How much generator should I buy?

[Timber Wolf]

I bought a XDm 3.8 .40 S&W as a to-myself birthday present but feel like I ought to get myself a little more since it is the big 5-0. Feeling kind of guilty about spending more money on guns until I sell a few or twelve, just to free up room in the safe you know. Anyway, I have a 10KW generator, actually a Lincoln Ranger 10,000 welding machine with two 120V & one 50 amp 220V receptacles. It is nice but not exactly portable as in throw-in-the-back-of-the-truck portable. More like get-the-front-end-loader-and-a-chain portable. That is OK but not happening if we are going in the wife’s mini van or just going camping or deer stand building or such and I’m not planning on welding.

So, how much generator do I need/want and which one? The needs I see putting one to are; power outage (a bi-annual occurrence here) when I need to use it all night to run my CPAP (breathing machine, can’t sleep without it anymore), camping (very little) and small tools for deer stand building or general projects out away from power. I am definitely going with an inverter for the size, fuel economy, and weight and yes I know that it won’t be cheap. I feel comfortable buying the popular Honda EU series and have heard nothing bad about them.

I can’t decide to get the 1000 watt or spring the extra $200 (maybe less) and get the 2000 watt? The 1000 will do 90% of what I will ask a generator to do and on less fuel (not a huge consideration no more then I see running it) and maybe a little quieter too (not sure). And is 20 pounds lighter at <30 vs. <50 for the 2000. The 2000 watt will do 99.9% of what I will ever need a generator to do and render my 10KW an expensive shop ornament (that’s OK). The extra weight is not that big of a deal with the 2000 although probably one of the two deciding factors along with physical size (for storage and carrying/hauling). The 2000 would be better for running an air compressor but I do have a gas engine compressor (wheelbarrow type) for real serious air usage. Also, at only ~8amps the 1000 could be too light for some more serious small tools or simultaneous usage/lighting. So to sum, the 1000 is probably all I really need to invest in but I don’t think I would ever be sorry spending a little more on the 2000, until I have to carry it very far. What say you?

 

[flopshot]

minimum to run a circular saw would be 2500 watts. compressor ? better be a small one. even then, the startup draw of a compressor is killer. get the EU2000 at least and then you have the option of running two of them in tandem for 4000 watts. i have an EU1000 and love it but i use my 2200 for working away form the grid.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Humm, I was not thinking just what start up and running amps on a heavy duty circular saw would be. Here is an interesting link to some requirements: http://www.mayberrys.com/honda/generator/html/requirements.htm
The 1000 is looking too small. When I think about running anything and needing lights at the same time it looks really small. Amybody have good experience with another brand? Or just go with the safe choice (Honda) and be happy.

 

[flopshot]

you'll never regret buying the Honda. don't forget the ability to connect two units together either. there are plenty of EU copies out there at lower prices but when it comes to power equipent, especially generators, you need to buy the one that can be serviced.

 

[RG Coburn]

Keep the big genny for running pumps and heavy amp appliances,and buy the 2000 eu to run sensitive stuff,like computer or flat panel TV. Keep them separate.

 

[justashooter]

minimum to run a circular saw would be 2500 watts. compressor ? better be a small one. even then, the startup draw of a compressor is killer. get the EU2000 at least and then you have the option of running two of them in tandem for 4000 watts. i have an EU1000 and love it but i use my 2200 for working away form the grid.

compressor start-up may be reduced by replacing the tube between the pump and the check valve with a longer coiled tube, or even a small tank on a tee. this gives the motor a compressible air chamber to start against, rather than a compression resistant area.

 

[yarro]

The generator condrundom is that you always can see yourself using more if you have it to the point you can't move it. My dad has a Honda EU6500 which is a great generator, but around 4k. He uses it when working around the homestead to run his large compressor, lights, saw, charger for powertools. The cheap 7000Watt Chinese one couldn't run the large compressor and work lights without randomly tripping the breaker. The Honda has never tripped. It is way quieter too. The only downside is that it is indeed heavier. He looses power four or five times a year for a day or so and it allows him to run the wood burning furnance and the freezer, fridge, microwave when he needs to. Moving it isn't a problem as he has frontend loader with backhoe, tractor with loader, 4 wheeler and various trailers for all.

I am saving for an EU3000iSA like my brother has. It weighs about 150 or so lbs full of gas so it is a 2 man lift, but he ran the thing all day for many days while building his new house this summer. His buddy's Northern Tool China generator didn't make it through the summer and had various stuff come loose before the generator head failed. I have also thought about buying 2 EU2000i generators and the parallel cables, which would cost around 300-350 bucks more than a EU3000iSA. Still would have 2000Watts of generator if one failed. One person can easily move one. I want to be able to run my freezer, fridge. microwave intermittantly, and a small AC unit at night if the power is out in the summer and the air handler for the furnace in the winter. Also nice when camping. Could split the purchase in two. You can fix hondas easily as parts are readily available.

