Anybody use the Harbor Freight inverter generator?

[gspot01]

Inverter Generator - 4.7HP, 2500W Inverter Generator

Do you like it? Good solution for weekend dry camping just for keeping the battery charged (no air)?

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[bikendan]

64db is WAY loud for an inverter generator.
Heck, that's the same noise rating as many open frame contractor type generators.

I wouldn't subject camping neighbors to that loud of a generator.
And remember that noise rating is at idle.
It'll be louder when it ramps up.

[gspot01]

Cool. Thanks! I'll pass on it then.

[dannyabear]

Being it is a Harbor Freight product, I would use it 4 or 5 times then just leave it at campground for someone else to 'find'. That way you won't be mad the 6th time you need it and its crapped out.

[gspot01]

Oh come on now it's not as bad as that.

I've got a shop-full of HF tools among other brands and have never really had any problems with anything. Most of the "American" brands are made in the exact same factories in the Orient. You just have to shop wisely which is why I was asking for peoples' experiences. That goes for anything you buy nowadays since almost everything is made overseas. I've got a Hf jointer, belt sander, lathe, dust collector, scroll saw, pressure washer, compressor, etc. I've been mostly happy with all of it.

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[Skyliner]

The generator is a clone of an ETQ I owned in the past. It is not that loud at full load and its noise level was acceptable.

Read the reviews of this generator and many also state that the generator is quiet. One review of the ETQ states that it was 59 Db at 1 meter running a 1,000 watt load. 59 db is relative normal volume. 60 db is considered normal conversation sound pressure level.

Don't trust all the specs you read on Chinese generator. This generator load rating is overstated as is its sound level. I could only get 1600 watts out of my generator but I'm not at sea level. A review stated that it only put out 1900 watts continuous.

For dry camping to charge batteries it will be perfect for you. Inverter generators only get loud at higher loads and recharging batteries doesn't put much of a load on them.

It is ON SALE at harborfreight for $349.00 and that is a price that can't be beat.

I'm thinking of buying a couple at that price just for emergency use and a backup for our cabin's Champion generator.

[NMWildcat]

I also have lots of HF tools and equipment. But I only buy anything electric from them if I just need it occasionally and not for anything major. A generator for $350? Sure it's a great price, but I would rather put that money toward a reliable generator than waste it one you know will not last long. You have to admit they don't have the best rep for most of their electric tools.

[gspot01]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

I also have lots of HF tools and equipment. But I only buy anything electric from them if I just need it occasionally and not for anything major.

That's the situation here with my possible generator purchase. I have never dry-camped before and anticipate only doing it once or twice a year for a couple nights each time. Here in the South the times are rare that the weather is comfortable enough to go without air or heater. In late November it seems to go from being 85/60 suddenly to being 55/20s. So 99% of the time I camp where there's power.

Also, unlike in the Southwest, we don't really have that many places that allow dispersed camping (that I'm currently aware of). We have lots of Nfs in the western half of the state, but there are campgrounds with electric scattered all through, and I think they want you to stick to those. The generator would just be for those rare occasions (not even planned yet) where I might need my battery charged.

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[Dmaster79]

In the harbor freight ad this weekend I see they have a newer model inverter 2000w that you can parallel with another.

http://m.harborfreight.com/2000-peak...arb-62523.html

No reviews but would be interesting to see if they have now also cloned others in design. Never had issues with my open frame generator from there but can't say it's quiet either.

[retired06]

I bought the the 2800 watt inverter one for $499 and had the overload kick on, then any time I put any load it would kick out. Took it back and paid restocking fee. Bought a 3100 champion inverter for $750 , love it.

[fella10]

Originally Posted by Dmaster79

In the harbor freight ad this weekend I see they have a newer model inverter 2000w that you can parallel with another.

