# Just Got Another (And Hopefully, Last) Generator...



## velvetfoot (Nov 26, 2011)

Honda had a Red Friday Sale - $899 for a EU2000i.
I brought it home.

Anybody have any tips on using one?


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## maverick06 (Nov 26, 2011)

same advise as usual:
run the engine frequently, stabilize the fuel, change the oil. 

Thats a great price!


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## velvetfoot (Nov 26, 2011)

I've been used to running my power equipment out of fuel to combat ethanol's effects, but this genny doesn't seem to have a fuel shutoff.


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 26, 2011)

velvetfoot said:
			
		

> Honda had a Red Friday Sale - $899 for a EU2000i.
> I brought it home.
> 
> *Anybody have any tips on using one?*



Yes. Use it sparingly. Use from power company whenever possible which will extend the life of said generator.

Keep gas in it and spare gas on hand as you never know when you might need it. 

Put some stablizer in the gas before filling.

Start generator once per month.


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## velvetfoot (Nov 27, 2011)

I've had success so far with draining the gas before putting it away.
Also, I've used Mobil1 in my little engines, with seeming success.
As it always seems to go, both practices seem have some controversy, with some saying it's better to store with Stabil for a year (ethanol and all) since seals don't dry, and that the engine maker's non-synthetic oil is better.


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## maverick06 (Nov 27, 2011)

I have read that you dont want to break it in with synthetic oil, its too slippery.... not sure how true that is....


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## karl (Nov 27, 2011)

I personally like Mobil 1 motorcycle oil.  Specifically the V-twin oil for small engines.

As for fuel use 90 octane recreational fuel.  It's called 90-rec.  It's premium auto fuel without ethanol in it, thus the odd octane rating.  It gets boosted to 93 when they add the alcohol.  Check with marinas and see if they have it or where to get it.  Around here there's a oil distributor that sells it.  A lot of my friends run it in their airplanes.


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## MasterMech (Nov 28, 2011)

maverick06 said:
			
		

> I have read that you dont want to break it in with synthetic oil, its too slippery.... not sure how true that is....



Complete bunk.  Many car manfacturers see fit to send cars out the door with synthetic as the factory fill.  ie. Corvette




			
				karl said:
			
		

> I personally like Mobil 1 motorcycle oil.  Specifically the V-twin oil for small engines.
> 
> As for fuel use 90 octane recreational fuel.  It's called 90-rec.  It's premium auto fuel without ethanol in it, thus the odd octane rating.  It gets boosted to 93 when they add the alcohol.  Check with marinas and see if they have it or where to get it.  Around here there's a oil distributor that sells it.  A lot of my friends run it in their airplanes.



AMSOIL has an oil out specifically for small engines and many of the OEM small-engine manufacturers are now offering synthetic oil for their engines.


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## maverick06 (Nov 28, 2011)

big difference between a generator and a car. typically the machining of a car engine is loads better than a small engine. My car has a rated oil change periodicity of 10,000 miles. My generator has a oil change interval of 100 hours, but the first change has to be done at 5 hours! And at 5 hours its disgusting! so its definitely had a lot of breaking in. 

not sure if the synthetic at breakin is a problem, but i know "break-in oils" are sold. in cars/high quality motors its a concern, but I would be very hesitant with suspect quality.


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## MasterMech (Nov 28, 2011)

All engines have a break-in period (and short 1st service interval) and yeah it's pretty short for OPE Small-Engines, especially splash lubers without oil filters.  Break in oils are usually used in high performance engines or those with tight tolerances and high-load bearing surfaces like flat-tappet cams in a high-performance racing engine.  They have extra zinc-based additives to deal with high pressure sliding surfaces at high speed.  Seeing as how we have neither high-rpm (Under 4K) nor high compression/high pressure valvesprings  (Most are under 10:1 compression) in our generators, the special break-in oils are not necessary.

