Generator deal

[Maverick]

The generators I have here are too damn heavy to haul around or connected to bulk propane tank, I needed a portable generator that was close to 4000watts so my quest began today looking for a generic or kohler generator. After driving around I didn't find what I was looking for (apparently Texas and Florida stole them all) anyway the Wife needed some stuff from the farmers co-op, after she was in the store for more than 30 minutes she came out and told me to come in to look at something. They had a generators but only the 'Firman' brand though at first I was reluctant given it wasn't a generic or kohler nor have I ever heard of a Firman brand, after talking to the gentleman (manager and friend) for a good hour come to find out Firman makes kohler, rigid, CAT 9KVA to 250KVA generators plus lots more, Firman is an OEM that started manufacturing under it's own name using the Kohler engine on non-commercial generators. What I got;

On-sale price; $259
Firman generator 3650/4550 watt ( P03603)
Firman max pro (Kohler command pro on kohler brand generators) 7hp Engine
AVR
Electric Start and remote start
wheel kit
Digital readout for - hours, Hz, voltage, low oil
5-gal tank 14hrs on 50% load
3 year warranty

 

[DrHenley]

That's a terrific price, where did you see that?

 

[Maverick]

That's a terrific price, where did you see that?

At our local farmers co-op here. They had a fire last year and rebuilt the place, they reopened Monday and had major sales going on all this week.

 

[Dani]

Nice find Mav!

 

[Kevin L]

Cool find.

I'm looking for a diesel generator.

Diesel fuel lasts longer then gasoline in storage, and vegetable oil can be converted into biodiesel with lye and methyl alcohol.

Also, the chinese tallow tree grows all over the place here in florida, and the seeds from this highly productive tree (an invasive species) can be easily used to make biodiesel for cars and generators.

There is a huge culture built around this tree in China and Korea where it is used for fuel, soap, pesticides, waterproofing fabric and leather, making plastics, and also for a high quality honey.

I have identified many such trees around my neighborhood.

To convert to fuel, the seeds are pressed, and the oil is mixed with methyl alcohol (made from destructive distillation of wood) according to a formulae based on pH and temperature, and agitated with lye.

Lye can be made from wood ashes, but I haven't actually done this, so this part remains theoretical.

There are directions on how to do this online.

The latin binomial for the tree is Triadeca sebifera if you want to look into it.

I once made thirty gallons of crude biodiesel in two days, and it worked fine in an old ford pickup truck.

 

[Kevin L]

Forgot to mention one thing: the chinese tallow tree supposedly makes up more than 24% of all trees around Houston, Texas.

With all the preppers in Texas, I'm surprised that there isn't a grassroots backyard industry around these trees.

The oil can even be used for lubricant in guns and some engines.

 

[Maverick]

Cool find.

I'm looking for a diesel generator.

Diesel fuel lasts longer then gasoline in storage, and vegetable oil can be converted into biodiesel with lye and methyl alcohol.

Also, the chinese tallow tree grows all over the place here in florida, and the seeds from this highly productive tree (an invasive species) can be easily used to make biodiesel for cars and generators.

There is a huge culture built around this tree in China and Korea where it is used for fuel, soap, pesticides, waterproofing fabric and leather, making plastics, and also for a high quality honey.

I have identified many such trees around my neighborhood.

To convert to fuel, the seeds are pressed, and the oil is mixed with methyl alcohol (made from destructive distillation of wood) according to a formulae based on pH and temperature, and agitated with lye.

Lye can be made from wood ashes, but I haven't actually done this, so this part remains theoretical.

There are directions on how to do this online.

The latin binomial for the tree is Triadeca sebifera if you want to look into it.

I once made thirty gallons of crude biodiesel in two days, and it worked fine in an old ford pickup truck.