2000 Peak/1600 Running Watts, 2.8 HP (79.7cc) Portable Inverter Generator CARB

No reviews but would be interesting to see if they have now also cloned others in design. Never had issues with my open frame generator from there but can't say it's quiet either.

that appears to be an almost identical twin of the Wen 2000 generator, which many folks consider to be a Yamaha knockoff and which comes with very high positive reviews.............

https://www.amazon.com/WEN-56200i-St...ator+2000+watt

[FrankG]

Well... I am not a fan of the Chinese Tool Store, BUT, I have a three year old (electric) pressure washer from them that runs about 3 to 4 hours a day 5 days a week in a screen printing operation. It is the most cost effective pressure washer we have ever had by far. Don't know about there inverters, but the price is right and the return policy if fair and then there is the extended warranty option.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Dmaster79

In the harbor freight ad this weekend I see they have a newer model inverter 2000w that you can parallel with another.

http://m.harborfreight.com/2000-peak...arb-62523.html

No reviews but would be interesting to see if they have now also cloned others in design. Never had issues with my open frame generator from there but can't say it's quiet either.

This one has a decibel rating of 66db!

That's the loudest rating of any inverter generator I've ever seen.
That's louder than the Champion 3500w open frame contractor style generator I have.

[rsdata]

I ran the HF 2500 watt genset in FL this past winter in a campground that had many motorhomes running their generators at various times during the day, While the HF genset was not as quiet as a pair of Honda's near my camp, it was certainly NOT as loud as any of the motorhome generators that were running. And unlike the MH generators that are tied into the MH, I could at least hang on an extension cord and take it 50-60 feet to the back of the campsite and aim the exhaust away from the campsite. One evening the wind stopped blowing and the fumes from one MH right next to me running their genset gave me and the wife coughing fits. They did not answer their MH door when I knocked several times to ask them to turn it off. I took my genset from the back of the lot and set it on the edge of my campsite aiming the exhaust toward their MH... they turned theirs off about 20 minutes later and so did I. Next day we moved.

I have used my HF genset now about 10 times in the past year... probably gone through 25 tanks of gas... still works good. If using to just charge batteries it is not loud at all, but large enough to run my AC with the AC Cap mod installed.

[bpa098]

for long weekends with out power i borrow my fathers Honda mostly to just keep the batteries charged. Where i go you get a time frame of 2 hours in the morning and 3 in the afternoon to run them. just charging the batteries, ya its quiet for a geny but still drives me nuts. Sometimes we will use the electric griddle to cook on and that runs the geny at full strength and gets pretty noisy.

My plan, which might work for you, is hopefully next year go with solar since my main goal is just to charge batteries. It can charge them all day with out any noise. Sure you can spend 1000s setting up high tech equipment, but i am planning on a 200-300 watt suitcase style with long cord so i can get it in the sun and just clamp directly on to my batteries.

the types of parks in my area that i prefer mostly are dry camping.

[fella10]

Originally Posted by bikendan

This one has a decibel rating of 66db!

That's the loudest rating of any inverter generator I've ever seen.
That's louder than the Champion 3500w open frame contractor style generator I have.

that is high and much louder than the Wen which is rated at 51dB, lower than the Honda at 59dB(link below),.... so looks aren't everything,.... but then again, maybe its just the "Loud Mouth" of the twins,......

Quiet Generators - What is the Quietest Portable Generator?

[danc]

Originally Posted by gspot01

Inverter Generator - 4.7HP, 2500W Inverter Generator

Do you like it? Good solution for weekend dry camping just for keeping the battery charged (no air)?

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I do have that same gen .......and it's not a bad little gen so far it has worked fine for me. It's not as quite as a Honda of course but it's not as bad as a open frame gen and in fact if it's not full throttle it's fairly quite and i even use mine to run my 13.5 A/C. The HF store here had them for 369.00.

[gspot01]

Originally Posted by danc

I do have that same gen .......and it's not a bad little gen so far it has worked fine for me. It's not as quite as a Honda of course but it's not as bad as a open frame gen and in fact if it's not full throttle it's fairly quite and i even use mine to run my 13.5 A/C. The HF store here had them for 369.00.

So you can run a 13.5 AC with one? I didn't know that. I was under the impression you needed two for that.

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[danc]

Originally Posted by gspot01

So you can run a 13.5 AC with one? I didn't know that. I was under the impression you needed two for that.

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Yes.....I did add a hard start cap to the A/C and have had no problems since then. Also put a delay timer on the A/C compressor so the fan would come on first so the gen would rev up before the compressor would kick in. After doing those two things I've had no problems.

[DocRob]

I started a thread a couple of days back on this generator - works great.