One less high-stress issue for those hurricanes!

[Thumper]

I've been wanting to buy a portable generator for many years, but it's just one of those things that always gets shoved to the back burner. Then, once a hurricane is headed this way, I again make it a priority. BUT, that's also when generators become extremely scarce and you either buy some piddly little Chinese 500-watt machine from Harbor Freight, or get told the one you REALLY want is sold out, but they should have more in after the hurricane. Granted, I've been lucky. When Irma blasted through here, I lost power for 3-1/2 days (I was one of the lucky ones, some were without power for 3-1/2 WEEKS!) Lynn's hotel (Hyatt) has two emergency generators to run their freezers and refrigerators in case of a power failure. They really don't have to worry much about power failures as the hotel is pretty much protected by a highway embankment on one side and the Convention Center on the other. They're also on the same power grid with the Center and all utilities are underground. If they should lose power, they are one of the first to get it back as the City Emergency Management Team uses the Center for their home base during any major crisis. When Irma blasted through here, the hotel loaned me one of their generators. It was brand new and had never even been started. I brought it home, gassed it up and it started on the FIRST dang pull! I thought that was impressive. It worked like a champ and ran non-stop for 3-1/2 days powering everything I needed. A large (23 cu. ft) freezer and two large (20 cu. ft) refrigerator/freezers. Also a couple of fans, a few lamps, the tv and microwave. (I'd turn off anything unneeded to use the micro just for good measure, but I'm not sure I'd have had to). Anyway, it was a Generac 5500-Watt and I was really happy with it. Once I finished with it, I ran the carb dry, drained the tank/lines and returned it.

So, I decided I need one of those puppies. I settled on a 6500-Watt Generac exactly like the hotel loaned me, other than running 1000 more watts. I shopped the heck out of it and it surprised me a bit, but I found the best deal on Amazon. They just delivered it today and there's not so much as a minor scuff on that 300-lb. box! They wheeled it right into my garage! Good job delivery people!

My new toy.


10920

[Arty]

That’s a great generator and you’ll love it.
I have essentially the same one, just a little more watts, and mine is electric start.
It powers everything in the house except the pool pump, AC, and clothes dryer.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190923/eb8184aeec069daa3d84b6864a27e0ed.jpg


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[Thumper]

Sweet! That’ll get ‘er done!

This is the one the hotel loaned me. It sold me on the Generac. It did everything I asked of it, but I figured I’d just bump it up a notch when I bought mine.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190923/ab312cee4e7fcbba4a36635f8e8bc391.jpg


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[Chicken Dinner]

Those are pretty nice units. RT, does yours have a battery? Just curious how the electric start works if there’s no power. Not being a smart ass as my Mrs. has been hounding me to get one of these for years.


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[Arty]

That’s a fair question hank. The battery on it is about half the size of a riding mower battery...
it has a little plug in port to keep that battery charged... I usually just plug it in 2-3 times a year, no set scheduled just when ever I’m in the garage and thinking about it, just to make sure it stays charged.
Like any small engine that you will not be running a lot, I ALWAYS Cut the the fuel off and let it die on its own. That keeps the carb from getting funked up.



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[Thumper]

Yep, battery ... like an electric start mower for example. From all the reviews I’ve read, they all start with 1-2 pulls. I didn’t feel like keeping a battery charged/replaced. The major complaint I read was EVERYBODY (who had them) bitched about the CO sensor. Too sensitive and constantly shutting down the unit. Read the reviews and you’ll see. Luckily, they have the option for a sensor or no sensor. I opted out of the CO sensor. I’m not dumb enough to run it in my (attached) garage or living room anyway.

[Arty]

Thump, depending on where your breaker panel is located, you could buy a sub panel and have it feed directly from there, and not worry about running extension cords. I did it myself. But I think you could probably get an electrician to do it for less than a grand. The panel itself comes with breakers, coed, and an outdoor receptacle for plugging in the 30 amp plug.


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[Arty]

Yep, battery ... like an electric start mower for example. From all the reviews I’ve read, they all start with 1-2 pulls. I didn’t feel like keeping a battery charged/replaced. The major complaint I read was EVERYBODY (who had them) bitched about the CO sensor. Too sensitive and constantly shutting down the unit. Read the reviews and you’ll see. Luckily, they have the option for a sensor or no sensor. I opted out of the CO sensor. I’m not dumb enough to run it in my (attached) garage or living room anyway.

Hmmm... I’m not sure if mine does or not!

