What generator brands to buy/avoid

Bruenor · #1 07/04/12, 09:29 AM

Now that we have a little one in the house, I'm thinking of buying a generator. We didn't have a real need before now, other than the possibility of losing some food in the freezer. But now that our daughter is here, I'd rather have the possibility of a fan in the summer and a small heater in the winter if we lose power.

So, what generator brands do you recommend to buy or to avoid? Once I narrow down the brand, I'll decide what size that I need.

Thanks!

meddac · #2 07/04/12, 09:42 AM

It really depends on your budget and size req't before narrowing down brands. Honda's are bulletproof for the smaller 1-3000 watt range. I have a Honda EU 2000 for small stuff because it's very fuel efficient and a larger Ridgid 6500 that's powered by a Yamaha motor from Home Depot but it loves gas. I need 220 to run an AC unit and a well pump and water heater intermittently. Ironically the small honda costs hundreds more than the Ridgid. I don't care about noise as I have no neighbors but the larger ones are loud and if you live close to someone then you probably need to factor that in. The Honda is really quiet. I try to run both of mine for an hour each month under at least 25-50% load to maintain the windings. Just my 2 cents...I'm sure others will chime in. Get a transfer switch by all means if you are going bigger.

Old Vet · #3 07/04/12, 11:59 AM

I have a Briggs and Striation 20 KVA generator on propane for the whole house. I really like it. It has a transfer switch that will start it automatically. I never have to worry about it because it checks it self out each week. All I do is to have propane available.

AngieM2 · #4 07/04/12, 12:02 PM

Generac and Honda are two of the brands my son-in-law sold in his Generator Store. He did not do the cheap stuff that is many times in the box stores.

The Honda's and some Yamaha's seemed to be the preferred ones. And Generacs for whole houses and businesses.

terri9630 · #5 07/04/12, 01:00 PM

We have a onan in the camper and a generic gen made by yamaha for the horse trailer and stuff around the property. Neither would run the house but they are enough to keep us comfortable and keep frig and freezers from thawing out.

stamphappy · #6 07/04/12, 01:03 PM

We have a Honda 6500iS which is a super quiet model. we wanted a quiet one so we didn't disturb the neighbors.

I'd like to hear what others say about propane because that's the type I'd really like. THe HOnda runs on gasoline which isn't very long lasting.

#7 07/04/12, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stamphappy

We have a Honda 6500iS which is a super quiet model. we wanted a quiet one so we didn't disturb the neighbors.

I'd like to hear what others say about propane because that's the type I'd really like. THe HOnda runs on gasoline which isn't very long lasting.

There are kits available to convert most gasoline engines to run off propane or natural gas . If you do some goggle searching a kit might be available for your Honda .

www.propane-generators.com/honda-generators.htm

Nottingham · #8 07/04/12, 02:30 PM

I bought a Gillette Gen-Pro 4000 Watt diesel generator that was not working off of Craiglist earlier this year for next to nothing this spring. It only had 75 hours on it, looked brand new, and the Yanmar diesel engine would start with one pull (it also has an electric start). I figured that I would see if I could get it running and if not I planned to use the diesel motor for another project. I emailed Gillette about purchasing a service manual. They emailed me a full service manual and trouble shooting guide within a couple hours for free. I figured out want was wrong with the generator and contacted their service department to purchase replacement parts. Talking with the service rep. I found out that the generator was 20 years old. I really thought it was only 3 or 4 years old based on how clean it was. After talking with the service rep I decided to completely replace the generator part. The replacement part was available at a reasonable cost but I decided to upgrade due to improvements in the sine wave (which is clean enough to safely run electronics long term) and a 20% increase in power (5000 watts vs the original 4000 watts). I placed my order and the parts arrived within 3 days.
The generators are built and wound here in the USA so replacement parts are easy to get. They use oversized diodes on the generator. And their service is top notch (free service manuals and fast response to my pricing requests). I think they are using Lombardini diesel engines now.
I have run mine about 25 hours this year on our farm for construction and pumping water with no issues. The diesel sips fuel. I am amazed at how little fuel this thing uses.
Mike
PS Being a diesel this generator is a bit loud for in-town use but I bet I could put a larger muffler on it to quiet it down.
As for the small Honda generators I have heard great things about them from people I know that own them.

stamphappy · #9 07/04/12, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WV Hillbilly

There are kits available to convert most gasoline engines to run off propane or natural gas . If you do some goggle searching a kit might be available for your Honda .

Honda Generators Propane and Natural gas Kits.

Thanks for the link WV Hillbilly; I will check them out and see what they can do for my needs. Take care and have a great 4th!

secretcreek · #10 07/04/12, 03:39 PM

We were hit by that Eastern land hurricane storm last Friday. No power for 5 days. We used a brand new Generac 2000 that we'd purchased for our small business to run our fridge, a couple of fans and occas. tv viewing ( we kept our cell phones charged with it too as our landline was out)....OR we'd run the washing machine-separately alone. The Generac would run about 5 hours on a full tank of gas ( 1.5 gal gasoline).

