[AT] : Ice Storm

[Mike Sloane]

I use a PTO powered 25 KW generator wired into a transfer switch on the 
house. When the power goes out, I just wheel up a tractor (usually the 
Farmall 560 diesel), connect the PTO, and flip the switch. The only 
downside is the noise from having a tractor running at full speed right 
outside my window, but having a nice warm house, running water, lights, 
etc. makes up for the noise very nicely. When we get an outage, because 
we are two miles in from the main road, the power never comes back on in 
less than 8 hours, so the generator gets "exercised" at least once a 
year, and generally more.

It amazes me how many people buy a generator in the middle of a storm, 
and then sell it for a loss in the spring. Don't they think that the 
power will ever go out again? And then there are those who run the gas 
generator in their basements or attached garages with the doors closed...

We were fortunate here in northwest NJ - only an inch of snow and then a 
very thin coating of ice that the trees seemed to shed easily. And the 
temperature is expected to get into the 40s during the day today. Then a 
repeat of the same thing on Sunday.

Mike

John Hall wrote:
> Guess its a matter of location. The last ice storm to hit here sold ALL of 
> the available generators. We actually had 2 storms a month apart that year. 
> Hurricanes do the same. The funny/sad thing is the number of folks who do 
> not have adequate fuel supplies when it is time to run them. A lot of folks 
> are even installing standby generators for their houses that run off LP.
> 
> Speaking of generators, it probably wouldn't hurt to crank mine up, as those 
> 30+ year old Wisconsins can get to be a tad bit cantankerous.
> 
> John Hall
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Cecil Bearden" <crbearden at copper.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 7:27 AM
> Subject: Re: [AT] : Ice Storm
> 
> 
>> I have several generators from 2500 watts to over 60 Killowatt
>> capacity.  I have offered them for sale or rent to individuals and
>> government agencies since the storm began.  I do not know whether they
>> think I am crazy or just are playing the waiting game to see if power
>> will come back on or the government (fed) will bail them out.  No one
>> wants to take responsibility for themselves anymore..   I have had so
>> many calls from people that just want to talk about buying a generator
>> that I have become very short  when they call..  I wasted  an hour
>> yesterday on a guy that was only wanting to say he was a business and
>> get fema to furnish him a free generator.  He ran the golf course.......
>>
>> Cecil in OKla