recommended diesel generator make???

[Larry B]

Good mornong everyone-- the weather has finally started to warm up,spring is finally on its way. With so many drastic weather changes happening lately (snow& ice storms) resulting in power outages we have decided a standby generator to protect my home investment would be a good investment. I am going to  remove my Honda 6500 (converted  to propane) from bus and replace with a diesel generator. What would be choice of other as far as make? Are air cooled units even worth considering? The useable space on my unit MCI-5B is small 24Hx24W X32L. Maybe other have found a reliable quiet generator that will fit in space. Fuel tank not needed and to move muffler and air filter to different location easy enough to do.Wanting something in 7000 watt (larger OK). Looking for what other have done and choices they have made with good and bad results. Thanks
           Larry B

[lvmci]

Hi Larry, good question, Im looking for my 5A too, lvmci...

[dukegrad98]

I am generally a fan of units powered by Kubota engines.  I have had good reliability out of them, and they are fuel-sippers.  However, you have some serious space constraints.  I don't recall the dimensions on my current V1405-powered 20kw (inline four), but I think the engine alone would take up most of your room.  (My engine is connected to the generator head by a large lovejoy coupling; if you found one that would mate up directly to the engine flywheel through an SAE standard housing or something like that, it would save you 6-8" of length.)  You could obviously get away with a smaller unit, maybe even a 2- or 3-cylinder if you only need 7kw.

As for air cooled units, I don't see how you could move enough air inside of a bay or a quietbox to cool the engine enough.  Even moving down the road, you would have to do some scooping and ducting.  While parked I think it would be a recipe for problems.  Plus, the air-cooled diesels have a reputation for being much louder than more expensive water-cooled units -- just what I hear, since I have never owned one.  Others may have actual experience to offer.

Cheers, John

[TomC]

Simple-if you live on the left coast, Wrico International in Eugene, Or. If you live on the other coast, Powertech in Florida. http://powertech.myshopify.com/ Check out the CD8000SI of Powertech. It is 34.5L x 25w x 19h. It has a layed over 3 cylinder Kubota, brushless generator, radiator air is ejected out the bottom with a squirrel cage blower. I had a friend that had one in his big rig truck. When he sold the truck, it had over 23,000hrs on it with only one gen head replacement (he had an older version that had brushes).  Good Luck, TomC

[luvrbus]

The APU from trucks are becoming more available at truck wrecking yards now they are a 6500W unit but run at 2600 rpm, the the used light towers have nice quite 5 to 6.5 generators those can be had at a good buy also

[wg4t50]

Air cooled diesels are impossible to live with due to noise & proper cooling.  For the water cooled,  The Kubota & Perkins have great reputations, the Isuzu has not enjoyed the same. Agree the Power Tech of Florida has good choices from about 3.5 kw up, have their 12 kw w/ 4 cylinder Kubota, very dependable, smooth & quiet. Stay with a 1800 rpm direct drive, your ahead of the game.
Been an Onan dealer over 40 yrs.  In the RV market, do not like their present choices.  They are unbeatable in the larger models.
Cheers
Dave M

[Seangie]

We have a Martin Diesel Generator and I had the chance to go by their shop over the summer (Independence, Ohio), have it serviced and got a chance to walk around the shop and talk to the guys there. They do some quality work.  Its a smaller company and might cost a few more dollars but I think you'll get a great product and support.  Wrico is awesome as well.  The smaller companies do a better job at building quality equipment.

-Sean

[Paul]

We installed a 9kw in our MCI102A3 from engine Power Source.



http://www.enginepowersource.com/9-20kw-mobile-diesel-power-generator.html

[dukegrad98]

The APU from trucks are becoming more available at truck wrecking yards now they are a 6500W unit but run at 2600 rpm

I have thought about picking up one of those APU units from a wrecked truck to power a one-room off-grid cabin.  Don't some of them offer air and heat as well as power?  A couple hundred very well-insulated square feet probably wouldn't be any harder to heat and cool than a truck cab sitting in the sun or snow.

Sorry for the thread detour, but that's an interesting thought...

Cheers, John

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Larry,

Power Tech Southeast has a very compact diesel at 8kw and 1800rpm that will fit in your space.

We installed one in a race trailer 6 months ago.

Check it out
http://powertech.myshopify.com/pages/cd8000si

Nick-

[luvrbus]

Most of the generators from the smaller outfits are just peel and stick all the components are off the shelf some get out of the box with the control boards and I mean control they design their so one has to buy from them.

Wrico just buys the head and engine and a few more parts his 6.5 is identical to the Wacker light plant which at sales can be bought from a rental outfit cheap I bought a few a couple of years back one was new that was wrecked I paid 900 bucks for it not 8000 bucks  

[TomC]

Powertech has an even shorter generator set available. It is the PT8000 with remote radiator setup. On the attached drawing, the expansion tank that sticks up can also be remote mounted (I know, I did it on my 10kw Powertech remote). Attached is a drawing-looks like it should fit. Your looking at about $7k new. Good Luck, TomC

[bs4104]

Beware some  light plant heads are wired for 220 only, other can be rewired for 120 V. high amp output,  but not all can be bonded  Ground and the Neutral. I seen some that just will not work in a RV with bonding.
Bruce

[wg4t50]

Oh yes, the China models & european use 220 volt ac, and not reconnectable to our 120 VAC.
As usual, beware of the bargin, sometimes you get bit.

We have found the most dependable control for these RV type generators, is the DynaGen ES52, very durable and like most things just not idiot proof.
We retro fit them to all sizes of generators, from the very small to a 12V-71 Ex AT&T genset, they work great. .Power Tech uses that control unit, wish Oban did too. So guess what we do to them ?
Dave M

[lvmci]

Are those 50 cycles for china and europe at 220? Tom, couldnt open your diagram, lvmci...