Power Your Home with Your Compact Tractor! PTO Generator Pros & Cons!

Whole house backup electric power is as close by as your tractor! A tractor PTO generator is a portable, convenient and reliable solution for emergency back-up. Tractor Time with Tim shows the Baumalight pto generator that he intends to use to power the homestead in an emergency event.
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[@richardbrookins5406]

After Hurricane Michael I used my PTO generator to power our house for 29 days. If you live in a rural area and have a tractor, you need a PTO generator. I promise you I did not care about tractor values, fuel cost (which were later recouped from the insurance company), nor anything else other than having water, power, and air conditioning. We were able to take showers, watch TV, play on the computers, and cook with no problems. It (the generator) made life tolerable after the devastation the hurricane left.

[@Banc2008]

Wow, how many hours did you add to the tractor? 24/7 use?

[@RobertBrown-cz9qz]

I live in a rural area. Been on tractor forums. My opinion people who have & rely on pto generator for emergency & just inconvenience of electric power outages that own newer tractors (2000) & newer have a problem useing them for 12/24/72 /168 hrs. Except for say the old forfeit 2n 8n ect 30/40 yrs old tractors they just keep gas in them && run 24/7/? Never think 2twice about it. Just saying 😊

[@unclealansyard5176]

I really don't mind these "talking videos " because it shows how much thought and research you have put in. I feel that helps for those to make a more informed decision. I really enjoyed learning a few things new about generators.

[@charlesperry1051]

Great episode. I am an electrical engineer with over 35 years of experience in the power industry. I teach classes on generators several times a year. You did a very good job explaining the difference between a 2 pole and a 4 pole generator for the average person. Looking forward to you future videos on the PTO power generator.

[@bill29456]

Hey Tim: well I live on the east coast and we have hurricanes come by every year. Some close some far but we always have winds and downed trees. I installed the additional house panel for using generators. Works great. I was using portable 3-5 kw generators for fans, the fridge, freezer and lights and outlets. The problem I had was when we went a year or two without the need. The generator was stored out of sight, out of mind. Then the time came to use it, it was raining, blowing sideways and half the time at night. Well the generator didn’t want to start. Some times bad gas, a crusty carb would prevent it. My wife often thought I was a sailor while trying to get it going. It was then that I considered a pto driven one. The tractor is used all the time so never have bad gas in it. It’s been the best way to have power in bad weather.

[@keithwalker7151]

In my opinion the biggest advantage to the PTO generators is simply the power output you get for the money. A 30KW generator with it's own powerplant would cost significantly more and would be another relatively expensive engine to maintain.

[@trustme7731]

Except that a $5,000 30 kw PTO generator requires a minimum of a $65,000 60 HP tractor. Now, if someone has a $65,000 tractor they mostly likely need it for various tasks and jobs around their place. You can't do that and run the generator at the same time.

[@JeffGeorgalas]

@@trustme7731 I've got that 75HP tractor. When my power is out, that tractor will be devoted to keeping my house in power. I could give a (you know what) about any other tasks around my property until the power is back on.

[@richpicone7788]

This wasn't wasted at all! Very interesting stuff! Can't wait to see it in action.

[@kavemanthewoodbutcher]

I live off grid, therefore I've got a couple generators. I don't need a PTO generator at all, but I REALLY want one. Thanks for the information Tim! As always, we love every episode!

[@clarencedalrymple2566]

Tim, I live in South East Louisiana, The last two major hurricanes we had and lost power, we are talking 3 to 6 weeks without power. Forget the 3 to 6 days. In my case, I decided and invested in a whole house or standby Generator, (generac). As you have been explaining, each case, location, and people involved makes requirements different for each one. Continue with your story. LOL

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Interesting. We have been out of power for about an hour total in the last 4 years! You are right. Lots of difference in our needs.

