This is part 1. I'll add other parts as they get published by the content creator. Great video on what to look for, how to troubleshoot/resolve issues and installation. Suggest you watch directly on YT for monitization to help keep his content coming. Lots of very cool videos on his site.
Strange as I was just looking at some of these yesterday thinking it would be nice to have one on a trailer for a ton of reasons.... Thanks! I wish could find a deal on one, but they don't last long up here if you can find them. EDIT: Watched it. Good video! I am definitely curious how he will do the software interface that he spoke about.
Bandit, here's a link to the current GovPlanet auctions, which is where he got the gen: Generators and Power Equipment Government Surplus For Sale | GovPlanet
ya might git a gud deal or ya might not da shippin fees can be yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge some of da stuff requires lots of werk plus FRNs ta git it runnin agin or make em legal ta drive or operate
2.5 outta 5.0 on trustpilot GovPlanet is rated "Poor" with 2.5 / 5 on Trustpilot 1.67/5 on BBB GovPlanet.com/Ritchie Bros | Better Business Bureau® Profile
I know some that have purchased Humvees, and some that purchased range brass by the 55 gallon drum. You gotta do your homework, read a lot about the process, etc. Of course buying surplus isn't necessarily be an Amazon-like experience. If you want to save a lot of money, there is going to be some risk involved, as with buying anything used.
Yes, I figured as much... It appears there are a couple of 15kW gen sets down in Oregon that aren't too far away (200-300 miles). Also, appears they were rebuilt around 2400 hours, if I understand correctly, and now have 47 and 85 hours on them. Isuzu diesels, which I have no idea if good, bad or ugly. I do think the guy in the video is wrong and they are all 3-phase, and you tap off accordingly to get single phase but I might be wrong. I pulled down the TM which is a treasure chest of information... Not sure how I could even get it home as I couldn't pull it home with the pickup as hitch won't match up and certainly neither would lights/brake cable... Still could be mighty handy in the coming days... The question is why sell them if after a rebuild with so few hours on them?
Sec, I was wondering what TrustPilot is...Amazon is rated 1.7/5. Come on, man! Do you use this to make purchasing decisions?
nope, not as da only source do yer own research dere is a yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge problem wid fake reviews everywhere [ fake positive reviews plus fake negative reviews ] aint sayin nuffin about how gud or bad trustpilot is, it can be used as an example uv what kinda issues ya can expect ta have when ya buy from GovPlanet da odometer can show 0 miles or low miles but da engines can have a million miles on em, jus sayn if da genny has 0 ta 40 hours on it, it is cuz dey just rebuilt it fer da 4th time
If that kind of mep says it has low hours on it then it probably does have low hours on it. If that generator never went over seas to a shit hole country then it probably only got ran during inspection time. If it came back from Afghanistan they it probably ran it till it burns more oil than fuel or it could still be brand new still in the crate and never ran. Hours and condition on those things is all over the place. If you find one being sold by the .gov it's likely got low hours from what I have seen.
The difference in a military MEP generator versus commercial is maintenance and hours. The military has crazy criteria for surplussing out equipment, as I once bought a start cart that had 0 hours and had never been started. It was a 400 cycle generator so only good for lighting but I got it for $160 and it had a nice trailer under it. It is always "buyer beware" and you can expect there to be some issues. If the equipment is past some arbitrary date the military has assigned to the maintenance program, the next little thing or the next scheduled maintenance comes due so it goes out the door. If one is good with a wrench and a voltmeter, they are usually a good deal. I would shy away from a gasoline engine as those things scream.
He not only got a great deal on the generator.but he also did a great job of replacing everything that needed replacing to hooking everything up right.. the only draw back I see to having one,is how loud they are.i wonder if some type of exhaust and muffler can be hooked up to the excesting exhaust, to make it more quite.
I had the same thought as well on the noise. While you can't hide that you have a running generator you don't necessarily want to advertise the fact that you have one to everyone within a mile. I'm also thinking (reading the video comments) about how these type of generators need to be run hard periodically to keep the engine clean. Many suggested using generator power when doing laundry or other heavy loads.
I did a search on making a generator more quiet.this is one I came across.he made some pretty good points.
400 and 60hz generator heads share the same foot print. Also there are some variable frequency drives that can take 400hz and turn it into 60hz.
Yeah, if I could find one in Oregon that I didn't have a trailer (I can't pull that type of hitch and I ain't going to screw with it) then I would jump on it. I actually like military stuff, heavy duty, and some of the maintenance details are well thought out making them easier to do... unlike commercial equipment. I am not so concern with the noise out here...screw it. If things get that bad then they better be worrying about me and the consequences of trying to take what is mine as I am not the forgiving type. @oil pan 4 Weren't you a generator mechanic in the Army? Seems I remember you saying something like that once...but I'm getting as scatter-brain as Biden these days so...just too much going on and none of it good.
