What generator are you guys using?

[smithmdsmith]

Originally Posted by k_allison510

Its returned. Told the people at home depot what was going on. They said ok and took it back. No problem at all.

Oops. My post was late. Good move.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by k_allison510

Its returned. Told the people at home depot what was going on. They said ok and took it back. No problem at all.

Good deal! You are definitely luckier than I would of been with that return. Hopefully the new one treats you right.

My two Honda's are over 12 years old and we use them A LOT. Even I am surprised they are still going strong after the thousands of hours we have on them. All we have done is regular maintenance and replaced the pull cord. Hope you have a similar experience with yours.

[k_allison510]

Question for you guys running the westinghouse igen 4500. How do you like them? Do you have the updated version with the 30 amp plug the right direction and the battery cut off switch? They get mostly good reviews and I am leaning towards getting one.

[510Rick]

I'm sure its been posted but I like the 2 Hondas I have they work great and are easy to lift . 1 is the regular Honda the other is a companion . My friend has the EU2200's and they work the exact same as mine except you can shut off the fuel and run the carb dry which I like because these little tiny carbs gum up pretty easily .

[Big-Foot]

Originally Posted by 510Rick

I'm sure its been posted but I like the 2 Hondas I have they work great and are easy to lift . 1 is the regular Honda the other is a companion . My friend has the EU2200's and they work the exact same as mine except you can shut off the fuel and run the carb dry which I like because these little tiny carbs gum up pretty easily .

The ability to shut off the fuel and run the carburetor dry was one of the check-boxes for me.
I just picked up a Champion 2000/1700 watt “Cube” which has this feature. Surprisingly it takes almost 5 minutes at an idle to run the fuel line and carburetor out of gas..
This genny is easily as quiet as my buddies Honda 2000... We’ll see how it goes..

[NJKris]

Bought a pair of Champion 2000W inverters and a parallel connector. Scored the generators for 350 bucks each at Blains Farm and Fleet. Haven't fired them up yet, but should be more than enough to fire up 13.5 BTU A/C if I go off grid, which was my only reason for getting them. TV runs off of 12V.

[nrkmann]

Since most small engines don’t have a shutoff I install one along with a fuel filter. Both were very inexpensive at Amazon. Some small engine, like my lawnmower have a direct feed out of the tank and there is no way to install a filter or shutoff.

[H20loo]

I read through this whole thread and bought the 3500 Predator. Very happy with it and everyone comments on how quiet it runs even under load.

Thanks

[NJKris]

Wow this thread got long!!! Bear in mind when choosing your generator, the decibel scale is logarithmic. Every 3 decibels, the perceived loudness DOUBLES. EX: a 63 decibel generator will be DOUBLE the loudness of a 60 decibel unit. Get the most quiet inverter generator you can afford if you will be camping near others. Nobody wants to hear your generator.

[Big-Foot]

Originally Posted by H20loo

I read through this whole thread and bought the 3500 Predator. Very happy with it and everyone comments on how quiet it runs even under load.

Thanks

I wish you good luck....
My luck is not good enough to gamble on a 90 day warranty..

[Big-Foot]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Wow this thread got long!!! Bear in mind when choosing your generator, the decibel scale is logarithmic. Every 3 decibels, the perceived loudness DOUBLES. EX: a 63 decibel generator will be DOUBLE the loudness of a 60 decibel unit. Get the most quiet inverter generator you can afford if you will be camping near others. Nobody wants to hear your generator.

Yep... Sound pressure levels are not as linear as people think.

[babock]

Originally Posted by Big-Foot

Yep... Sound pressure levels are not as linear as people think.

Hence the reason it's measured in DB which is logarithmic.

[H20loo]

Originally Posted by Big-Foot

I wish you good luck....
My luck is not good enough to gamble on a 90 day warranty..

I thought thegamble was - will something that costs three times as much last three times as long?
I hope i dont need the warranty but I will post if I made a mistake in buying this.

[k_allison510]

Originally Posted by H20loo

I thought thegamble was - will something that costs three times as much last three times as long?
I hope i dont need the warranty but I will post if I made a mistake in buying this.

I dont blame you a bit. I would buy a predator in a heartbeat if they made one with higher output. As of now. I kept the companion model Honda that I am going to use when we dont need ac. But I am going to buy the Westinghouse igen4500 in the spring when we start boondocking again. To say that I am unimpressed with the Honda's is an understatement. I regret buying them but I am stuck with the companion.

[Swampy]

Originally Posted by H20loo

I thought thegamble was - will something that costs three times as much last three times as long?
I hope i dont need the warranty but I will post if I made a mistake in buying this.

My Predator 3500i is over a year old and has and continues to operate flawlessly ( I suppose I wasted the extra $ on the extended warranty.). If you have concerns with needing parts for an engine repair, Please check out the Powerhorse brand at Northern Tool, other than being blue instead of red, it is identical to the Predator. Parts are available from Northern Tool, so issue resolved.

Good Camping ...... Swampy

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Swampy

My Predator 3500i is over a year old and has and continues to operate flawlessly ( I suppose I wasted the extra $ on the extended warranty.). If you have concerns with needing parts for an engine repair, Please check out the Powerhorse brand at Northern Tool, other than being blue instead of red, it is identical to the Predator. Parts are available from Northern Tool, so issue resolved.

Good Camping ...... Swampy

Just my opinion but extended warranties are usually just "enhanced profit" for the mft/retailer.

If you bought a real lemon there's a good chance you will be covered by the mfr's warranty.

Follow operating and maintenance instructions. Do that and chances are great all you'll have issues with is an occasional loose screw, nut, bolt, etc

The generators I bought, two of them, are 2 years and 13 years old. Not a single issue, not even a warranty claim.

The "extended warranty" hard sell at Harbor Freight is why I hate going in their stores.

[gos5]

I've used a Yamaha 4500 Inverter for the last 10 years with no issue. It only has 650 hours on it and I change the oil every 50 hours. It's super quiet and fits in my storage compartment and is on wheels. It will run both my AC units (15k and 13.5k) at the same time, but that's about it. If not super hot, I can run just the one AC and anything else I may need.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by TitanMike

The "extended warranty" hard sell at Harbor Freight is why I hate going in their stores.

It's only a hard sell if you let it be

[5picker]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

It's only a hard sell if you let it be

I agree.
Their job is to ask you about it.
All you have to do is say no.

[Indy500]

Is it possible to parallel a Honda and a predator