[@ritterjon]

💥 I really like how you covered all the pros and cons most people wouldn’t think of. Great job! *Keep on tractoring!*

[@kennethschlabach5491]

Great episode! I have a Winco Cummins pto 40kw pto generator that I use to power my farm. One thing that you didn't mention is the surge start up. This particular model is 40,000 watt continuous with 50,000 watt surge, to cover the start up draw of equipment or other electrical components. My particular model has also hp input sensor so the generator automatically limits itself to the size of tractor. Handy feature for i can run my barn and garage with my B2601. Or when I need to run my shop and house as well i can hook my 120 hp M series Kubota on it and have the power to run the whole establishment. I chose pto driven generator, because I already have the tractors, and a generator unit of the size i needed is very costly. This setup serves me well.

[@shanesherwood343]

Great Episode Tim being a tractor guy and an electrician for the last 22 years it was very interesting one other disadvantage of a tractor generator and why I didn’t get one is typically I lose power when it snows my tractor is also my plow and it can’t do both at once

[@banditone00]

What I’m hearing is you need some more tractors! 😂

[@rcguymike]

Add a battery backup system such as an ecoflow delta, etc. Plow and then hook it back up to recharge the battery and resume powering the house

[@JCWren]

I'll add a couple observations, pros, and cons for your consideration. I have a 22KW Generac whole-house system that's propane powered (natural gas is not available in my area). It claims to use between 2 and 4 gallons of propane an hour, and propane is running $2.89/gallon at the moment. Propane doesn't go bad, but when you're out, it's going to require a delivery truck. There's no going down to the gas station (which if there's no power isn't going to be pumping gas anyway). It exercises itself every 2 weeks for 15 minutes, and will fire up when the power is out for more than 15 seconds. No getting generators or tractors out in the rain, hooking up cords, etc. For an extended weather outage, your tractor is (in all probability) going to be sitting within 50 feet of your house, unprotected, running at whatever throttle position provides 540 PTO RPM. That's going to be pretty loud. Like an open frame generator, you also probably have the fun of refueling in the dark and/or rain and/or wind. While the point about depreciation has already been touched on, what wasn't mentioned was those hours contributing to the service interval, so that's hydraulic oil & filters, engine oil & filters, and air filter(s). Another issue is the cost vs usage time. The whole-house system isn't cheap, and if you look at the investment vs operating hours, it'll never pay for itself. I accepted that because I can't stand being without power. We're also on well water at this property, so no power means no water. The heating system is propane, but requires power for the blower. We have a fireplace insert that heats part of the house, but it requires power for the blower (and you can't run it without the blower). All the critical systems could be put on a sub-panel and a portable or PTO generator used to run that sub-panel, but I'm all about my creature comforts, so I like to things to operate as normal. Anyways, seeing what the PTO generators cost, the payback time is way out there. The PTO generators seem to be more targeted at farm operations, particularly where there are irrigation systems. Many of those use electric pumps, and if you have a walking irrigation system (can't think of the name of those), those have electronics that control them (if they didn't, you could use a PTO driven water pump instead). I think the addition of the Anderson connectors for powering a house is almost an afterthought, or maybe a way to expand their appeal. The only time I see these being justified is that they are portable and they do provide more output, so if you need both, that'll work. Finally, chicken house operations typically have a huge generator with a couple 1000 gallon propane tanks feeding them. This is a requirement from the companies like Fieldale, et al. They have a huge investment in chickens in those houses and they're not going to rely on the operator getting his tractor fired up and run down to the chicken houses to power them. The generators are all set up to start and switch over automatically on power failures. I'm not sure what the actual power requirements of each coop is, but the two coops on my property had a 120KW generator to handle them.

