Small PTO generator

[Njtool]

I live off grid, no connection to utilities. Occasionally I need a generator to run tools etc.

I see there are PTO driven generators but they all seem to be large. Are there smaller generators out there?

 

[Bmyers]

NorthStar PTO Generator — 7,800 Surge Watts, 7,200 Rated Watts, 14 HP Required | Northern Tool

Not sure what you consider big or small.

 

[xrocketengineer]

Some considerations and tips:

 

[bcp]

There are some 120V conversion of car alternators.

alternator 120v at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

Bruce

 

[85Hokie]

I live off grid, no connection to utilities. Occasionally I need a generator to run tools etc.

I see there are PTO driven generators but they all seem to be large. Are there smaller generators out there?

For the cost and expense - a stand alone generator would be more cost effective.

If hooked to your pto - you tractor must be set at an RPM that will drive the PTO at the correct voltage and hertz - otherwise ...... the electrical items will be harmed. And to do that means you are burning fuel at a good pace. AND maybe more importantly - you cannot use your tractor while the pto is making electrical power.

A $400 generator will do all that you will need - either propane or gasoline. Hook it up - and run all that you could need and you still have the tractor to do what you need it to do! Just my 2 cents.

 

[skeets]

OK lets see what you are going to try to run. Hand saw, drill motor, washer freezer fridge. A lot more info and we can help. To small a unit would not work and to large is a waste of money, A PTO gen 9KW will run off your BX PTO, however that may be an over kill for your needs. A smaller 6.5 KW gas gen might be all you need or even a smaller unit. Fill inthe blanks my friend and someone will point you inthe right direction

 

[Nicfin36]

I'm certainly no expert, but I did a bit of looking and reading about PTO generators. It sort of sounded like a good idea at first, but I began to lose interest after realizing points that 85Hokie made. They're expensive. You can buy a nice gas generator for $1000 and many models are cheaper, depending on what you need it to do. For the PTO generator, you have to run your tractor hooked to it, and therefor you cannot use it to do anything else at the time. One of the biggest cons was providing "clean" power to the items you have plugged into the generator. It is my understanding that even gas generators do not do as well of a job on stable voltage like electricity from the grid. Inverter generators are supposed to provide the cleanest power from what I read, but tend to be more expensive and output does not go as high as a standard gas generators.

 

[Dave_eng]

Consider buying a propane fueled generator. They come in smaller sizes like the gasoline ones.

Advantage is you are not trying to keep the gas fuel fresh. The propane can sit for years and still be fine.

Propane generator

Dave

 

[Njtool]

I was looking for a small unit to run a circular saw, drill, job site table saw etc. It would be nice to have a unit that’s able to be hauled around my land when needed.
And I figure a pto driven generator would be easiest since I won’t have to worry about fuel, carb problems if I don’t use it for a while, running out of gas etc.
I don’t need it often so the gas generator I have often gives me trouble when I need it. And sometimes hauling it to where it’s needed is a pain.

A pto generator would suit my needs but I don’t need one that is capable of running an entire house.

 

[BXHoosier]

How about an inverter that you could run off of the tractor? A 2000W inverter should be enough to run any power tools.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I do the BXH method. I use an old skool 'UPS' rated for 1200 watts( 10 amps all day long...) powerd from a semi battery. Use it to power 10" polesaw, 7.25 skilsaw, etc. never ,ever let me down.
If you get ANY 'inverer' READ the SPECS !! most of the 'power ratings' are for say 5-10 SECONDS, NOT what they'll put out all day long...

 

[BXHoosier]

An inverter would also be way easier to carry with you than a generator. Cheap inverters are like cheap generators, they’re advertised by their peak wattage and not their running wattage. I suggest spending a little more and getting a pure sine wave inverter. They put out cleaner power in case you decide to run any sensitive electronics some day. I use an inverter in my barn hooked to my solar setup. It puts out 2000W running and 4000W peak

 

[rut3556]

>>Consider buying a propane fueled generator. They come in smaller sizes like the gasoline ones.
Advantage is you are not trying to keep the gas fuel fresh. The propane can sit for years and still be fine.<<

Works for us. We have a 16K fixed mounted propane generator that comes on and shuts off automatically. Can't beat that for convenience. Plus, I have a rear mounted snowblower, so no PTO availability anyway.

