How To Choose The Most Appropriate Diesel Generator

For an asset like Diesel Generators, costs can really go high in terms of initial investments, operational costs and maintenance related expenses. It is customary to go for Used Diesel Generators, when the budget of initial investment is not very encouraging. But with this benefit comes a risk - Will you be able to meet the expenses incurred in operational costs, capacity utilization and maintenance costs, if the generator you are buying at almost half the price of a new one, is not in a very good shape?

To answer this question, I would like to bring forth some very crucial aspects of the decision making process that goes behind making a deal worth it. While doing so, I assume that you have a basic understanding of technical terms associated with a diesel generator. If you are not familiar with them, I would request you to do your homework and come back to this article when you feel confident.

So, for your convenience, I am pulling together all my experience and representing before you the crux of the matter: 

First of all, check for the make and the model number and learn as much as possible about the model you want to buy from the manufacturer's website. Once you have knowledge about the technical specifications that the new ones have, you can compare the same against the used one. The main purpose of doing this exercise is to make a fundamental judgement of what to expect and what not to, from a used generator. Also, surf the internet and gather information regarding the performance depreciation curve of the particular model and make, so that you can have a realistic idea of the kind of performance you are going to get.

Secondly, gather information regarding the pattern of usage of the generator from its previous owner or reseller. It includes the maximum load to which it has been subjected previously and the number of hours for which it has been running. The thumb rule is that less the number of operational hours and more the peak load powered by a generator, the better it is for you. This is because fewer hours mean less wear and tear of the internal moving parts. Also, the maximum percentage utilization of its rated capacity will indicate the performance of the generator when it is pushed to its limits during high-demand or crisis situations. If you are buying a used generator as a back-up during blackouts, it is likely that the entire electrical load of your infrastructure will be carried by it. If such is the case, you must check for the performance of the generator at the peak of its rated power. 

Thirdly, you must insist on the load test report from the reseller. If a reseller does not agree to give a load test certificate or if you doubt the integrity of the reseller, then it is advisable to look for other resellers of used Diesel Generators. The load test is crucial because it is a measure of the overall performance of the diesel generator, with special emphasis on the condition of the engine, rotor, stator, peak load performance, exhaust and fuel efficiency. Simply speaking, a load test is the acid test for used diesel generators. There is another fine point that deserves special mention within the scope of this discussion; by spending a little amount, you can vastly improve the performance of Used Diesel Generators. All you need to do is to ask the reseller for rebuilding the engine - the heart of the generator.

Which Diesel Generators Have Make Resale Value?

In the power back up sector, there are various world famous vendors and manufacturers from all over the world that manufactures parts or generators as a whole. Among all the types of generators produced, diesel generators have the biggest volume of sales due to many reasons like durability, longevity, low operational and maintenance costs and overall stability. Naturally, there is also a huge market for Used Diesel Generators in both domestic as well as industrial sector. 

Now, the question is that which diesel generator is likely to give its owner higher value on resale. Also, on part of the buyer, which generator is likely to give maximum value for his money? These are the questions that I look forward to discuss in this article. 

Logically, both the questions are highly interlinked and answering one will adequately answer the other. This is because of the fact that if anyone buys and gets good service from a generator and leaves some juice in it so that the second-hand owner can also enjoy reasonable benefits, the generator has to be a really good one and check all the boxes that makes up an ideal generator. So, what we would be looking for in this discussion is an ideal generator or the nearest thing available to that.

As with analyzing every ideal case, we shall use a brand as a probe for testing what should be the characteristics of an ideal diesel generator. Now, 'ideal' would be used in the sense of most satisfactory performance for both first hand and second hand owners and not the perfect diesel generator, because 100% efficiency is not possible by any means of engineering methods and existing technologies.

