Need some help picking a generator for single-phase and 3-phase use

[2Pbfeet]

963s are good rigs. You don't need a 973 they're too heavy for anything other than quarry work. I ran one clearing and it gets stuck easily. My big thing is I've got a few different farms so stuff tends to live there. Plus I have jobsites that stuff tends to live there. I'm also kicking around getting into making biodiesel and getting a waste oil furnace.

I haven't managed to find a CAT at a price that makes sense for me. There are too many folks around hereabouts that can keep one busy earning money, and pay accordingly.

@MatthewWBailey That is impressive work with that boulder!

Biodiesel is great if you can find a local, and cheap, source for oil. The only thing I would say is get it and keep it bone dry, and don't keep it around for long as diesel bugs love it. (i.e. and biocide and SeaFoam to keep the gums down)

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[cdhendrix]

I've learned to appreciate the middle ground from this 963 lol. Never stuck, even driving thru a pond, and has the power to move rocks bigger than it.View attachment 918266

I'd like a waste oil furnace as well. No one is taking the used motor oil anymore. When run at temp, those are great heating sources with minimal emissions. My Father's friend had one back in PA when I grew up. Just a modified boiler really.

I'm running into the same problem with waste oil and I hate having to use electric heat. Also I throw in some pictures of the machines I've put some hours in. Volvo 750e excavator, Volvo a45g fs rock truck, and a cat d8t. Currently I'm running a hydrovac truck but don't have a good picture of it yet

 

[cdhendrix]

I haven't managed to find a CAT at a price that makes sense for me. There are too many folks around hereabouts that can keep one busy earning money, and pay accordingly.

@MatthewWBailey That is impressive work with that boulder!

Biodiesel is great if you can find a local, and cheap, source for oil. The only thing I would say is get it and keep it bone dry, and don't keep it around for long as diesel bugs love it. (i.e. and biocide and SeaFoam to keep the gums down)

All the best,

2Pbfeet

There's a few local restaurants in my area that I know the owners and would be willing to let me take as much oil as I want because they're paying to get rid of it. The biodiesel dilemma is more of trying to find time and space to do it. Granted if I get a MEP or 2 I'll probably get into biodiesel just because I don't trust the US power generation fleet much any more

 

[HDN]

I love how I posted this thread only two days ago and it's ballooned to three pages already

I really appreciate the feedback here! @MatthewWBailey I wish you the best with your personal solar project - that's some serious work there! I might pay someone to do it for me, although I really want a backhoe at my next place. I'll need some jobs to practice with it after all

I might get a MEP genset to fiddle around with at some point too. My old air raid siren is a little power-hungry

 

[MatthewWBailey]

I love how I posted this thread only two days ago and it's ballooned to three pages already

I really appreciate the feedback here! @MatthewWBailey I wish you the best with your personal solar project - that's some serious work there! I might pay someone to do it for me, although I really want a backhoe at my next place. I'll need some jobs to practice with it after all

I might get a MEP genset to fiddle around with at some point too. My old air raid siren is a little power-hungry

You started this mess!. That siren should be the start and stop signal for all future threads lol

 

[MatthewWBailey]

I'm running into the same problem with waste oil and I hate having to use electric heat. Also I throw in some pictures of the machines I've put some hours in. Volvo 750e excavator, Volvo a45g fs rock truck, and a cat d8t. Currently I'm running a hydrovac truck but don't have a good picture of it yet

You're hired. That is some pig iron. That 6x6 makes me drool. A bucket list item is me driving to DMV with that and requesting plates, as an RV. The DMV dragon lady will pass out.

 

[MatthewWBailey]

I haven't managed to find a CAT at a price that makes sense for me. There are too many folks around hereabouts that can keep one busy earning money, and pay accordingly.

@MatthewWBailey That is impressive work with that boulder!

