It is my experience that the generator welders (Lincoln, Hobart, Miller etc... the good brands) Are really good welders and mostly sorta OK generators. They are optimized for welding, not as standby generators. Great for powering lights and a grinder or drill for support of welding tasks via power tools but NOT what I would choose for emergency stand by power for a residence.
I have recently bought two Generac gensets. The first is a 17,500 Watt continuous rated gasoline fueled electric start (only, no manual start) I have it mounted on a small trailer (4x8 feet with 3500 lb rating) along with an air compressor, plasma cutter, ac/dc stick welder, MIG, and oxygen/acetylene bottles and attendant stuff. It is a terrific generator and would be well suited to power a home. It came with a manual transfer switch (same price with or without switch at the discount source I used) so it can be plugged into a building wired with that switch to replace utility power during outages. I do not anticipate needing it for that.
The second unit is a Generac Guardian genset, a fully automatic propane fueled 17KW unit. It is in a sound enclosure and came with a 16 circuit automatic transfer switch. As it is propane fueled I plumbed it to my domestic propane tanks (pair of 1000 gal tanks which are filled to 800 gal each and used one at a time.) With propane there is no issue of stored fuel going bad. There is no issue of getting out in bad weather to fill the empty gas tank or having the genny run out of gas at a critical time. Manual is OK for me but not the best idea for my wife and what about if power goes down for a few days when you aren't home? Freezer warms up, frige warms up, pipes freeze and burst???
I am very pleased with the generator on the trailer. I have recently used it to support my stick welding while a helper was using it for plasma cutting. It ran the plasma, air compressor, and stick welder at the same time just fine.
I have not fired up the standby propane unit yet (real soon now) but I have user reports from trusted sources that it is a good unit. I am very impressed with the visual quality. Well and ruggedly built. Oil drain, filters and such easy to access. Nice 1000 cc V twin engine built expressly for generator service.
The trailer mounted unit also has easy to access filters and is well built with good layout. I have only one small nit with it. The 240VAC socket is positioned horizontally and is accessed from under a panel so the plug is pushed into place vertically upward. The unit came with a wire bail to hold the plug in the socket against vibration. The bail does not fit my plug so every few hours I reseat the plug. NO big deal and I will make a little retainer to solve the problem. Not really a design defect, just the luck of the draw buying a plug at a big box store and not getting exactly same size and shape as the retainer was built to fit.
Pat
