Generators
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So, you want a generator, but you don't want to spend much money? Look for something like this size Predator:
I've seen this one as low as $299, but $329 is pretty common. The 6.5 Chonda engine is thrifty and usually reluable, if you treat it right. Usually, the heads fail on these, rather than the engines. And most of the time, the problem is an electronic part that's not expensive.
Champion also has one that is very similar, for about the same money:
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Now, when you need a generator, you need a generator. Some things you need to do, especially for generators with carbs...
- Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule religiously. Fervently.
- Use good quality oil and change it once a year.
- Exercise your generator once a month, under load. You can damage some gen-heads, if you run them very long with no load at all. A few minutes run time is all it takes. The load can be as simple as a skilsaw or a drill motor.
- If your generator does not gave an in-line fuel filter, install one.
- Always buy non-ethanol gas. If you're in a pinch and it's unavailable, buy premium.
- Always treat your gas with a stabilizer. Some guys use Sta-Bil. I like Pri-G.
https://www.campingworld.com/pri-g-complete-gasoline-treatment-14520.html
- Always keep a spare spark plug, a spare air filter and a spare in-line fuel filter.
- Always let your carb run dry, but not from the bottom of the tank. I never ket my generator run until the tank is dry. I time it out and kill it by cutting the fuel off and starving the carb, leaving (and adding to) just a bit if gas in the tank.
- About twice a year, I do drain my tank into a gas pan, emptying that into a gas can and putting in fresh gas. The drained gas goes in my truck (unless cloudy from condensation).
- Lastly, if you do have to sit your generator up for a few months, follow the manufacturer's instructions for storage.
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I haven’t been able to find ethanol-free gas. (Farm lobby 1, consumers 0). But I do use the stabilizer.
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I was lucky to have lived in a house with a transfer switch the one time I really needed to run a generator. But wow many people live in a housing unit that has a transfer switch? A generator is not much help if you cannot transfer power into the housing unit’s electrical grid. It’s way too loud and probably also way too toxic to put the generator inside the house just so you can hook your refrigerator or HVAC system to it. If it’s central HVAC, how many people know enough to rewire it to take power from a generator even if you bring the generator inside the house?
If it’s about getting your phones charged every eight to 24 hours, you’ll be better off just using your car, assuming you can get your car started. You can get some warmth or AC in your car while charging your phone.
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@axtremus said in Generators:
I was lucky to have lived in a house with a transfer switch the one time I really needed to run a generator. But wow many people live in a housing unit that has a transfer switch? A generator is not much help if you cannot transfer power into the housing unit’s electrical grid. It’s way too loud and probably also way too toxic to put the generator inside the house just so you can hook your refrigerator or HVAC system to it. If it’s central HVAC, how many people know enough to rewire it to take power from a generator even if you bring the generator inside the house?
If it’s about getting your phones charged every eight to 24 hours, you’ll be better off just using your car, assuming you can get your car started. You can get some warmth or AC in your car while charging your phone.
Housing units are one thing. In an apartment, you're at the grid's mercy.
If you own your home, there are ways to run the cords direct from the generator or you can (illegally) backfeed it if you know how. A transfer switch is vastly preferable, though.
Secondly, the small Hondas are very quiet. I can see using one in a duplex or triplex and running a cord through a window.
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@klaus said in Generators:
Wouldn't it make sense to have a generator combined with a battery? That way one could have very high peak power but still get by with a small generator, no?
Cost, I would imagine. Good deep-cycle batteries like you see with a solar set-up are expensive.
