Generator woe

So after the recent fiasco with a repair place keeping my generator to fix it for over a month, after getting to use this same generator one time and having it not work a year later, I've decided to assemble my own contraption. I have a 18 hp kubota engine that I aquired in one of my dealings and want to set it on rails and attach a 12k generator head. I've looked at several on ebay and see brushless and brushed. After my experience with the other generator head crapping out and not being able to fix it, I'm inclined to go with the brushes. Has anybody done the same kind of deal or know anything that would help me with this? I just need to know that my emergency source will work when it's truly needed. Your advise would be greatly appreciated Scott

Don't you have a tractor already with a P.T.O. on it

coal berner wrote:Don't you have a tractor with a P.T.O. on it

That is what I was thinking about.

$1200 @ northern tool will get you a 13,000 watt generator. Then you don't have to worry about the upkeep of the engine. If you use your tractor.

13,000 watts needs 24 HP to drive it to full capacity. The Northern tool 7,800 watt needs 16 I think....maybe 14.

I've always thought the brushless were more reliable. What happened to it that it couldn't be fixed? And... what kind was it? Maybe the rest of us should shy away from that make.

I have a small Kubota & been dreaming of the Northern tool PTO one.

Stoker~ Before you get out the fabrication equipment make sure of a couple things.Will that kubota engine be up to a 12k generator at rated load? [search around to see what power manufacturers couple to a 12 k.w. unit]. I use 2 b.h.p. per kw as a rule of thumb. Another issue is to make certain that the Kubota engine has a sensitive enough built in governor to avoid lead,lag and hunting as the electrical load changes. Something else might be the directional rotation of the components involved in this marriage. Just some points to consider. regards, Mike

Be sure that the Kabota engine has the correct shaft before ordering the gen head. Most direct drive generators connect to the engine by tapered shaft with a through bolt running through the rotor

I wanted to do the built -in the barn setup because it seems like every time I lose power its in the middle of a big storm. I don't want to tie up my driveway plower. I have the engine and talked to the factory about direct coupling a generator and while this engine isn't set up to direct couple it will attach to a set of rails and the output shaft allready has pulleys attached.I see 12 k generator heads on e-bay for 4-6 hundred. I was thinking of mounting one side by side and driving it with the correct pulley ratio to get 60 hertz. Same way as a Lister setup. I found a radiator and shroud on ebay that fits perfectly. While 10k would more than cover my electrical needs, the 18 hp isn't enough to drive 12k to full load. I just need the option to put a bigger engine on. There is a 23 hp Onan diesel out there that is coupled to a 5 k generator. Military surplus, so overbuilt its crazy. That engine is too loud and eats way too much fuel! The thing I was trying to find out about is the brushless sets. The one I'm using now burn out the regulator and has since started chewing threw the 5 parts that are replaceable. This is a generator that's supposed to be good. Mine is two years old. I used it the day I bought it. It ran for 4 days nonstop untill the power was restored. The gas was drained and was run dry. The next time I went to use it it fired up first pull. It does run great. But it wouldn't produce juice. I call the factory in California and spoke to a tech who directed me to a series of tests with a multimeter. His conclusion was the voltage regulator. Since the unit was out of warranty I had to pay about 50 bucks to get the replacement part. When I finally got around to installing the part it didn't fix the problem. So after yelling and screaming at the factory guy, I decided to take it somewhere and get it fixed. So the saga gets worse and I've just decided that maybe brush generators are something that I would have better luck with. I see both on ebay . Who has experience with either. By the way, I want to use one of my old oil tanks for the diesel fuel. Don't need it now that I'm running coal Scott

I've been thinking of building my own after running my Chinese gen during our ice storm last month. Lights in the house kept flaring occasionally & it burned out a ballast in my ceiling fan light & fried my motion sensor for the porch light. Luckily nothing overly expensive .... like my buddy who had a borrowed gen fry his fridge computer, a TV & a transformer for his furnace (no heat -- which was the sole purpose for hooking the gen up to begin with! )

I could run a head off my lawn tractor, but there's no pto, & I have no idea how I could find out which pulley ratios would yield the correct rpm's, along with how to rig it all up. I just don't have time to be fabricating & ordering parts & waiting. It would be so much easier to buy a Honda, but $4K is ALOT OF $$$

My wealthy customer has a natural gas powered unit out behind their mansion powered by a 454 GM V8. I don't know how many KW but I think it would light every light in their place. 13,000 sq./ft. house. They have a service contract on it so I don't maintain it. I could have kept it in Bristol condition, but it's not a priority for them.
One of the first things I did for them years ago was to mouse proof it by working in pressure treated wood everywhere a mouse could get in. It's got a block heater so the mice love it.