I have diesel and propane but the two types are larger and stationary than portable, my diesel weighs over 800lbs, I was looking at the smaller portable diesels a couple of years ago but they all had steel sleeves in the cylinders with the head and block being aluminum, it just didn't speak continuous duty to me as a full C/I engine does. Steel sleeves left a bad taste in my mouth when Cadillac converted the 350 gas engine over to diesel in the late 70s. Maybe things have changed today?

 

[Kevin L]

I don't know if they've changed recently.

It just seems odd to me that more preppers aren't into biodiesel. The chemistry seems straightforward, and about as complicated as making soap.

I know any number of people with diesel cars, trucks, and generators. There are even diesel motorcycles.

Why do we try to eradicate this tenacious, invasive species rather than exploiting it while, at the same time, sticking it to the oil producing terrorist nations in the middle east? Using this tree as fuel also helps global warming.

It must be me, because I don't understand certian things.

 

[Maverick]

I don't know if they've changed recently.

It just seems odd to me that more preppers aren't into biodiesel. The chemistry seems straightforward, and about as complicated as making soap.

I know any number of people with diesel cars, trucks, and generators. There are even diesel motorcycles.

Why do we try to eradicate this tenacious, invasive species rather than exploiting it while, at the same time, sticking it to the oil producing terrorist nations in the middle east? Using this tree as fuel also helps global warming.

It must be me, because I don't understand certian things.

Many of us isn't looking to go beyond a year regarding fuel, I have enough fuel for a year, it's what I call the transitional period, something to help the Wife and grand kids to wing themselves off the reliance. Like electricity it's something many of us can survive without, many of us view power and fuel a matter of conveniences.

 

[Kevin L]

Thank you for answering my post.

I still think that a fuel co-op around this tree would allow people to create wealth post shtf and/or teotwawki. It would create a renewable source of trade.

 

[Brent S]

Thank you for answering my post.

I still think that a fuel co-op around this tree would allow people to create wealth post shtf and/or teotwawki. It would create a renewable source of trade.

I have a diesel jeep and think it would be great to have a way to prolong its use in shtf.

 

[Maverick]

Finally got it out of the box and running behind the shop for the 5hr break in period, remarkably quiet compared to my bigger ones.

 

[WGregMiller]

I don't know if they've changed recently.

It just seems odd to me that more preppers aren't into biodiesel. The chemistry seems straightforward, and about as complicated as making soap.

I know any number of people with diesel cars, trucks, and generators. There are even diesel motorcycles.

Why do we try to eradicate this tenacious, invasive species rather than exploiting it while, at the same time, sticking it to the oil producing terrorist nations in the middle east? Using this tree as fuel also helps global warming.

It must be me, because I don't understand certian things.

I guy I know had an equipment rental store until he retired recently.

Post Katrina, when fuel was over $4 a gallon (here), he got into biodiesel for his trucks and equipment.

His opinion went from ‘its greater than sliced bread’ to uh... nevermind when the price of biodiesel went up (demand with it) and the crash of 2007-2008. Also, he could store diesel for a year. Biodiesel for a couple months. That’s what killed it for him.

I was interested in it myself until all the restaurants here stopped giving away oil. I’d just make a bit more than I needed and not store it.... just my opinion....l

 

[Brent S]

I hear that the restaurant oil smells like French fries when you run it in a diesel. That's got to be better than the smell I get now! Does anyone know how to turn used cooking oil into a usable fuel?

 

[WGregMiller]

I hear that the restaurant oil smells like French fries when you run it in a diesel. That's got to be better than the smell I get now! Does anyone know how to turn used cooking oil into a usable fuel?

There’s tons of information. Just google it.

And yes, some the guy I know had smelled fishy.... came from Captain D’s......

Kinda weird driving a bobcat that smells fishy....

 

[Maverick]

I hear that the restaurant oil smells like French fries when you run it in a diesel. That's got to be better than the smell I get now! Does anyone know how to turn used cooking oil into a usable fuel?

