sine) inverter connected to your battery bank. Obviously things that need DC, you'll need to spec out something like an inverter w/DC a VOLTAGE REGULATOR (if you still need AC inversion) or if you just need to run DC; just a voltage regulator will be fine. There are a ton of vids on how to make your own DC voltage regulator with some simple electronics (Smoothing capacitors).
interesting as we are building a home and just naturally thought of the 'generac' style generator. But we have a large tractor, and could run the pto from this the few times every few years that it is required. Something to think about.
I live in the midwest out on 50 acres in the country. I was looking into one of these, but the biggest drawback I have found is that every time we have needed a generator (snow/ice storms and summer storms), I have also needed my tractor to either dig us out, or remove downed trees, etc. So I ended up getting a stand alone gen set. Maybe this could be an excuse to have 2 tractors! haha. Great video, great information!
It would be interesting to actually see the harmonics # when it is set up. You mentioned dirty power and that is the reason why I choose an inverter generator, as the harmonics % is usually under 5%, while the % has to be under 5% from the grids, but regular non-inverter generators have harmonics levels 20%, 25% or higher, so using it for laptops, TV's, microwaves, some furnaces, etc. is rolling the dice and may damage those.
Nice job Tim. Being informed of backup energy options along with the information that you provided, can surely help folks to evaluate their individual needs, desires and wants. I’m sure you’ve got some more things “up your sleeve” as well. 😉 Blessings.
Hopefully you’ll be demonstrating one of the larger generators working on a smaller HP tractor. I’ve been looking at a Generac but can’t get past the price tag or the fact that we don’t have gas or propane at our house. If I can run a KR off a 3038E I can probably convince the “boss” that it’s worth the price. Hurry with the video as we’re only 3 months from hurricane season.
So the power goes out. You drive your tractor over to your neighbors house with generator in tow. And plug your generator cord into.......what?
You could plug it in to the web of extension cords that the neighbor has already strung throughout the house. :-)
Yep. That is usually the answer. They are most concerned about freezer and refrigerator. So use extension cords.
That was my experience in NC.
If I remember correctly, when power went out, we plugged it into a 120v outlet that was outside and turned the main breaker to the utility company off. I believe that gave power to the entire house for lights and refridgerator. It also allowed the doors and windows would be closed. Another time I think we hooked up at the dryer with 240v. That allowed more electricity to the main panel due to the larger voltage and amperage. Then more itema could be run simultaneously. Refrigerator, lights, and a small electric heater or microwave or an eye on the stove.
BTS…that will give power to half of the circuits. You’ll need to plug into two outlets …one on a circuit from each leg of 220 to work properly.
Easiest way is to plug into dryer or welder 240v plug.
Again, make sure main is off.
Thanks for the correction. It was an old house with fuses. One main fuse and 4 or 6 smaller fuses if I remember. That may be why we did the 240v the next time.
Great info Tim!!! People don't think about these things until the electrical power is off for hours or days. I like how you have staged your benches, tooling, and crates, so the cats have an easy way to get up on the garage door ledge to look outside. (Ha!Ha!) Sometimes they steal the show. (Ha!Ha!)
Tim, I can't agree with your explanation of 4 pole generator providing cleaner power.
Frequency is directly proportional to engine speed in either case.
I think the real reason is a 4 pole produces more even torque. If you think about a 2 pole motor, it's speeding up and slowing down twice per revolution.
It's like a 2 cylinder engine would run smoother than a single cylinder.
This is also why 3 phase motors run smoother and quieter than single phase.
I thought a 4-pole generator was just able to spin at a slower RPM to achieve a given frequency? As for cleaner power, he needs to put a load and an oscilloscope on that thing to see what it's really doing.
charged up .... hahaha i caught that. Thanks for this .. have portable, was considering whole house but ... got no gas and with the ban on gas stoves *(gov burning ban)
We have a jd 4520 at work with 10,300 hours and it still works great.
Great explanation! The Baumalight looks like a decent PTO generator. I have a diesel standby generator with auto start.
Great generator info!! Everyone is interested in this!!!! Lol. Great info. Knowledge is so helpful
Tim, I replaced my Honda twin cylinder, water cooled portable (two pole) and I replaced a Kubota Diesel (kinda) portable 2 pole generator I got to say that the clean power of the Kubota comparison. Our small business works all the computers and communications (network). Issue I bothered by is doing that to my tractor and know there isn’t a control from the engine by the generator PTO set. Looks a beautiful generator you have though.
