This Veg Oil Generator runs on 100% Straight Vegetable Oil - no chemical modification of the fuel required. This means the fuel can be used cooking oil, otherwise known as waste vegetable oil (WVO), which is gathered from restaurants and filtered. This oil is typically completely free, which means free electricity for you! Vegetable oil can also be grown and pressed from various crops or purchased in bulk.

Includes

• Detroit 2-71 Diesel Generator
• Heated Waterblocking Fuel Filter
• 2 Additional Waterblocking Filter Elements
• Reliable AGM Starter Battery
• Electrical Panel: Two 110 V, One 220 V
• DELUXE includes everything above plus:
• Heated Veg Tank & Diesel Tank included
• Automatic Switchover Conversion Kit installed
• Fully repainted with protective coating 

Specs

• Power Output: 20 KW
• Frequency: 60 Hz
• Voltage: 230/400 V
• DC Output: 12V/8.3A
• RPM: 1200
• 3 Phase: with four-wire power distribution - 230V 3 phase, 220V 1-Phase, or 110V 1-Phase (3 hot, 1 neutral wire)
• Fuel Use: 1.6 Gallons per Hour at Full Load
• Size: 32"W x 40"H x 62"L
• Weight: 2200 LBS
• Mounted on Steel Frame
• Fully Cleaned, Fluids Replaced, Repainted
• 60 Gal Veg Oil Tank, 5 Gal Diesel
• Push Button Electric Start
• Delco Brushless Alternator
• Used, Load Tested for 2 Hours

Fires up quickly every time with convenient push button electric start. These machines are built to work hard 24/7/365. These units are high in demand and rare to locate. The Detroit Diesel 2-71 Series is famous for it's exceptionally long life and uniquely suited superior performance using vegetable oil as a fuel. These units are reconditioned from being used on trains, and for most people last many hundreds of thousands of hours more with only minor maintenance and repair, more below in the FAQs.

		Plug into Vegetable Oil Power This is a perfect generator for off the grid power supply and backup electricity, such as your remote home, farm, business, or community. Connect it directly to your grid, to watch your meter spin backwards, or use the included control panel to plug in for power. Heavy duty panel features a closing lid with two 110 Volt outlets and one 220 Volt outlet. Built in electronics convert DC power to safe useable electricity. Unit must be connected by a certified electrical professional.
		Unique Biofuel Design Detroit Diesel presents a powerful engine with a solid reputation that will serve you for a long time, especially with the vegetable oil acting as an amazing engine lubricant. This 20 KW unit uses about 1.6 gallon of fuel per hour under full load. If less than full load is being used then there will be a slight savings of oil. Because of the way the injector pump is built individually into each piston (positive displacement), and the fuel lines run directly over the engine to be heated first before injected, this engine has been known to be one of the very best possible vegetable oil powered engine options in the world.
		Automatic Switchover The Deluxe version of this generator comes with a Diesel Conversion Kit installed so that the engine runs reliably on vegetable oil. An advanced SVO Controller reads the temperature of the fuel and switches from diesel operation during startup to vegetable oil for the long haul. A light comes on to tell you when to refuel the tank, and an alarm reminds you to purge the fuel system with diesel on shutdown, so that the next startup is always fast and reliable, even in the coldest of environments.
		Heated Tank On the DELUXE edition the engine is started on diesel fuel from a small diesel tank, while the the Heated Veg Oil Tank and filter are heated by the radiator system. Enjoy more than a 24 hour supply of vegetable oil in the massive 60 gallon tank!
		Hot Fuel Filter   As your onboard final protection for your engine, you want your fuel filter to be hot, to catch small particles, and to stop water. This Heated Veg Oil Filter does all three. 1. Heated - Quick heat applied with engine coolant, to keep oil fluid. 2. Efficient - Fuel filtered to 3 microns - 3 one-thousandths of an inch. 3. Safe - Engines benefit from near 100% water separation and fuel filtration with special filtration media that collects water.
		Ultimate Battery AGM Batteries are a world apart from typical wet cells. This 110 amp/hour AGM guarantees quick starting. It is known for durability, withstanding temperatures of -40*F to 140*F. Spill free, zero maintenance, safer and far less toxic to the planet.