I didn’t get the electric one on purpose, it just happened to be on sale for whatever reason when i bought it online from Lowe’s.
It is handy though to just choke it and flip a switch.



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[Thumper]

Yessir, I’ve seen the panel option, but just didn’t want to get that involved. It’s a NICE option to have though! The ones with the sensor say so on the side panel. (COSense right under the Generac name)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190923/720945b96188923399a2b5390b788184.jpg


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[Trav]

So if I wanted one that could run my AC as well what size would I need? My ac is 4 ton and my house is 1986sq ft.

[Arty]

So if I wanted one that could run my AC as well what size would I need? My ac is 4 ton and my house is 1986sq ft.

A big one
Central air Units can pull 10,000-11,000 watts alone on start up.


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[Thumper]

You’d need a full house unit like Cappy runs on both his houses. It kicks in automatically with a power failure. Big bucks!

These portables will run a window unit, but for central air/heat it's a whole ‘nuther ballgame.

[Penguin]

Pretty cool Jim. I have thought about getting one myself. But it would be for the winter up here. We seem to lost power a couple times a year up here and it stays off as long as 3 or 4 days.

Will

[Thumper]

The panel itself comes with breakers, coed, and an outdoor receptacle for plugging in the 30 amp plug.

The heck with the breaker panel, I'd be happy with just the coed! ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

You beat me to it Jim!

BKB

[Thumper]

You beat me to it Jim! BKB

Ummm, would that be considered "sloppy seconds"? ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

I’ll wait and get my own generator coed, thankyouvverymuch.

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

Is Generc pretty much the good standard or are there other brands I should consider? Maybe I’ll get my Mrs. one for Christmas if she’s naughty enough.


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[Thumper]

Is Generc pretty much the good standard or are there other brands I should consider? Maybe I’ll get my Mrs. one for Christmas if she’s naughty enough.

Dang good question. When I started researching, it didn't take long to start pulling my hair out. I began to get the feeling it was going to be a Ford/Chevy type decision. The most difficult part was trying to separate what I was looking for from all the reviews. Most sites would review everything from little 2000W units you could carry around like a 6-pack of beer up to 10,000W units on skids. Then, of course, different sites, would have different opinions on what they thought was best. I also had to filter out the sites that were obviously biased and I had the feeling they were compensated in some way (or actually camouflaged ads from the manufacturers). I have to admit, I just did not know and ended up flying by the seat of my pants. I was VERY familiar with the Generac name. It seems 99% of the whole house (or business) stand-by generators (big, fixed base units) are Generacs.

I've driven quite a few motor homes over the years and TBH, all I recall about the generators was Onan ... but I'm not sure if that was the actual generator manufacturer, or simply the motor they used. The only personal experience I've had was the one I borrowed, as mentioned above. I was also heavily swayed by price. I knew the wattage I wanted and started shopping the Generac brand. This was the best price I could find at the time I was researching and it's what I went with. One plus to help keep Mr. Trump happy, is that Generac is designed and built in the good ol' U.S. of A. (Wisconsin)

https://www.amazon.com/Generac-7690-GP6500-Portable-Generator/dp/B07PWB8WD3?SubscriptionId=AKIAJXFWSGL52MVYZPRQ&tag=oksansay-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B07PWB8WD3&keywords=6500%20Watt%20Generator

[BarryBobPosthole]

Would you trust a generator named after the guy who the good lord killed for squeezin’ the weasel?

BKB

[Thumper]

Would you trust a generator named after the guy who the good lord killed for squeezin’ the weasel? BKB

Even still, The Museum of the Bible (in D.C.) uses Generac for their back-up power system. Does that count for anything? :D

[Arty]

Is Generc pretty much the good standard or are there other brands I should consider? Maybe I’ll get my Mrs. one for Christmas if she’s naughty enough.


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There are two parts to a generator. The engine is half of it. The other half is what that engine is running (the actual “generator”).
So....
Honda is high on the list (Honda makes great small engines).

Kohler is also a good one (Kohler makes great small engines)

Briggs... etc etc.

When reviewing the above brands, you will see/hear a lot of talk about how reliable the engine is. Starts quickly, quiet, low fuel consumption, etc. That is certainly part of the equation. But there’s a LOT more to a generator than the engine that powers it.

That said, generac makes a damn good small engine.
BUT they also SPECIALIZE in... generators! It’s reliable. It’s built (almost over built when compared to other brands) You ever seen a generac engine in a lawn mower? Nope. Cause that’s not what do. They make generators.

Last but not least look up the specs on generac engines. They have their bases covered in quality.... moly rings, cast iron cylinders, low oil pressure sensor, etc etc.