[@justadbeer]

I have a whole house Generac 22kw as well. The entire system, installed last March cost just under 10k, which included the transfer switch, surge protector, natural gas piping, etc. So far, I have logged just over 60 hours of use in less than a year and as you have stated, we may never see our returns on that initial cost, but that peace of mind that I get when the power goes out and I don't have to fumble around in the dark to drag my portable geni out, uphill, through two feet of snow, then fuel it up, connect cords, yada, yada, yada - You get the point. Also when I'm out of town and iI get that message on my phone that my generator is running and I know that I have no worries my basement won't flood because my sump pump still has power... is a good feeling! BTW, 540 at the PTO on my Kubota is generally around 2100 engine rpm for me, and although I'm told diesels get decent fuel consumption, my B2650 only hold 7 gallons and it seems to not last long (filled it yesterday at $5 per gal) That BaumaLight KR30 generator he has goes for $8,200 BTW. I think we made the right choice.

[@nonyabeeswax2967]

Nice video! Good explanations, too. I'm not a fan of pTO generators, because of the dirtier power they produce. I'm a generator tech. and an electrical contractor and I work around a lot of back up power systems. I will personally be adding a PTO generator to the back of my tractor for their possibility of really extended outages. This will bolster an automatic standby and a portable with the proper main breaker interlock and flanged NeMa 3R inlet. I figure the diesel tractor can run for long periods of time, as long as there is diesel on hand. The biggest drawback to a PTO generator is that it is a pain to set up, especially in the dark, or during a storm. Tim, and audience, I encourage all of you to engage the services of a quality licensed electrician when interfacing with your home or business electrical system. If installed improperly, you can kill a Lineman and cause serious damage to your property. The last 30kW PTO generator we set up for a farm, we used a Ronk 200 Amp manual transfer switch. If you want to put your generator to the test, Tim, look up a generator testing company in your area and ask them to help you with a load bank test. the procedure will be similar to when you ran the tractor on the dyno after the turbo install.

[@farmboy5622]

Great info Tim!!! People don't think about these things until the electrical power is off for hours or days. I like how you have staged your benches, tooling, and crates, so the cats have an easy way to get up on the garage door ledge to look outside. (Ha!Ha!) Sometimes they steal the show. (Ha!Ha!)

[@jaredricker6994]

Awesome video! My grandparents were dairy farmers and had a pto generator to get the cows milked when the power went out brings back some memories

[@rcguymike]

This paired with a battery Backup system is perfect, the inverter could charge off the generator and filter the power as well as allow you to disconnect for intermittent other tasks such as plowing or clearing debris during a storm

[@swashington942]

Batteries add a lot of cost real fast.

[@rcguymike]

@@swashington942 5kWh, self heating batteries are $1800 a piece, depending how you set up you may only need 1 or 2

[@marcth37]

Very good educational video here Tim!In my youth working on dairy farms you needed a minimum 75 hp tractor to run the 25 kw pto generator to have electricity power on the farm!We had big ice storms that broke power lines somretimes for a week or more(Memories of 1997 and 1998!)Today i m pretty sure your JD3046 could run this generator for farm use!

[@markmonse5285]

Great episode! One unmentioned con with a PTO-generator is (obviously) that one is tying up their tractor--not a problem if they have more than one tractor. I see PTO generators as good for transitional use, but for longer-term use I'm leaning towards wind/solar feeding a battery system.

[@forceon959]

But also a plus is the generator is mobile. You can put power someplace else or a friend or neighbors house also

[@gamerfarms9362]

@@forceon959 or if your aways from power you can use it to run tools

[@rcguymike]

Combine it with a battery Backup system such as an ecoflow delta, zendure super base V, etc. You could run your whole house off those for a couple hours if you had to say detach the tractor to plow your driveway or clear debris. It's also more efficient to run at medium loads intermittently rather than very light loads continuously

[@lilredcummins]

Tim, glad you did this comparison. It is a must for those of us on the fence regarding stand alone vs tractor driven. Sine wave quality is important, as you found with your laser printer and I hope you touch on it more in the next video.