-yarro

 

[Whole Bunches]

Having owned a Honda 2000 for several years and using it both in the woods for power tools and at home during hurricane power outages for the fridge, freezer, and fan, I can say with no hesitation: Get the Honda 2000. After about 15-20 minutes of running it full throttle to get the fridge and freezer running cold, I simply switch it to economy mode and let it throttle up and down as needed and it just sips the gasoline.

Oh, and one other thing: get some type of watt meter so you can see what your tools and appliances really pull, then you will know what the Honda can handle at one time. The 2000 can put out 1600 watts indefinately and surge up to 2000 for 30 minutes at a time. Hope this helps.

 

[Deltaten]

original ??

As big as you can afford; as big as you can handle and as big as you like. IF all the above are met, get one at least twice the size you *think* you may need! Sorta like compressors, garages/workshops and trucks

SUre!! I can't move my 15 Kw unit around too well; but I can sure power more'n a couple circular saws

If I need minimal power on the fly, I'll pick up a little unit from HF and consider it disposable.

 

[tuck0411]

Anyone have any experience with Generac or Briggs and Stratton? Lowes has them in the 10-15k watt range for a bit over 2 grand. I like the idea of a couple of those little 2k watt Hondas, but I doubt if they'd be able to handle my water heater plus the fridge along with other misc. items like lights, computer and whatnot.

 

[fnogger]

My CPAP machine will run for 8 hours off a car battery w/ a 400w inverter

Won't run much longer than that though...

 

[flopshot]

Anyone have any experience with Generac or Briggs and Stratton? Lowes has them in the 10-15k watt range for a bit over 2 grand. I like the idea of a couple of those little 2k watt Hondas, but I doubt if they'd be able to handle my water heater plus the fridge along with other misc. items like lights, computer and whatnot.

i'm no fan of either and have seen many in the shop that shouldn't have been based on age and use. the engines always seem to outlive the generator.
Generac split off years ago into Generac Portable and Generac Standby. two totally seperate companies. they both tend to exagerate the output ratings in my opinion and fail to mention the lifespan designed into them.

 

[tuck0411]

i'm no fan of either and have seen many in the shop that shouldn't have been based on age and use. the engines always seem to outlive the generator.
Generac split off years ago into Generac Portable and Generac Standby. two totally seperate companies. they both tend to exagerate the output ratings in my opinion and fail to mention the lifespan designed into them.

Alright, thanks. Is there any brand other than Honda that would be worth considering? I'm fully prepared to pay the money to get that level of quality, but if there's something else that's as good or nearly as good for a bit less money, I'm all ears.

 

[flopshot]

with me it all comes down to two things. if i don't really need the unit to be uber reliable i don't mind buying low end. .10 / watt. if it fails post warranty i scap it for parts. if i want a go to unit i can count on i have to have a servicing dealer to back it up with parts and service. now you're looking at .30-.40 / watt.
you pay a premium for attributes like lightweight and low noise as evident with the Honda EU series and the Honda EB vs EG series. i would recomend the Mitsubishi line but they have discontinued the power equipment line completely.
i have two Mitsubishi, and two Honda and love all of them. the Mitusu was every bit as good as Honda and about thirty percent less expensive. check with several local power equipment dealers in your area. what do they sell, how long have the sold it, are they factory certified on the generator as well as the engine and how many techs hold such certification. just as an FYI, when i sold Honda i was not required to be certified allthough i was on the engine side. someone selling Honda may not be a generator dealer but a re-seller which is what we are classified at this business. we pay a bit more for the unit
through our Honda engine distributor and are not required to supply warranty services. Mitsubishi required no certification at all and was distributed through my Toro LCG distributor. lots of grey areas at this end of the power equipment spectrum. you might even look at Yamaha and Kawasaki as they have a decent service base, don't rely soley on power equipment to exist and are widespread.

 

[tuck0411]

Good advice, thanks, Flopshot.

 

[flopshot]

see what Dynomike has to say as well.

 

[Fn/form]

Look at the Yamaha dual-fuel generators at the site below. Not sure if they still have tri-fuel versions available (gas, propane, natural gas), but I know they have propane/gas versions. The mods are Yamaha approved and still have the factory warranty.

Propane lasts almost indefinitely, burns very clean, very little noxious/dangerous fumes, and can power Mr. Buddy heaters and propane stoves. Great for an all-in-one camping fuel.

Yamaha Generators

 

[timkel]

I looked at whole house with transfer switches, ect. Conveint? Yes, Expensive? Yes. And they require a lot of fuel. This is what I decided . IMHO- There is really no one perfect size generator for all seasons. Instead of one generator, I have three. Each generator is a different size. I can use one or more as needed, where needed. My electrical load varies quite a bit during each 24 hour cycle.
My main generator is a Honda EX650(excellent quality, quiet). This will power lights, laptop and TV while using very little fuel. When I need to run the refrigerators, AC or heater, then I start up the other generators for a few hours only.
In most power failures, the 650 watt Honda was all I needed.
One gallon of gas would last for 6-8 hours.
Some things you never have enough of:
extension cords
gasoline
flashlights

Practice, practice, practice. try some dry runs, in the dark. I also use Sta-bil in my gas.