Think about what engine break-in is. It's metal on metal grinding to create a polished surface that's smooth enough for the lubricant to protect it well and increases clearances until the lubricant has enough room to create a strong film of protection.  So how on earth could a lubricant be doing "too good" of a job?  Removing the particles that break-in creates is key so that the oil doesn't become a "lapping compound" of sorts and break things in a little too well.  That's why the first service is at 5hr on a splash luber and usually around 20 hr on a pressure lube engine with an oil filter.


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## maverick06 (Nov 28, 2011)

again, I am not saying it is tue, just a possibility as I have read it out there. 
From wikipedia: The lower friction may make them unsuitable for break-in (i.e., the initial run-in period of the vehicle), where friction is desirable to cause wear. However, improved engine-part machining has made break-in less critical than it once was. A select few cars (in general turbo- or supercharged) are factory filled with synthetic oil, usually to help minimize high-temperature oil degradation issues. 

Briggs adn stratton web page: the most cost effective method would be to use our standard oil for the break-in procedure, and if desired, use synthetic oil afterwards. 

There are tons of threads out there regarding this, and a lot of convoluted messages and advice. There is definitely a disparity between most modern cars and more basic engines, and that will likely effect what is the right answer. 

I will just use regular oil first to insure that the piston rings seat. Its cheap insurance to make sure that I dont have any problems with it since there isnt any specific guidance.


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## velvetfoot (Nov 28, 2011)

Well, I have the house running on the EU2000i as I type.

Two circulators and the oil burner running, fridge running (turned down the temp - not defrost), tv, router, laptop, some lights up and downstairs, wood insert fan on high, smoke detectors, I measure 1250 watts by the Kill A Watt.  This is steady state.

I plugged the fridge into an power strip surge protector so I could turn it on and off at will (though, if I can make it look somewhat decent, I might leave it plugged in the strip).  The oil burner has a switch at the top of the stairs.  It looks like it can carry both those loads and the other stuff I mentioned simultaneously.  Only running on generator for a long time could verify that, I guess.  If startup current would be a problem, the odds of the fridge and burner both kicking off at the same time could be remote.

The motors sound completely normal (circs, oil burner, and insert).

The unit is on Eco mode.  The lights dim momentarily when a big load comes on, which is due to the Eco mode, I believe.  Eco mode with load also causes the unit to shake more.

I'm going to run it periodically with Eco off, like every time before I shut it off, to hopefully blow out some of the carbon.

It's very quiet.

I think I'm going to like it a lot.

Note:  I have a generator inlet receptacle on the side of the house and there is an adapter that feeds 120 volts to both sides of the panel - all 240 v. breakers turned off.

I might see if I can find some cheap current transformers for The Energy Detective doohicky I have, so that I could read the watts without going outside.

edit:  just ran it out of gas, thankfully with a heat gun only attached.  I was there when it stopped, and in my humble opinion, it stopped quite gracefully, not like the lingering death of the HF 800w 2 stroke.


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## velvetfoot (Dec 2, 2011)

I ran it a little yester with a half cup of gas and put it in storage.
Again, I was there when it ran out of gas and it was pretty graceful, as in a sudden shutoff, in eco mode.
It was pretty easy to store.  Let it run out of gas, turn off kill/fuel switch, take cap off plug, unscrew carb. bowl drain, pull starter cord several times, collect gas from the handy plastic tube, remove plug, put teaspoon of oil in, turn over several times and then stop when feeling compression so that valves are closed to keep air out, put plug back in and plug cap back on, put covers back, turn the air off on the fuel fill cap.  Did not put new oil in, but wasn't used much.

Ordered a Honda cover.

Set it on a small Harbor Freight wooden dolly to roll around easy.

Even though it's a suitcase generator, the covers allow easy access to maintenance items.

The fuel cap with air shut off was the first I've seen.  When I opened it to start it, there was indeed a whoosh, so it indeed does some good.  I imagine it would be good as far as keeping air out, for the good of the fuel, and keeping gases out, for the good of, say, a car's occupants when it was being transported.

Might order an hour meter, but it already has a blinking light that serves crudely.


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