I only use used cooking oil in my tiki torch lights. Never looked into using it for diesel though I heard a lot of talk locally about get instructions about converting for use in their diesel trucks.

 

[WGregMiller]

Here is one of about a bazillion links from Google...

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/hybrid-electric/a4717/4332200/

If ya google it, keep in mind that a lot of the links are wanting to sell the equipment.

I watched an episode of dirty jobs where Mike Rowe helped a guy making it. Seemed fairly straightforward. I do u derstand that biodiesel can be tough on rubber hoses and seals. They make most of them out of something that doesn’t get eaten.

They guy I knew with the rental store said biodiesel is great at cleaning your fuel system.... in other words, he went through a lot of fuel filters for a month or two.

 

[Kevin L]

I hear that the restaurant oil smells like French fries when you run it in a diesel. That's got to be better than the smell I get now! Does anyone know how to turn used cooking oil into a usable fuel?

The process requires lye and methyl alcohol.

It can be done with five gallon restaurant buckets. W. Greg Miller was right when he said it has a short shelf life.

There are tables that you consult which tell you the ratio of methanol to oil based on ambient temperature and pH.

The process is time consuming, but it works.

I realize that storing it long term is a problem, but I have the idea that it can be harvested from the chinese tallow tree on an as-needed basis. I like the idea as a means of maintaining electricity with a diesel generator.

I also like the idea of using it in an Einstein refrigerator so that I can have my scotch on the rocks like a civilized man...

 

[Brent S]

The process requires lye and methyl alcohol.

It can be done with five gallon restaurant buckets. W. Greg Miller was right when he said it has a short shelf life.

There are tables that you consult which tell you the ratio of methanol to oil based on ambient temperature and pH.

The process is time consuming, but it works.

I realize that storing it long term is a problem, but I have the idea that it can be harvested from the chinese tallow tree on an as-needed basis. I like the idea as a means of maintaining electricity with a diesel generator.

I also like the idea of using it in an Einstein refrigerator so that I can have my scotch on the rocks like a civilized man...

I read about the basic process. Doesn't seem like it would be easy to make if shtf though. The whole heat it over an electric burner thing because of the explosion risk with an open flame would be difficult without electric power. Not to mention the difficulty of getting the ingredients after shtf. Good info to know though.

 

[Kevin L]

Thank you for answering,

 

[DrHenley]

I heat cooking oil over an open flame quite regularly

 

[Mountain trapper]

If things got bad enough that diesel was no longer available, and my solar system didn't work, I'd just do with out electricity. It would be an inconvenience to not have electric but not the end of the world. For refrigeration I could cut ice out of the pond in winter and bury it under straw for use in the summer. It may not last all summer but it would help.

 

[Kevin L]

If things got bad enough that diesel was no longer available, and my solar system didn't work, I'd just do with out electricity. It would be an inconvenience to not have electric but not the end of the world. For refrigeration I could cut ice out of the pond in winter and bury it under straw for use in the summer. It may not last all summer but it would help.



Ice can be stored in an icehouse for up to two years despite summer.

The secret is big blocks and lots and lots of sawdust. Four feet of sawdust on each side will keep ice for a year if the ice blocks are big enough and the structure is partly underground.

 

[Brent S]

Even a stone structure next to a creek can keep cool. My root cellar is cool even during the heat of the summer. Yes, life could go on without electricity, but it would be a lot more physically demanding. Just covering the basics like food and water would take most of the day. I don't think even a half of the US population would survive the first six months.

 

[Maverick]

My dad was raised with an ice box, he was always amused by all the things people put in refrigerators now only if he was here to see the size of refrigerators people use today.

 

[Brent S]

My dad was raised with an ice box, he was always amused by all the things people put in refrigerators now only if he was here to see the size of refrigerators people use today.

I can't talk smack on that point. My fridge pulls 1100 watts. It's a huge monster! Now that I'm considering solar I regret that hungry beast!

