Generator

[sidjon]

Wild here tonight. Had to wash the parlour from back to the front as the wind was blowing that way so hard

Back to OAD again here, even the pub's got no power

 

[dairydurham]

Which one looks like cows and grasses the fried one or your brother in law's.

I have a generator dilemma ahead.currently single phase. New slurry system will need 3 phase. Was looking like an engine driven one but 3 phase is on the horizon but a railway crossing could hold us up.
I prefer the idea of a tractor one because thats one less engine to maintain and I have a choice. The engine is the more straightforward standby but going to be more money and if it won't start I'm still buggered.

The fried one looks like cows & grass,s,but it was only the voltage regulator so not expensive to repair.Brother in lawswas from a firm near Preston new about 4 yrs ago.We had to run 24/7 as night collection& borehole water supply . I didnt realise that a lot of gennies are only designed to run for short periods

 

[Netherfield]

Tractor powered are alright up to a point.

We had a Froment get fried, when we first bought it we hadn't got a tractor big enough to run it to it's full potential.

Then came the time when we'd a tractor to boss it, I was away at the time and someone forgot to switch off the automatic feeding systems in the poultry sheds, walked away and left it running.

A few feeders started up and fried it beyong economical repair. Many times it was a balancing act, it only needed someone to plug an electric kettle in to upset the whole job.

 

[TheRanger]

I wish they were still that price. They’ve gone up a lot in the last 12 months. Almost constant price increases.

Looked it up, ours was 70kVA, which is equivalent to a 100A 3 phase mains supply.

Cost £2450+vat in 2019, plus £100 to get it wired up (existing wiring).

What would the equivalent be now?

 

[shumungus]

75kva, 100amp 3 phase.
600 litre bunded fuel rank will run it a week. Full auto start, auto change over and runs utself for an hour a week to keep everything tickety. Clean non spike power for computers and controllers etc. Trickle charger on the battery and a block heater on a stat.

 

[Fraserb]

I'm just part time compared to you though!

Seriously though what did you buy and from who?

Split phase 480v here as well which is another issue.

Cant remember the name on the genny but its a doosan engine in it, its 220 kva and came through ggs generators at gordon, going for the full auto switch over this time.

 

[shumungus]

Pics.

 

[pappuller]

Ours looks identical but with a different name plate

Cowells?

 

[dairydurham]

Cowells?

Yes his came from them. but ours came from Pickhill welders was supposed to be new but when we had it repaired Yorkshire generators told us Pickhill only sold ex hire But we have had 17 yrs of stand by from it.

 

[Netherfield]

Pickhill stuck alsorts of things together. Old Gardner engines on generators was one thing.

 

[Happy hillbily]

Been reading this thread since Thursday, feeling rather smug that we hadn't had any power outages, even this afternoon when the squall line went through, all was Tickety boo. But as soon as I put my coat on to go out for milking out the power goes out.
Phoned Scottish power and was told could be 3pm tommorow we could be back on . So dragged the jenny out of storage, not a big job it's only a 20 or 25kva magnate pto generator, I've built a little trolley for it out of an old shopping trolley, which makes it easy to wheel it into the workshop and park it under some shelves out of the way. Fetched the tractor, not much diesel in the tank , but couldn't fill her up as there's an electric pump on the fuel station , so started up the Genny and carted 160 litres 20 litres at a time across the yard to the tractor .
Twenty minutes into milking power comes back on. Kept the genny going as I thought it would do it good to get some use as it probably hasn't been used for 12 months +. One downside running the tractor on 1000 PTO at just over tickover, it doesn't like the 4kw water heater coming on and off as it holds the water temp, as there's no torque in the engine at that speed, so drags the engine down, don't get that running it at 540, but it uses more fuel.

 

[TheRanger]

One downside running the tractor on 1000 PTO at just over tickover, it doesn't like the 4kw water heater coming on and off as it holds the water temp, as there's no torque in the engine at that speed, so drags the engine down, don't get that running it at 540, but it uses more fuel.

I've got it written in the generator start up instructions here, "step 1: Turn off all water heaters". There's 1 6kW ones and one 9kW one, so less hassle just having them off than having a big load all coming on at once. Tank and parlour can get a cold wash if needs be.

 

[Wellpark]

Bradley bought the rights for F roment magnate generators , That may be what they sell under their own name . They were well made .
If sitting any time it is a good idea to turn them a few turns even if by hand to get oil to get to the seal on the gearbox input
If you look you will see a lot of them leak here from being started at 540 rpm with the seal dry

 

[Jdunn55]

Wild here tonight. Had to wash the parlour from back to the front as the wind was blowing that way so hard

this evening has been the only bit of wind we have actually caught, until now we've been lucky and not had anything! Tree down (x 2) and took the door of my tractor, guess it serves me right for wondering what the fuss was on Friday!

 

[pappuller]

Been reading this thread since Thursday, feeling rather smug that we hadn't had any power outages, even this afternoon when the squall line went through, all was Tickety boo. But as soon as I put my coat on to go out for milking out the power goes out.
Phoned Scottish power and was told could be 3pm tommorow we could be back on . So dragged the jenny out of storage, not a big job it's only a 20 or 25kva magnate pto generator, I've built a little trolley for it out of an old shopping trolley, which makes it easy to wheel it into the workshop and park it under some shelves out of the way. Fetched the tractor, not much diesel in the tank , but couldn't fill her up as there's an electric pump on the fuel station , so started up the Genny and carted 160 litres 20 litres at a time across the yard to the tractor .
Twenty minutes into milking power comes back on. Kept the genny going as I thought it would do it good to get some use as it probably hasn't been used for 12 months +. One downside running the tractor on 1000 PTO at just over tickover, it doesn't like the 4kw water heater coming on and off as it holds the water temp, as there's no torque in the engine at that speed, so drags the engine down, don't get that running it at 540, but it uses more fuel.View attachment 1018203

We ran ours in 1000 but it fooked the pto shaft so 540 eco now

 

[Jdunn55]

this evening has been the only bit of wind we have actually caught, until now we've been lucky and not had anything! Tree down (x 2) and took the door of my tractor, guess it serves me right for wondering what the fuss was on Friday!

Bugger!

 

[Fedupfarmer]

what would you say is a good make for three phase line, to be able to milk and everything that goes with that.

 

[frederick]

Bugger!

That's too nice of a shed for just keeping machinery in.

 

[Jdunn55]

That's too nice of a shed for just keeping machinery in.

No it's not!

 

[upnortheast]

75kva, 100amp 3 phase.
600 litre bunded fuel rank will run it a week. Full auto start, auto change over and runs utself for an hour a week to keep everything tickety. Clean non spike power for computers and controllers etc. Trickle charger on the battery and a block heater on a stat.

Now that really is a proper job.
Biggest prob with ours is remembering to give it a run every month & making sure the battery hasn`t gone flat when you need it to start at 2am.