For Tractor Owners, Dedicated Diesel Genset or PTO Unit?

top top · Post by **top top** » Fri. Aug. 29, 2014 11:33 am

I don't know the details, just remember some of what was reported. In some areas I think they intentionally stopped gas service for fear vacated homes could start exploding or burning as well as storm damage to the distribution system. I found this notice from the AGA, dated 11-1-2012.

http://www.aga.org/Newsroom/news-releases/2012/Pa ... Sandy.aspx

.........more than twenty natural gas utilities have held daily calls to offer assistance and guidance to utilities and safety officials in the communities where natural gas service has been interrupted.

In New Jersey alone, there are more than 400 personnel on the ground, including crews from eight other natural gas utilities from surrounding areas.

qbwebb · Post by **qbwebb** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 12:53 pm

Dragging this thread up again. I never did pull the trigger on either the PTO unit or a dedicated one. I've since taken a new job that requires a bit more travel and am contemplating a dedicated Diesel unit the wife can start electrically in the event I am away on travel. So i'm digging around online in the portable market to soon realize new EPA can't be met w/ air cooled units?

http://www.auroragenerators.com/generators#!/Sile ... ry=9268407

Then I see here Generac has a unit, I wonder what is lost with meeting the EPA regs. Sure would be a pain to the wallet, 3 - 4 PTO units could be had for that price!

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_20 ... HwodNLYFvw

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 1:07 pm

You already have a good generator,you could get a 250+ gal tank & fill it with ethanol free gas or aviation gas which will store better for longer. OR,see if a conversion kit is feasible to go with propain on that gen you currently own,have your own tank,no worry about fuel supply.OR,buy a pto unit & have it hooked up b4 you leave the house ,so your wife can just fire it up if needed.

top top · Post by **top top** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 2:15 pm

Great advice from Windyhill. The only issue with converting an existing gasoline genny to propane is fuel burn. I understand the conversions are a lot more thirsty than one originally designed for LP or NG. I can not verify that, just what I have heard.

I have an older 18kw industrial generator. Due to personal problems I never got it properly installed. My plans for fuel are two 140 gallon boat tanks I have in a shed. Fill them up and use a transfer pump to use the gas in my car, truck, tractor, etc. When one is empty, refill it and use the gas from the other tank. That way I will always have at least 140 gallons on the property and the gas will never get old.

I still have a smaller electric start portable generator that, although thirsty, still uses a lot less fuel than the big one. I wired my transfer system so I could easily choose which generator to use. If I don't need 18kw I can use the smaller/cheaper one. Or if one fails I can use the other. The smaller portable will do what I really need, just not all at one time. My generator panel has watt meters that makes it very easy to balance the load.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 5:23 pm

As for the worry of putting more hrs on the tractor ~~~~~ did you buy it to use or just to look at ?

To me it is pointless to purchase a tractor & then be fearful of using it for fear the additional hours will devalue it. It will likely devalue over time if just left sitting in the shed too,you will get old someday & wonder why you didn't use the tractor more,BUT with old age from all the hours you worked having devalued your mind,you won't be able to figure out a good reason for not using the tractor all those yrs it just sat in the shed wasting away.

grumpy · Post by **grumpy** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 7:49 pm

PTO's are Ok, cheaper but the down side is you have to hook them up first, and what if you need your tractor at the same time? I would rather have a 1800 rpm diesel ready to go at all times. 3600 rpm diesels are just as much junk as gas gensets.

One day I will get my perkins..

wilder11354 · Post by **wilder11354** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 9:11 pm

Tractor PTO driven generators... 39HP tractor, PTO runs at 550 RPM, at given tractor engine RPM to meet that. my oliver tractor(gas) runs at 2400 engine RPMs to give 550 RPM PTO speed. Now ,fuel consumption ,will be dependent of load on PTO.....My tractors draw bar, PTO HP is 86 HP. I can run a hay mower for 2 days mowing hay, and run small square baler 3rd day, on 35 gals gas... using all 35 gals in one tank. total run time is about 8-10 hours tractor engine run time.
A diesel tractor is more forgiving... torque output is better,, but at PTO rpm... it will consume a lot of fuel. dedicated self contained generators are better... hands down.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Thu. Sep. 24, 2015 10:03 pm

