Portable generator?

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  • pilot25

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 13, 2016
    1,822
    Lost power in Middletown again. It's about the 5th or 6th time this year.

    I'm guessing Generac is a reliable generator brand I'm going to use between 3 and 6 times a year. Just to power the fridge and some additional little things. I'm thinking 6500 watts is plenty.

    Anyone recommend a location to purchase one in the Frederick area. I loathe the big box stores.
     

    Rack&Roll

    R.I.P
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 23, 2013
    22,304
    Bunkerville, MD
    Forget the Generac and buy the Honda 2000 below.

    A generator is no good if you don’t run it because the noise grates on you, or worse, grates on your neighbors.

    It is expensive, but unbelievably quiet and reliable. I have owned 4-5 generators and this is by far my favorite.

    This unit has the ECO switch so the Gen only runs at the rpms it needs to run the load.

    You won’t regret owning this unit.

    EDIT: Oops, missed the 6500 Watts spec.
     

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    Rack&Roll

    R.I.P
    Patriot Picket
    Jan 23, 2013
    22,304
    Bunkerville, MD
    To follow up: I have found the Honda 2000 the most useful short of back feeding the whole house with larger gen and junction box.

    Most people want to run a fridge and a small A/C window unit for sleeping to thru an extended outage.
     

    Huckleberry

    No One of Consequence
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 19, 2007
    23,306
    Severn & Lewes
    To follow up: I have found the Honda 2000 the most useful short of back feeding the whole house with larger gen and junction box.

    Most people want to run a fridge and a small A/C window unit for sleeping to thru an extended outage.

    Don’t forget that the Honda 2000 allows you to run a Companion 2000 in parallel series to give you 4000w

    Same concept applies for their 1000 and 3000 series generators too

    And Hondas have sine inverters for computers and other sensitive electronics
     

    HeatSeeker

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 18, 2012
    3,058
    Maryland
    Those Honda Inverters are sweet but lots of money. I bought myself a Champion 4375/3500 for Christmas from Cabela's. It's a nice generator with good power. Not the quietest but it was mostly bought for hunting camp used with a 100ft cord so the noise doesn't matter much. $300 with free shipping. It came with pull handle and wheel package. This is the one and it's on sale again. It has great reviews too. https://www.cabelas.com/product/Champion-Watt-Weekender-Next-Gen-Generator/2393623.uts?slotId=14
     

    John from MD

    American Patriot
    MDS Supporter
    May 12, 2005
    22,725
    Socialist State of Maryland
    I have a Generac 10000 and, if your house is insulated properly, the noise doesn't bother you. My nearest neighbor is about a 1000 yards away and it doesn't bother them either. It runs everything in the house except the heating elements of the heat pumps. I do have a 10 circuit transfer box next to my main power box.

    How big a unit really depends on how long you will be without power. I live in a rural area and we are the last to get repair service as BGE sets their priorities depending on how many houses are in the area. There have been times where power was out for over a week.

    If your power comes on in day or two, you can get by with less. It all depends on your situations.
     

    swinokur

    In a State of Bliss
    Patriot Picket
    Apr 15, 2009
    55,394
    Westminster USA
    Noise issues aside, I had a 6500 watt continuous 8500 peak Coleman generator powered by a 13 HP Honda engine.

    I wired a 6 circuit transfer switch with a large plug in my garage.

    The generator powered my gas furnace, my kitchen except electric stove, large screen TV and more than enough lighting. Taking into account motors starting on appliances, 6500 Watts is more than adequate IMO
     

    Mini14tac

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    May 14, 2013
    2,146
    North County
    Just for the record, I have an older Harbor Freight (Chicago Electric) 6500-7000 with a 16 HP Chonda engine. I paid right around $450 and it has given me years of trouble free service. I have a separate sub panel and it runs just about every thing I need and does not even get loaded down. (fridge's, freezer, well pump, back up propane heat, a bunch of lights and receptacles , water heater, TV, wood stove blower etc.)
     

    swinokur

    In a State of Bliss
    Patriot Picket
    Apr 15, 2009
    55,394
    Westminster USA
    That’s my experience too. I had dual watt meters on my transfer panel and even with all my appliances, lighting and TV on the load never exceeded 2700 watts, leaving plenty of capacity for growth and motors stopping and starting.This included a large upright freezer in my basement too

    The genny was a bit noisy but I turned it off at 10 PM so as not to bother my neighbors and restarted if at 6 AM.

