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Hi! So for The past few days I have been going through some options for diesel generator.
I have a small nursing home and thus I’m looking for a 30 kVA generator for it. Due to the newer norms the generator has to be a branded one like Tata (Rishabh), Kirloskar (Koel), Mahindra, Jackson(Cummins) etc. I am confused among these since these diesel engines are something which cannot be compared on paper and first hand user experience is the only reliable way to make a buying decision.

My Genset will be running roughly 10-12 hours a Month and it shouldn’t bother me in the long run be it over reliability or A.S.S. (PS I live in Dehradun).

TBHPians please share your experiences!

Cummins by Sudhir Genset (a little more expensive than others) will be my pick based on experience. An alternate option of Solar panels can be considered if you do not need a heavy load and have space. One of our stores here in Gurgaon is running completely on 5KVA solar.

We have a KOEL 15 kv for our school. It is a fill it shut it type. So far so good. Have seen many bigger versions in hospitals around our place. Usually the ones I see a lot are the Kirloskar types. Your usage though seems very less.

Ditto!:) Even I thought of solar at the first instance but I think it will not be suitable for me since the Batteries have a limited lifespan and just like inverter batteries they will have to be replaced in every 3-4 years. Hence proving to be costlier in the long run.
Correct me if I’m wrong.

Yes Koel and Sudhir seem to be the better alternatives.
The usage is less due to the fact that our homes are in the a same grid as the CM residences. Hence lesser power cuts in this line clap:
But we still require a big backup generator due to the hospital norms in our state.

In my personal experience, you should go with the brand which offers best after sales service in your city. As a hotelier operating multiple assets, I have seen multiple brands of gensets doing their duty, the three names you have mentioned are the least troublesome, nothing extraordinary can go wrong with them.

Therefore, I would suggest you to look around for the company popular in your city & decide.

Thanks! Duly noted!
Jackson it is :D

Cummins by Sudhir is the most widely used brand here in Gujarat. They have a good service network too.

You may also enquire about TMTL Eicher. A friend and fellow hotelier installed that make a year ago, no complaints yet.

Always check with users from states where there's 24X7 electricity supply e.g. Gujarat. You may find any known issues if the genset is sparingly used. Gensets mostly lie unused here, used at the most for 2-3 hours a month lol:

But it a necessity for some businesses. :thumbs up

Duly noted!
I never thought such a segment would be having so many competent yet overwhelming options!:Cheering:

Cummins motor by Sudhir/Jackson/Jeevan is the most used for all heavy duty applications in refineries, they meet the stringent parameters for efficiency curves, and have solid PTR.

30 kva may not be required and you might face load imbalance issues which can result in gen shut off. also consumption of will be more. talk to both your electrical engineer as well as generator guys to arrive at required capacity.

i have koel by kirloskar. .its good enough. maintenance is not expensive in last 7 + years. you cannot rely on solar for hospital. your OT could be already on UPS. support it with Generator but make sure your service folks are close by and take reviews from your local hospitals. Go with the one which has best service back up and minimal down times.

Ive been using a 35Kva Kirloskar KOEL for about 7 years now on my farm, and would highly recommend it. Usage is about 3-4hrs a week. Service has been prompt and fair with KOEL. Easy to book too.

Whatever brand you get, see if an AMC can be negotiated in and where their service center is. If it's not in a 50km radius it may be difficult.

We use a KOEL 35KV one. The old one was replaced with a new one recently (rental). Pretty reliable. The new one has onboard diagnostics and we can check fuel levels etc remotely as well.

One advice - check what the local ‘shaadi’ walas and rental genset guys use. That gives a fair idea about the service backup. Easy is to just call and ask. In some cases you might get a good rental deal as well which includes service by them and in major cases they will immediately arrange replacement.

I am in the construction line and my current site office is being run solely on diesel gensets since 2017. Initially I utilized a variety of rental gensets from 15 kVA to 20 kVA as the running was approximately 300 -320 hours monthly. Bought a brand new KOEL 25 kVA genset in early 2019. It is an extremely competent machine, fill and shut up types. Its nearing the 10,000 hour mark already and the only 2 issues I have faced is the shut down touch button on the panel disintegrating due to constant use. (We have been shutting down the generator manually for the time being as the entire panel has to be replaced for one single button which is cost ineffective) and a thermostat that had to be replaced.

Just adhere to the routine service intervals and there is almost nothing that can go wrong with it. Also you might want to look into a trickle charger for the battery as your usage of 12 hours per month is on the lower end of the spectrum. For regular maintenance, we have been using normal diesel engine oil of the same grade as we have a fleet of machinery and we buy the oils and lubricants in bulk. The guys are quite accommodating and just bill us for the Filters and the labor etc.

Pardon me if this is this is noob question.

How diesel is sourced for the generator? I know they don't give loose at a petrol pump.

Rural areas the diesel is filled into cans. Agriculture is one of the biggest diesel consumers.

Go with a brand which has good service and support in your area. We have a Koel here and it does its duty well, but needs to be started atleast once every ten days or else the battery runs low.

Maddy