1000 kW Generators for Sale

Used 1000 kW generators run $45,000 for a tired Tier 0/Tier 1 unit with 25,000+ hours up to $220,000 for a low-hour Tier 4 Final QST30 or 3512C with switchgear. The realistic mid-market window — what most of our 1000 kW deals close at — is $85,000 to $145,000 for a Tier 2 unit with 1,500-8,000 hours and good documentation. New equivalent units list at $400,000-$650,000 plus 16-24 weeks lead time.

A unit nameplated 1000 kW standby is rated for emergency-only operation, typically under 100 hours per year, and produces 910 kW continuous when used as prime power. A 1000 kW prime unit has a heavier crankshaft, larger oil cooler, and is rated for unlimited running hours at full load with 10% overload capability for one hour in twelve. If you're running prime — refinery turnaround, almond processing, oil & gas pad — you need a prime-rated unit, not a derated standby. We do not recommend running a standby unit as continuous prime.

The major 1000 kW platforms are the <a href="/brand/caterpillar/">CAT 3512B and 3512C</a> (1000-1500 kW depending on rating), <a href="/brand/cummins/">Cummins QST30</a> (1000 kW standby native), <a href="/brand/cummins/">Cummins KTA50 and QSK50</a> derates from 1500/2000 kW native ratings, <a href="/brand/kohler/">Kohler 1000REOZD/1000ROZD4</a> on the Mitsubishi S12R block, <a href="/brand/mtu/">MTU 12V2000 series</a> uprate, and the <a href="/brand/detroit-mtu/">Detroit/MTU 1000DSEC</a>. The 3512 and QST30 are the most common in the used market — we sell more of those two platforms in this class than everything else combined.

Run the load study first. If your peak demand including motor starting transients lands under 850 kW, a 1000 kW standby is correctly sized. If it lands 950-1100 kW, you need 1250 kW because you have no headroom for future growth and you're running too close to nameplate. The wrong move is sizing 1250 kW because somebody told you to add 25% margin to your existing load. That's how you end up wet-stacking a Tier 4 unit on a hospital that runs at 38% load every Tuesday during the weekly exercise — which causes injector fouling and after a few years a $40K turbocharger replacement.

It depends on the jurisdiction and the application. Emergency standby use under 100 hours per year is generally exempt from Tier 4 Final requirements in California, though SCAQMD and Bay Area AQMD have their own permit conditions. New installations in the San Joaquin Valley APCD increasingly require Tier 4. Continuous duty (prime power) almost always requires Tier 4 Final regardless of jurisdiction. We will tell you exactly what your local AQMD requires before we quote — call (818) 484-8550 with your install address.

For a 3512 or QST30 in standby service, anything under 5,000 hours is a young unit. 5,000-15,000 hours is the meat of the used market — fully serviceable with normal maintenance. 15,000-25,000 hours is approaching mid-life — you should plan for an injector job and possibly a turbo refresh in the first 5 years. Over 25,000 hours, the price drops sharply and the unit is generally only economic if you have a specific budget constraint. Hospital units run differently — they accumulate hours slowly (200-400 per year of testing) and a "20-year-old" hospital generator might only have 4,000-6,000 hours, which is functionally low-time.

Yes — a 1000 kW unit with current EPA tier compliance, a Level 1 controller (most CAT EMCP, Cummins PowerCommand, Kohler Decision-Maker controllers qualify), and a properly sized automatic transfer switch can meet NFPA 110 Type 10 (10-second restoration). The unit needs a recent load bank test result at full nameplate capacity, a current factory-witnessed test certificate or equivalent, and the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction) needs to accept the installation. We have sold used 1000 kW units into hospital replacements where the unit shipped with a 6-month written guarantee and a Joint Commission-ready document package.

Used from our Santa Clarita yard: 2-4 weeks for the unit, plus 4-8 weeks if you need switchgear or a custom enclosure. New CAT, Cummins, or Kohler 1000 kW: 16-24 weeks for the unit, plus 12-20 weeks for paralleling switchgear. If you're replacing a failed unit in a hospital before a Joint Commission survey, the used market is often the only path that hits the deadline.

Native 1000 kW natural gas generators are rare in the used market because the engine platforms that hit 1000 kW efficiently — the 3512, QST30, MTU 12V2000 — are diesel-dominated. Natural gas at 1000 kW typically means a Cummins GTA or Waukesha unit derated from a larger rating. We do occasionally get them. Most 1000 kW continuous-duty NG buyers go to a Cummins GQNNA at 700-800 kW or step up to a Waukesha L7044 at 1100 kW. Call us with the application and we'll tell you what we have.

Yes — we ship nationwide from Santa Clarita, CA. A 1000 kW open-skid unit weighs roughly 18,000-22,000 lbs and ships on a step-deck or RGN trailer. An enclosed unit with sub-base fuel tank can run 28,000-40,000 lbs and may need permit routing depending on dimensions. International export to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific is available — we have shipped 1000 kW units to Mexico, Chile, Peru, and the Philippines. Contact us with the install address and we'll quote freight as part of the deal.