Advice/opinions re farm generator

lefthooker

:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(
We're heading into the 4th night without electricity since it went on Wednesday afternoon and no idea when it might be back. We're just about getting by with getting the milk collected daily and got a lend of a small petrol genny to run the water pump.

I don't intend to get caught out again. What size generator would I need to run the yard; milking parlour, tank and all the lights aswell as the water pump and dwelling house?

What setup do you guys have and would you have a price estimate to purchase and install.

Timmaay

Have a 20kva one here, runs a 6unit parlour (but with a 10unit pump), and the ice bank 750gls tank fine, If I start loading on scrapers and other big items it comes under pressure (lights blinking etc). We've had it in donkeys years so I dont have a clue how much. Runs off the tractor PTO, our case 1394 with 70bhp runs it fine, but you do need to open up the tractor to the full 2k revs (540) to have as close to 50hz

Nekarsulm

It takes more to start a motor than to keep it running, so switch on the biggest motors first. Better to run them continously than have them cut in and out. Milk transfer pumps etc. Electric power showers are very hard run, so no showers till milking done!m

whitebriar

Ours is 25kva tractor driven.It's here 14yrs (froment magnet is the make I think)
We run it in the 1000 box at about 1400 revs.

Tested the voltage yesterday which was 226 running a 12 unit parlour, tank cooling compressor,water pump and scrapers and loads of lights,the house ,fridge tv etc all going,no issues.
It's wired to the house aswell(essential, insist on that for your own comfort)

You need to be careful switching it on and off obviously.
There is a switching box for setting to esb supply,all off and generator.
An Amber light for telling you if your voltage or load is right.Too many revs,it flashes fast.
Too few revs,it flashes slow.
Voltage load right,then Amber light is steady,not flashing.
So switch off until revved up to 1400 or so and away you go.

Cost was 1500 euros at the time,.It's needed on average once or twice a year and this was the 2nd time it's been used for a 3 day outage.

Hope that helps.

sheebadog

Get onto ESB ask them what Kva is supplied to your enterprise.
Go to generator supplier tell them what you want and they should be able to tell you how much pto horsepower you need.

Example. I've 150 Kva three phase supply to me. Have 150Kva generator which needs 190hp at the pto.

lefthooker

Thanks for the info lads. I can get a 44kva pto driven unit off a local fella for a little shy of 3k. Should be plenty for house and farm. The water pump is run off the house board so I'd need to run a line up to the house in any case. It seems like a big outlay at the time and factor in the electrician costs but I never want to be in this position again.

Like they saying, you never miss the water till the well runs dry:rolleyes:

Stavros Murphy

Just another option, but I have a 20kva tow-along genny welder with a Yanmar diesel engine - it puts out 3ph as well and runs a big plug-in mig welder no problem, on 3ph - or just running the house, water pump etc on 1ph. No issues with it ever and it is an awful lot easier on diesel than any tractor, even when running flat out. Very reliable too. Cheaper option as well..

GERMAN ROCKS

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Just another option, but I have a 20kva tow-along genny welder with a Yanmar diesel engine - it puts out 3ph as well and runs a big plug-in mig welder no problem, on 3ph - or just running the house, water pump etc on 1ph. No issues with it ever and it is an awful lot easier on diesel than any tractor, even when running flat out. Very reliable too. Cheaper option as well..

how much was that?

Stavros Murphy

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

how much was that?

Welll...I bought it in Wilsons auctions a few years back for €700, but 1500 to 2k might be more realistic. Where you make savings, big enough ones, is on the fuel.

colrow

There's a section for generator adverts in the Uk Farmers Weekly. hth

sawdoubters

go diesel

10 kw should do you

http://www.justgenerators.co.uk/pages/FAQ.htm

st1979

sawdoubters wrote: »

go diesel

10 kw should do you

http://www.justgenerators.co.uk/pages/FAQ.htm

Not for a dairy farm it wont. I had a 22.5kva. Was fine on the 6 unit parlour and old ice bank tank plus house etc. But new 20 unit parlour direct expansion tank
Killed it. You need a bigger generator than your transformer is rated at I was told

John_F

lefthooker wrote: »

Thanks for the info lads. I can get a 44kva pto driven unit off a local fella for a little shy of 3k. Should be plenty for house and farm. The water pump is run off the house board so I'd need to run a line up to the house in any case. It seems like a big outlay at the time and factor in the electrician costs but I never want to be in this position again.

