Waffling on buying a generator...

[HardDrive]

So there is a winter storm coming. And I'm hemming and hawing about buying a generator. I'm looking at a Honda 2000. I don't want a whole house generator, just something I can run the furnace and the fridge off.

If the power doesn't go out, I'm going to have buyers remorse over the $1000 red brick sitting in my garage. That $1000 could go to more urgent needs....like a 1911. If it does go out, I will bask in manly glory as my family is warm and snug, while my neighbors suffer like the unprepared scum they are. I'll hook up the X-mas lights just to spite them. Even if the power does not go out tomorrow, it will out at some point in the future, and I will feel like a genius.

I am suffering cognitive dissonance. Help.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

So there is a winter storm coming. And I'm hemming and hawing about buying a generator. I'm looking at a Honda 2000. I don't want a whole house generator, just something I can run the furnace and the fridge off.

If the power doesn't go out, I'm going to have buyers remorse over the $1000 red brick sitting in my garage. That $1000 could go to more urgent needs....like a 1911. If it does go out, I will bask in manly glory as my family is warm and snug, while my neighbors suffer like the unprepared scum they are. I'll hook up the X-mas lights just to spite them. Even if the power does not go out tomorrow, it will out at some point in the future, and I will feel like a genius.

I am suffering cognitive dissonance. Help.

Get one. I have several, as in three, one power by the PTO off my tractors.

You don't have time to have a "pug-in" set up done, so get the right amount of power cords and be done with it. Also get at least 10 gallons of gas.

We are at the end of the grid and lose power here at least three times a year. In hurricane season we have been without power for a week.

Ice storms can be similar.

Lastly, figure out how to get the water pump powered if needed.

We are on well water and power the pump to have water...that turns out to be the most important thing.

BTW, after 20 years here, we are installing a whole house stand-by gen in the Spring.

[Rot 911]

Really depends on how much you will need/use it. We live in the middle of town and the longest we have ever been without power is 30 minutes. Just doesn't justify the cost.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

Really depends on how much you will need/use it. We live in the middle of town and the longest we have ever been without power is 30 minutes. Just doesn't justify the cost.

Thats the thing, we live in the city as well. But I've been told that power outages are common in this area because there are so many trees.

[VincentVega]

I bought one after the hurricane last year. Hopefully I never need it and it rust away to nothing in 20 yrs.

We are on well water and power the pump to have water...that turns out to be the most important thing.

Same here. I went for a Honda powered but generic generator that can power most of the house, if I can get gas.

[9dreizig]

instead I bought a Ryobi from Home Depot.. Same specs as the Honda,, JUST as quite,, only $549 and comes with a 3 year warranty.. I can run over 8 hours on 1 gallon of gas while powering my 'fridge.
Can also parallel two of them if you need to ..

[id10t]

Better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it

And, you can always find a use for portable power. If the $$ is the issue, you can run a fridge and a few flourescent shop lights and low power fans off a 400w inverter hooked up to your car or riding lawn mower battery, and they are cheap ($50)

[motion]

The nice thing about the Honda 2000 is that you can put it on C-List 10 years from now for $800 and sell it in 5 minutes. No brainer to have something like that to keep your family warm just in case.

[t-tom]

One of the best things we ever bought! We too are at the end of a power grid and are the last to get power back. I'd say we use it 3-5 times a year. It's kind a like having a gun for self defense, you really only want it when you NEED it.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

So there is a winter storm coming. And I'm hemming and hawing about buying a generator. I'm looking at a Honda 2000. I don't want a whole house generator, just something I can run the furnace and the fridge off.

If the power doesn't go out, I'm going to have buyers remorse over the $1000 red brick sitting in my garage. That $1000 could go to more urgent needs....like a 1911. If it does go out, I will bask in manly glory as my family is warm and snug, while my neighbors suffer like the unprepared scum they are. I'll hook up the X-mas lights just to spite them. Even if the power does not go out tomorrow, it will out at some point in the future, and I will feel like a genius.

I am suffering cognitive dissonance. Help.

I feel your pain. I want a generator but we have very reliable power. We have had just one night without power in 18 years. I look at the small Hondas and other generators that will tak up a lot of space in my storage shed when not in use. Non of the portable units will run the central AC if we need the generator in the summer.

Hooking up the generator to the house is not easy. I can't put it in the garage because it has to be outside. That means I need a generator that I can plug into just a 110 outlet. I have to kill the main breaker so I don't back-feed the line. Then if the power comes on I don't know until I notice a neighbors lights are on.

All of that always moves me to a natural gas powered Generac big enough to run the AC in the summer and all of a sudden I am at a mega thousand dollar spend. ACK.

I go back to thinking about the one grand units just to run the fridge and natural gas central heat.

[t-tom]

We run ours via the 220 dryer plug. Power goes out I shut off the main, unplug the dryer set the generator outside the garage door (chained to a post) and we have power again. Ours is Honda powered but with a no name brand generator on it. It runs all night on one gallon of gas. It sure is nice watching tv when everyone else power is out.

[Hugh R]

Buy it. Run Mobil 1 in it and run it once a month to keep the fuel from gumming up. Hook it up to a shop light or your wife's hair drier to put a load on it. 10 gallons of gas with fuel stabilizer is a must. That 1911 is nice, but not much help in dark.

[GH85Carrera]

How tough is it to just drain the gas tank and run it until it runs out of gas? Store it with no gas, and fill up when needed. Gas with stabilizer will last a while.

[t-tom]

Once our power is turned back on I just let it run until it shuts off. Ours only holds 1 gallon of gas at a time. I also have a little hand pump, so if it is full I just pump the gas back into the can then let it run until the carb is empty.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

How tough is it to just drain the gas tank and run it until it runs out of gas? Store it with no gas, and fill up when needed. Gas with stabilizer will last a while.

I drain the gas out then run/fog it until it stops. Take the spark plug out fog the cylinder and store.

One of the generators I have is 19 years old. I bought it new before some hurricane after we moved here. It is a 3200kw Craftsman. I have a basement that requires sump pumps to stay dry!

Still runs like a top. I replaced all the gas seals and lines last year. My other gen is a Husqvarna with a Honda motor, two years old, 10000kw.

All I can say is that the peace of mind is worth the threshold cost.

[Hugh R]

I run it under load for 10-15 minutes and then 5 minutes w/o load to cool down.

Draining the tank, and letting it sit for months/years, I'd worry about seals drying out, rust in the cylinder, etc. At least if I run it once a month, I'm pretty sure it will start when I really need it.

Whatever you buy, make sure you can get parts for it. The $300 ones sold at Pep Boys are made in China and they don't carry parts.

[MotoSook]

20k with whole house auto transfer switch just installed a week ago. Runs on propane...let the world come to an end....I'm ready. Could have bought a nice engine for the race car for the money though.


Get one...even a small one.

2000 watts may have a hard time running you furnace. So check.

[VincentVega]

Runs on propane

Just what I'm looking into. What size tank did you install?

[Bill Douglas]

Murphy's law. If you have it you won't need it and that's the best scenario of all.

[Rickysa]

20k with whole house

Same here...runs on diesel (less than a gallon an hour under full load)...we have a buried tank that was used with our previous oil heater. Rebuilt a DD 2-stroke that was pulled out of a refrigerated boxcar.

Peace of mind