Looking for a $100 generator

[A2pfunk]

In another thread, I see the OP talking about how easy it is to go out and get a generator for $100. Wondering if you all might be able to help me find such a steal.

[JLeising]

Like this one?
https://www.amazon.com/PowerSmart-Ge...%2C216&sr=8-51
Small (900 watt), 2 cycle engine.

[bikendan]

Harbor Freight has this one and it goes on sale for $100 quite often:

https://www.harborfreight.com/engine...arb-63025.html

It's the same Chinese-made generator, as the above PowerMate and made in the same factory.

BUT you'll need to also get some kind of hearing protection. 91 decibels is LOUD.

[MtBiker]

The puppy is so small that you would have to run it all day to charge your battery.
Charging two modern cell phones at the same time would use the bulk of it's capacity.

[tomkatb]

That is roughly 6-7 amps ac. Would work to recharge a trailer in an emergency. If it starts.

However, 90 decibels will get you thrown out of any park in America!

It is an exponential curve. That generator is likeY 10 times as loud or more as the little Honda.

You would need ear protection to start it.

[TowPro]

That little harbor freight one is 82dB in one document and 92dB in another.
I watched a guy smoke ribs with one in an electric smoker and I don't recall it being that loud but it was several years ago.

[KyDan]

I had one similar for a while.
2 cycle.
Started easily and had no problem powering a stand alone charger to boost my batteries.
BUT it was loud! Think weed whacker running at full throttle for 3 or 4 hours.
I used it in a CG one time during generator hours and I was off in a fairly remote site and still got dirty looks.
Gave it to my son for an emergency backup for his freezer.

After several years the last I heard he'd given it away because the carb was clogged/fuel lines rotted from sitting too long.

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by MtBiker

The puppy is so small that you would have to run it all day to charge your battery.
Charging two modern cell phones at the same time would use the bulk of it's capacity.

Not so.
It is a 120v generator that produces 900 watts maybe 750 continuous is a better number.
That would be able to power a 30 AMP 12v charger no problem.
Power (watts) = Amps times volts
so Watts = 30Amps times 14 volts (voltage needed to boost batteries)
30 x 14 = 420 Watts.
Add watts for loss in the charger and you are still well below the 750 watt max.

None of this matters if your ears are bleeding!!
I've often wondered if some motor head couldn't cobble some sort of larger muffler on one of these little gennys and make it acceptably quiet but would it be worth the effort?

[5picker]

Originally Posted by KyDan

Not so.
It is a 120v generator that produces 900 watts maybe 750 continuous is a better number.
That would be able to power a 30 AMP 12v charger no problem.
Power (watts) = Amps times volts
so Watts = 30Amps times 14 volts (voltage needed to boost batteries)
30 x 14 = 420 Watts.
Add watts for loss in the charger and you still well below the 750 watt max.

None of this matters if your ears are bleeding!!
I've often wondered if some motor head couldn't cobble some sort of larger muffler on one of these little gennys and make it acceptably quiet but would it be worth the effort?

Correct.

I have an old (very old) Honda 400w generator that is no bigger than a shoe box.
It powers a 20a stand alone charger just fine.

[RedLdr1]

Originally Posted by KyDan

I've often wondered if some motor head couldn't cobble some sort of larger muffler on one of these little gennys and make it acceptably quiet but would it be worth the effort?

I doubt if the motor would even run due to the back pressure a real muffler would add...

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by RedLdr1

I doubt if the motor would even run due to the back pressure a real muffler would add...

I think it could be done!
My son has a garage full of different scooters. Some are VERY quiet and some are deliberately noisy.
The quiet ones make me think a 2 cycle can be quiet IF it's done correctly.

[Jay2504]

I have often thought about buying one of those 2 cycle generators from Harbor Freight. IMHO the only real hope of keeping it somewhat quiet would be to build a box for it. There are times when I need a small generator that is easy to move around. Another option is the 1800/1400 Champion model that is sold at Tractor Supply. Sometimes it’s on sale for $179. It’s 4 cycle and much quieter than the 2 cycle models we are talking about. Jay.

[Larry-NC]

Originally Posted by MtBiker

The puppy is so small that you would have to run it all day to charge your battery.
Charging two modern cell phones at the same time would use the bulk of it's capacity.

