Generator downgrade

I have an older Katolight 25K pto generator that works good, but is supreme overkill for my use, no livestock to worry about, just the house and well. I would like to trade it for a 10,000 watt dual fuel portable generator. I have a 500 gallon LP tank close enough to run a line from it to the generator. I don't think I can afford almost $100 a day for gas to run it if the power is off for any length of time. I might be better off to buy the generator I want and then sell the pto generator, I don't know. Any ideas??

I would love to get a PTO generator, but I don't need one that big

Just throwing out an idea here...

Since you already have a 25k generator, but only need 10k, what if you removed the overdrive gear from the PTO generator, and direct drive it with a 20HP Predator engine?

A generator doesn't need full horse power, it can be underpowered and still work, just won't make it's full potential.

You can get propane conversion kits for small engines.

Hi Chris. I used to work at Katolight. I did build pto generators there in my very early years. They are very good units. I think you could do well selling that one to the correct person. Good luck sir. Kow Farmer Kurt

I'd keep the Katolight. They made good stuff. Anything made today won't be as rugged. If you are worried about a fuel bill, price the contents of your freezer or a burst pipe.

In another thread they ask about Sanborn air compressors, now about Katolight. One is 30 miles west of us, other is 30 miles east of us. Small world.

Paul

Don't forget to sign up for the Carhart tractor ride CHRIS! Chuck Machinist

(quoted from post at 21:11:24 11/04/21) I have an older Katolight 25K pto generator that works good, but is supreme overkill for my use, no livestock to worry about, just the house and well. I would like to trade it for a 10,000 watt dual fuel portable generator. I have a 500 gallon LP tank close enough to run a line from it to the generator. I don't think I can afford almost $100 a day for gas to run it if the power is off for any length of time. I might be better off to buy the generator I want and then sell the pto generator, I don't know. Any ideas??

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uel consumption is based on how many watts you're asking for. Better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

Time you get all the parts you need to put a Predator engine on the PTO Katolight, and convert it to propane, you will have almost as much into it as a 10,000 Watt portable, and you'll have a cobbled up mess.

The gearboxes on PTO generators are usually integral to the generator. You take that off there's nothing supporting the front of the rotor.

From what I've seen, Champion makes a good product that's mid-range in price, and come from the factory dual-fuel, LP or gasoline, out of the box. Depending if you want that 10,000 to be surge or running capacity, prices start at $999.

The Katolight is not costing you anything to have around. I would keep it at least until the next ice storm, then cash in.

With a PTO adapter he could run his tractor about half throttle using less fuel and less noise while still having plenty of juice for the house and well. Works fine for those jobs. We have one we use on an 806 or 856 or even smaller tractor running dad's generator about the same size. Have used the 674 on it be for too.

99,
You may want to post a question, How much does it cost you to run your generator and what size generator?

I think John La had to run his generator for a few days.

It isn't cheap to make your own electricity.

We have a Champion duel fuel unit. It does very well on gasoline, hadnt run it on propane so I cant speak to that. The electric start is nice.

I tried that with the 1850 and 1000rpm pto and an adapter. It wouldn't hold a steady reading on the meter, I was afraid of frying the electronic stuff in the house. We have been without power for 2 or 3 days at a time in the winter, a few yeas ago when the big ice storm hit the midwest, we were out for a week. We live on a country road with 4 houses on the road, so we are usually the last ones to get power back. With the price of fuel now and getting worse, I can see $100 a day or more to have power. I'm retired on a fixed income and that would be very difficult to afford.

You may want to check into alternate ways to say warm that don't require electricity.

I know a man why has a vented LP IR heater to stay warm if power goes out.

This year Duke contractors have been working hard to remove trees close to power lines.

I wouldn't dream of getting rid of the 25Kw unit. Trade that off for a dinky 10K? That's nuts man! Stick with what you have.

Bigger is always better. At least it usually is with me in most cases.

As a Generator tech. I can tell you. You will not find any thing as good as what you have. Katolight was one of the best made. Most units now are 3600 rpm junk.

An LPG engine should be low maintenance and reliable. Auto startup and auto switch-over would be very convenient when the power goes out in the middle of the night during an ice storm. Some units come with their own weather enclosure.

Hooking up a a generator out in the weather by the meter pole and then refueling an ice covered tractor to keep the generator running could be a challenge as we get older.

Yeah. Back in 2014 I sold off my cows and part of the proceeds went to buy a household backup generator....the permanent kind....tired of the gas cans and pulling out the portable, extension cords and all that crap.

I looked at my necessities and decided that I could live comfortably on an 11kw unit......enough power to live comfortably under the circumstances yet low enough to keep fuel consumption down. I chose Generac because the name implies they are solely in the electricity generating business, have sold over 1 million units, and they specifically engineered and built the little V twin that powers that unit especially for the task.

I ordered the unit online and it was drop shipped to the house along with the switch box...decides which power will power the house automatically. Read the directions and installed it with a 250 gallon LP tank...which the local LP dealer sold and installed. Had the electrical COOP come out and ok the installation and away I went. It runs 15 minutes once a week to keep the battery charged and things lubed up. Have had zero problems in all those years. Just change the oil and filter once a year..I use 5w-30 syn. and Fram Gold filters.

I built this house (nail by nail) in 1979 and never had the temp go below +10F. This past winter it went to -4F and stayed there for 4 days and stayed below freezing for tooooooo long. I decided that I wanted more backup so this year I installed a 500 gallon tank and moved the 250 over and connected to the existing 500 gal. for house heating......you already have the 500 gal tank...all you need is a HP (10 psi) regulator at the tank and a low press (11 H2O) at the unit.

So theres one person's success story to help you make up your mind on home power independence.

Coworker of mine told me that with a well that 10k is a bit small for a generator. Might want to look into that first.