Diesel gensets - brand recommendations?

[The Heretic]

I have three gensets, all gasoline. Two small (2&3kw 120V only) and one contractors 5kw 220/240V that isn't running.

I need one for running my well pump (needs 3kw/230V for startup & running) and other stuff. So I am thinking diesel instead of gasoline, as I store more diesel and have two diesel vehicles. I would like at least 5kw, prefer closer to 10kw - obviously 240V. Probably needs to be able to roll (house has separate meter, and I would like to be able to move it beteeen house & shop).

Thinking I will build a small "house" next to my house meter (not attached to house - standalone 20' from house).

Looking around on FB Marketplace I see used contractor gensets - mostly MightyQuip brand.

Recommendations on brands?

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[oldmercsrule]

I've had a low hour brushless electric start 6500 watt diesel genset for over 15 years. I bought it used. The Yanmar engine performs flawlesly. That said: a diode set went out and it doesn't charge properly anymore, (so I'm using my gas powered Honda get set).

It is out on my island, and I havent fixed it yet.
I think the brand is "Northstar" but: that is from memory.

It is heavy, smelly and loud. The diode issue is irritating, but: my Brother has a Honda gas powered genset on the other end of the island that had the same or similer diode issue.

The gas generators are quiter and less smelly then the diesel. That said: I'd still rather have the diesel as the fuel is much more stable.

When I go out to my island in a few weeks i will take a pic of it and post.

 

[Stomper]

Believe it or not, Harbor Freight's Predator line of multi-fuel gen-sets are an amazing value and come in a myriad of sizes and options.


Or, look into MILSURP, but those typically lack the (one man) portability you desire.

 

[Nosferatu]

I did this research a while ago and pretty much came to the conclusion they are way out of the range of what I'm willing to spend. I think they only 'reasonable' one was a Generac which was still around $4k. They are otherwise big industrial systems for office building backup power, or the jobsite towable units like you were looking at.

I've decided that a PTO driven generator would be the way to go for me. If you have a tractor, you can get one in the $2-3k range that will provide around 10-20kw power. I've not landed on any particular brands yet though, just something else to consider. It will be just as (un)reliable as your tractors' engine.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

If Kubota generators are as good as their tractors I wouldn't hesitate to get one, though you may have to build a carriage for it to make it as portable as you want.

 

[Alexx1401]

As others mentioned the one downside to Diesel is the smell. When we moved to the place we are at now I bought a Duromax 12K dual fuel one. Since its seldom used I just keep several of the little jugs of Propane on hand as they don't "go bad". I also keep 25 gal of gas that I rotate through the vehicles every few months for emergency. So if ever needed I could just use that. Mine has a 220 outlet on it which is why I wanted it. Could run the hot water heater if needed and even the dryer.
As Stomper mentioned I too hear LOTs of great things about the ones Harbor Freight carries. They also have ones plenty big enough to run the well pump.

 

[P7M13]

I stayed at a friend's place, and they had an Onan fixed mount running on propane and a large tank. By the enclosure size, I would estimate it was over 50kw. Looked more like the 100kw units I've known on small boats (50 meter).
edit to add -- the shipboard diesels I knew (circa 2004) needed to be loaded at 50% to 'run well'. Is that still the case with diesel gensets?

 

[Oxygen Mask]

As others mentioned the one downside to Diesel is the smell. When we moved to the place we are at now I bought a Duromax 12K dual fuel one. Since its seldom used I just keep several of the little jugs of Propane on hand as they don't "go bad". I also keep 25 gal of gas that I rotate through the vehicles every few months for emergency. So if ever needed I could just use that. Mine has a 220 outlet on it which is why I wanted it. Could run the hot water heater if needed and even the dryer.
As Stomper mentioned I too hear LOTs of great things about the ones Harbor Freight carries. They also have ones plenty big enough to run the well pump.

The downside to diesel is it isn't happy in long term storage, just like gas. I went with a 4kw dual fuel and only run lp and couldn't be happier. Never has bad fuel or gummed up carbs, starts instantly.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

The downside to diesel is it isn't happy in long term storage, just like gas. I went with a 4kw dual fuel and only run lp and couldn't be happier. Never has bad fuel or gummed up carbs, starts instantly.

That's what we do. A Generac 17kW whole house generator with an automatic transfer switch and a 1000 gallon LP tank. A couple years ago we ran the whole outfit for 44 hours on the generator when the power got knocked out. 3 freezers, 2 fridges, the stock tank heater at the barn, plus all the other 'little' things. Other than a little noise, we didn't notice a drop in service.

 

[Oxygen Mask]

I mainly use mine for camping, but I did use for 2 days at home when one of the lugs on the power meter melted... It was summer, I plugged in 2 fridges and the freezer plus the tv and Internet router....

 

[The Heretic]

The downside to diesel is it isn't happy in long term storage, just like gas. I went with a 4kw dual fuel and only run lp and couldn't be happier. Never has bad fuel or gummed up carbs, starts instantly.

Properly stored, diesel can last years. Start with good quality diesel (if there is a question about it, run it thru a filter & water separator before putting it in storage) & treat it with a stabilizer that has a biocide. If your temps get much below freezing, use #1 and maybe use an anti-gelling treatment. If you are in even colder climates, use a heater at various points in the fuel system.

Diesel is not "just like gas" with regards to long term storage.

