Need recommendations for a Generator.....
 

I am not a "Prepper" but need a generator for the 2-3 storms we get up here in NE during winter.

I have a small one I have used over the years but now want to upgrade to a 6-7K watt portable. I dont want to spend $5k for a whole house one but around $1500 bucks for a decent brand that will last a while only being used once/twice a year.

I've seen the inverter types but they are expensive. I started at HD, Lowes, Northern Tool etc but they all seem to carry the same low end stuff

Can someone recommend what they have had luck with ?


Generac, Honda, Yamaha, NorthStrar, Briggs Stratton, etc, Etc??

Thanks!

Around here Costco has a Honda-powered gen. Either a 5k or a 3.5k.
Can't remember the price, however.
Try this:
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Generators

Here it is: $999
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PowerStroke
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Some real-life info:
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http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/hot-deals/1264422/

I have two generators, one is a small 1KW that I bought after the San Diego wild fires in 2007 and a much larger one, 10KW that I bought a couple years ago. The small one could power the frig and some lights. The large one can power nearly the whole house including the heater and hot water heater which are both gas.

I did have to make up several heavy duty cords, one goes to the garage freezer and heater and hot water heater, very important in the east coast winters. Another goes to the upstairs refrigerator, lights and various electronics. I was going to install a plug in system at our breaker box but decided to go with plugs and extensions instead. I also use my old 5 gallon racing gas cans and have added gas preservative so it will not go bad over a years time. I have enough gas at any time for about 4 or 5 days constant running as when we had the fires and power went off, the gas pumps did not run! When I was looking at them, all the generators listed their "gas consumption" rates so you'll need to know how much to keep on hand.

Honda, Honda or Honda
It's the only way to go

Not Honda powered either - Honda generator

Do not buy a gererator from HD or Loews w/out closely inspecting the specifications. Those stores usually get special models made just for them and they aren't worth the money. I personally endorse Gillette, honda, Generac in that order.

Finding the Right Generator | Frank Perkins - TechnoGeeko
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"Why this is a perfect generator for me is that I get my Honda engine and more importantly, I have the backing of Costco’s return policy. Literally, I can return it in three years with no questions asked."

Thanks All. I'd love a Honda but I just cant swing it. I did find a Powerstroke with the Honda engine mentioned in the link Don shared at HD so I will check it out further.

please check the specs on the unit versus the OEM specs, I got burned once by not doing so. just my .02

Depends on what you want to power up. I only need to power my refridge, freezer in the garage, a few lights in the house and my TV. I can accomplish all of that with a Honda 2k generator with no problem. It is super quite, runs on gas fumes and is very dependable, and easy to tote around. I love it most as it us such a gas sipper. Price on these units are not that high and it will hold it's resale.

I'd just pony up and just get a Honda

This one is 3000 watts, $2600

Or get a pair of the eu2000 and pair them if you need the full output @4000W

You can get a pair of the 2000W Hondas for $2500

http://powerequipment.honda.com/cont...n-parallel.jpg

The Hondas I posted are whisper quiet.. run a long time on a gallon of gas...and small and light...

I look at different contractors I work with...I can't remember the last time I saw a contractor without a Honda generator..

You posted a price point of $1500... for a few hundred bucks more you can get a premium long lasting product.

I bought a Rigid 6,800 generator at Home Depot last year for those same 2-3 storms. As I recall it was about $900. I've used it twice for a total of about 10 hours. It starts easy except when its cold, the oil gets pretty thick making it harder for the pull start. I would strongly suggest you get the transfer box as it makes switching over pretty much fool proof. BTW, I wound up spending almost as much on the 50' of cable and plugs needed to hook the generator to the house. Go longer on the cable so you can get the generator away from the house....distance will help diffuse the noise. When its cold and the power goes out....you will never regret buying a generator.

The Hondas are very nice. Big $$$ though. $2-5k for the size you want depending on features and level of quietness. For occasional use I would think a cheaper one is fine. I have a DeWalt branded one that works great. 2k or so for 6000 watts.
The whole neighborhood can hear it run.

Eats gas like its free.

WE had a Powerstroke 7k for a while and it did work but it was loud ass. It would surely wake the dead inside 50 yards. We sold it and went with a Honda 3000. Half the capacity but 1/10th the racket. No problem running it around the clock in a neighborhood and it meets our immediate needs.

Buy a Honda. the ones you get cheap are made in China and you can't get parts.

Also run it once a month load test it, I use my wife's blow drier at 1,200 watts for a 2,000 watt generator. , run Mobile 1 in it (cheap over the life of it),

One way to help calm the neighbors is to let them know you have a generator and will keep baby food, milk and especially medicines that need a frig for them as long as needed. I did that with my neighbors and the last time I had to use it they supplied the gas.

Check Craigslist

I picked up a Generac 6KW unit for $350.


KT

plus 1 on craigslist. i got a brand new 5000 watt generac for 400 cash. a guy bought it for his place in the mountains and never needed it.
i also had a transfer switch hooked up to my well so i would still have water when the power goes bye bye.

what about a gererator?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/264860-does-anyone-want-free-gererator.html

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Bad Jake. Very bad! No. Nooooooooo,

I have an 8kW Northstar with a Honda Engine. I picked it up from Northern Tool for under $1K, in 2005. It is $1449 now. I have a natural gas conversion kit for it.