[@kevingebert4316]

I agree with Chuck Perry, great explanations with comparisons and different scenarios. We'll be watching for the 2nd part if you do one on showing the portables in use. I myself have a whole home generac installed as soon as I bought my current home. Its probably got more than 30hrs run time on it in a little over 2yrs and one was after a recent proximity lightning strike knocking out lots of various equipment including temporarily disabling the generator. Luckily I got that going and ran for about 22hrs until local power company could install a new Pedestal. While this unit isn't portable, I purchased it for the warm fuzzy feeling and maybe false sense of security of having my sump pump running in middle of summer during major rainfall. Avoiding insurance claims and swamped finished basement is well worth the installation fee of the whole home genny. Minimal maintenance and with wifi capabilities, you always know when its running if not at home and I set mine to exercise every 2wks. Actually the dealer that came by to repair my unit after lightning said its a very good idea to do exercising frequently since he's seen where bees have made nests inside of a unit and it didn't run when needed. Living in Northern Wisconsin with rain and ice storms in winter, it came in very useful a couple months ago when power was out for several hours during ice storm with temps later dropping severely. The LP consumption for me for about 24hrs run time was 8% from a 1000gal tank. *I installed a 2nd tank right away too for those worse case scenarios where storms in the area have kept power off for up to 3days. The small honda portable was only good for keeping freezers and refrigerators cold back when I had that problem. Keep the variety of videos coming. You seem to hit on things we don't usually think of for uses. Which reminds me, I need to drain my gas out of the honda 2000i I last used ice fishing a couple years ago. Thanks!

[@Kcolby47]

Nice job Tim. Being informed of backup energy options along with the information that you provided, can surely help folks to evaluate their individual needs, desires and wants. I’m sure you’ve got some more things “up your sleeve” as well. 😉 Blessings.

[@jboutdoors7019]

I purchased a used Dayton 25KW 1800RPM PTO generator from a old farmer 4 years ago, gave $1,500 for it, run it off my 2017 workmaster 35, runs my entire house no problem obviously. you cant beat them, only downside is your tractor is tied up, but i havent really found it to be an issue, if i really do need the tractor i can go without power for an hour or two if i had too. my tractor burns around 1 gallon an hour though, which is a little pricey, but i think its worth it, also helps out with my DPF because its running wide open for hours on end. If i come across a cheap 2 or 3 cylinder diesel engine i may try to mount it permanently to the generator so that it frees up my tractor. its a good piece of mind knowing i have a huge amount of portable power sitting around "just in case"..

[@TsunauticusIV]

There’s a product that not many people know about. It allows you to easily hook a portable generator to your house. It’s called a “GenerLink” system. It’s pretty cool. Had one on my house for years. Always worked perfectly.

[@rash0401]

Very well spoken Tim! I like the comparison and explanation regarding depreciation with adding hours on a new tractor VS an old tractor. Bought a Massey 1835M a little over a Year ago. the first 100 hours I watched that hour meter almost every turn it seemed... Now, about the only thing i watch close is the maintenance record and the fill level on the fuel tank :-) GREAT VIDEO once again! PS that 3046 is a beautiful piece of equipment!

[@josephdriscoll8527]

Perfect timing, I just lost my 25- year- old portable and started trying to find a better back up power source for the few times I need power. Can't wait for more information, thanks for sharing.

[@steventhomson2042]

Great episode!!!! You laid out the ground work for future generator episodes. I have been looking for information like this for years! Thank you!

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Thanks Steve!

[@dudestuff1557]

Tim, I’m so glad you covered this! I’ve been looking at these for a while, great info. Thanks!

[@BitCounter]

All words of value. The intro is taken care of. Looking forward to seeing you light things up...

[@williamdonovan8187]

You are quite correct that accurate frequency control is important. A lot of items will not work well unless the power is at 60 Hz. In a PTO driven generator this requires the engine to run at PTO speed and to maintain that speed. To produce this frequency a two pole generator runs at 3600 RPM and a four pole at 1800 RPM as you said. There are also six pole generators that run at 1200 RPM and even eight pole that run at 900 RPM. With advances in power electronics there are now "inverter" generators that allow the engine to run at whatever speed is needed to produce the power needed. This is then rectified to DC and then converted with a solid-state inverter to accurate 60 Hz. power regardless of the load. These generators are generally available in the small portable sizes but typically cost twice what a conventional model of the same size does (one of your photos shows an inverter model). As to load on the tractor, the conversion factor is 746 watts per horsepower. Given normal efficiencies it is often assumed one horsepower per kilowatt. Your 30kw generator should not be a problem to drive.

