# 3 + hours logged on my new Honda EM6500 SX Generator



## FrankMA (Oct 29, 2012)

So far so good! Nice to have back up power when the grid goes down. When we lose power it is usually for several days at a time. Feel like I hit the jackpot with this generator. 95% of what I need powered is handled by this generator. All the important stuff plus a few extra circuits that make a huge difference.


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## ScotO (Oct 29, 2012)

I gotta get one, if for nothing else, just to keep the freezers and the fridge kicking......sad thing is, it takes an event like this to make you realize that you REALLY GOTTA GET ONE....

After the storm passes, it's soon forgotten til the next one.


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## Backwoods Savage (Oct 29, 2012)

Having a generator is a lot like having a spare tire in the car or truck. You can get by a long time without one but it takes only once.... I'd rather tote that tire around and know if a flat happens I can still go. I also compare this to carrying a tire pump on the bicycle. Hope I never need it but...


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## MarkinNC (Oct 29, 2012)

You really can"t go wrong with those Japanese gen sets.  I personally think everything else is junk comparatively until you start to get into the high end stuff like oil burners.  My present genny is a Coleman and it is junk!


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## FrankMA (Oct 30, 2012)

10+ hours now and looks like it might be a couple days more as a huge tree knocked down 2 poles and all the wires that feed my neighborhood. I live in a rural area and as such we are usually at the end of the line (literally) to get any service work done by National Grid. So glad I bought my generator when I did. Did not like spending the $$$ but it all seems worth it now that I have power. Kind of like insurance - don't like paying the bill until something happens and then you're glad you have it.

Judging by my first tank of fuel, I should be able to get about 12 - 14 hours out of a single tank.


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## smokinj (Oct 30, 2012)

Gen-set is a must have....I have never lost power more than a few hrs but you never know.


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## mking7 (Oct 30, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> I gotta get one, if for nothing else, just to keep the freezers and the fridge kicking......sad thing is, it takes an event like this to make you realize that you REALLY GOTTA GET ONE....
> 
> After the storm passes, it's soon forgotten til the next one.


 
Yep.  I was in Houston when Ike came through.  I didn't have one before the power went out but I bought one afterward.  Didn't want to live like that again for any period of time if I didn't have to.


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## MofoG23 (Oct 30, 2012)

Yep, since we bought our generator, the only time on it has been me every couple months firing it up for awhile.  Very glad we have it even though it has not been needed yet.


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## trailrated (Oct 30, 2012)

FrankMA said:


> 10+ hours now and looks like it might be a couple days more as a huge tree knocked down 2 poles and all the wires that feed my neighborhood. I live in a rural area and as such we are usually at the end of the line (literally) to get any service work done by National Grid. So glad I bought my generator when I did. Did not like spending the $$$ but it all seems worth it now that I have power. Kind of like insurance - don't like paying the bill until something happens and then you're glad you have it.
> 
> Judging by my first tank of fuel, I should be able to get about 12 - 14 hours out of a single tank.


 
Just a recommendation, might want to go ahead and change the oil. I'm assuming this genny is brand new? Most call for a break in oil change @ the 10 hour mark. Probably won't hurt anything if you didn't right away, but something like a genny to give me piece of mind when I needed it, I would heed to the maintenance instructions.

I had a whole house genny installed recently and didn't loose utility power during Sandy......go figure. I lost power for 5 days during Irene.


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## jotul8e2 (Oct 30, 2012)

How much you need one and what capacity you require will vary greatly.  When I lived in the city I used my (now 30 year old) 2500 watt unit to run the gas furnace, the refrigerator, and a few lights.  The need arose maybe once every four years.  As I now also live at the end of a rural line I have 15kw (no city water. no natural gas) and use it about once a year.  I shut it down overnight, though, as the pressure tank will handle a few toilet flushes and the refrigerator and deep freeze will be fine for eight or nine hours.

Remember that others may want a generator as well.  Gangs will pick up your generator and run it to a waiting pickup or van and be gone by the time you notice the power is off.  A good heavy chain to slow them down will often be enough to get them to pick on someone else.

A generator that does not work is even worse than not having one at all.  I have mine on the calendar to run for two or three hours every quarter.  Weekly would be better, but who has the time?

Make sure you have a proper disconnect.  For their own protection, utility crews have taken to creating a dead short across any downed power line.  This will, of course, fry your generator if you are connected.