It will run my whole house, minus the air conditioners. It will allow me to run a window unit in the bedroom. The frequency regulation isn't that great. It has multiple outlets for 110/220. It also has a standard connector to run a cable to the house wiring.

The real downside is that the engines are NOT designed for long use. You have about 2 to 4 weeks of life in the unit, if run continuously. You should change the oil every 100 hours.

My plan is to install an 8-10K whole house unit, with a battery bank. This will allow me to load level the generator and to shut it off at night. It will also have Solar Cells for most of the power, except during the summer months. The electricity will be pure sine wave inverter, so very clean power. Won't be cheap...

Years ago I bought a Generac 10K/12.5K peak in anticipation of needing it for construction. Turned out I never needed it for that. Since I also bought a transfer box, I had it wired into my main panel to power some circuits during outages. Built a cabinet along side the garage for it to protect it & cut way down on the noise. They (all Generacs & lots of other brands) are noisy as hell especially with the 2 cylinder engine. If I bought one specifically for the house, I'd consider a few things (even if I was going to move it around if I wanted). I'd buy one with plenty of reserve power. I'd spend the money for one of the quieter models. I would buy/make a cabinet outside for storage & convenience (but has to be well vented for cooling). I would make the proper modifications for importing the power. I'd have/make a valve teed into the fuel line to drain old fuel easily. I would also try to get one with a starter (it's hell to have to pull on a rope starter in the dark during a storm). Where I live, we are only occasionally out of power for only a few hours at a time max - mostly.

look, the problem with generators is this and I know because I took care of gas, diesel and propane powered generators for critical telephone central offices for years. Most of us are not going to use the generators monthly so that rules out gas. The ethanol or just plain regular gas will go bad prior to use and you will be constantly having to have the carb worked on unless you do the work yourself. Diesel is the same thing, but you have a little bit longer life span with diesel and you can extend the life with additives. Imho, the best bang for your buck would be a propane fired genset. I would attach a manual transfer switch to your residence and leave it there ready to go. Fire it up once a month to keep the seals lubricated and you should be good to go for a long period of time. other than that, you could install a solar/battery backup that would give you a limited amount of down time from commercial power..

I am in the process of deciding, been doing lots of research and discussion and as was suggested here, I will go with a Honda product for sure, probably their 2000w unit.

In terms of wiring, it seems simple to me, namely that you turn off the main breaker, turn off anything you don't want running and just tie the generator into one of the wall sockets (I have a couple of 220's and of course the usual 110v sockets). I figure as long as I don't turn on too much load, that should be all that is necessary.....right?

Dennis

Dennis,

That is what I do. I have a 220V Dryer circuit that is unused. I switch off the house air conditioners and the oven and the main breaker to the world.

If you want a good setup, you will split off the things that you do not want run on the generator and put the main circuits on a transfer switch with a generator receptacle. It is basically a 220V dedicated circuit with a generator specific outlet. The nice thing about getting this setup is you are most of the way to a whole house Generator setup.

You guys are talking about back-feeding? Doesn't that only work if all the outlets you want to use are on the same circuit?

Honda Generator guy here...

A 2kw unit will run the basics. A 3kw will run more, and you won't have to unplug the fridge in order to run the microwave. You'll need a 4k unit if you require 220V service (some well pumps).

Traditional-design (non-inverter) models are cheaper, but have to run at 3,600 RPM to make 60hz power. Noisy, and terrible fuel consumption, but cheapest to buy, and a reasonable choice if all you want is stand-by power in an emergency.

Inverter-type generators are more expensive, but run at lower speeds and make 60Hz power just fine. This means quieter operation and better fuel consumption. The power profile is very good, almost what you'd get from your power company. Inverter type units are a great choice if use for camping, RV'ing, powering expensive electronics, or if you just can't stand the noise of an open-frame contractor-type unit.

Backfeeding power through a dryer outlet or the like is illegal and very dangerous. Sure, you might say, "But I know what I'm doing." And how about your wife? When you are out of town and power goes out, she's going to try and rig up the generator "just like I saw him do once" and ZAP if the power doesn't get her, it will probably bite the poor lineman who's down the street working to restore power and HE gets ZAPed. If none of that convinces you, then try explaining your "backfeeding" set-up to the insurance guy after the fire trucks leave. :rolleyes:

If you want to use your home's wires with a generator, get a Transfer Switch ($150-$500) and have it installed by a licensed electrician according to code. The Transfer Switch will safely disconnect the circuits from the utility company THEN connect them to your generator.

Or just run some extension cords and power strips off the generator's outlets. Easier, cheaper and still safe.

Finally, it will seem elementary to 99% of us, but no matter how much you spent on that generator, and want to protect it from thieves, don't run it inside, and that means a garage or basement, or near an open window. Gasoline-fueled generators produce poisonous gas (even the fancy Hondas), and you can't see it or smell it, but it can put you to sleep in minutes and you will never wake up. :(