[@frankmcelroy3792]

Good information. In my case I have a diesel motorhome with a 10 KW diesel powered generator. With 300 gallons of diesel fuel and a burn rate of about 0.5 gallons/hour, that give us weeks of power before needing to refuel. After a few big storms with power lost for up to 14 days, that diesel generator sure came in handy. However, it was a pain to setup and configure breakers to backfeed the house. Something only I would do and no one else. A few years ago, the finance committee (wife) approved a 22KW natural gas whole house generator. The convenience and safety trump the use of the generator in our motorhome to power the house. This was one of the best home upgrades we did.

[@drewr13NJ]

This is a great episode lining out the pros and cons of generators, applications and touching on what best suits your application. I actually built a 7kw generator from a surplus Yanmar diesel and Mecc-Alte generator head. The 2 cylinder diesel was intended to be used for an over the road semi auxiliary power unit. So far it works alright. I would like more power to run my welder from time to time, but I've made do with it. I really like Kubota's Lowboy line of generators. I feel like it would be something viewers of this channel may want to look into. They are compact and come in 7 and 11KW sizes. I feel like a PTO generator is an excellent option for many people who already have small tractors because it is somewhat portable, but it does tie up your tractor. Also, a PTO generator eliminates one more engine to maintain as well.

[@1of7]

Thank you for creating this video. It answered a lot questions I have about PTO powered generators. I am looking forward to your additional videos about this subject. Great video!

[@paulroberts8718]

Great episode! Can’t wait for more on the generator series.

[@ralphjelomono9068]

Great video Tim. You hit all points perfectly. I have a portable gas gen, pto gen and the large Ecoflow max. All have a purpose if the power goes out. Ecoflow is nice for a light, fan and fridge to run at night with out the roar of the bigger units. My gas gen has never failed yet but like all gas engines requires care and fuel storage issues. With 3 diesel tractors and 250gal of diesel storage I can guarantee power if needed with the pto unit if the gas unit decides not to start.

[@jeremysecrest7553]

I purchased an IMD pto generator a few years ago from the manufacturer in Greenville SC. 10kw is a perfect match for my little tractor and powers my whole house. The power it generates is cleaner than what is on the grid.

[@Cinder2008]

Good video! Years ago I ran my house on a portable generator for 11 days. Everything was fine except keeping supplied with gasoline was a chore. I recently installed a stand alone whole house generator. I’m getting older and wanted the automatic transfer feature. The power only goes out during a storm, at night or when I’m away. My sump pump doesn’t care where the power comes from.

[@TheSnakeman3]

I found this very informative. Thanks and looking forward to part 2.

[@knightscotty1982]

Great info, sir! I can appreciate getting "into the weeds" on the details and it's very interesting. Looking forward to additional videos on this. As always....thanks for your time!

[@mcd5082]

Excited for the future videos on this!

[@john99057]

I am an Electrical contractor. I can tell you many folks that buy home generators from us don't have the use of them when the power goes out. They simply lose track of the maintenance. I am that type and luckily I have learned from them. I don't have a home generator. We have used our portables and went without HVAC. We just bought 3032E and I absolutely love this plan. I cant think of away to have backup power that would require less maintenance. Cant wait to go see what size my tractor will run. If 30KW thats perfect.

[@annagilda1]

My grandfather had a PTO generator back in the 80s run from his Massey 135. When the power used to go out, he ran the whole farm on it and could still milk the cows. The house ran off it too, which was a bonus. We used to have semi occasional power cuts in the winter.

[@deweywestbrook3466]

I have a 8500 225 miller welder ,,bought 1999 . It's a grateful pace of mind

[@ricktieken7025]

Nicely done Tim. Great explanation.