 

[SmokeEater2]

There are some good Genny's listed here already. I have a 5500 watt Porter-Cable and it's been through hell and still works like a champ. During a massive ice storm here we were without power for 16 days and it ran every day and never missed a lick. It would power everything except for the hot water heater,so in the evening I shut most everything down except for a couple of lights and ran the water heater until it kicked off for showers and then shut it back off. The generator always got shut down at night since we didn't need it for anything at night anyway.

During the day while it was running we could plug in the charger and re-charge batteries for flashlights,radio etc. BTW, Sony Eneloop (sp?) beat the hell out of the other name brand rechargeable batteries I had on hand at the time. They can be stored fully charged,loose very little charge over time and will run longer than other brands. Good stuff,get some!

I had 55 gallons of treated gas stored (Pri-G makes Sta-Bil seem like water btw) which was a life saver since none of the gas stations in town had power to pump fuel until several days after the event and then there were folks standing in LONG lines when a couple finally opened up.

Something I didn't have enough of on hand was oil. When you run a genny that much you'll need to change the oil fairly often and I only had a couple of quarts on hand, and oil,spark plugs etc. sold out in town damn quick. I keep plenty extra of them all on hand now.

I'm in the process right now of adding a couple of deep cycle batteries and an inverter to go along with the generator. The batteries will be for lights and other accessories at night and will get re-charged as needed while the genny's running during the day.

 

[lutefisk]

When I upgrade from the dinky stuff with a drop cord, it will be to propane. Today's gasoline is shit. My diesel does last, at least for an old piece of iron, so that would be my second choice.

 

[timkel]

Had a 3 hour power outage yesterday. I am prepared but then generator would not start. So I opened case, got tools, cleaned out dirty carb, then started right up. Took 20 minutes to repair in broad daylight. I would not want to attempt this in dark. I may add carb cleaning to annual routine maint.
If this had happened at night, my backup plan is 2 other generators ready to go.

 

[sparkky]

Smokey,

that's exactly what I did with the batteries and inverters. I went to Radio shack after I figured the wattage for my TV and satellite box in the bedroom and living room and got inverters large enough to power them.

I used three UPS batteries in each room and they would run all night no problem. And like you said, during the day when I ran a genny I would put a charger on them. WORKED GREAT!!!

Also, about spare parts. Get some plugs, fuel and air filters to keep on hand.

AND RUN THOSE GENNYS about once a month. Turn the fuel off and let them run out. It really does make a difference.

For those that have gennys with battery start it's a good idea to get one of the small battery maintainers to keep on them. they don't cost much and sense when the battery needs a little charge to keep them up. WELL WORTH THE CASH!!!

 

[Timber Wolf]

My CPAP machine will run for 8 hours off a car battery w/ a 400w inverter

Won't run much longer than that though...

I thought about getting an invertor to put on the tractor. Would not really matter if the battery in it went dead, can always pull it off or jump it from the F-150 or my little Black & Decker jumper.

 

[Skilter]

There are some good Genny's listed here already. I have a 5500 watt Porter-Cable and it's been through hell and still works like a champ. During a massive ice storm here we were without power for 16 days and it ran every day and never missed a lick. It would power everything except for the hot water heater,so in the evening I shut most everything down except for a couple of lights and ran the water heater until it kicked off for showers and then shut it back off. The generator always got shut down at night since we didn't need it for anything at night anyway.

During the day while it was running we could plug in the charger and re-charge batteries for flashlights,radio etc. BTW, Sony Eneloop (sp?) beat the hell out of the other name brand rechargeable batteries I had on hand at the time. They can be stored fully charged,loose very little charge over time and will run longer than other brands. Good stuff,get some!

I had 55 gallons of treated gas stored (Pri-G makes Sta-Bil seem like water btw) which was a life saver since none of the gas stations in town had power to pump fuel until several days after the event and then there were folks standing in LONG lines when a couple finally opened up.

Something I didn't have enough of on hand was oil. When you run a genny that much you'll need to change the oil fairly often and I only had a couple of quarts on hand, and oil,spark plugs etc. sold out in town damn quick. I keep plenty extra of them all on hand now.

I'm in the process right now of adding a couple of deep cycle batteries and an inverter to go along with the generator. The batteries will be for lights and other accessories at night and will get re-charged as needed while the genny's running during the day.

I didn't think about the oil and plugs thing... good info. My Honda 2000EU runs like a champ, is quiet and can be linked to get 4000. I really like it a lot as it is easily carried anywhere.

 

[davedude]

AND RUN THOSE GENNYS about once a month. Turn the fuel off and let them run out. It really does make a difference.

Excellent advice. Wish I would follow it...I got a bunch of dirt bike carbs to clean out-----left em with fuel in them....too long.

Note: If you run them dry, the fuel mix goes very lean right before it starves completely for fuel and the engine will run hot. Try to dump the fuel bowl using the drain plug or screw some carbs have built in at the bottom of the bowl, that way avoiding the lean-run heat build up. If it is of concern.

Good thread, thanks.

Dave Dude