Any one with experience with using a John Deere PTO generator for powering home?

[fourteen/two]

Customer wants me to install a generator hookup to power his home when power goes out.

He is planning on using a John Deere PTO generator driven by his tractor.

I mentioned it to a friend, and he started to tell me about how his father has one and it's a big pain.

Mainly that the voltage is regulated very well and there's problems with low voltage and voltage spikes.

I checked the John Deere website and they didn't seem to mention anything about voltage regulation for their PTO generators.

So, I'm asking to see if anyone here has any opinions or experiences that might be helpful to me.

 

[realolman]

I have installed hookups where the guy was going to use a tractor powered generator... I just did the transfer switch... what he hooked to it was his business.

These were on farms where I think about all they were interested in was running the water pump, some lights, and the milkers.

If you've ever carried water to a bunch of dairy cows you will know why they wanted the water pump to work.:happyyes:

I don't think they cared much about spikes.

 

[hillbilly1]

Since they are PTO driven, and no means of controlling the engine speed by the generator, it cannot adjust for varying loads like a normal genset can, but usually the tractor driving it is oversized anyway, so heavy loads don't affect it as much. but if the tractor is sized close or too small for the generator, you can have a lot of surges and sags.

 

[hurk27]

The problem I see is not the voltage but the RPM's of the generator, if the generator is driven at a higher rate then it is design for, the frequency of the AC out will be very much higher and motors will over speed and can be destroyed, most generators will be rated at 3600 rmps or 1800 rpms depending upon how many poles they have, under speed can be as bad as over speed, and while many electronics can handle a little fluctuation some can start producing more heat and burn up, transformers run out of their design hz can also over heat, constant torque applications with motors running faster then rated will pull way more amps, and can be over loaded, this includes any fluid or air moving equipment such as centrifugal pumps, blowers, even fans, can cause the motor to draw way more then the FLA its rated for.

About the only load I could say that an un- speed regulated generator could safely run is a resistive load like lights and heaters.