Brand

Used Perkins Diesel Generators

Perkins engines turn up in generating sets built by almost every assembler in Europe and Asia, which makes the brand both common and hard to price from the badge alone. The 1000, 1100 and 4000 series are three very different engines wearing the same name.

Our Perkins stock is a compact line of commercial and industrial sets in silent canopies and open builds. Because Perkins engines are used by so many assemblers, these sets often carry a second name on the canopy; the engine plate and the alternator nameplate are what the quotation is built on.

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Available units

Used Perkins generators listed on this site

14 individual used sets are listed below. Each one is photographed where it stands and carries its own parameter table. Ratings are prime power in kVA at 0.8 power factor.

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In stock

Perkins sets we hold

Current used stock carrying Perkins. Each set is listed individually with its own photographs and parameter table.
Item Detail
Sets in stock A compact line of commercial and industrial sets
Rating range 37 to 750 kVA
Build forms Silent canopy and open frame
Rating basis Prime power in kVA at 0.8 power factor, with the standby figure given where the documentation supports it
Price Quoted on request. Send the rating, the site voltage and frequency, the destination port and the duty

Brand notes

Perkins in a used set

What the brand means on a used machine, and what it does not.
Item Detail
Origin Perkins Engines, United Kingdom
Engine families seen in this stock The 1000 series four- and six-cylinder units, the 1100 series, and the larger 4000 series in the higher ratings
Alternator pairings Assembler-dependent: Stamford, Leroy-Somer and Marathon all appear, and the nameplate is quoted for each set
Parts Perkins parts are widely stocked in the region, and the 1000 and 1100 series are among the easiest diesel engines in Southeast Asia to keep supplied
What the brand does not tell you That a Perkins badge guarantees a Perkins engine, and which series it is. Used sets are re-badged freely, and the series decides the parts, the torque curve and the rating

Requirements

What to check on a used Perkins set

Inspection points that matter on a used Perkins machine, in the order we check them.
Item What we check Why it matters
Engine hours and the hour meter itself The reading, and whether it agrees with the service records An hour meter is the easiest thing on a set to replace, and the hardest to verify afterwards
Engine make and model The plate on the block, not the badge on the canopy On a used set the engine is the value; the canopy is sheet metal
Serial number and build year Read from the block and checked against the documentation It fixes which revision of the engine you are buying parts for
Oil pressure and blow-by Hot idle oil pressure, and the crankcase breather with the engine running Together they say more about bore and ring condition than any other two checks
Coolant and oil condition Colour, level, and whether there is fuel or combustion gas in the coolant Contamination is a sign of a head gasket or a liner problem rather than routine wear
Alternator Make and model, insulation resistance, and a visual check of the windings The alternator is the second most valuable item, and moisture damage hides until it is loaded
Control panel Model, firmware, and whether the protection settings can be read and changed A panel that cannot be configured is a panel that will be replaced
Load test Load bank run at 100%, 75% and 50%, with the figures recorded A set that starts and idles proves very little about a set that has to carry a load
Corrosion and enclosure Seams, fasteners, base frame and the radiator core On a coastal or island site this is the difference between a repaint and a rebuild

Questions

Questions we are asked about Perkins sets

Why does the badge on the canopy not settle which engine is inside?

Because used sets are re-canopied, re-badged and re-painted as they move between owners and markets. Two machines that both read Perkins on the side can carry different engine families, different alternators and control panels from different decades. The plate on the engine block and the alternator nameplate are what the quotation is actually about.

How are these sets rated?

Ratings are quoted as prime power in kVA at 0.8 power factor, with the standby figure given where the set and its documentation support one. Prime and standby are two different ratings of the same machine, and a set that has run for years as prime power should not be re-labelled as standby without an inspection.

What is included with a set bought here?

The set as photographed, its parameter table, the load test figures where they exist, and the documentation we hold

Can the set be re-wound or re-configured for another voltage or frequency?

Voltage changes are usually a reconnection of the alternator and are quoted per machine. Frequency is not: a 50 Hz set runs at 1500 rpm and a 60 Hz set at 1800 rpm, and the engine, the radiator and the alternator rating all differ. If a project needs the other frequency, the right answer is another machine rather than a conversion.

Who services a used Perkins set in Southeast Asia?

Through Perkins distributors in the region, or by the buyer’s maintenance team

Related

Related pages

Looking for a Perkins set?

Send the rating and the destination, and we will come back with the machines in stock and their engine plates.

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