 

[gearhead]

+1 for Onan. I can't remember how may KW, but we had one at my last station that performed flawlessly during my tour. It was fed from a 200 gallon day tank, treated with biobor. I can recall topping the tank off once during that four years - no issues with gumming or growth.

 

[CountryGent]

I can't speak to diesel specifically, but we've been very happy with Generac 20kW whole house generator. Fed from a large propane tank, it fires up automatically during winter outages. Serviced once a year and changed the battery only once in all these years; it just works. The only thing it doesn't power is a heat pump and stove, but it is augmented with an efficient wood stove, so it is a non-issue for us.

 

[The Heretic]

+1 for Onan. I can't remember how may KW, but we had one at my last station that performed flawlessly during my tour. It was fed from a 200 gallon day tank, treated with biobor. I can recall topping the tank off once during that four years - no issues with gumming or growth.

A 12kw diesel genset running at 1800 RPM would probably consume about 0.6 to 1 gal of diesel per hour depending on the load. An inverter might use less, again depending on the load.

My plan would be to use one or more gensets (I have two smaller 120V gensets) for 1-2 hours per day to recharge batteries and a power station, pump up the pressure tank (82 gal) of my well, run refrigeration, the hot water heater, washer dryer and dishwasher, do any cooking, then use the power station/batteries/etc. for the remainder of the day. I do have a 250 gal diesel storage tank that is sitting empty.

 

[NeoBlackdog]

A 12kw diesel genset running at 1800 RPM would probably consume about 0.6 to 1 gal of diesel per hour depending on the load. An inverter might use less, again depending on the load.

My plan would be to use one or more gensets (I have two smaller 120V gensets) for 1-2 hours per day to recharge batteries and a power station, pump up the pressure tank (82 gal) of my well, run refrigeration, the hot water heater, washer dryer and dishwasher, do any cooking, then use the power station/batteries/etc. for the remainder of the day. I do have a 250 gal diesel storage tank that is sitting empty.

If you've got batteries and a power station to charge I'd think solar would be more cost effective. If you get enough sun, that is.

 

[Stomper]

The downside to diesel is it isn't happy in long term storage, just like gas. I went with a 4kw dual fuel and only run lp and couldn't be happier. Never has bad fuel or gummed up carbs, starts instantly.

I have a Predator 10kw that I made into a tri-fuel (gasoline/LP/NP) and it works great. It can power my entire house and can even handle the inrush at the start-up of my central A/C condenser unit with the installed soft-start kit on the condenser unit.

They've since come out with a 13kw, and their "super-quiet" inverter models are getting larger capacity models year by year.

 

[The Heretic]

If you've got batteries and a power station to charge I'd think solar would be more cost effective. If you get enough sun, that is.

Six months out of the year, solar is not feasible where I live - from what I have seen, the efficiency goes down about 80-90% due to cloud cover and shorter days. It is during the winter when most (if not all) of the power outages occur here.

 

[Alexx1401]

Six months out of the year, solar is not feasible where I live - from what I have seen, the efficiency goes down about 80-90% due to cloud cover and shorter days. It is during the winter when most (if not all) of the power outages occur here.

the great "wet PNW" is green all the time for a reason, seems to rain all damn year

 

[The Heretic]

the great "wet PNW" is green all the time for a reason, seems to rain all damn year

It used to be that way. When I was a much younger (teen to young adult), I remember having to seriously consider whether it would be raining on my days off during spring to fall, even in the summer. The joke was when the probability of precipitation was 50%, that meant that it would be raining 50% of the time, not "if", but "when".

About 15 years ago, I moved back to the Willamette valley (where I grew up and most of my family lived) from the Seattle area, I have noticed that we can go months without rain here during the summer and it gets very dry.

OTOH, I live on a low mountain, and cloud cover is pretty much the rule of thumb from October to April. Plus I am surrounded by tall (100'+) conifers, so shade is an issue, the sun is behind the trees most of the time in the fall to spring. So solar is sub-optimal.

 

[thorborg]

I have a small generator primarily so my basement doesn't flood when the power goes out and the sump pump stops. I had to move the cord to keep the refrigerator and freezers up to snuff. It wasn't big enough to work for my for my oil heat system though. I'm now at an age where pulling the cord is hurtful besides, I got tired of having to drain the gas and cleaning it up to store some times for just a few hours use.
I finally bought:
This is new, but an older style Westinghouse system and has been vetted as reliable while the new Westinghouse designs are yet unproven with very mixed reviews.
Though it only has about 20 hours on it and mainly because of recommended break in and oil changes, it works really well on both propane and gas. Its quiet, Doesn't vibrate all around like my old one. I have it hooked up to a propane tank and drained gas tank and lines after the break in. my Idea is by turning on the valve of already hooked up the propane tank next to the little shed its in, Its ready to go and if the outages last more than two tanks worth I can switch to gas by filling it an turning the switch. This thing will run at the same time, my heater, sump pump and refrigeration equipment. I can't pick it up but it has wheels and the bottom front has a long extendable handle so it easily moves around (even for an old man like me) like a hand truck. The only reason I would need to move it is to change the oil which isn't exactly easy since I don't get on my knees well.
I especially like the remote start since once I turn the tank valve but may not need at the moment, I can start and stop it it from indoors since the power cord is already inside.
I could have used a slightly smaller wattage but since both the furnace and the sump pump have 1/2hp motors which run on a lower current but can draw considerable more when they start, having the extra peak wattage performance assures me all I have to run will not be compromised each time the motors kick in.