    The system worked for me but it depends on where you live, your fuel choices and how much you want to power.

    My brother had a 15k whole house NG Generac he was very pleased with too
     

    swinokur

    In a State of Bliss
    Patriot Picket
    Apr 15, 2009
    55,394
    Westminster USA
    That’s my experience too. I had dual watt meters on my transfer panel and even with all my appliances, lighting and TV on the load never exceeded 2700 watts, leaving plenty of capacity for growth and motors stopping and starting.This included a large upright freezer in my basement too

    The genny was a bit noisy but I turned it off at 10 PM so as not to bother my neighbors and restarted if at 6 AM.

    The system worked for me but it depends on where you live, your fuel choices and how much you want to power.

    My brother had a 15k whole house NG Generac he was very pleased with too
     

    Mr. Ed

    This IS my Happy Face
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 8, 2009
    7,899
    Edgewater
    No matter which generator you get, consider using ethanol free gas, stabilized with Startron. As Rack mentioned, parts degrade from marinating in ethanol infected pump gas, and less expensive chicom substitutes are even more susceptible.

    Even if you have to use regular pump gas during the power outage, if you drain it out and replace it with the good stuff it will greatly extend both the longevity and dependability of the engine.

    Since I don't have a convenient source for ethanol free gas, I use aviation gas from Lee Airport. No ethanol, and it has the added benefit of lead (which helps lubricate upper cylinders and valves). Not cheap at $5.50/gal, but it has completely eliminated the need for tune-ups in all of my small gas engines for well over 10 years.

    Pure Gas
     

    Mini14tac

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    May 14, 2013
    2,146
    North County
    I do run pump gas with stabilizer in mine but it also gets the entire fuel system including the bowl drained prior to being put back into storage. I do this with all of my small engine stuff. They all have been running for many years and not one has needed carb rebuild or anything else for that matter.
     

    Mini14tac

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    May 14, 2013
    2,146
    North County
    One recommendation I will give if you do buy a HF with the chonda engine. Toss the original spark plug and replace it with a good NGK. Those Chinese no name plugs are garbage.
     

    HoCoShooter

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 25, 2009
    3,517
    Howard County
    We have an 8k Briggs and Stratton that's been bulletproof and we got it in 2001. It's loud but powers the whole house with no problem and a tank of gas lasts about 12 hours under (my) normal usage. I also use sta-bil and ethanol treatment and change the oil every 2-3 days of runtime. Model#30664 is essentially the same as our model which was discontinued.
     

    Half-cocked

    Senior Meatbag
    Mar 14, 2006
    23,937
    Honda has discontinued their venerable EU2000i generator.

    They've replaced it with the EU2200i, giving 200W more power and adding a couple of improvements under the hood, such as a fuel shut-off valve, easier to reach oil drain, and improved cooling.
     
    If you’re only going to use the generator 5-6 times per year then you might want to consider one of these from harbor freight:

    https://m.harborfreight.com/6500-ma...r-carb-with-gfci-outlet-protection-63082.html

    It’s ceap and they always have a coupon for an additional 20-25% off

    And you have to replace it every year when the pot metal parts degrade. No thanks.

    The HF generators with Chonda engines are very well reviewed. I have the 4000w unit and can run my entire house sans central AC.
    It starts on the first or second pull every time.

    EDIT- I have a coupon to buy one for $289. Let me know if you want it.
     

    TheOriginalMexicanBob

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 2, 2017
    32,151
    Sun City West, AZ
    Lost power in Middletown again. It's about the 5th or 6th time this year.

    I'm guessing Generac is a reliable generator brand I'm going to use between 3 and 6 times a year. Just to power the fridge and some additional little things. I'm thinking 6500 watts is plenty.

    Anyone recommend a location to purchase one in the Frederick area. I loathe the big box stores.

    I live close by in Braddock Heights and also got tired of power outages. I had a 22.5kw standby generator installed this past February...a Generac. Three weeks after it was installed we had the big wind storm which knocked power out for a day and a half. We were quite comfortable when the rest of Braddock was dark.

    Was it expensive? Somewhat. Was it worth it? Yes!
     

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