Biodiesel is great if you can find a local, and cheap, source for oil. The only thing I would say is get it and keep it bone dry, and don't keep it around for long as diesel bugs love it. (i.e. and biocide and SeaFoam to keep the gums down)

All the best,

2Pbfeet

Thanks. It's an addiction, running those Cats. that Boulder is/was in the way of the trench for the solar feed and I cant go the other way. I thought it was a typical 3-4 footer but no. So I was determined. It was good practice to figure out how to move it.

I'm somewhat remote and no one wants to bring their equipment up the hill to work out here. So I tried to acquire a few things back in '18-'19.

 

[2Pbfeet]

Thanks. It's an addiction, running those Cats. that Boulder is/was in the way of the trench for the solar feed and I cant go the other way. I thought it was a typical 3-4 footer but no. So I was determined. It was good practice to figure out how to move it.

I'm somewhat remote and no one wants to bring their equipment up the hill to work out here. So I tried to acquire a few things back in '18-'19.

Nice job, regardless. I'm I the same boat. It is a great incentive to just roll up your sleeves and get it done, when you know the buck stops with you, so you just dig in and have to get creative. I think a fair amount about prior generations who didn't have the luxury of power tools and still got routine and incredible things done.

All the best,

2Pbfeet

 

[cdhendrix]

You're hired. That is some pig iron. That 6x6 makes me drool. A bucket list item is me driving to DMV with that and requesting plates, as an RV. The DMV dragon lady will pass out.

I spent a good portion of my career so far on the civilian side in mining and mass excavation. I wouldn't spend the money on one of those rock trucks unless I had a bunch of dirt to move. Speaking from experience you don't want to drive that monster down public roads. We drove them around 5 miles from one quarry to another and it sucked. Your top speed is about 30 mph and it doesn't turn very well.

 

[HDN]

I spent a good portion of my career so far on the civilian side in mining and mass excavation. I wouldn't spend the money on one of those rock trucks unless I had a bunch of dirt to move. Speaking from experience you don't want to drive that monster down public roads. We drove them around 5 miles from one quarry to another and it sucked. Your top speed is about 30 mph and it doesn't turn very well.

Take that dump truck money and buy a halftrack - you'd be doing about the same thing but a little faster

 

[Ray70]

So what MEP would work for my situation? Also how about I leave the electrical to you and you leave the dirt work to me?

Based on your current situation with electric stove, hot water and a well I agree with LITD that an 803 is your best choice. An 802 would get you by in an emergency BUT you would need to be on-site at all times to load manage things, especially with the water heater consuming almost all your power.
You'd need to manage 1 large device at a time and most likely keep the AC off.
The 803 will let you run pretty much seamlessly, but may still need to manage the AC and hot water to prevent the AC from starting while the water heater is heating. But other than that the 803 would work good with a little common sense. Don't roast a turkey dinner while taking a hot bath in the dead of summer with the AC cranked and a load of clothes in the dryer!

 

[cdhendrix]

Take that dump truck money and buy a halftrack - you'd be doing about the same thing but a little faster

Not my dump trucks I just get paid to run them. Also I'm not sure a half track can haul 40 tons of material. We drove the trucks to the next job because it was only 5 miles away and the heavy haul truck was down

 

[cdhendrix]

Based on your current situation with electric stove, hot water and a well I agree with LITD that an 803 is your best choice. An 802 would get you by in an emergency BUT you would need to be on-site at all times to load manage things, especially with the water heater consuming almost all your power.
You'd need to manage 1 large device at a time and most likely keep the AC off.
The 803 will let you run pretty much seamlessly, but may still need to manage the AC and hot water to prevent the AC from starting while the water heater is heating. But other than that the 803 would work good with a little common sense. Don't roast a turkey dinner while taking a hot bath in the dead of summer with the AC cranked and a load of clothes in the dryer!

More than likely I'll loose power in the winter but it'd be nice to be able to run everything. I'll definitely try and get a soft start kit on the ac. Once I get caught up on some other projects I might look into a more efficient water heater