 

[GeoHorn]

Propane gens are fine and the fuel longevity is good. And the engine oil remains cleaner also. Natural gas is even better. But getting propane in a long-term black-out can be a problem and gasoline will likely be easier to source.
To get around the short storage life of gasoline I don’t use automobile fuel. I keep my emergency generator standing by with aviation gasoline in it. AvGas has been known to remain viable fro decades (although the refiner will not say so.) Confederate Air Force founders bought WW2 surplus airplanes from the gov’t cheap and flew them home on fuel which has sat in them 20 years... they didn’t want the airplanes (which were often scrapped) .... they wanted the FUEL.

I keep 40 gals at home at any given time, not only for my airplanes but for my two generators. I kept an unused Volvo-engined boat in storage for 7 years without starting and put a new battery in it. It started immediately and had water skiers up within minutes. (Don’t use it in a road-worthy modern vehicle with EPA controls.... it has a serious amount of tetraethyl LEAD in it.)

Another option is to have a portable gasoline generator with a propane/nat-gas conversion kit on it.

As for little generators... I have two cheapies with Chonda (chinese honda copy) engines ... both over 10 years old and I’ve had almost no trouble with either of them. (One of them, the little 3500 watt) did suffer over-voltage and blew the C.B. This was traced down to a 20mfd capacitor ($8) in the ouitput circuit behind the outlets. Fixed it myself in 20 mins.)

The larger generator is a 9K-watt surge/ 8700 watt continuous from HF and it will power up all the essential items in the house except the air conditioner compressor. Cost is about $600 at HF.

 

[retiree-urgency abandoned]

Hi - I was trying to figure out the best solution for getting power in the field - I've already got the plug-in tools - i.e. hedge trimmer, angle grinder and not interested in buying a second set that use batteries. Read threads about PTO gensets and also about inverters. Decided to just put it on hold and as luck would have it, I found a 3.500 watt gas generator at a yard sale for $50. It's not a top of the line, but the thing starts after a couple of pulls. I keep a gallon of gas in the tank with a packet of Toro stabilizer mixed in and I "exercise" it monthly - start it, let it run for 5 minutes and plug something into it. So far so good. It's easy to haul in the bucket or on the carryall.

 

[Tim Horton]

I am NOT very electrical knowledgeable, but do know a few facts..

If I needed long term 120V - 240V power, I would opt for a small PTO unit in a minute.. That being more power or longer run times than with a portable generator..

We have a portable generator that is duel fuel gas and propane.. If required we would run individual freezers, refrigerator etc, 1 heavy appliance and several lights at a time as needed.. Seamless whole house units seem a specialty application of its own.. At a significant price...

There is a whole culture about homemade generators run by a recycled lawn mower engine, much like the portable units available..

As to homemade generators... I have wondered if you made a frame to run 3-4 Chevy alternators at once, at the speed they need, with the pto, can they be wired in a way to produce 120V power ?? ??

Chevy alternators as I believe they have the built in thing that produces useable 12 auto power directly connected to the alternator..

Experience, facts, details ?? ??

 

[Russell King]

I live off grid, no connection to utilities. Occasionally I need a generator to run tools etc.

I see there are PTO driven generators but they all seem to be large. Are there smaller generators out there?

Do you have solar power or battery storage of any type? If so then you may want to look at off grid inverters to power your tools, assuming you only use them near the battery storage.

 

[Njtool]

The reason I was looking for a pto driven generator is so I can move it to where it’s needed

 

[old and tired]

I used to carry my small generator in my FEL bucket for blowing leaves with a 100 ft extension cord... for 3/10th of a mile

 

[Russell King]

The reason I was looking for a pto driven generator is so I can move it to where it’s needed

Oh that makes sense.

Have you considered mounting a gas powered one to a wheeled cart or trailer to pull where needed? Or is the terrain too difficult for that?