It did a fine job, but was loud. We live rural and I could hear generators running across the hills. That left me feeling "exposed".

Ohio dreamer · #11 07/04/12, 06:22 PM

Great thread. DH and I have just started considering a generator. Now that we have 2 freezers, it would be nice to have a gen that could run one. That would give us more time to use and can up the contents. It's only in the past 6 mos that DH has been willing to store some gas (about 20 gals). So generators are now just becoming a possibility for us.

We live in town, so it looks like a smaller Honda should be where we start our research. Just the information I was needing

Old Vet · #12 07/04/12, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secretcreek

We were hit by that Eastern land hurricane storm last Friday. No power for 5 days. We used a brand new Generac 2000 that we'd purchased for our small business to run our fridge, a couple of fans and occas. tv viewing ( we kept our cell phones charged with it too as our landline was out)....OR we'd run the washing machine-separately alone. The Generac would run about 5 hours on a full tank of gas ( 1.5 gal gasoline).

It did a fine job, but was loud. We live rural and I could hear generators running across the hills. That left me feeling "exposed".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohio dreamer

Great thread. DH and I have just started considering a generator. Now that we have 2 freezers, it would be nice to have a gen that could run one. That would give us more time to use and can up the contents. It's only in the past 6 mos that DH has been willing to store some gas (about 20 gals). So generators are now just becoming a possibility for us.

We live in town, so it looks like a smaller Honda should be where we start our research. Just the information I was needing

You can go to any muffler shop and get a larger muffler put on to quieten it down.

Hears The Water · #13 07/04/12, 07:06 PM

What about a solar powered generator? Has anyone had any experience with one of those? I didn't even know that such a thing existed, but my son did, of all things. I was looking at that because I am very leery of the exhaust fumes of a gas/diesel powered one I didn't know that you could use propane/natural gas to fuel a generator either. Are there any fumes from that? Forgive my ignorance I am learning so much here! I will admit that I am VERY spooked about anything that can give off fumes or exhaust since my carbon monoxide exposure. I will be checking out that link about the propane genny, here in a bit.
Thanks in advance
God bless you and yours
Deb

Nimrod · #14 07/04/12, 08:50 PM

The Honda EU 1000i, EU 2000i, and the EU 3000i produce pure sine wave electricity so they won't damage sensitive electronics and motors. I think Yamaha makes some similar ones too. Most generators make modified sine wave electricity which can be hard on your stuff. The Hondas mentioned cost more but they are quiet and run efficiently so are worth it IMHO.

Keep in mind that motors may take up to 3 times the wattage to start so you have to size the generator to match. My little 3000 watt generator won't start the compressor if there is any pressure in the tank but it will start it if there is no pressure. LOL

Bruenor · #15 07/04/12, 08:59 PM

Thanks everyone for the responses. Now I'm off to calculate what I want to run on the generator, and pick what size I'll need.

Darren · #16 07/04/12, 09:58 PM

This has been covered in another current thread. Look up Hawkpower. They have long run generators that can run for 2000 hrs straight before needing maintenance. The smallest is a 4,000 watt unit. Ask Generac if you can do that with one of their generators. Of course you may never have to run your generator for close to three months. But if you need to run a Hawkpower constantly for a few weeks to a month, it won't be a problem.

Most of the Hawkpower units are warrantied for five years or 5,000 hours. When you start looking for generators ask about the warranty. You may be surprised.

Darren · #17 07/05/12, 07:35 AM

Last night I did some searches looking for info. this morning I talked to a Hawkpower importer located on the East coast.

I was surprised to find out that Generac has started to use Chinese engines such as those made by Chery. The Chery name is an obvious play on Chevy. As for quality simply google Generac and problems. Some Generac owners never have had problems others have had significant issues.

The Lister Petter engined Hawkpower units that run on natural gas or propane range from 6.9KW to 19.3 KW.

stamphappy · #18 07/05/12, 09:03 AM

I did a little bit of research on Lister Petter yesterday. That is one impressive machine. Nimrod, thanks for the info on the Hondo. JUst one of the many reasons I love this forum.

Ohio Rusty · #19 07/05/12, 09:34 AM

I have a Coleman Powermate 5000 watt with a 6250 watt peak. Just a big box store type of brand. Bought it for Y2K and have been using it ever since.It has two 110 outlets, and two 220 outlets (those are kinda useless for me). It will run about 11 hours on 5 gallons. It is horribly loud ........ But it has given good service. I think I really am going to try and acquire a Honda 3000 watt generator. Honda are excellent generators. My prothers have Hondas ...pricey, but quiet and reliable.

Ohio Rusty ><>

baldylocks · #20 07/05/12, 09:46 AM

I have one of those yellow Champion generators. It's not huge or anything and won't run my entire house but it starts every time and I have had only good luck with it...