You aren’t buying just a small engine (if you were, I’d recommend a Honda).

Generac is solid. Extremely well built.

Honda is the only one that comes remotely close imo, and in that case you are spending more for the name.





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[Arty]

In short, the quality of the onboard alternator is as important as the engine (at least as, if not more).
But you don’t read many reviews on that.


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[jb]

I went the same route as the Captain, had it installed a year ago this past April. Have not had to use it yet, but it automatically kicks on for about 10 minutes every other Wednesday.
Summer and AC is not our worry, it's winter and below O temps that worry us. Frozen pipes are the problem. It's not a whole house unit, but does cover about 80% of the house. 9K unit
runs off our Natural Gas service.
https://i.imgur.com/YLP0Lat.jpg

[Thumper]

Nice Bubba. Yeah, I forgot to mention, in all the babbling above, that they offer units that run on gasoline, propane, natural gas or diesel. I think I remember Generac having some dual-fuel options, but just can't remember for sure. I do remember Honda having a tri-fuel generator that would run off natural gas, liquid propane, and gasoline. That could be a nice option for some. I don't have natural gas here (house is all electric) and I don't want to mess with propane tanks, so I just went with the regular gasoline powered unit.

[Thumper]

There are two parts to a generator. The engine is half of it. The other half is what that engine is running (the actual “generator”).
So....
Honda is high on the list (Honda makes great small engines).

Kohler is also a good one (Kohler makes great small engines) ................

Excellent point Arty. I started to comment on this post the other day, but figured I'd be shooting off on a tangent. It IS an important point and goes for more than generators. I'll throw in my personal experience FWIW.

When I had my pressure washing business I did very little residential work. Well, I actually started the business with residential but moved on to the higher paying commercial contract work. It tended to weed out the men from the boys, so to speak, and due to contract requirements such as bonding, insurance, etc. etc, it narrowed down the competition to just a few companies. BUT ... my customers also had to be able to rely on good service and availability. It meant I had to have good, reliable equipment. I had a fleet of 6 trucks. I drove a Toyota, the work trucks were all Chevies. The reason? At that time, Toyota didn't have a full-sized truck and I hauled a lot of equipment, including water tanks for remote sites or low water pressure situations (wells, etc). I ended up having to purchase an extra (floater) truck since I ALWAYS had one in the shop. Switching out trucks was like a revolving door .... one in the shop, one out. I just paid the repair shop at the end of every month ... a BIG check! I got sick of it and traded ALL the Chevies on Toyotas and was able to do away with my "floater truck". I worked out a deal with a tank manufacturer to supply me with custom tanks that held the amount of water I needed, but were very efficient when it came to space, I made it work and never looked back. I ran into the repair shop owner at Sam's a couple years after that and he asked what I was doing now. I told him I was still doing the pressure washing. He said he thought I'd gone out of business because he hadn't seen me in a couple years! When I told him I'd switched over to all Toyotas in my fleet, he nodded and said it was a smart move as it's probably the only truck my employees wouldn't be able to break! Ok, enough of that, but it's a bit of an example of quality equipment. ;)

When it came to pumps, I needed the same reliability as we were on call 24/7 and the equipment was worked HARD! I spent a few years learning what worked and what didn't. I was ripping through pumps so often it'd make your head spin. As Arty mentioned with the generators, there are two main parts, the motor and the pump. You're basically stuck with whatever the manufacturer decided is the "best" combination. Pressure washer manufacturers back then only built the FRAMES .. then they'd bolt on somebody else's motor and somebody else's pump, then stick their name on it. I started with Coleman products and went through every pump (remember, the pump is HALF of the unit) manufactured until I learned what works. It boiled down to two ... Cat and General. For one, you can rebuild them! (most these days are Chinese junk and are "disposable", not repairable) Cat parts are pricey, so I stuck with General and never looked back.

Now to motors. I used Briggs, Tecumseh and Wisconsin Robin and NONE of them lasted more than 2 years before they'd grenade. Then I hit on Honda. I never, not even once, had a Honda blow up on me. I'd only trade them when they got too fugly to leave on my trucks (I kept my equipment LOOKING good as a sign of our professionalism). Once I hit the Honda/General engine/pump combination, it was smooth sailing and from there on out (in business for 20 years) I had my pumps custom built with Honda engines hooked to General pumps and mounted them in Toyota trucks. From that day forward, the ONLY reliability problems I had was with employees showing up for work.

Same goes for generators. A Honda motor running a crap generator is only as good as that crap generator.