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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
DennisCTB,
I haven't heard from you in quite some time. I was hoping all was well on your end. Nice to see you here again.
My wife and I were talking about what we would do if the electricity ever went out when the temps were in the -30 degree range. I told her, "First we'd freeze our butts off, and then we'd be fixing water pipes for a month." None of that sounded like too much fun to her. It's so danged hard to please a woman!
I went through all of this before. Maybe my thoughts will help you a bit here.
Rather than worry about another engine, oil, bad gasoline, dead batteries, and all that fun stuff........I settled for a PTO driven generator.
My PTO generator was purchased at a farm auction about 4 years ago. It puts out 12.5kW. I paid $540.00 for it. I think the transfer switch cost me about that much.
Northern Tool sells one just about like mine for somewhere around $900.00
Joel
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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
AnnBrush,
That's one neat thing about the internet. You don't have to travel to auctions anymore. You can bid from the comfort of your own home.
If you haven't been to proxibid.com yet, please pay a visit. There's a search window on the home page. You can search for anything under the sun.....and proxibid will likely have it available.
See the link below.
Joel
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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
Kwschumm,
The nice thing about the PTO generator is that I can leave it attached to the tractor while I pull out a stuck vehicle, or even while clearing out the driveway. All I have to do is unplug the power cord going to the outlet on the house.
The furnace normally runs once every 1/2 hour or so, but being without the furnace for even a couple of hours, there's no real emergency.
It's nice having the PTO generator when I want to weld something out in the back pasture. I strap the welder in the loader bucket and take it anywhere I need it.
You're right though....there is no perfect system. Every backup energy plan has its drawbacks.
Joel
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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
Kwschumm,
In order to make 60hz, the tractor must run at full engine rpm. The PTO generator has to run at 540 PTO rpm at all times.
So long as your generator is sized properly for your tractor (mine is actually too big for my current tractor), there's no fear of overloading the tractor engine.
In my case, I need to make sure that I don't overload the tractor by drawing too much current. So far, I've never come close to putting a max load on the generator.
I would never run the tractor at full rpm for days on end. Instead, the plan is to run the tractor for about one hour during meal prep, and then run the furnace for another hour after that.
Crank up the thermostat, run the tractor for an hour, and then shut down the tractor for several hours. It won't keep the house at a steady 68 degrees, but it will keep the pipes from freezing.
Joel
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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
Kwschumm,
I have the same concerns.
It's probably not a good idea to power up my computer or the television with the backup generator.
In my case, the backup power is simply to save the house from freezing water pipes. We can cook on the stove, as well as run the fridge, freezer, furnace and microwave. Nothing beyond that is important to me during a "life or death" situation.
Joel
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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
Kwschumm,
We all face different situations. For me, having electrical power available during a blizzard is a simple matter of survival.
If your situation allows you a little more time to sit down and relax, I suggest a pure sine wave power inverter. They aren't cheap, but the power they supply is absolutely stable.
You could run the inverter off the truck or tractor battery. Just buy a power inverter rated for about twice the wattage you actually need. The smaller ones tend to heat up and/or burn out during long periods of use.
Joel
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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
SamSpade,
Good portable generators are easy to find. They are commonly used on construction sites, and are often sold at auction upon completion of a major project.
You can also check with the local rental businesses. They often put their used equipment up for sale every so often.
My neighbor's backup system is a self-contained welder. I think he has a Lincoln welder/generator. I know Miller makes one as well. There are probably several other makes to pick from.
Since he uses his welder on the farm all the time, (it's permanently mounted in the back of his pickup) it's always ready for use when needed. His is diesel powered, which isn't a good choice when temps get down to -30. He's considering a trade for a gasoline powered welder/generator.
I see these welder/generators for sale at nearly every farm auction I attend. The downside to them is that they're big, heavy, and difficult to move around. The benefit, however, is that the engines in those things are extremely durable.
Go to proxibid.com and type "Miller Bobcat" in the search box. There are about a dozen of these currently available to the highest bidder.
Joel
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Best Portable Generator 7500W Review
DennisCTB,
Out of curiosity, I went to Northern Tool and did a little scouting for you.
They sell Generac brand generators there. Generac is a trusted name in backup power sources. They don't specify engine brand, but they do say the engine is rated for 3000 hours of use.
Free shipping on this model.
See the link below.
Joel
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