[@jimstruve3602]

Great episode. I was reminded of growing up on a farm n the 1970s, where we had an electric feed grinder, electric silo unloader and a confinement farrowing house. With overhead power lines, a generator was a necessity. I remember waking up and getting the Farmall H on the generator long enough to get the diesel tractors warmed up (dad didn't allow us to use ether!). Then we could run it with a David Brown 885. It was about 45 hp and would run all day long on a tank of fuel (12 gallons). We could leave the confinement fans on, but mom couldn't use her electric oven if dad needed to grind feed!

[@brokenarrow2835]

Here in Louisiana after a hurricane ,a lot of the stand by generators from a particular manufacture would not work... I have used my welding machine for years. I up graded after the hurricane in 2021 to a 26kw pto generator on a 50 hp. tractor.

[@jimpalmer1944]

Not wasted, great information.

[@MannistoCay]

definitely food for thought. Thanks Tim.

[@donalexander4083]

great timing 😄 been seriously considering getting some kind of generator

[@tombarnes1871]

Excellent discussion Tim, you needed the entire episode to discuss the options.

[@davidboston9227]

Great episode Tim! One con for me personally is the fact that if we lose power during a snow event I am using my 1026R for snow removal. I clear at my home and my parents and my children’s homes. I guess I need another tractor!!

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Yep! That isn’t a ‘problem’, it is an opportunity’! Just kidding.

[@photocontrol]

Great explanation! The Baumalight looks like a decent PTO generator. I have a diesel standby generator with auto start.

[@ffc3476]

Thanks for all the great information Tim

[@johnbarham7718]

Excellent explanation. Never heard this info so clear, Well done.

[@patchitwood7428]

Awesome!! I am really looking forward to this series.

[@apollorobb]

Looks just like My 15Kw Winco built Generator. Ive been running mine for years on my Turbo JD 3005 .

[@peterkoster5053]

We have a jd 4520 at work with 10,300 hours and it still works great.

[@barelystablefarm7151]

I thought about a PTO generator but a few things sent me to a portable dual fuel inverter generator. First is noise, the inverter generator will idle down to match whatever load so it's whisper quiet, especially at night and doesn't need to run full bore all the time so it's much more efficient. Secondly is when the power goes out I can quickly role the generator out, start and plug it into my twistlok plug. With the tractor I'd have to get it out of barn, disconnect implements if attached and/or connect up the generator, etc, drive over and plug it in. Not nearly as convenient especially in the middle of the night. It also keeps my tractor freed up for other tasks during or after a storm. Good info on this episode, looking forward to the others!

[@mossman7527]

Not wasted at all this is good stuff

[@LiveLearnProjects]

I am curious how these perform under changing load conditions in regard to fluctuations in frequency. One nice thing about most standby generators is that they monitor the current draw and adjust RPM to keep a constant frequency under changing load conditions. Most electronics are DC so the AC/DC conversion eliminates the dirty power. Pumps, motors, AC drives would be my concern. They can be pretty sensitive to frequency changes. Look forward to some testing!

[@johnhunter273]

Love this! Lifelong learning

[@jameskennerly9748]

Awesome! Thank you Sir!

[@krismay6021]

Very interesting episode. Want to see more, especially using them on different tractors.

[@jamess.putman1779]

You doing a Good job . Don't worry about what other people think or say. Sometimes you need to explain things

[@maxlown363]

Ive ran a PTO generator with my 35 horse massey. 20 gallons of diesel for 24 hours. I have a 8000 watt 3 cylinder diesel generator from a motorhome. I use it for my maple syrup operation. It will run 24 hours on 7 gallons of diesel

[@sellC1964]

Loved watching the cat in the background!

[@John1911]

Very interested in this topic. I appreciate the explanation about 2-4 poles and dirty power concerning electronics.

