Harbor Freight Predator 8750 Watt Open-Frame Inverter Generator Troubleshooting ideas

[5030]

My son calls it Horrible Freight.

I don't. HF has really upped their game the last couple years. They still sell crap but they sell quality stuff as well. You just have to pay for it, like anything else.

 

[aircommuter]

I don’t see any point in tearing things apart until you know the cylinder isn’t dried out. If oil in the cylinder doesn’t help then go from there. That’s the one place you can put some lubrication with minimal effort.

 

[grsthegreat]

I have pretty much the same same generator, only whatever version from 10 or 15 years ago. I've only had it on the house once or twice and every other time it's doing chores with it. Like it's been mentioned the only way to figure it out is to take it apart or bite the bullet and take it to a shop.
I have an electric pole saw I use around the property (yeah over kill) and just general maintenance with drills and saws for repairs or projects so it doesn't get used a whole lot. I have it in an old Craftsman garden trailer so I can tow it any where with the tractor or mower. It basically only gets used an hour or too every year so I haven't had any issues with mine.

I think people are missing the point with HF, I'm not using it for a business and may only use what ever I do buy only briefly so I can't see buying something that costs 2 to 4 time more and by the time "the quality" product wears out they won't have any parts for it anyway. Been there done that already.

For home owners….i maybe can see using them. But really, to buy a hole hog drill and have it burn out after drilling out one house worth of holes to do the wiring is a useless tool in my opinion. Especially when my millwaukee hole hogs are nearly 30 years old and still going strong…all 3 of them.

 

[grsthegreat]

I went to harbor freight ro get a few throw away hammers, some nitrile gloves and a look thru the store. Still, the only things i see there that i really like are their line of rolling tool boxes. Those are built real nice. I will not buy anything with a cord or a motor from this place.

 

[gengine]

I've read about draining the oil and checking for flakes and what not. Has the oil level been checked? if the fuel was left on wheil bouncing down the road in the bed of a pickup, the float in the carburetor bounces too, flooding the engine. If then left to sit for a day or two, that gas seeps past the rings and into the crankcase, therefor "overfilling" it, and thinning the oil, losing lubricity. I have had small engines come in for repair over the years with this being an issue. Most of them I could drain the oil and refill to correct levels and run it. Others had thinned the oil enough, and then run it, that the piston seized. Simple and free check, pull the dipstick, check the level, and smell it for gas, then go from there. Best of luck to you both!

 

[aircommuter]

For home owners….i maybe can see using them. But really, to buy a hole hog drill and have it burn out after drilling out one house worth of holes to do the wiring is a useless tool in my opinion. Especially when my millwaukee hole hogs are nearly 30 years old and still going strong…all 3 of them.

Hole Hawgs are good but the Timberwolf is better because it doesn’t have the motor in the way and it has a safety clutch.

 

[grsthegreat]

The newer Milwaukee hole hawgs have a clutch…me, i like living dangerously. Ive been using these for over 30+ years…. Only thrown off a ladder a few times.

 

[aircommuter]

The newer Milwaukee hole hawgs have a clutch…me, i like living dangerously. Ive been using these for over 30+ years…. Only thrown off a ladder a few times.

I built my first house in 1973. I have a hole Hawg But when I got the Timberwolf I used it more because of the better clearance it has. I haven’t lost control yet.

 

[aircommuter]

I went to harbor freight ro get a few throw away hammers, some nitrile gloves and a look thru the store. Still, the only things i see there that i really like are their line of rolling tool boxes. Those are built real nice. I will not buy anything with a cord or a motor from this place.

Like this?

 

[nyone]

becids cheap parts I dont see this thing worth fixing. Your not going to replace the engine or generator.