I found this very informative. Thanks and looking forward to part 2.
Perfect timing, I just lost my 25- year- old portable and started trying to find a better back up power source for the few times I need power. Can't wait for more information, thanks for sharing.
Awesome video! My grandparents were dairy farmers and had a pto generator to get the cows milked when the power went out brings back some memories
Just ordered a northstar 7800 watt pto gen for a back up to my generac (dont recommend generac for off grid, not reliable) will be running with a 1939 B, curious to see how it charges my house batteries. For the price, its a lot of bang for the watt vs a portable gas gen.
correct on the dirty signal ... the inverter generators are better ... or a UPS
The theory, that we often hear about, that a 2-pole vs 4-pole PTO powered generator produces larger variations in electrical frequency is actually completely incorrect.
The reason for this is the 4-poles themselves is identical to having another 2:1 gear ratio.
If you think about how quickly the north and south poles are passing by the windings it doesn't matter, as far as the coils are concerned, if 4-poles pass at 1800 rpm or 2-poles pass at 3600 rpm. Also, if the tractor engine varies by say 10%, the generators output frequency still varies by the identical 10%.
There is a bit more of a difference with a typical motor powered generator because the engine and generator are connected with a direct 1:1 shaft. This means, as Tim said, a 4-pole's engine runs at 1800 rpm and a 2-pole's engine runs at 3600 rpm. The 4-pole direct motor driven generator will typically be a bit quieter due to the lower rpm but this doesn't apply to a PTO driven one.
As a result, I'm not sure if there really is any disadvantage to a well designed 2-pole PTO powered generator compared to a 4-pole PTO powered generator.
The biggest plus for the standby generator is the automatic instant on. You don't even need to be home so you can be sure your freezer, heat and sump pump are all doing their thing while you are away.
Sucks is the $/hr for running that tractor running is waay more than many other alternatives. how much is a rebuild on that 3046R? I'm sure enough tol make you regret ever using it for a substantial amount of time.
Been using a PTO generator in the 20-30 horsepower compact tractor category for 15 years.. For the 4-5 times a year we lose hydro, It works fantastic!
It powers pretty much our whole house, and smaller tractors just barely sip the fuel running the PTO at 540
Im not the one to trade tractors every 2-3 years, my last tractor I had for 17 years, Only upgraded in 2020 because I wanted a factory cab..
So the hours is a non issue for me, I plan on putting on thousands
We have a old Case tractor nothing special. Decided to get the Harbor Freight 3pt 15kw generator. Comes mounted on a frame ready to roll. Along with that we made a manual transfer switch with a dedicated cord to hook up to the house and power it. If you know a storm is coming have it ready and hooked up, possibly already running at the last min before it gets bad bad out. I have old drums I can fill with diesel and a pump that runs off the battery to fill the tank. It burns fuel but it’s better than sweating in the heat after a hurricane.
Great episode! Can’t wait for more on the generator series.
Ive been thinking about fabbing up a mount for a small generator head and inverter to mount somewhere under my compact to run off the front PTO since I don't use a belly mower... would be handy for running corded tools in the field, charging stuff, etc.
Very interested in hearing more about this topic. I’ve considered getting one since I took delivery of my 2038R. Might accidentally leave the Farm Machinery Show this year with one if I’m not careful!
Virtually all our electronics and appliances are designed to be marketed worldwide. Including 3rd world counties where dirty power is the norm. Dirty power from your tractor generator is not an issue. A good quality diesel tractor is a tool. You wont wear out the engine with regular maintenance. Worrying how you will reduce its resale by putting hours on it shows you never intended to keep it very long. Your tractor will last you a lifetime. Buy the right tool and enjoy it.
The only downfall in my mid to a pto genny is normally your power goes out because of of some type of storm, well unless you live somewhere with a poorly maintained grid but for most people thats not really the case. When you have a storm and your power gets knocked out you can't use you tractor to power your electrical needs AND storm clean up at the same time so you would need a 2nd tractor (hint hint wink wink) or you have to wait till the power is restored to start your clean up. But another real good Pro for a PTO generator is the fact that when you're running it off of a diesel tractor it is much more fuel efficient than a little portable gas-powered generator
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