Tractor mounted generator for welders etc..

[John Hill]

I have seen several people looking for welders etc that can be used 'in the field'.

Simple arc welders must be just about the most tolerant electrical appliances around as far as voltage and wave shape is concerned although high frequency would reduce efficiency due to reactance in the iron core.

The web abounds with people suggesting ways of utilising electric motors as generators including this site and it would seem something like this mounted on the 3 point hitch or even a small trailer and driven from the pto would be worth investigation.

Not only welders but power tools with 'universal' type motors should be easy to drive from such a system.

In this country (New Zealand) 3 phase electric motors are really cheap to buy as the common domestic system is single phase only. One day I might get something like a ten horsepower 3 phase motor and build it into a trailer farm, along with fifty other good ideas I have in the 'one day' basket! :haha:

[farminghandyman]

It is my understanding that that type of unit will make electricity but because it is not regulated that the voltage would fluctuate wildly, when a variable load would be applied.

there is a book called, "motors as Generators for Micro-Hydro power" by Nigel Smith

It discusses this type of power generation in great depth,

but after WW2 there were a lot of tractor mounted welders made out of surplus aircraft generators they used a rheostat and a ballast to help stabilize the current.
Burden Surplus Center, still sells a unit,

[Blu3duk]

Surplus Center has a myriad of mothers that this idea can and has been done with. They Aslo sell the PTO gensets ready made. Also they have the old 300 and 400 amp generators that can be made into welders and the other components to go along with them.

And dont for get about Lindsay Books for going back to yesteryear for ideas on how to doit it properly from scratch too. They have a couple books in their catalog for just about anyone.... ok maybe they dont have one for EVERYONE, but there is no account for those people anyhow....

William