Generators - What type do you have and why??

[n16ht5]

3.5kw gas kawasaki that is very tried and true. It can run the well pump, the fridge, and the fan on the fireplace. That is all I need.

Big generators take lots of gas. It would be really nice to have the 500gal setup with a nice onan, but I would put my money in supplies first. Get a good honda, kawasaki, etc name brand generator that can run the necessities and keep a few weeks worth gas prepped and in rotation

 

[chariot13]

Well Someone asked a thread be started and I think it is a good Idea,

WHat size, fuel type do you have? Honestly what are the good and bad points with it?

Goal Zero solar powered Generator. I have a gas powered one but if something truly enigmatic ever were to happen, im gonna trust in the free & uncontrollable power of the sun more than having to find a finite and stealable resource such as gas.

 

[kibs45]

But do you understand part of the reason the Yamaha is lighter? Less material in the generator core which will equal less life.

Not saying it is a bad thing but one has to understand the difference in products.

And the Honda probably had a belt driven cam.

I totally agree on the "...understand the difference in products." Generators are expensive, and honestly to get something really good takes lots of money. Like all things, you must do your homework, and find what works best for you!

P.S. Getting fuel conversion kits from a generator manufacturer may not be possible. The E.P.A. kind of clamped down on that kind of thing several years ago. Please note, I didn't say it wasn't possible to convert a generator or even go multi-fuel, but going to the manufacturer will probably yield few if any (willing) results. Better to go to supply houses and shops that aren't as beholden to the E.P.A. as a manufacturer is.

 

[parallax]

i sure want a 3000 watt honda E.I. super quiet.( small enough to lift without breaking my back). right now all i have is a 4,000 watt 12 v.dc/110 v.ac inverter that pretty much runs anything i need. someday will have to get one. on my short list.

 

[markdadof2]

I run a Yamaha EF2400IS - great tradeoff between the honda 2000 and the honda 3000 - the 2400 will run my rv AC as well!

 

[Grunwald]

All I have is a little Honda 1000. It will run the things I need to keep power to. It was not meant as something for SHTF scenario, but rather a way to keep the fridge and heat blower going if some storm knocked the power out.
...but if we had a SHTF even, it would be a great way to supply survival power. It's light, very compact and fuel efficient. It is why boaters and campers love them.

 

[Modeler]

I have an old Generac 4,000 watt RV generator. Just built an enclosure for it today, as a matter of fact...

I have it mostly to run the well pump for myself and my rental house next door. I wired the well up so that it plugs into a 50-amp plug in the garage, when the power goes out I can unplug the well from the house and plug it into the generator using the extension cord for my welder. A couple extension cords will power the refrigerator, freezer and some small electronic devices if needed. I hope to install a propane conversion kit some time in the future. Maybe wire the house with a transfer switch too.

 

[Working 4 U]

I too have been doing some searching for a generator and for what I want, frig, freezer, heater and some lights I have decided to go with a 5000 to 7500 watt.

Hope some of this info may help anyone out there.

Consumer reports has these top four listed:

Troy Built XP 7000 for 900.00 with a rating of 72 out of 100

Honda EM6500SX for 2800.00 with a rating of 70

Generac GP5500 5939 for 670.00 with a rating of 67 (Consumer reports Best Buy)

Troy-Bilt 6000 30475 for 700.00 with a rating of 65

 

[tad dad]

Costco used to sell generators with the Honda commercial engine (GX engines iirc). 12,000 w peak, 8000 continuous. Mine works like a champ. The GX engine has a good reputation.

 

[TapRackNGo]

Reading some of the reports from Sandy & with fuel at a premium I would think a Honda EU2000 would work pretty well.

 

[simpleguy]

I thought about a whole house generator and chose to buy a couple small ones for scalability/flexibility.....

I currently have a Honda EU2000i that is started monthly without fail because I don't want the SHTF and find out my stuff doesn't run(same goes for anything else gas powered in my house). I will be buying another one of the same size(maybe a Companion) like this Honda EU2000I COMPANION Portable Generator - EU2000i Companion - 1600 Watt Portable Inverter Generator shortly.

When I get the 2nd generator I'll send the carb off from generator #1 to these guys Tri-Fuel Kit for Honda EU2000i and "diversify" the types of acceptable fuel. When carb, #1 returns, I'll send carb #2 out....at that point, I'll have 4000watts peak, 2 generators that allows me less fuel useage and the flexibility to lend one to neighbors/relatives who live on the same street.

