Avtron 2905
700 kW resistive portable load bank on casters, 5 kW steps across 140 increments, UL 508A listed, indoor only
Avtron 2905 is one of 16 load banks tracked in the SecondWatt catalogue, each with specifications, lead times and indicative secondary-market pricing.
Avtron 2905 700 kW portable resistive load bank: 5 kW steps, 240/480V or 300/600V, 60 Hz, UL 508A, indoor only. Specs, inspection points and pricing.
The Avtron 2905 is the top of the 2000 Series: a 700 kW resistive, unity-power-factor load bank on four casters, offered 60 Hz only in 240/480 V or 300/600 V builds. Load resolution is 5 kW, which gives 140 discrete steps across full capacity. Control is by digital toggle switches, with an optional 4.3 in colour touchscreen hand-held over CANbus. It is listed to UL 508A and carries a 24 month parts and labor warranty. Two details separate it from the 3000 Series units sitting near it in the catalogue. The 2905 uses helically wound chromium alloy Helidyne elements on ceramic insulators, an open-coil design from Avtron's Cleveland line, where the 3020 and 3110 use sheathed stainless elements from the Froment UK line. The 2905 is also rated for indoor operation only, which rules it out of the outdoor generator yards where much genset load testing actually happens. Avtron publishes no airflow figure, no fan motor rating and no short circuit current rating for this model. The 100 kA SCCR Avtron announced in September 2023 applies to the 4800 Series, not to the 2905, and must not be carried across. The 2905 appears in neither March 2026 Avtron data centre brochure, and it is not held in stock, unlike the smaller 2755 and 2805.
Why it matters
At 700 kW the 2905 is the largest portable Avtron sells on casters, and its 5 kW step resolves 0.71 percent of full scale. That is fine enough for generator acceptance work and too coarse for UPS step testing, where the 3110 resolves 1 kW. The indoor-only rating is the constraint buyers most often miss until the unit reaches an outdoor site.
Who buys it
Generator service contractors, rental fleets and commissioning agents running multi-site diesel load testing in 60 Hz North American markets. Avtron frames the 2905 around load testing at multiple sites and networking several units together. Buyers who need outdoor operation, finer than 5 kW resolution, or a 50 Hz supply should be steered to the 3110 or the wider 3000 Series instead.
Role in the data center
Generator acceptance and periodic load testing rather than data hall or UPS commissioning. Its 5 kW step resolves 0.71 percent of full scale, which suits genset loading and is too coarse for UPS step work. Avtron omits the 2905 from both March 2026 data centre brochures, so this is an adjacent duty rather than a headline data centre product. A 700 kW acceptance run held four hours draws 2,800 kWh from the genset, and all of it leaves as vertical hot air into the host building, since the unit is indoor-rated only.
Key specifications
| Rated capacity | 700 kW resistive at unity pf |
|---|---|
| Load step resolution | 5 kW |
| Load steps at full capacity | 140 steps (700 / 5) |
| Voltage builds | 240/480 or 300/600 V, three phase |
| Frequency | 60 Hz |
| Load tolerance | -0, +5 percent |
| Element type | Helically wound chromium alloy Helidyne open coil on ceramic insulators |
| Length | 60.5 in |
| Width | 33.50 in |
| Height | 75 in |
| Weight | 1150 lb |
| Ambient range | -20 to 120 deg F, indoor only |
| Enclosure material | Aluminized steel to ASTM A463 ANSI 61 gray powder coat |
| Safety listing | UL 508A listed |
| Warranty | 24 months parts and labor |
Technical summary
Capacity: 700 kW resistive at unity power factor (kW, not kVA). Load step resolution: 5 kW standard, giving 140 steps at full capacity. Voltage builds: 240/480 V or 300/600 V, three phase. Frequency: 60 Hz only. Elements: helically wound chromium alloy Helidyne on ceramic insulators. Load tolerance: -0, +5 percent. Control: digital toggle switches; optional 4.3 in touchscreen hand-held over CANbus. Enclosure: heavy gauge aluminized steel to ASTM A463, ANSI 61 gray powder coat. Dimensions and weight: 60.5 x 33.50 x 75 in, 1150 lb. Ambient: -20 deg F to 120 deg F, indoor operation only. Listing and warranty: UL 508A, 24 month parts and labor.
Major variations
Two voltage builds, 240/480 V and 300/600 V, both 60 Hz. Two control builds exist, evidenced by separate 2000 Series manuals for toggle switch and for SIGMA LT. The optional 4.3 in touchscreen hand-held communicates over CANbus, and network cables allow multiple units to run together. Mounting does not vary: two moveable and two fixed casters, with no outdoor, trailer or permanently mounted build published, so the indoor-only rating cannot be specified away at order.