 

[Kevin L]

I can't talk smack on that point. My fridge pulls 1100 watts. It's a huge monster! Now that I'm considering solar I regret that hungry beast!

Brent, I can offer you something constructive.

Look into an Einstein refrigerator. They are often used in RV's, and run on propane and/or kerosene.

If you get a big Einstein refrigerator (yes, this was invented by that Einstein), it need not use any electricity at all.

Most may use a gallon of kerosene in three weeks.

You change the D sized batteries a few times a year...the batteries are only for the LED light when you open the door.

Most models also have a freezer on top just like a regular fridge.

P.S. FYI, no electrical circuits are involved except for the light, so this kind of fridge is EMP proof by design if that interests you. They can be had new for $1100.00 dollars, much less if you buy certified used.

 

[Brent S]

Brent, I can offer you something constructive.

Look into an Einstein refrigerator. They are often used in RV's, and run on propane and/or kerosene.

If you get a big Einstein refrigerator (yes, this was invented by that Einstein), it need not use any electricity at all.

Most may use a gallon of kerosene in three weeks.

You change the D sized batteries a few times a year...the batteries are only for the LED light when you open the door.

Most models also have a freezer on top just like a regular fridge.

P.S. FYI, no electrical circuits are involved except for the light, so this kind of fridge is EMP proof by design if that interests you. They can be had new for $1100.00 dollars, much less if you buy certified used.

That's an interesting option. I haven't seen any full size ones, but knew about them for RV's anyways. I had a feeling they are pretty expensive. I think I will probably stay with electric on the fridge but will replace it down the road with a much more efficient model. I got this thing on a super sale over the 4th of July holiday a few years back. It was a great sale, and I got to stack multiple discounts with it. Later on I noticed the energy consumption and realized why they were getting rid of the model. It's a shame as this thing is huge, has everything, and is really nice. It even has all LED lighting, but that wasn't enough to lower its appetite. The range will be gas eventually but I think I want the fridge to run off solar. If things ever get really bad getting a gas refill at the house may be tough. Even without good batteries solar can keep the fridge cold during the day to last thru the night.

 

[Maverick]

Brent, I can offer you something constructive.

Look into an Einstein refrigerator. They are often used in RV's, and run on propane and/or kerosene.

If you get a big Einstein refrigerator (yes, this was invented by that Einstein), it need not use any electricity at all.

Most may use a gallon of kerosene in three weeks.

You change the D sized batteries a few times a year...the batteries are only for the LED light when you open the door.

Most models also have a freezer on top just like a regular fridge.

P.S. FYI, no electrical circuits are involved except for the light, so this kind of fridge is EMP proof by design if that interests you. They can be had new for $1100.00 dollars, much less if you buy certified used.

I have used kerosene friges, gone back to using propane, the refrigerator in the house (full size 20cu feet) and freezer in the barn are a switchable 120vac/propane. Far less maintenance on a propane frig than a kerosene frig plus propane stores longer. The cost of kerosene has really gone through the roof even getting aviation fuel (no additives) has gotten more expensive. The frig in the toy hauler are a switchable 120vac/12vdc/propane. Plus propane safer, kerosene has the potential for carbon monoxide in very thick cold air that affects venting

 

[DrHenley]

As far as I know, none of Einstein's THREE refrigerator designs ever went commercial. Einstein read a newspaper article in 1926 about an absorption refrigerator that leaked toxic refrigerant in an apartment in Berlin and killed the entire family living there. He called up his friend Leo Szilard and said “There must be a better way.” Here are a couple of articles about it:
https://www.wired.com/story/einsteins-little-known-passion-project-a-refrigerator/
https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201011/physicshistory.cfm

He first design used three coolants and was more complicated than a simple absorption refrigerator. The design was bought by Electrolux for $750, but was never produced commercially.

There is now renewed interest in Einstein's design, albeit highly modified. But it's still in the development stage as far as I know.