Posted on 01/25/2015 9:11:33 AM PST by Rebelbase
The old 5000 watt Kohler has bit the dust.
Looking to buy a new portable electric generator. There are dozens on the market and would like FReeper recommendations for one in the 5000-7500 watt range.
Also considering going with a propane fired model.
Any suggestions? I see a lot of Generac units at a decent price, comments about those?
A grammatical correction edit:
Tired of sifting through reviews. Looking for help here.
The only thing I know about them is that Honda makes at least one or two models.In my experience you can’t go far wrong with anything made by Honda.Also,I recall having seen Consumer Reports do at least one recent review of them.Maybe a trip to the library is in order.
Two things you need to know about buying a portable generator.
1. Figure out what size you need.
2. Buy only a Honda.
I hear that generac is good. Kohler is the bee’s knees for permanently installed ng units.
Honda makes excellent portable, gasoline units, very pricey though compared to generac et al.
About 500 rounds of .22LR per kW.
I am going to convert the largest generator that I have to propane because I'm tired of dealing with gasoline and the Sta-Bil fuel stabilizer thing.
I have 25 of the 20 pound propane bottles that I bought at yard sales full and in storage. The propane can be used from any number of 'doomsday' situations too.
I have a Predator from Harbor Freight that has serviced my needs well for several years. I’ve run it considerably in my work shop to keep the electricity bills down on those projects requiring extensive use of tablesaw, compound miter saw, radial saw, and router tables.
I’ve seen some bad reviews on the machine, but my own experience is the one I have is great. Very easy to use. I also spent the $25.00 for the wheel kit, which makes it quite portable.
I has a Generac that was pretty decent. They are pretty common. It had wheels and a big overhead tank that would hold a lot. It had a Tecumseh engine though that I wished had been another brand, I loaned it out (to my Dad) and it sat and carb got gunked up by the new gas. and would no longer start. It got stolen by some sketchy construction workers that I hired, so I am looking for a new one too.
My advice is that whatever you buy, maintain the gas. Use Stabil or equivalent if you leave it sit for more than a month. The new ethanol reformulated gas is crap. It deteriorates very quickly. Some dealers won’t warrant for anything gas related anymore. The days of storing gas for long periods is gone. Almost like the government doesn’t want you to. Like they want you dependent and not prepared. But that is a whole different topic.....
for what it worth.
I was a facilities guy for a bank and we had a 50KW Cummins put in.
The service guy told me for home say away from Generac.
He said his company loved them because they are always servicing them.
For portable he recommended Honda and for fuel Propane.Not sure if port use Propane but I do know there are no carbs(ethanol) to deal with.
From a trained professional Mechanic.....HONDA
The Generac we have has been quite reliable in New England winters (and soon to get another workout). It’s not a portable model, tho’, so I’m not completely answering your question but as a brand it’s been dependable...
Can’t go wrong with a Generac. Sure its a Chevy compared to Mercedes, but the cost is good and it runs solid. Mine never fails to start had it 15 years. 6500KW. Fuel is propane. Had to do a conversion kit back in that day. Connects to a 6 port transfer switch. Runs the whole house. Check Norwall Power Systems to browse for hours.
My friend easily fixes the generator part all the time.
I think the Honda is likely to be one of the better ones but one piece of advice.... ask to see it run before you buy it. Many people have been astonished at how noisy these things can be. There are some quiet ones and some noisy ones.... a few years ago I got a Coleman Powermate for a good price (smaller than what you are looking for) but in my opinion, it is unacceptably noisy. It’s not like one uses is all the time if it was just purchased for emergencies so perhaps it doesn’t matter... however, there are those times when it would be nice to have it quieter such as when camping.
Honda, hands down.
Will cost a little more, but they always start.
You might consider a bigger diesel unit. Some used ones can be found at:
http://www.govdeals.com/index.cfm?fa=Main.AdvSearchResultsNew&searchPg=Category&additionalParams=true&sortOption=ad&timing=BySimple&timingType=&category=153
You might find something there that is close enough to pick up. You might not. But occasionally, you see a deal. And they are industrial grade and diesel doesn’t deteriorate as fast as gas.
I store all my stuff,splitter,saws,mower,blower,trimmer every thing with this.
Tractor is diesel,whole other story
Splitter (honda engine) needed a new carb 2nd year this stuff cleared all that up.
When I need to run the saw and splitter in winter I use it also but run pump stuff through the warm season.
Had the saw out last week fired right up and ran fine
Bought my son in upstate NY a diesel powered 4kw. Told him to put it in the basement with his 250 gal fuel oil tank for house and water heat. Run the exhaust out the basement window (took pane out and made double wall exit for the exhaust) and taa-daaa. Air cooled engine heats the basement, runs great on heating oil, don’t have to deal with gas cans and a gas station when the power is out and it is secure from theft.
Has already worked great during this years first outtage. Cannot believe anybody else has not thought of that. Heating oil guy has lived his whole life up there and never thought or saw this setup.
Propane is the way to go! burns clean doesn’t go bad and
can also hook up a grill for cooking.
Gasoline needs to be changed every 6 months even then
I’d suggest having a spare carburetor. Dirt can get into places that you can’t get out, and rebuilding carbs is an art.
Most gas generators won’t hold even 24 hours worth of gas.
And, storing gas in cans is very dangerous.
MOST IMPORTANTLY NEVER USE ANY TYPE OF GENERATOR WITH OUT
HAVING CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS IN THE BEDROOMS!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.