[@ericlaker1983]

Great generator info!! Everyone is interested in this!!!! Lol. Great info. Knowledge is so helpful

[@randysavage8963]

Let’s get started . Great video

[@morgansword]

Some really good insight and should help many people

[@braddsn]

I live in the midwest out on 50 acres in the country. I was looking into one of these, but the biggest drawback I have found is that every time we have needed a generator (snow/ice storms and summer storms), I have also needed my tractor to either dig us out, or remove downed trees, etc. So I ended up getting a stand alone gen set. Maybe this could be an excuse to have 2 tractors! haha. Great video, great information!

[@AKSTECHGENERATOR]

Nice to meeting you ..

[@grantdeisig1360]

I personally put Stable in my gas tank, then I will shut the fuel of on my generator and run the carb dry. I personally wouldn't recommend keeping a steel tank empty, because they will rust over time. Better to keep them full. Plastics tanks however can be drained out no problems. I've had my generator sit for 4 years with Stable in it, (I would add a little bit more stable at the end of every year) and it still smelled like gas and ran fine 4 years later. Just remember that Stable has a shelf life. 2 years after it's been opened.

[@tretter1452]

Finally, was wondering when you were going down this rabbit hole.

[@Jtwizzle]

Great video! Very interested to see more on this and the electric tractor!

[@ratrodbubba]

Been using my Baumalight 12kw since 2009 hasn't let me down yet it powers our whole house and farm when needed and works great for mobile field repair with the welder and air compressor I added to it

[@TractorTimewithTim]

So you added regular 240v compressor and welder?

[@ratrodbubba]

@@TractorTimewithTim a 240 volt Lincoln tombstone welder and a 120 volt small air compressor works great for mobile repairs or projects away from a power source

[@jerryhoover4698]

Great Job thanks.

[@bwlyon]

Great topic! Can’t wait to see if you can create enough lighting bolts to stall the jolly green Johnnies!

[@2-bar-one]

It's amazing 15 minute's to get to the subject at hand

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Nope. ALL of this directly relevant to those considering purchasing a PTO generator. Each of us must grapple with these questions before we make a decision as to what type to buy. …and you KNOW that.

[@marlondeere3039R]

Thanks good one👍

[@marklus406]

Great topic!

[@floydferguson5366]

Great video!

[@davesusek3330]

Great video I am very interested in this exact subject.

[@Dan-nj8du]

Thanks again for an informative video. I get in a backup generator shopping mode now and then but haven't got past the shopping mode yet. Two things about PTO generators. One, watt for watt they seem more expensive than a portable. At least in the 8kw - 10kw range I was shopping, and that included portables that could run on propane. Next, and most important, if power is out due to a storm odds are I'm going to be using the tractor for cleanup. Be it clearing snow or fallen trees. We don't all have the burden of having to decide which tractor we'll use today. :-)

[@BG-vq9fd]

I took Mom to dinner one stormy night. It was a small restaurant in a vacation community. Since it was off season I didn't think much about no house lights. When we got out of the truck I heard an engine running. I peaked around the corner of the building and there was an old narrow front end tractor running a pto generator with cables running in the back door. We enjoyed our dinner. I am a retired mechanical engineer. I always tell people I neverunderstood electrons. When I lived in your area we had an ice storm that took our power out for 7 days. After 6 days I found out the 3500 watt peak generator only hooked to my freezer wasn't big enough to start the compressor. It blew incandescent light bulbs, the only thing it didn't blow was a florescent shop light. The company told me it was a camping generator so, I should not hook any electronics or lights to it. After a long discussion we concluded it was only good for holding one corner of a tent down. I took the small generator back to Sam's. I bought a Honda 5000 watt generator. We used it on a friends freezer and 1 hour later the power was back on. YOU HAVE MY ATTENTION!

[@tractortyme]

I considered it when I was planning emergency coverage for my house, in most times we've lost power was in adverse winter conditions. Being I would more than likely need my tractor to work during and after adverse conditions, I chose a standalone "movable" 12k generator for my purpose.