Frequently Answered Questions

A Vegetable Oil Generator works

Vegetable Oil is thicker than diesel fuel, so typically must be thinned to power a diesel engine, which requires adding chemicals, mixing it with diesel fuel, or adding heat. This generator engine is unique however. The 2-71 engine is so strong that it will pull the thicker fuel from the tank, run it through an Aquabloc fuel filter, and through fuel lines built along the head of the engine to superheat the fuel before it is injected. Powerful positive displacement injectors give the engine extra power moving and injecting vegetable oil.

 

Amazing Condition

This unit is built from a refurbished engine, which was originally used in rail cars. It has been thoroughly cleaned and tuned up to guarantee flawless power production on delivery. Each unit has been benched tested to run and produce electricity with full reliability, and it fires right up with a simple push button start. There are absolutely no leaks, all filters and fluids have all been replaced.

Cold Environment Operation

This generator has been known to start up on vegetable oil even in extremely cold environments. To absolutely ensure a smooth startup and operation in exceptionally cold climates it may be advised to add some diesel fuel into the vegetable oil in the fuel tank. A second option is to add a small tank of diesel fuel and a manual or temperature controlled valve in the fuel line to switch between the two fuels so that the engine may be started up and shut down on diesel fuel. For an automatic switchover system to be included with or installed on your generator, ask OM.

Rate of Fuel Use

The 71 Series consumes .8 gallons of oil per 10 KW under full load, the 20 KW model uses just about 1.6 gallons of oil per hour under full load. If less than full load is being used then there will be some savings of oil.

Installing a Vegetable Oil Generator

 

To attach the generator to your home, it is advised to contact your utility company and ask what they require, as it can differ from place to place. The installation of the unit if it will be grid tied should be completed by a licensed home electrician. Organic Mechanic can help to locate a green contractor in your area.

Simple maintenance

 

Like any engine, the 2-71 will require routine maintenance. The oil should be changed every 1000 hours. That is also a good time to change other fluids and filters. For many customers using their generators 24/7, this is the only time they have to shut down the system over the years of operation. Pretty amazing, and this is exactly how they are designed to function, as constant power generation units. Like any generator engine, the 2-71 will require routine maintenance. The engine oil should be changed every 1000 hours. This is also a good time to change other fluids and filters. This is built from a used engine so some time in the future it may experience a starter, solenoid, or oil or water pump issue. There is no warranty on the unit. All of these parts are relatively simple and affordable to replace, and available either new or reconditioned, most of which are available by contacting Organic Mechanic. Repairs can typically be handled by a regular diesel mechanic.

 

Reliable and Long Life

 

To illustrate how reliable this engine is - there is a customer who has been using a 2-71 diesel generator to pump water on his remote Utah ranch for more than 20 years. This generator has been running 24/7/365 without any repair and only stopping it for routine maintenance. Because of this performance record he has purchased three more over the last 5 years. The 2-71 is truly an amazing engine. Because these are used units occasionally you may have a starter problem, develop a bad solenoid, have the oil or water pump go out or something like that. All of these parts are still available either new or reconditioned.

Why Choose a Diesel

The diesel engine is much more efficient and preferable as compared with gasoline engine due to the following reasons:

• Diesels require less maintenance as compared with gas engines of similar size. 
• Diesels are more rugged and reliable with a significantly longer life than gasoline engines.
• There is no sparking as the fuel auto-ignites with compression; the absence of spark plugs or spark wires lowers maintenance concerns. 
• Fuel cost per KiloWatt produced is thirty to fifty percent lower than that of gas engines.

Built for America

Absolutely. This is a 60 Hz model which works in all typical US applications. You can plug right in with an extension cord, wire your home directly, or feed the electricity into your grid. In order to do this you will have to contact your local utility to determine their safety requirements.

Not quite Biodiesel

This Generator runs on Straight Vegetable Oil, without chemical modification of the oil required. Here is a selection of Biodiesel equipment.

Vegetable Oil Sources

Most customers choose to collect the used cooking oil from local restaurants. Ask first - the owners are usually more than happy to give it to you for free, as they typically have to pay to have it removed. Read the WVO Filtration Guide for more information!