Generac 17,500w

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by oil pan 4, Nov 7, 2016.


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  1. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I was at the big box and saw that there was something kind of unusual on the warranty resale line. It was a generac generator rated for 17,500w load, 22kw surge. That's like 72 amps of 240v power.
    I knew that is not something that I see every day and had to ask how much they wanted for it since they offer fairly steep discounts on the turn-ins. All I knew is I was likely going to buy it.
    After sales tax it's a $3,000 generator when new. I paid $1,110 it out the door.

    It's got a nema 14-50 receptacle or a "full kva" welding receptacle, L14-30, some 120v receptacles.
    I found some welding machines use engines almost exactly like this (700cc V-twin) and they use around 1 to 1.3 gallon per hour running welders and air compressors and plasma cutters. Which is what I want it for.
    My current generator, a 7kw troybilt can't power my plasma cutter at full power and can only run my stick welder at about half power.
    Lincoln and miller recommend at least a 15kw generator to run a 225 to 235 amp class welding machine like i have at full power.
     
    3M-TA3, arleigh, AD1 and 7 others like this.
  2. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    Nice find! Just remember to use non-ethanol gasoline...my generac does a whole lot better with it - smoother, more stable frequency, and better run time.
     
    Tully Mars, Dunerunner and sec_monkey like this.
  3. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    Have had good luck with older and larger Generac's. Not up to Honda standards, but a fraction of the price and they will last OK if you load them properly, keep them clean, and do all the maintenance as they suggest. Last quite a bit less than a Honda, but seen them with 3500 to 4000 hours on them and that is not to shabby. Gas, 3600 rpm, air cooled, are all limits that can not be overcome, but still good units and really handy to have. Think you got a really good deal at that price and just need to check it over well for hidden problems. Fix tools and often find that the "re manufactured" tools have some little fault that was not caught when they checked it out. Agree that no alcohol, metal storage cans, cool storage area, and a gas stabilizer, will give you storage times in years rather than months and they will run better.
     
  4. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    Yep I have a ethanol free place not too far from me. Ethanol free is all I will be putting in it.
     
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  5. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    @oil pan 4 What big box store was it? ...or is that the name of it? I might get lucky also...

    Yes, I have heard all the woes about using non-ethanol gas since I returned and have finally found a few places that sell it here. I now use it in everything but the cars and try to keep an extra 10 gallons of it stored, treated with Star Tron as prefer it over Sta-Bil.
     
  6. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Make very sure that you DO ALL the Routine Maintainance, on schedule... or that Generac will die long before that 4K Operational Hour figure... Any 3600 RPM Genset is going to need Major Service before 5K Hours...
     
    oil pan 4 likes this.
  7. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    BTPost, Tully Mars and Dunerunner like this.
  8. rockriver

    rockriver Monkey+

    the comments above about a retailer of parts are great..
    owner treated one guy "right" and he's advertising for him... awesome.
    owner treated another guy "wrong" and he's willing to spend time letting folks know of experience and
    offering folks an alternative source..
    someday, the retailer will figure out that pi@@ing off a small customer hurt him some.
    --
    in my work, i see salesmen have a problem with a customer and there were several ways the salesmen would use to
    shut the customer out... then they would be at lunch or breakroom and brag about it..
    "hey, let me tell ya what happened when the ole biddy, fussed because the product she bought didn't work. i told
    her that the amalgamation of the product as explained in the 3rd paragraph on page 33 of the procedure manual
    clearly covered that, and when she had read her manual to call me back!" hahahaha...
    well, the salesman really got his jollies bragging about how he famboozled the old biddy.
    (there was no procedure manual!)

    but, this old biddy for 30 years had wondered around telling folks, i get my products from billy over at the store on the corner.
    but now the old biddy is wondering around telling folks, of her new experience....
    and the company wanted to know why sales were off!!
     
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  9. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I got it from lowes. It was a special order item. They don't even show it on their Web site.
     
  10. Kamchuka

    Kamchuka Grease Monkey

    Hey Rock,
    That's no joke. My buddy gave me 2 bits of info when I opened my shop (now closed after 12 years). Make a person happy they might tell a friend, piss em off and they'll tell everyone! Second was you'll only make money on one in three jobs. He was right. My favorite words "you touched it last".....I repaired your carb, you have a flat asshole! Lol
     
  11. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    Who ever bought the generator put 1 hour total on it. The lowes people said the person brought it back saying that it didn't work and they wanted their money back.
     
  12. mysterymet

    mysterymet Monkey+++

    I have a generac standby genset hooked up to my house. When a storm takes out the power it just starts right up and we go on about our normal business. Mine runs on NG.
     
  13. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    Great score OP4! Agree with Bruce on the PM schedule and @Mountainman on the propane conversion. We love ours.
     
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  14. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    It's going to need some work to bring it up to my specifications.
    It can make 72 amps but it only has 8 gauge wire coming off the generator. 8 gauge is not rated for 70 amps, not even 60 amps continous. I believe the 105°C rated 8 gauge wire can handle 55 or so amps.
    I think I will replace it with 6 gauge wire, 90°C that will carry 75 amps.

    Current configuration only has a 50 amp plug, need to devise a way to get all 70 amps.

    I need to break the neutral-ground bond, I will put it on a switch so I can switch back and forth between stand alone and building tie in mode.
     
  15. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I looked up the LP and natural gas conversion kits.
    They are $400 to $500!
    I was thinking in a massive grid down scenario there likely won't be any natural gas.
    I have residential gas service so I don't keep much propane on hand, just two 20lb tanks and some singles.
    I'm thinking I might build thus into its own trailer with a 25 gallon gas tank.

    Since the last post I located the neutral-ground bond which was actually in the main panel not inside the generator. Also rounded up most of the parts for my 70 amp building tie in panel.
     
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2016
  16. Mountainman

    Mountainman Großes Mitglied Site Supporter+++

    Wow, the prices went up on those. Pretty sure I paid $250-$275 and then there was some non essential additional add on I think was $100 more that I did not get. If you did decide to also use LP a 40lb tank would be the minimum and 100lb best.
     
  17. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    A 100lb tank is equal to between 15 and 16 gallons of gasoline. If later on I go off grid and have a 500 gallon propane tank (equal to about 360 gallons of gasoline) I could do that.
    Right now I have a free 25 gallon gas tank that is about 10 years old out of an 80s Chevy truck, the tank is nice and rectangular so it will be easy to build a trailer around it.
     
    Mountainman likes this.
  18. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    When dealing with propane, be aware that the nominal tank size is greater than the actual safe load. The usual practice is to charge the tanks to no more than 80% of nominal capacity so there is enough space to permit expansion and regassification in hot weather. (A 500 gallon pig ain't quite portable, tho' farmers trade them out when used with dryers where the delivery trucks can't go due to ground conditions.)
     
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  19. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I have seen 500 gallon tanks on trailers before. I thought it seemed like a lot of work just to save a delivery fee.
    But if the propane truck refuses to come to you then it makes sense.
     
  20. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    I've not yet seen farm trailers that were over the road qualified. More on the order of purpose built pick and carry dollies. Wasn't able to find a pic, but will look again later.
     
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