Generator 3 Point v Trailer Mount

[NCL4701]

I’ve wondered this in the past and saw the question in another venue recently but it was never answered.

PTO generators, at least for small to medium tractors seem to come with either a 3 point mount or a trailer type wheel kit mount. What are the advantages / disadvantages of the trailer v 3 point mounting systems?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Trailer version is a LOT easier to split from tractor ! Remover PTO shaft, unlatch coupler , gone......
3pt is a 'pain' to remove

 

[BAP]

Mine is on a small trailer with a wheel on the jack. I keep mine over in the corner of the tractor bay of my sugarhouse. When I need it I roll it over to the tractor and hook it on. A lot easier than a 3 point hitch one hooking up.

 

[Ikc1990]

Trailer easy but if you have a quick hitch its probably about the same..

 

[bucktail]

3 point doesn't have tires to maintain. Probably an advantage if you can't back a trailer.

 

[07wingnut]

Some 3pth will sag over time even with the engine running, and this could put your pto in extreme jeopardy, as well as causing all kinds of vibration problems.

 

[kubotasam]

Some 3pth will sag over time even with the engine running, and this could put your pto in extreme jeopardy, as well as causing all kinds of vibration problems.

My 3point hitch generator sits on the ground when it is in use generating power. It is mounted to pipe frame designed to be on the ground. Only lift to move it.

 

[NCL4701]

Thanks to all for your replies. Much appreciated!

 

[N3BP]

I prefer the three-point version myself. By my circumstances are different. I need to get the generator in tight uneven places where a trailer mounted one would be a PITA. I also use this setup for remote power in the middle of the woods. Works great!

 

[cmorningstar01]

I priced 3 PTO generators and decided that it saved me money by using the portable generator I currently have and simply moving it around on the 3 point hitch Tractor Supply Carry All, I have a wood pallet that fits on the carry all and my generator sits on the pallet, I can leave it on the carry all in the hitch down position or I can take it off and go use my tractor somewhere else and the generator is still able to be used.

I know it does not directly answer your question but it is an alternative answer, I went the same root with my log splitter, I priced 3 point log splitters and it was just less expensive to go with a self powered log splitter that did not tie the tractor up when in use, I can split logs and load them into the bucket of my tractor at the same time

 

[NCL4701]

I priced 3 PTO generators and decided that it saved me money by using the portable generator I currently have and simply moving it around on the 3 point hitch Tractor Supply Carry All, I have a wood pallet that fits on the carry all and my generator sits on the pallet, I can leave it on the carry all in the hitch down position or I can take it off and go use my tractor somewhere else and the generator is still able to be used.

I know it does not directly answer your question but it is an alternative answer, I went the same root with my log splitter, I priced 3 point log splitters and it was just less expensive to go with a self powered log splitter that did not tie the tractor up when in use, I can split logs and load them into the bucket of my tractor at the same time

I have a little 5500w gas now. Need something a bit larger, but not often, so the PTO version is attractive. I do need portability which rules out stationary units.

I’m a bit conflicted so pretty likely I go with whatever is cheapest the day I buy it. For my situation I can see advantages to both.

 

[NCL4701]

Thanks to all for the input and advice.

For better or worse this is what I ended up with. Electrician installed a transfer switch so I can hook it to my house when necessary (which isn’t often) and it’s clean enough power to use for a residential backup. AVR allegedly helps with that.

No plans to ever try to run 24/7, just off and on to keep water flowing intermittently, refrigeration units cold, and bump heat once in a while. Portable so I can keep the freezers and heat bumped every few hours on the unoccupied house. Long power outages are relatively rare here. Pretty decent amount of power in remote parts of the property as well. After these photos, put casters on bottom of the sled frame so the PTO shaft is level when it’s sitting on the ground.

Guys at IMD in South Carolina were great to work with. 3 point was a bit cheaper than trailer and takes up less room in storage.

Electrician said he’d never heard of running a generator off a tractor (I don’t think he’d ever seen a PTO before) and couldn’t imagine it holding consistent voltage and frequency like a dedicated generator so I told him to feel free to play with it, put loads on, take them off, start the well pump and A/C or whatever he wanted. He took me up on it and messed with it for a bit while monitoring the output. Finally said much to his surprise it works like the standbys he usually installs.

Glad to have some serious and highly portable power and also not have to do the prep work to move to the camper every time there’s a threat of power outages.

 

[BAP]

Looks good. You will enjoy the peace of mind having it ready to go and a proper hook up when bad storms are forecasted. As the saying goes, Prepare for the Worst and Hope for the Best. Also being able to hook on to it and take to do something that needs power that is too far to run a cord to is a handy feature. Not having another motor to maintain, particularly if you don’t use it a lot is another plus.

 

[Crash277]

Awesome!! eventually I would like to either get one of these, or a propane generac. I don't plan on my current place being my forever home so for now I have been carting a 4000w out of the shed and running extension cords to my sumps, the freezers, and the well during power outages.

 

[NCL4701]

Awesome!! eventually I would like to either get one of these, or a propane generac. I don't plan on my current place being my forever home so for now I have been carting a 4000w out of the shed and running extension cords to my sumps, the freezers, and the well during power outages.

I would have seriously considered a natural gas dedicated unit with an automatic transfer switch for the house if we had gas lines to provide an unlimited fuel supply, but we don’t have gas lines so a dedicated standby would have either been diesel or propane with a big propane tank sitting in the yard. Neither made sense to me being I already own the motor. Portability was a big plus as well. I was tired of running a spaghetti bowl of cords all over the place and swapping between them and the camper with the little 5500 watt construction generator.

My electrician had a really hard time understanding my thought process until he saw it running. Told him if I bought a stationary diesel, good chance it would have a Kubota engine in it pretty much the same as was already in the tractor. He called me a couple of days after I said that just to tell me he didn’t believe me but researched it and found out I was right, genset manufacturers generally don’t make their own motors.