Configurations and options
Optional touchscreen hand-held controller, network cables for multi-unit operation, and the spares kit under part number 1600530-011. Series siblings run 2500 at 100 kW, 2600 at 25 to 75 kW, 2705 at 40 to 100 kW, 2755 and 2775 at 265 kW and 2805 at 500 or 600 kW, with the 2905 topping the range. Avtron publishes a matching outline drawing as asc-lb-od-2905, a 2000 Series brochure as pub 5551 rev F, and a cable set specification as pub 5616 dated December 2025.
Compatibility and dependencies
60 Hz supplies only, at 240/480 V or 300/600 V. Indoor siting is a hard requirement, so the unit needs a building that can absorb or duct away 700 kW of vertical hot air discharge. Networking several units requires the optional touchscreen controller and network cables. Internal control power is 24 VDC at 2 A, and the load branches carry a 600 V fuse complement of 25, 40, 80, 150, 15, 5 and 1 A, so any spares held on site have to match those ratings rather than a generic set.
Pricing and availability
Comparable secondary-market band: 72.34–97.39 $ per kW. Trend: stable No price series exists for the 2905. The category pattern that does apply at this size is that New OEM dollars per kW falls with capacity: the 265 to 700 kW band runs 72.18 to 97.39 across six observations, against 49.78 to 70.54 across nine in the 1,500 to 3,000 kW band. Lead time, new: The 2905 does not appear on Avtron's stock list, while the smaller 2600, 2705, 2755 and 2805 do, so within its own series the 2905 is build-to-order while its siblings ship from inventory.. Lead time, used or refurbished: No used 2905 inventory listed as of August 2026.. Warranty, new: 24 months parts and labor, per the pub 5540 rev E datasheet.. Warranty, used: Confirm any remaining OEM warranty coverage directly with Avtron at time of purchase..
Lifecycle and maintenance
Avtron publishes no MTBF for the 2905 or for any other model. Warranty is 24 month parts and labor. The 2905 spares kit, part number 1600530-011, contains only relays, contact blocks, switches, a 24 VDC supply and fuses. Avtron therefore expects the controls and switching to wear while the Helidyne elements do not, which is the physical reason a used market exists in this category. Maintenance guidance from Avtron is qualitative: inspect intake and exhaust screens for anything limiting airflow, and use a qualified provider at the manufacturer's recommended frequency. No interval in months or running hours is published.
Thermal and emissions profile
A load bank has no on-site combustion and no stack, so it carries no direct emissions profile of its own. It converts the applied electrical load to heat, and any emissions produced during a test belong to the source under test — the generator, the utility supply or the fuel cell — not to the load bank. At its rated 700 kW the unit rejects the full 700 kW as heat through the top-mounted air discharge, so siting is a ventilation and recirculation question rather than a permitting one: the exhaust must not re-enter the intake or load an adjacent cooling system.
Common failure points
- Helidyne element open circuit — One 5 kW step draws no current and total capacity falls short of 700 kW
- Element short from debris — Nuisance trips or ground fault when a step engages
- Airflow loss causing overheat — Overtemperature trip minutes into a run
- Faulty overtemperature sensor — Nuisance shutdowns, or no shutdown during a genuine overheat
- Load relay contact welding — A step stays energised after being switched off
- Frame and caster transport damage — The unit will not roll straight and the frame is racked
Inspection checklist
Nameplate: confirm 700 kW and whether the build is 240/480 V or 300/600 V, 60 Hz; a 60 Hz unit on a 50 Hz supply is a mis-buy. Load steps: exercise all 140 steps individually at 5 kW and log the kW drawn against each. Load tolerance: measured total should fall within -0, +5 percent of 700 kW, so 700 to 735 kW. Helidyne elements: inspect for sag, distortion or contact between adjacent helical coils; these are open live coils. Ceramic insulators: check every element support insulator for cracks, chips or tracking. Fuses: verify the 600 V complement is present and correct: 25 A, 40 A, 80 A, 150 A, 15 A, 5 A and 1 A. Relays: check the 32 A, 30 A, 50 A, 90 A and 10 A load relays for contact pitting and chatter. Thermostatic switch: confirm the overtemperature switch, Avtron part 362820, is fitted and trips. Air pressure switch: confirm the switch, part 360772, opens with the blower stopped.
Procurement channels
New through Avtron and its distributors, with SteadyPower the only distributor publishing list pricing as of August 2026. Used units surface mainly through data centre decommissioning lots rather than open marketplaces, which is where USA Decommissioning listed Avtron 2000 Series units at 265 kW. Rental is available from third parties because Avtron states it does not rent its own equipment.
Regional notes
North America only in practical terms, because the unit is 60 Hz at 240/480 V or 300/600 V and carries a UL 508A listing rather than a CE mark. A 50 Hz site needs the 3000 Series instead, which is the Froment platform, IP54 rated and CE marked to the EMC and Low Voltage Directives. Avtron builds the 2000 Series at 9450 Allen Drive, Cleveland, Ohio, and the 3000 Series at Easton-on-the-Hill in the United Kingdom, so the two platforms are separate product lines rather than regional trims of one design.