Finding the right wind generator motor for your wind generator can be a daunting task because you need a very specific kind of motor or else you won’t generate any power. You’re looking for a motor that is a permanent magnet motor, can produce power at low RPM’s and is a low cogging motor.

What Is Wind Generator Motor Cogging?

‘Cogging’ of a wind generator motor is something that many people overlook when selecting a wind generator motor. Cogging basically refers to ‘sticking points’ that happen as the motor turns.

If you happen to have a motor lying around right now you can actually do a test and see what cogging feels like. Just grab the motor and slowly turn it until it ‘sticks’. Depending on the motor this will happen several times per revolution.

Why is this important when choosing a motor though? Well, it effects the startup speed of your wind generator which in turn effects how much power you’re able to output. You see, if your wind generator can start up in a slower wind speed you’ll generate more power because your wind generator will operate over a wider range of wind speeds.

Low cogging motors are more expensive, but you’ll generate more power and that in turn will save you more money over the long term. Most of the DIY motors such as the ones by Ametek have little cogging and are good to start with.

Wind Generator Motor Specs

These are pretty general and can vary widely depending on how much power you want to produce. The first rule of thumb is that whatever motor you select make sure that it’s a permanent magnet motor (that means vacuum cleaner motors aren’t going to work!). In addition, make sure that it’s a DC rather than AC motor. While you can use AC motors most of them need to be retrofitted with permanent magnets and are used when wire runs for more than 200 feet or so.

The next thing you need to look at is the RPM, voltage and amperage that the motor is rated for.

Many people will try to trick you by listing something like a 600 watt wind generator motor for sale, but when you look at it you need to spin it at 2000 RPM’s in order to achieve that! You’re looking for a motor that produces at least 48V @ less than 650 RPM. Remember that those are the top ratings and most of the time you won’t get that kind of output from it.

A good rule of thumb is to figure out how much power you want to produce and set that as 60%. So if you want to generate 100 watts of electricity that’s 60% of total output power so you’d look for a motor that outputs 166 watts of power. That way you achieve your 100 watts of output power in most conditions.

Other Wind Generator Motor Considerations

If you’re going to build a wind generator than the absolute best advice that I can give you is to not cheap out on the motor, blades or blade mounting equipment.

The reason is simple. I’ve seen people who buy $100 or $200 motors and attach some PVC blades and off they go. They almost always come back to me saying something along the lines of “my blades broke” or “my motor isn’t generating power”.

If it costs $200 more for a better motor and blades, but you don’t have to replace it over the course of 10 years than in the long run you’ve saved money (and it’s a lot safer). So spend the money and get a good motor. You’ll generate more power in the low end and it’s going to last longer.

Where To Get A Wind Generator Motor

As with most of my renewable energy shopping I’ve taken a real shine to Amazon and eBay. They have great prices and you can find exactly what you’re looking for.

My personal recommendation is the 750 watt permanent magnet alternator from Windy Nation (click the link to check it out). This is a motor that has been designed precisely for generating electricity with a wind generator.

Not only does it produce AC so it’s more efficient, but they include a bridge rectifier to convert it to DC to charge batteries.

Although that’s my personal recommendation it is possible to find cheaper alternatives on both Amazon and eBay.

Click here to check out wind generator motors on Amazon

Click here to check out wind generator motors on eBay

Remember what you’re looking for: high power output at low RPM’s and a permanent magnet DC motor. AC is preferable and if you find one that says it’s for wind generators just make sure it has permanent magnets in it or it’s not going to work.

Hopefully that helps you with the hard task of choosing a wind generator motor for your project. Remember, buy a quality wind generator motor and quality blades and your life will be a whole lot easier.