Umm, maybe that's hyperbole.
Cellphone charger=2.1 amps at 5 volts = 10.5 watts
Two of them make 21 watts. What shall we do with the other 79?

I agree with the all-day part. 100 watts/12 volts = 8.3 amps. A teb-hour charge would be 83 amp-hours.

[Tundra 2014]

Yeah, every time I go into Harbour Frieght I see a stack of these generators sitting in a bask-cart returned. Two strokes are not known for their torque, what you need for a generator. The output of 900 watts or 7 amps, MAX might run a small coffee pot or 1/2 what you need for a microwave. No thanks.

[KyDan]

??? Did you read my posts?
These noisy little generators put out 600-700 watts continuous.
That easily powers a 30 amp charger.

[boondocking]

Originally Posted by KyDan

??? Did you read my posts?
These noisy little generators put out 600-700 watts continuous.
That easily powers a 30 amp charger.

X2

That generator puts out 700 watts (5.83 amps) continuous at 120 volts .
A 30 amp charger needs an input of 390 watts (3.25 amps) at 120 volts.

So no problem running a 30 amp charger.

[lacamastraveler]

Originally Posted by A2pfunk

In another thread, I see the OP talking about how easy it is to go out and get a generator for $100. Wondering if you all might be able to help me find such a steal.

If you plan to use the generator boondocking or any where near other RVers, please buy a quiet generator. You probably won’t find one for $100, but you don’t want to ruin the RVing experience for others.

[ncebeemer]

Originally Posted by lacamastraveler

If you plan to use the generator boondocking or any where near other RVers, please buy a quiet generator. You probably won’t find one for $100, but you don’t want to ruin the RVing experience for others.

X2

[rsdata]

I feel compelled to defend these small 2-stroke generators to people that have misconceptions of them.

Although I have never owned a HF model, I have owned a 1200/900 watt kissin-cousin model for over 15 years. The only trouble I ever had with it was I had to replace a cracked spark plug. I originally bought it at Northern Tool mail-order, sometime in 2001. I used it every summer for 9 years for 2-3 weeks at a time at a boondocking summer fish camp near Sioux Lookout, Ont. and it never missed a beat.

Through day and night and rain it powered a camp light and battery chargers for 2 trolling motor batteries. Using about a gallon of gas and a cup of 2-stroke oil every 5-6 hours made it perfect for running about 12 hours a day. Last time at that fish camp was 2011. I have used and/or started this genny annually and ran a tank of gas through it, just to prove I can still count on it in an emergency. I saw another one at a garage sale 5 years ago and bought it for $50, so I now own two.

Yes it was noisy, but the only people that noticed it were myself and a few friends camped there as we were in fact 1/4 mile off a graded logging road. I put it behind a stand of trees, in a small depression with a 75 foot extension cord and from the tent I could hardly hear it. With any wind blowing rattling leaves at all, it simply was not noticeable. The last 5-8 years I have used it while tailgating in Louisville while at the Derby in May and at a private camp in August at a weekend music festival.

As far as maintenance, if you know to shut off fuel flow or run it dry each time, then there was nothing else to do. I bit of fogging oil in the fuel tank during winter storage to keep the metal tank from rusting ( that happened to me once; it took me some work to clean out the tank) and you are good to go.

I believe the HF model is 99% the same model, so if you are not in a campground, and need a little power to charge batteries and keep your Fantastic fans running all night, or a bit of emergency power like running a sump pump during a power outage like I do, then I believe you will get your money's worth. I do not dismiss the Honda and Honda knock-offs for they are truly whisper quiet, but their price is why you have to lock them down from theft.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by KyDan

None of this matters if your ears are bleeding!!
I've often wondered if some motor head couldn't cobble some sort of larger muffler on one of these little gennys and make it acceptably quiet but would it be worth the effort?

An enclosure with some sound deadening material on the inside and open at the top to let heat out would do well in making it more livable.

Two sheets of plywood split lengthwise. Some ordinary butt hinges with removable pins to join ends. Cover with acoustical egg crate foam so the noise isn't just reflected out of the enclosure.


When not in use to quiet down the generator it can also do duty as a pet or toddler enclosure

BTW, if it's rated at 900W continuous it will more than power my Progressive Dynamic's 60 amp converter. 60 amp at 14.6 volts is only 876 watts. My batteries charge in a max of 3-3.5 hours (Battleborns).