We shall take F G Wilson diesel generators as our case study and see whether it fits to our criteria. F G Wilson is a British brand with long heritage, global reputation and high sales volume. It has been in the business for close to five decades and is serving all sectors and industries. In fact, it is one of the best brands of Electrical Generators in the power back-up and generator industry. Quite naturally, it must be having brilliant technology expertise, along with an excellent network of distributors, dealers, service centers and marketing cum customer service professionals - all in sync and working like a well oiled engine! Speaking of the engine, F G Wilson uses Perkins engines mostly for its diesel generators. Perkins, according to industry experts, is the best manufacturer of diesel engines for generators. It's like an amalgamation of the two bests, producing something which is better than the best! 

F G Wilson Diesel Generators are purchased not only by private sectors, but also government sectors and even armies of several countries. That should be a testimonial of the quality of their products. It is from the army and government office auctions that several companies pick up used Perkins Generators or F G Wilson Generators, because they generators at these organizations and authorities are maintained quite well. It stays almost new and justifies the phrase value for money in its true sense.

Why Is Solar Power Still Not A Feasible Solution In Some Cases?

There has been much hue and cry regarding the use of fossil fuels for power generation. One reason for such movement is that fossil fuels are available in limited quantity and are not evenly distributed in all parts of the world, thus allowing some countries blessed with the major chunks of these fuels to dominate and control the raw material for producing power. 

However, the main reason for such global activities is that the burning of these fossil fuels in course of producing electric power causes emission of harmful particles, gases and pollutants, which causes massive pollution.

Pollution is a very crucial issue on a global basis, because pollution is mainly responsible for deterioration of public health, loss in ecological balance, depletion of ozone layer, climate changes and much more.

Naturally, the scale is gradually tipping in favor of renewable energy or green energy, which can potentially solve many problems mentioned above. Government and private bodies are beefing up their renewable energy production capacities, with emphasis on nuclear power and solar power. 

However, solar power is the safer option among the two, although not as stable and reliable as the former one. This is particularly true for places that do not receive vertical sun rays during the day time and throughout the year.

Solar power can be put into use for supplementing into grids and producing standalone power for self-sufficient families and organizations, but only in those parts where there are more than enough strength of sunlight in terms of the intensity of incoming rays. 

It is not a suitable option for deploying in situations where there is insufficient sunshine, or there are mission critical applications running. Such cases include military establishments, scientific laboratories, hospitals, etc. Also, the cost of maintaining the power banks is also a big issue, let alone the cost for maintenance of delicate solar panels.

In all such situations, diesel generators are the best route to take. Many may say that why should diesel generators be given preference over other types of electrical generators? The answer is that diesel generators are the most robust, stable and reliable mechanism of producing power for standalone units in critical times such as power outrages during natural calamities and very high demand of the grid power.

If one needs sound advice on what diesel generator to by, my experience of over two decades suggest that F G Wilson Diesel Generators are the best option. These generators are extremely good in technical sense, and are more than stable for most high load applications. But if the cost is a detrimental factor, one can also go for Used Perkins Generators, which are equally reliable.

Diesel generators – A good investment for SMEs.

In this article, the author has simplified and illustrated the usefulness of diesel generators for SMEs in the developing nations, where there is a power crisis. The author is of the opinion that a small investment can yield high returns in terms of stable and uninterrupted power supply, especially during blackouts.

In the developing nations, employment and increase in the GDP is a big issue. Many of the countries have high percentages of unemployed youths who are acting as a social malice for the lack of employment opportunities. They are educated enough but they don’t get jobs that can pay their bills. But industry experts are of the opinion that to meet the global standards in an open a globalized economy, youth of these countries need to possess the required skill-set and not just a high school or college level degree.

Movement and initiatives are gathering momentum in these countries in the form of government, private and public-private partnership mode. There have been various subsidies rolled out by the authorities to invite foreign investments and encouraging entrepreneurship. The local entrepreneurs are gearing up for the most adventurous journey of their lives and are busy preparing detailed project reports for pitching in front of banks, statutory bodies, venture capitalists and the guys with deep pockets looking to invest in good ventures.