 

[tad dad]

, I'll have 4000watts peak, 2 generators that allows me less fuel useage and the flexibility to lend one to neighbors/relatives who live on the same street. This will also give me the flexibility to run 240volts.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

I didn't check your numbers, so just a general FYI.

AFAIK you lose some watts when using propane versus regular unleaded gas.

 

[kibs45]

It depends on how the conversion is done. The biggest issue is the BTU output of the fuel. True multi fuel generators don't change output, but they do generally need to be calibrated and set up for the fuel of choice. However in the smaller, more portable type (RV, portable, etc.) the generator output is typically less (all other things being equal) in a propane/natural gas setup.

 

[simpleguy]

@tad dad - Yep, understood. Thanks though, that was definately not at the forefront of my mind, but definately important to know.

@kibs45 - Nicely said!

Man, I really like this thread.

 

[bill97024]

I picked up this old Tecumseh powered generator for next to nothing a while back. I rebuilt the carb and put a fresh fuel line, fuel filter, spark plug, and a new air filter on it and I'm good to go for under $50 total investment. It's only 1500 watts, ugly and noisy but it's plenty to run my fridge and a few smaller items. It may be old and ugly, but this one was made back when things were built to last. It'll probably still be running long after I am...lol.

 

[receo]

I thought about a whole house generator and chose to buy a couple small ones for scalability/flexibility.....

I currently have a Honda EU2000i that is started monthly without fail because I don't want the SHTF and find out my stuff doesn't run(same goes for anything else gas powered in my house). I will be buying another one of the same size(maybe a Companion) like this Honda EU2000I COMPANION Portable Generator - EU2000i Companion - 1600 Watt Portable Inverter Generator shortly.

When I get the 2nd generator I'll send the carb off from generator #1 to these guys Tri-Fuel Kit for Honda EU2000i and "diversify" the types of acceptable fuel. When carb, #1 returns, I'll send carb #2 out....at that point, I'll have 4000watts peak, 2 generators that allows me less fuel useage and the flexibility to lend one to neighbors/relatives who live on the same street. This will also give me the flexibility to run 240volts.

240 volts? I thought the eu2000 companion provided 120v up to 26.6 amps.

 

[sheepdip]

1800 watt coleman. wont run the a/c in the camp trailer but will run most everything else. does run the pellet stove and the tv/vcr/dvd and a couple of freezers

 

[knuckle Head]

Well I have been kicking around what to do as far size and type goes for many months now, weighting the pros of larger generators where one can multiple items and have a 240 outlet vs the smaller super quiet ones where you can only power a few tools or appliance at once but are more expensive but are stingy on fuel consumption.

So after long drawn discussions with people here, an electrical engineer I know and highly respect, relatives who have geenrators.

I decided if I was able to find a like Honda EU2000 i at a good price in excellent condition with low hours I would buy it. And then pick up a less expensive 3200 - 4000 watt generator for running multiple tools, appliances 220 volt etc, while I build the house I wanting to start building in the next year afterwards if I do not need it I can sell it or use it for trade. this way for what a brand new honda 2000 would have cost me I can both.

I found a like new Honda EU 2000 i for $700.00 and they run for $1150.00 new. My reasoning here is they are built to last while running for days on end. Also they are super, super quiet, reliable, it an inverter generator which is needed for electronic communications items, they use very little fuel in comparison to the larger genie's and it will adequately what a single dwelling will need at one time during a disaster. I can also easily get triple fuel conversion kit to allow me to use gasoline, propane or natural gas.

With the $450.00 I saved by buying a slightly used one, I can now buy 3250 watt'r at home depot for around $360.00 for home construction project for running multiple tools or 220 items. Also, if a disaster happens I could trade it or maybe loan out or give the larger one to a small medical clinic or medical professional in exchange my needs or communtiy needs.

A lot more detail probably some people would like but since I started the thread i felt I should my thought process and reasoning.

 

[ATCclears]

I think any form of detail is good here. Everyone's situation and needs are different, but it's good to see what factors have been included in the decision-making process.

Peter

 

[simpleguy]

post recanted, I put the wrong info. in, don't know what I was thinking.