[@mabmachine]

The biggest plus for the standby generator is the automatic instant on. You don't even need to be home so you can be sure your freezer, heat and sump pump are all doing their thing while you are away.

[@bradleymcclintock7771]

Cool 😎 good info 👌

[@jddriver9565]

great video!:) Cant wait to see it in action:)

[@Morpheen999]

Been using a PTO generator in the 20-30 horsepower compact tractor category for 15 years.. For the 4-5 times a year we lose hydro, It works fantastic! It powers pretty much our whole house, and smaller tractors just barely sip the fuel running the PTO at 540 Im not the one to trade tractors every 2-3 years, my last tractor I had for 17 years, Only upgraded in 2020 because I wanted a factory cab.. So the hours is a non issue for me, I plan on putting on thousands

[@careyfrennier347]

Ready for the next episode on this topic!

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Yes, I need to get to it. I have to do electrical work on the house..and busy with pond work. Sorry.

[@Retroranger77]

Very interested in hearing more about this topic. I’ve considered getting one since I took delivery of my 2038R. Might accidentally leave the Farm Machinery Show this year with one if I’m not careful!

[@cutlow1383]

I think "Johnny X" would be a great test for the generator. Great info!

[@bobpurs]

Beat me to it thought maybe electric tractor could charge itself 👍That would be cool

[@BSC_811]

Great show Tim. Really enjoy all your stuff, Blair

[@BSC_811]

Tractors should have Hobbs meters for the PTO separate from the regular hour meter.

[@BSC_811]

I have a Massey Ferguson 5711, will that supply 200 amps?

[@82ndpara21]

Great episode! I greatly appreciate the applicable product for your audience. Those eco flow type products are getting annoying to see on KZbin. I also want to appreciate you staying green!

[@sinclairpages]

This was good information. I have thought about a tractor driven generator.

[@mikerossman9863]

We have a old Case tractor nothing special. Decided to get the Harbor Freight 3pt 15kw generator. Comes mounted on a frame ready to roll. Along with that we made a manual transfer switch with a dedicated cord to hook up to the house and power it. If you know a storm is coming have it ready and hooked up, possibly already running at the last min before it gets bad bad out. I have old drums I can fill with diesel and a pump that runs off the battery to fill the tank. It burns fuel but it’s better than sweating in the heat after a hurricane.

[@teaganparrott9686]

If you are storing gasoline engines for generators, trash pump, lawn mowers, etc. I recommend using aviation fuel. It doesn’t have methanol or ethanol in it. It basically never gets stale. We use it around the ranch for everything that will be sitting unused for long periods of time.

[@bioniclife]

When we lost power on our dairy farm, we ran a PTO generator with an old David Brown 990. While milking and doing chores we ran it at 540 RPM. Once chores were done and milk cooled down, we ran it on 1000 RPM and idled it back. Worked well and sipped fuel. Not milking now so the PTO genny is only used when we need 220/240v and a small (3k) inverter for most of the time.

[@TractorTimewithTim]

Wish we had a 1000rpm tractor to illustrate that! We DO have ePTO on Johnny 5…but he is thirsty compared to our smaller tractors.

[@brianmills4891]

I currently have solar and battery, portable gas, and tractor PTO generators. They came at different times with their own reasons. The “right” generator all depends on your situation. We have no gas and not interested in LP just to run a stationary generator that gets used maybe 10hrs per year. The 7500watt portable was first because I was poor and just needed a solution after the 2011 derecho. It has never let me down and can power my all electric house except for AC. The 15KW PTO was bought with the idea of whole house backup during summer months when AC is nice to have. I’ve used it about 1.6 hrs in 3 years and it’s currently for sale. We now have solar and battery which has everyday functional use of offsetting electric bills and off grid/grid down electricity security. Solar is great except you have to consider periods of no sun unless you want to put big money in a large battery bank. IMO the best current day option is a combination of solar/battery and small portable for charging when needed and portable needs. But, if I could have only 1 it would be the PTO generator. it can do everything good enough to get by, Kinda like a compact tractor 😊