January 11, 20188 yr Looking to purchase a portable generator. Will be used for camping and power outages. What should I look for? How big (watts) should it be? Harbor Freight looks to have one at a reasonable price. I know it's Harbor Freight and some of their things are really poorly made. But this looks pretty good and has great reviews. 8750 Max Starting/7000 Running Watts, 13 HP (42cc) Generator EPA III with GFCI Outlet Protection
January 11, 20188 yr Looking to purchase a portable generator. Will be used for camping and power outages. What should I look for? How big (watts) should it be? Harbor Freight looks to have one at a reasonable price. I know it's Harbor Freight and some of their things are really poorly made. But this looks pretty good and has great reviews. 8750 Max Starting/7000 Running Watts, 13 HP (42cc) Generator EPA III with GFCI Outlet Protection That's a great price. That Honda they are comparing it with is 100 times more reliable, 100 times more durable, and 1000 times quieter. You get what you pay for. I have a 7800/6500 Troy Built that I just converted to propane. It works great for me. I have a transfer switch that allows me to isolate power to my well pump, lift station, freezer circuit, refrigerator circuit, and one bedroom (lights and wall circuits). I get more than 12 hours on one 20lb tank propane with all that powered on. You can't tell when the well pump cuts in either.
January 11, 20188 yr The Harbor Freight Predators are solid choices. What are you wanting to use it for?
January 11, 20188 yr Author The Harbor Freight Predators are solid choices. What are you wanting to use it for? Probably won't get a ton of usage, but looking for something when/if the power goes out and also for my wife's style of "camping". She's not all about roughing it.
January 11, 20188 yr Probably won't get a ton of usage, but looking for something when/if the power goes out and also for my wife's style of "camping". She's not all about roughing it. The biggest question about using it for camping is, will it be used to power an air conditioner?
January 11, 20188 yr Author The biggest question about using it for camping is, will it be used to power an air conditioner? I hope not. Maybe a fan with a cooler of ice in front of it.
January 11, 20188 yr I hope not. Maybe a fan with a cooler of ice in front of it. Then unless you're planning on using this as a home backup unit, I think it's a bit of overkill. You could probably get by with a smaller 3000 watt, or even a 2000 watt, inverter generator. Which means you could do one of two things...get it much, much cheaper, or...get a more reputable name brand.
January 11, 20188 yr Then unless you're planning on using this as a home backup unit, I think it's a bit of overkill. You could probably get by with a smaller 3000 watt, or even a 2000 watt, inverter generator. Which means you could do one of two things...get it much, much cheaper, or...get a more reputable name brand. Same I was thinking, I'd go with one of the smaller Honda's and call it a day. It's not going to take a lot of power for camping and IMO, the quietness of the small Honda's make them perfect for camping/tailgating if you need a generator for that. That said, a small Honda won't do much for you're home though, it "may" keep a fridge running to preserve food and run a couple of lamps.
January 11, 20188 yr Author Then unless you're planning on using this as a home backup unit, I think it's a bit of overkill. You could probably get by with a smaller 3000 watt, or even a 2000 watt, inverter generator. Which means you could do one of two things...get it much, much cheaper, or...get a more reputable name brand. I am looking for something that can be used to power some things in the house if the power were to go out for an extended period of time. So would a 2000-3000 watt generator meet those needs? Refrigerator, some lamps and maybe a small portable heater.
January 11, 20188 yr I am looking for something that can be used to power some things in the house if the power were to go out for an extended period of time. So would a 2000-3000 watt generator meet those needs? Refrigerator, some lamps and maybe a small portable heater. It should handle the fridge and some lamps, unless you have a really old fridge that requires a lot of power. A small portable heater may be pushing it though, those things typically pull more power than a fridge. I did a google search for fridges and most don't use that much power anymore once they are at operating temp.
January 11, 20188 yr I am looking for something that can be used to power some things in the house if the power were to go out for an extended period of time. So would a 2000-3000 watt generator meet those needs? Refrigerator, some lamps and maybe a small portable heater. I have a 5,000 Watt that took care of all the basic needs in a 4,000 sq. foot house during the ice storm a few years ago. I can not see you needing more than that in a portable. With the 5,000 I powered this: - Gas furnance blower to one of the furnaces in house. - Refrig/Freezer - 50" LED TV / Directv / DSL internet modem - Portable microwave - Sump pump - Septic pump tank - Small 5 gallon portable electric water heater - Computer and other small appliances Putting all the key things above into one box and adding a transfer switch with an pre-run plug is 'on the list' but power outages have lessened in our area over last few years.
January 11, 20188 yr I think the biggest question you're going to have to ask yourself @NamecipS , is where you think you'll use it the most, and how close you're going to be to it. The larger capacity you get, the louder they're likely to be. If it's sitting out back of your house during an outage, the noise is negligible compared to what you get. Same for a construction site. But, you put that same unit next to your vehicle tailgating or beside your tent while camping, and you'll probably think differently. It's sort of like buying a car. It all depends on what you're going to use it for.
January 12, 20188 yr If you are not going to run electric heat or air conditioning you only need 2000 watts. If you are going to run electric heat or air you will need 3000 watts. When it comes to generators - decibels is everything. A lot of campgrounds have a night time max of 58 db. For those not familiar with decibels. 51 db is usually related as equivilent to quiet indoor conversation. 55 dbs is normal outdoor conversation. So now we kind of have a base line. When reading those specs on generators, know that every 3 decibels doubles the volume. So a 57 db generator is 4 times as loud as a 51 db generator. 58 db and lower are concidered quiet. Honda is the best there really is no arguement. They are double the cost. I have 2 of these with a parallel kit. Model 73536i - Champion Fulfillment If I need heat or air, I run both in parallel. If I don't need heat or air, I just run 1. That will run my Rv fridge, microwave, 3 TVs, lights, coffee pot, etc. I don't recommend making coffee and running the microwave at the same time though. They sell them at Sam's Club if you have a membership. I have had mine for 7 years and they have been perfect. I bought them from Champion Fullfilment place in tbe link above. They are 53 db each. Two together are 1.5 times as loud as 1 so 54.5 db. One of my friends got two and a parallel kit for $950 last September. One other thing. If you are not using your generator regularly. Always run the carb dry. Doesn't mean you have to run the tank empty, just cut off the gas supply and let it run till it quits. Edited January 12, 20188 yr by coldweatherfan
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