Generator recommendations?

[Bruce L]

Hi everyone, looking to get a large enough generator to power the vacuum pump(3 hp),blowers on the arch, lights in the sugarhouse. I have narrowed it down to the following choices which I am trying to compare prices and specs for the best generator at the best price. I am looking at a 20 hp Honda Dayton 3lw64 generator,10,000 watts,20 hp Honda Northstar generator,13,500 watts, Generac 15,000,22,500 surge generator, 30 hp engine, Winco Bulldog wl12,000 watt generator with 20 hp Honda engine, and a Powermate 12,500 watt generator with a 22 hp Subaru engine Generators are not listed in any particular order, any input or experiences good or bad on these models would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks,Bruce

[Thompson's Tree Farm]

Bruce
I purchased a rebuilt 10kw diesel generator from green mtn generators this year. Excellent results and great service. Military generators arerated much lower than their actual output. Get in touch with him with your power requirements and he can help you out.

[WMF]

Go with an 1800 rpm unit versus the 3600 rpm screamers if you want it to last and not drive you crazy with noise. Most diesels and a few gas are 1800 rpm and they are usually much more heavy duty than the disposable screamers.

[maple flats]

How far from an electric line are you? I ran for 9 seasons using a generator. I used a 6KW diesel as well as 1480 watts solar to battery bank and an inverter, but then I ran grid power. I was 425' from the lines and paid about $7000 to run grid, meter pole, new entrance panel and the wiring needed to tie my existing solar to the grid. (I also added 4840 watts new solar, grid tied only) but that was over and above the $7000 figure). Running on grid turned out to be a great move. If you can get grid power for up to about 2x what a generator will cost, do it, if 3x study seriously.

[sjdoyon]

We run a 30,000kw John Deere generator for all our power requirements. We have a RO and have extra amperage capacity to expand which we did this year when we added another post to the RO. Best purchase we've made to date, you don't want to get caught with a generator not working during the season.

Here's a link with the specs

http://www.generatorsales.com/order/JD1PH30.asp?page=JD1PH30

[Diesel Pro]

Hi everyone, looking to get a large enough generator to power the vacuum pump(3 hp),blowers on the arch, lights in the sugarhouse. I have narrowed it down to the following choices which I am trying to compare prices and specs for the best generator at the best price. I am looking at a 20 hp Honda Dayton 3lw64 generator,10,000 watts,20 hp Honda Northstar generator,13,500 watts, Generac 15,000,22,500 surge generator, 30 hp engine, Winco Bulldog wl12,000 watt generator with 20 hp Honda engine, and a Powermate 12,500 watt generator with a 22 hp Subaru engine Generators are not listed in any particular order, any input or experiences good or bad on these models would greatly be appreciated.
Thanks,Bruce

Do you know your total wattage?

If the lights are efficient enough and the blowers small enough you might get away with a nice portable inverter like the Honda EU6500. Really nice quiet machine and stone reliable.

A lot will depend on how hard you load the vacuum pump I guess.

[Bruce L]

Hi all, ended up getting the Winco 12000 watt with 20 hp Honda gas engine for a steal, guy priced it before researching to see what it was really worth. Got it for $1000.00 with only 6 hours usage on it.Going to take it to the bush to give it a try on the vacuum pump whenever it quits raining!!!! I had an 8750 watt Honda, but it only had a 13 hp motor, couldn't quite cut the mustard. Dave, I considered hooking up to the hydro, only about 100 yards away, but our current hydro bill on the house here now(we conserve as best we can also, no A/C etc) has just come in at a little over $400.00 for the month, hydro has figured out that from the time they read the meter until the bill comes out and they are paid is 18 extra days, so that has been added onto the bill, have to watch to see that they don't double charge for that. My brother-in-law, the electrician guestimated that it would cost me well over $12,000 to get hooked on, poles, wire etc, plus then facing a monthly bill whether I am using hydro or not, so I will just have to keep the gas company happy for less than a month typically. We used the tractor generator this past spring, I believe it was 33.5 kw,83 kw surge, but too loud to have the tractor sitting outside the sugarhouse door all day, plus carting diesel fuel to it, plus unhooking it and driving it home at night to make sure it would start the next morning.

[maple flats]

Dave, I considered hooking up to the hydro, only about 100 yards away, but our current hydro bill on the house here now(we conserve as best we can also, no A/C etc) has just come in at a little over $400.00 for the month, hydro has figured out that from the time they read the meter until the bill comes out and they are paid is 18 extra days, so that has been added onto the bill, have to watch to see that they don't double charge for that. My brother-in-law, the electrician guestimated that it would cost me well over $12,000 to get hooked on, poles, wire etc, plus then facing a monthly bill whether I am using hydro or not, so I will just have to keep the gas company happy for less than a month typically. We used the tractor generator this past spring, I believe it was 33.5 kw,83 kw surge, but too loud to have the tractor sitting outside the sugarhouse door all day, plus carting diesel fuel to it, plus unhooking it and driving it home at night to make sure it would start the next morning.[/QUOTE]
Yes there is a monthly line charge. Mine is just under $23.00 per month, even though I have net metered solar power in my favor all except the first month I was connected (December). Since then I've paid the $23 each month "delivery charge" to deliver them my power. Seems wrong to me. However on the flip side I spent more than $23 in diesel average per month each year before that and I had to change the oil, haul the diesel, and most importantly listen to the thing run most of the time when I was working in the sugarhouse.