Like they saying, you never miss the water till the well runs dry:rolleyes:

single or three phase?? genny on the shopping list here too, no power went out so we were lucky . . . touch wood

Muckit

Just wondering if these could be hired from a local tool hire ?

Suppose if you were really stuck no guarantee you'd get one.

keep going

Even though we didnt lose power im thinking of wiring for a plug in generator because there is a business near us that rents out generators for events .now I know you will say you wont be able to get one when you want to but im good old buds with him so id say we'd sort something out.the thing is though there is alot to be said for being ready to go and not frigging around with wires in the middle of a crisis and if I do come across a geny it would be easy to install

joejobrien

Muckit wrote: »

Just wondering if these could be hired from a local tool hire ?

Suppose if you were really stuck no guarantee you'd get one.

yES THEY CAN BE HIRED, BUT GRTY THERE FAST ...GOT LAST ONE ON WED:cool:

delaval

You need a 50+ kva

Anyone with a generator should run them twice a year as they can seize as they age

Viewtodiefor

delaval wrote: »

You need a 50+ kva

Anyone with a generator should run them twice a year as they can seize as they age

Jesus del you'd power d titanic with that yoke!

Def run twice year with a load on them!

delaval

Viewtodiefor wrote: »

Jesus del you'd power d titanic with that yoke!

Def run twice year with a load on them!

Less would do but no difference in cost and I've never seen smaller motors or parlours being installed and also you need to power house etc

lefthooker

Summary of my day;
09:30- cows milked and calves/cattle fed. Time for tea and call ESB fault line again. Still no news or estimated time to return. Could be days. Sigh.

10:30- Off to the outfarm, meet two ESB staff at the end of the lane, they're looking for faults in the area but no idea when they'll be working on it.

11:30- call the fella with the 44kva genny, he's decided to keep it. Sh1te he's only 5 mins away, would've been quare handy so make another few calls and we're off with the trailer to collect another one, diesel engined 15kva. Bit of a drive but it belongs to my mates uncle so keep it for as long as I need. We get there and get it loaded, just about fits in the 8x5 trailer we have.

13:00- Face her for home and have the tea ready.

14:00- out with the amateur electricians kit and she's plugged in. Back in business. Lights lighting, tank's cooling, washer's washing, scrapers scraping. Feeling well pleased with ourselves.

15:00- The yellow van drives in. "Good news lad, your power should be back on now". ****1N TYPICAL. Four days of no updates for your area and then quick as a flash its repaired.

delaval wrote:

Less would do but no difference in cost and I've never seen smaller motors or parlours being installed and also you need to power house etc

That's the way I'm thinking, never know how many units or what size pump I'll have in a few years. Only a couple hundred € in cost between 20 kva and 44kva.

TimTam82

Building an 18unit milking parlor and looking at putting in a generator as a back up not only to run machinr but whole yard. Any advice on where to purchase, size and brand type???

Kevhog1988

TimTam82 wrote: »

Building an 18unit milking parlor and looking at putting in a generator as a back up not only to run machinr but whole yard. Any advice on where to purchase, size and brand type???

We have one that runs off a 6 cylinder perkins engine. Will let you know size etc tomorrow.

Suckler

lefthooker wrote: »

That's the way I'm thinking, never know how many units or what size pump I'll have in a few years. Only a couple hundred € in cost between 20 kva and 44kva.

In a few years that generator would have rattled itself to scrap. You need to match the load with the generator size. A big genset running a constant smaller load will ruin it quickly.

mickey1985

Lads looking at a new generator any recommendations of who to buy from. I'm based in the south.

gozunda

mickey1985 wrote: »

Lads looking at a new generator any recommendations of who to buy from. I'm based in the south.

What size of a one are you thinking of? - house / yard / parlour / all the above?

mickey1985

gozunda wrote: »

What size of a one are you thinking of? - house / yard / parlour / all the above?

33kva to do parlour yard and house. Is there any other suppliers other than bradleys

gozunda

mickey1985 wrote: »

33kva to do parlour yard and house. Is there any other suppliers other than bradleys

sorry only have experience of them.

Half decent article here on same

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/buildings-focus-should-every-dairy-farm-have-a-generator/

Maybe someone else might have experience of other makes.

older by the day

mickey1985 wrote: »

Lads looking at a new generator any recommendations of who to buy from. I'm based in the south.

https://www.michaelgallweygenerators.ie
He can fit them, wire them and all. He was sound to deal with

quietsailor

Egans in kilmallock rent them so they might have older ones for sale