Portable Generator

[5030]

newbury, you said you bought an el cheapo generator, but it had a Honda engine. Case closed.

For me, I'm wanting a Yamaha generator for travel trailer and home use when needed. I like them a bit better than Honda.

be apprised, I have a Yamaha 2800 I, Inverter and parts are expensive. It's a good unit but the electronics wear out. I've replaced 2 electronic throttle servo's already to the tune of 150 bucks each. The 2800 will start an RV airconditioner so long as there isn't any other load on it.

 

[Threepoint]

[snip]I have never not been able to get to or find gas in a storm.[snip].

Hee hee, that's what I said until Snowmageddon in 2010, followed by a derecho in June 2012. Five days without power.

My smaller portable generator is a Champion 4000/3500w that I bought on sale from TSC for $299 (with a free wheel kit as a promo) a couple of years ago. It is remarkably quiet for a non-inverter design. The Chinese approach to sound management on these low-cost generators seems to be a BIG muffler, and it works quite well. :thumbsup: The Champion is a backup for my 8K unit, and for easy use in the field. I put it on a 3pt carryall behind my small tractor, or in the bed of a UTV, to run a 10' electric pruning saw, among other things. Sounds like it would serve the OP's modest goals for emergency power for the time being. And if you eventually go bigger, with a proper transfer switch set up, it will still come in very handy.

 

[MacLawn]

be apprised, I have a Yamaha 2800 I, Inverter and parts are expensive. It's a good unit but the electronics wear out. I've replaced 2 electronic throttle servo's already to the tune of 150 bucks each. The 2800 will start an RV airconditioner so long as there isn't any other load on it.

Thanks 5030! I don't have a generator yet, but have been watching youtube videos about them from people who are full time RVers. I've decided that when I do finally get one, I want one at least powerful enough to run RV air conditioner. I'd really like one big enough to run my submersed well pump, 3/4 HP, but I've read those have to be really BIG.

 

[kcflhrc]

I think the Sam's club Generator on sale right now is a no brainer for occasional use. Regular price of $299 on sale for $199. I may just buy 2 for that price.

Black Max 3,600-Watt Portable Gas Generator - Sam's Club

 

[Garandman]

Wasn't meaning to put it down, just super-surprised at the fuel usage. If someone is looking for a storm-generator, then they should make sure they have enough gas to run the thing for a while. My neighbors all have generators after our 2008 12-day blackout from the ice storm we had. Not one of them has more than a single 5-gallon can. I have tried to explain to them that it will barely get them through a day, used sparingly. they think that will be fine, and they can get more at the gas station. The next city over had gasoline, but you couldn't get there for 3 days due to downed trees. No gas station in town had power for almost ten days. So, I would just point out that fuel economy is actually quite important. I have two Honda EU2000s hooked together to give 4000 watts (max). Running both during daytime, and one overnight, gets me heat, lights, fridge, freezer, etc., all on less than 4 gallons a day. With 54 gallons total, that is two weeks of use without worrying about running out for fuel. And in the good practice of preparedness, if one went bad, I would still have the other to power the essentials.

Funny as my best friend lived in Holden during that ice storm. He had three five gallon cans. The first night a 15" tree fell across his driveway. He got lucky and a tree service from the Cape came up and cleaned up the neighborhood, but by then he had frozen pipes and thousands of dollars of damage.

They ran for eight days on the genset, 15-20 gallons a day. He was driving all over creation looking for gas. BTW the stations on the Mass Turnpike are required to have backup power for the pumps so you can almost always get fuel there.

BTW I have the same setup as you: two EU200i's. I need to hook up my boat fuel tanks to extend their run time one of these days. We have a number of five gallon cans, and I also top off our motorcycles, lawnmowers etc. and have a siphon and pump. The anti-siphon devices in cars makes it extremely difficult to get gas out of cars except from underneath.

 

[aczlan]

I've found good prices on PowerMax and DuroMax generators. Bought mine on Ebay - 8500/7000. Runs great.

Yes, I backfeed the thing into a 220 outlet located outside on the rear porch. As seldom as I need this, I decided not to invest in the transfer switch. Don;t forget to kill your main breaker!

Although this is pretty simple, I printed a checklist and have it attached to the generator to always remind me not to skip the breaker. The last thing you ever want to do is push power out on the main lines. Since we are building a new home, I do plan to have a proper setup on the new construction.

Do you use the outlet for anything else, or is it just for genset usage? If its just for the genset, they make a "interlock plate that will interlock the main breaker and your generator breaker which prevents both of them from being on at the same time.

Aaron Z

 

[newbury]

I think the Sam's club Generator on sale right now is a no brainer for occasional use. Regular price of $299 on sale for $199. I may just buy 2 for that price.

Black Max 3,600-Watt Portable Gas Generator - Sam's Club

Well do it!!
And give us pics and how much fuel it uses etc.

 

[2ndhalf]

I think the Sam's club Generator on sale right now is a no brainer for occasional use. Regular price of $299 on sale for $199. I may just buy 2 for that price.

Black Max 3,600-Watt Portable Gas Generator - Sam's Club

Don't do it man... the guy who posted the Generac was on the money.. High quality American made units. I just picked a gently used Generac off of Craigs List and you can still get them reasonable out there. Not for long though. Get a Generac 5,000watt for 350 - 500 off Craigslist if you can.

 

[check]

I've found good prices on PowerMax and DuroMax generators. Bought mine on Ebay - 8500/7000. Runs great. Yes, I backfeed the thing into a 220 outlet located outside on the rear porch. As seldom as I need this, I decided not to invest in the transfer switch. Don;t forget to kill your main breaker! Although this is pretty simple, I printed a checklist and have it attached to the generator to always remind me not to skip the breaker. The last thing you ever want to do is push power out on the main lines. Since we are building a new home, I do plan to have a proper setup on the new construction.

Good idea, KK. I had the electrician install a separate little subpanel with the important circuits on it when my Cottage was built. It only cost me a couple of hundred dollars extra, and well worth it! There is a heavy duty wiring which runs outside to a heavy duty plug-in, in a weatherproof cover. You just start your generator and plug it in! There is of course a mechanism whereby you cannot liven up that circuit unless you also shut off power from the main breaker panel. Completely safe!

I have since bought a 17 kW standby generator with an automatic transfer switch, but if it ever goes down, I still have that little subpanel that I can still use with a portable generator that I still own.

 

[houstonscott]

Your other option is a PTO powered generator.You already have a tractor and hopefully fuel on hand.Maybe a little more money but more power for the dollar.One less motor to maintain.

+1. Great idea. HS