Garrett Howard

My neighbor, Paul Rich, bought his first generator in the spring of 1993 for his dairy in Powell Butte. It was a 60 kW PTO-powered Katolight. It powered the equipment he needed for milking, as well as the lights in the barn and the lights and appliances in his house.

“That first winter, without the generator, I was milking 30 cows by hand when the power went out. My children, 5 and 6 years old at the time, were wrapped up in blankets in the house,” he said. “Thankfully, we were without electricity for hours and not days, but I knew then what my next big purchase was going to be.”

When the time came, he drove to his local farm store in Redmond, where he learned from the experts on hand that there is a lot that goes into sizing a generator.

“Motor surge is a big factor,” he said. “A milking parlor is full of motors that power such things as vacuum pumps and chilling compressors.”

Simply put, motors require extra power to start. This is called starting watts, or surge watts, as opposed to running watts, the watts required to run a motor.

Generator 101: A generator, sometimes called an alternator, converts mechanical energy (read an internal combustion engine) into electrical energy, measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW).

Warning: a generator is an engine that produces carbon monoxide and should never be brought indoors.

Paul Rich had a John Deere 6400 and lots of diesel on hand, which was why he chose a PTO-powered generator. He also wanted to bolt his welder beside his trailered generator, so he could have a mobile welding station.

The idea of matching a generator to your specific need applies to homeowners and farmers alike. Your local dealer can help you with that decision.

Generator 102: There are portable generators and standby generators.

The most common type of portable generators are gas-powered. They often come with wheels and can be moved around on the farm where needed. However, they have their limitations in terms of runtime and wattage output.

Standby generators are the best option for powering a house or business. They run on natural gas, liquid propane or diesel. When paired with an automatic transfer switch, they can provide significant peace of mind. Where there is livestock, or perishable items, such as milk, it is absolutely critical that there be backup power that is continuous and uninterruptible.

Generator 103: Portable generators may have weaker voltage and frequency regulation. This harmonic distortion may negatively affect electronics.

“Then there’s the electrical connections. My brother was an electrician, and he helped me wire up the manual transfer switch and power inlet,” he said. “A manual transfer switch is like a ‘Y.’ When it is switched to one leg of the ‘Y,’ you are getting utility power, and when it is switched to the other leg of the ‘Y,’ you are getting generator power.”

I have worked in the electrical industry for some time, and that is as good a description of a piece of switchgear as I have heard from anybody. I might add that there are manual transfer switches and automatic transfer switches. Both are connected to your home wiring and should only be installed by an electrical contractor.

For many in rural areas, farm and home are synonymous.

A standby generator would not have saved the hazelnut trees my family lost in the ice storm that struck the Willamette Valley in 2021, but it would have kept my folks in their home. They were without power for a week and a half.

My mother, by all accounts a tough lady, and the descendant of immigrants who moved to Oregon in the 1850s, had no intention of living the pioneer lifestyle.

“I thank my lucky stars your sister had a place for us.”

Then there was the contents of their refrigerator and freezer to consider.

Preserves are a staple of rural life, but so are freezer chests full of berries, beef and venison. That bounty may represent hours, days, or even months (if you grew it yourself) of labor.

In the end, we made several car trips to save my folks’ food stores, and several more trips to bring it all back when power was restored.

At the end of the day, purchasing a generator is a decision based in no small part on cost, but also on peace of mind and comfort.

My suggestion would be to do your research.

You are welcome to contact me with questions.