Listeroid Twin or Petteroid?

[guest22972]

So as not to derail the twin build thread anymore than it has been already, I'm looking for some experienced feedback on a couple of engines I am looking to buy.

There is a 12/2 and a 12hp single petteroid up for grabs from the same seller. Same price, same 6Kw gen head, Petteroid is also a water cooled model. Twin is belt drive to the alt, petter has a coupler which I have read are not much chop long term and probably would need replacing... at which point I'd look at going back to belt.
I put my hand up ( and deposit down) for the twin but having a serious rethink.

I like the look of the twin and the slow running. At 600kg+ with the frame and gen head, it's going to be a real mongeral to move around if I want to.
Reliability may or may not be a factor but I really don't want to be tearing the thing down and rebuilding it before I run it.  I'll check for sand and give the thing a scrape and clean if I have to but prefer not to be rebuilding the thing.

Are the Petteroids any better than the lister clones as far as build quality or do people look at them as a kit engine as well?  At 180 Kg as against 495 for the twin, they are certainly a lot lighter and transportable as well as take a lot less space in the garage
I guess the petter would be a bit more noisy.

The 3rd option I am contemplating in time is to get rid of either one I get, keep the gen head ( stamford type 6kw) and get something like a Kubota or even keep my Mercedes diesel and put a governor control on that which I have finally found a complete kit or at a very reasonable price.

And then there is confusion Number for, my 6 Hp CS roid I have had a number of years and done little with due to it being a jackhammer in CS clothing.
I have got the wheel weights ready to give the thing another go at balancing though.

I'm on grid and whatever I have will just be basically a toy to satisfy this thing I have had since a teenager to have my own generator capable of running the house.... which is strange given I have always lived in suburbia with an annoyingly  stable and reliable power supply.
I will give the thing a run to equalise my grid feedback between the phases when I eventually get set up with that and I have already organised a couple of transfer switches so I can run the single phase loads off the genny if need be.

Complete toy but I have wanted something for a long time, have the money so what the hell. May as well enjoy myself while I can and while I am able because I Doubt I am going to live either a long or healthy life from here on in.  Might also be the initiative to reduce the stock of some of my smaller engines clogging up the shed.

So, what would people suggest the better engine to go with would be and any thoughts on them?

[mike90045]

.....
I will give the thing a run to equalise my grid feedback between the phases when I eventually get set up with that and I have already organised a couple of transfer switches so I can run the single phase loads off the genny if need be. ...

Generally, you would use a induction motor, slightly overspeed, to easily feed back to the grid, using a regular genset, I don't know how that would work, unless you go through a hybrid inverter and let it be the management,

[2Ton46]

I have no experience with the Petteroids, and only a couple of months with a Listeroid twin.  Yes, the 'roids have some known issues, and I assume they probably apply to both flavors. However, they also have some positives, at least for the listeroid flavor. For a "vintage" engine they have a remarkable supply of spare parts. The lower rpm in part means they can tolerate some issues that would send many other engines into the shop in minutes, instead of after your grid power returns from the outage. They can burn a wide variety of fuels, and are relatively quiet, and the noise they do make is more tolerable than many other engine types. I don't think that I would want  only a CS twin 'roid for a 24/7/365 prime power source, however, I believe that one can make a great standby source, or perhaps a reasonable member of a prime power rotation with other units. All 'Roids will need some work to get them up to your standards, but it's a standard you choose, so maybe that just means a good cleaning and general check, not a complete rebuild with modifications. Undoubtably, the more done to one the better the potential longevity. From what I have seen, with the sand out of the sump, a 'roid will probably hold up well for hobby or standby use. This is especially true if you accept it for what it is, and that it might need more maintenance or preventative maintenance work on a shorter schedule than some other more modern engines.

[dieselgman]

Lister clone, vs Petter clone? About the same in quality expectation as far as I know. I honestly have looked at the Petter models and just said "No Thanks", in the past. I may be prejudiced, but I think the Lister designs are the best.

dieselgman

[dieselgman]

If you are needing maximum reliability and dependability for 24/7/365 operation- get a modern high-end engine. Mitsubishi, Perkins, and many others enjoy their reputations for reliability. They are readily available, you just have to have the bank to pay the costs up front, and don't even think about messing around with any alternative or questionable fuel sources. Don't be the least bit shy about plunking down substantial dollars for your service and repair parts costs either - they are sky-high.

For pure functionality vs cost, it may just boil down to your own personal preference.

I mess with the old Listers out of a sense of nostalgia and the satisfaction of working with a time-worn antique technology that just works! I would never invest in the Mitsubishi to then expect to have to work on it as well. The Lister is a different animal altogether... intangible satisfaction is to be had here for the folks who enjoy such things.

dieselgman