We are talking about a generator for emergency use ??? Or am I confused again ? Maybe this generator is to be run 24/7 ?? Some points missed so far are that a dedicated unit means a separate engine that will need to be run periodically (frequently) so the fuel system stays in usable shape. A pto unit will be run by a tractor that presumably will get used for other jobs too,keeping the tractors system fresh & ready.In the 14+ yrs we have lived at our current place,we have used less than 50 gals & probably less than 30 gals of gasoline,i never bothered keeping track...... that is in a portable self contained unit.

coalnewbie · Post by **coalnewbie** » Fri. Sep. 25, 2015 9:01 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwaI8mcikDg&feature=youtu.be

You want your Perkins grumpy, here it is. State of the art. I'm sticking with my baseburner and beer when the lights go out. I would bet a low offer gets it.

**Broken Link(S) Removed**

qbwebb · Post by **qbwebb** » Fri. Sep. 25, 2015 9:19 am

Tractor gets a fair amount of use, obtained about 2 years ago now w/ 32 hrs and now up to 155. Its raked, graded, plowed, split wood (just my property tree work I have done, I don't buy wood!), unloaded coal pallets, trenched irrigation lines, spread fill and top soil, stacked logs, pulled down hung up trees, move rocks to the wall, and dragged kids up a sledding hill. this year it has a New attachment, PTO blower! Bucket plowing last year took far too long.

Generator would just be for emergency, last I used the old gas hog Generac I had to bypass the starter switch. Does anyone know if they make a remote start version you can add on? Really just want to give the wife peace of mind if power is lost and I'm on travel. She will load the stoker, empty ashes, hook up generator, but I think getting a PTO unit up and running would be a bit much.

Thinking of just obtaining a PTO unit for longer term peace of mind (thinking beyond 1 week type of outage which is really unlikely, but w/ a full tank of #2 I know we could hunker down long term at our house w/ nothing needed from outside world) and keeping the older Generac Gas hog as the primary backup. The dedicated diesels are nice, but just way too much $ for something that will hardly ever get used. Wish ethanol free gas was obtainable around here!

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Fri. Sep. 25, 2015 2:58 pm

Check your local airport,see if they will sell gas to you. It will be ethanol free,likely expensive ,but will store longer term much better than road pump gas.Remote starter kit should be available to hook up to your existing unit,not sure where to tell you to look.

wilder11354 · Post by **wilder11354** » Sun. Sep. 27, 2015 10:36 pm

windyhill4.2 wrote:We are talking about a generator for emergency use ??? Or am I confused again ? Maybe this generator is to be run 24/7 ?? Some points missed so far are that a dedicated unit means a separate engine that will need to be run periodically (frequently) so the fuel system stays in usable shape. A pto unit will be run by a tractor that presumably will get used for other jobs too,keeping the tractors system fresh & ready.In the 14+ yrs we have lived at our current place,we have used less than 50 gals & probably less than 30 gals of gasoline,i never bothered keeping track...... that is in a portable self contained unit.

PTO unit will have to be trailer/skid mounted, hooked to tractor, and power lines plugged into transfer box/panel before it can be even used. Now lets say its 15* degrees out, tractors in shed, generators not hoked up, power line access is on side of house/power pole to house, and 14 inches of snow on ground.... lots to do... PLUS, refueling, in same weather if its going to be used for several days.... Portable under deck,Or in box built to house it, power plug under there, all hooked up, manual or auto start.... only a few minutes to get operational. refueling , is something that either one will involve dealing with outside elements. I run my poratble generator several times(3-4 hours) in summer to use fuel up, put new fuel in yearly, with ethanol/stabilizer treatments, plus change oil yearly.

windyhill4.2 · Post by **windyhill4.2** » Mon. Sep. 28, 2015 8:45 am

Accommodations can be made so that the pto unit can have a shed for it to sit in ,even have it hooked to the electrical system,ready to back tractor up to it & make electric. One could even plan ahead for the tractor to be hooked up to the generator when rough weather is forecast. Tractor should be fueled up ahead of time,best to maintain a full tank of fuel to help prevent condensation. In a perfect world,the electric never shuts down, BUT we do not live in a perfect world. Next best to perfect.... an automatic stand-by gen-set,propain or diesel powered that will automatically take over electric generation when the grid fails. Next best is whatever you can afford that will work best for your situation & what you already have.