Such collective efforts will surely give rise to the small and medium enterprises or SMEs, with some being in the software sector, some in the service industry and others in manufacturing/production of tangible goods. The later part of this article will be most helpful for the third category of entrepreneurs in the developing nations, i.e., those who are going for manufacturing things that people needs. This is because of the fact that for the purpose of manufacturing, there has to be some sort of plant or manufacturing unit. Now, manufacturing units will definitely have some sort of assembly lines or automated processes in place. Anyone with a little bit of knowledge about manufacturing units will realize the role and importance of uninterrupted power supply for the smooth running of these plants.

Any production unit will suffer losses and will not be able to deliver profitability to its owner if there is unstable power supply. By lack of stable power supply, we shall mean that the voltage drop in the grid or the inability to supply the required power during peak demand. Suck lack of consistency is not only harmful for the direct revenue earning capacity of the company but also the health and longevity of the machineries. 

The best solution for such a scenario is to cut down your dependency on the national or local grid power and be self sufficient. Now, solar power is not an appropriate option for all geographical locations and manufacturing units. In such cases, in fact as a generic solution, the best possible measure is to invest in a good and stable diesel generator. My experience suggest that F G Wilson Diesel Generators are the safest bet, followed by Used Perkins Generators or any diesel generator containing Perkins engines at its heart. These great machines will let you sleep peacefully at night and will never fail to deliver, if maintained properly and the load demand is within its rated capacity.

How To Strike Best Deals For Used Generators

There are many extreme conditions and situations where only the very best of electrical generators can survive and give stable service to its owner. It may be after disaster in the submerged lands or it may also be in the cold, icy mountainous terrain at sub-zero temperatures for an army camp or a scientific facility – robust generators are always in demand for harsh conditions, where ordinary garden variety of generators won’t be able to survive.

For such government agencies, scientific research organizations and the military, power is a basic and mandatory requirement for carrying out its operations in a proper manner. They not only use it as back-up or a secondary source, but also as a primary source of power in some conditions. For many reasons ranging from engineering considerations to cost-effectiveness and fuel availability, they usually prefer diesel generators for all major applications.

Often, it is required by these agencies to remain at the cutting edge of their respective jobs and they simply cannot afford to let their efforts squander for lack of stable power. Therefore, they always insist on procuring the very best and latest of the reputed makes, be it generators or any other equipment that is critical to their operation. For that reason, they usually prefer most famous brands like Perkins, Cummins, Caterpillar, F G Wilson, etc., mainly for their technical expertise and legacy of excellent performance and support through all these years.

But these brands also releases new models with upgraded technology and feature almost every year. The improvement might be a minor one or a major one, but usually it is done by taking feedback from the premier customers of these companies like research organizations, military and government agencies. Therefore, whenever the new models are released with old problems being mitigated, customers of these brands who want to stay at the top of their respective games jump at their feet and goes into a shopping spree!

The old generators, which they might have bought a year or a two ago, are discarded out rightly. There might even be some brand new generators left in their store rooms, which have never been used because the requirements weren’t raised. However, those generators were purchased as part of the commercial deals that has to be in bulk quantities and not customized number of quantities. When an old model is declared outdated and requisition for the latest models are given, the used as well as the new generators of the discarded model are placed in auction and sold to interested parties. 

People aware of these auctions and opportunities can strike excellent deals by buying F G Wilson diesel generators, both used and unused ones. Ordinarily, F G Wilson has outstanding reputation for longevity and reliability and even its old models can give excellent service to someone who can maintain it as recommended by experts. Even if they can’t get hold of the unused ones, which are mainly reserved for other government agencies who don’t need the latest models, they will be quite satisfied with the used generators having Perkins engines. Perkins has a great reputation for building the best diesel engines and Used Perkins Generators that are barely a year old but available at almost half the original price is more than sufficient for common usage.