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## shmodaddy (Oct 30, 2012)

FrankMA said:


> Nice to have back up power when the grid goes down.



The last time we lost power was during an ice storm two years ago.  It was out for two days and three nights.  We never missed a beat, burnt some gas,  but we were warm, had a few lights and the t.v..   I left the porch light on just to mess with the neighbors :D.  Cruel I know..


Sent from my rooted and eclipse running X2--thanks nitro--  if im posting on here I'm probably supposed to be working! I can't help im addicted to HEARTH.COM!


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## MofoG23 (Oct 30, 2012)

jotul8e2 said:


> A generator that does not work is even worse than not having one at all. I have mine on the calendar to run for two or three hours every quarter. Weekly would be better, but who has the time?


 
yep - one of the most important maintenance items for any generator.  I try to run mine every 2-3 months for about an hour - don't forget to put a load on it when running it!


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## FrankMA (Oct 30, 2012)

trailrated: I just changed the oil this afternoon at the 13 hour mark. The manual says to do the first oil change at 20 hours I but decided that sooner would be better than later, especially as it looks like I will be using the generator for several days in a row.

jotul82e: It's funny that you mention chaining the generator to deter thieves. The city boy in me got me outside last night doing just that - chaining the generator to the lally column inside my garage with a 20' chain I used to use to pull my 4WD buddies out of the mud.


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## simple.serf (Oct 30, 2012)

I have a Libbey built MEP-002. She gets load tested every two weeks and run every week. I maintain generators for work, regular runtime is critical. I have spent alot of time around the J series Onans (and the E series at work)over the years. They are finicky, but once running right are about the most reliable set for their size. The MEP 2 and 3's have the Onan engine and a much better generator/fuel system/xtrol. For me the choice was between The MEP and a JB Onan.

IF I had to choose another, It would be the Honda (But if you couldn't gather, I really REALLY love my Onans!)


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## Shadow&Flame (Oct 30, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> I gotta get one, if for nothing else, just to keep the freezers and the fridge kicking......sad thing is, it takes an event like this to make you realize that you REALLY GOTTA GET ONE....
> 
> After the storm passes, it's soon forgotten til the next one.


 
Now is the time to start looking...after this storm there will be a lot of them returned to the stores... Living out in the country I have always liked the security of having a generator... I recently bought a Champion 4000watt from TSC and its been a nice little gen for keeping my outbuilding freezers and fridge cool.


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## jotul8e2 (Oct 30, 2012)

Shadow&Flame said:


> Now is the time to start looking...after this storm there will be a lot of them returned to the stores.


 
Start looking now.  The big box stores will bring them in by the truckload and usually have them at unbeatable prices - builds good will and all that.

I do always test-run mine with the full house load.  We save up laundry, showers, and baking for generator test day.  After a three hour run we smell good and eat well.


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## FrankMA (Nov 2, 2012)

Update: I now have 35 hours on my not so new anymore generator which made life so much more bearable for the close to 4 days we were without grid power. I went through approximately 12 - 15 gallons of fuel over that timeframe. I would definitely recommend having at least 20 gallons of reserve fuel on-hand and a full tank of fuel in the generator just in case an outage turns into a long term endeavor. If the chit hit the fan you could stretch that amount of fuel into several weeks of intermittent run time if needed.

Been thinking about getting a small 2000 watt generator for it's ability to sip fuel, run the fans on my insert and a few other low watt items like a TV with DVD player and a couple of lights. In reading some other generator related posts here, it seems I could get a Harbor Freight model for cheap money. Most have said they work pretty well and they're in the very affordable $100.00 range. I could get by running the big generator for a much shorter period of time with a small unit on hand. I still need the 240 volt power to run my well pump but for much of the day could get by with just few 110 volt power items.


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## Highbeam (Nov 2, 2012)

FrankMA said:


> I would definitely recommend having at least 20 gallons of reserve fuel on-hand and a full tank of fuel in the generator just in case an outage turns into a long term endeavor. If the chit hit the fan you could stretch that amount of fuel into several weeks of intermittent run time if needed.


 
So here's the thing. You never know if the power outage is short term or long term until it is over. As you demonstrate, the regular man will blow most of his stash in just a few days.


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## Halligan (Nov 2, 2012)

I have a little 2000 watt Honda that has been a life saver. I didn't lose power during Sandy but after Irene I ran the genny for 3 days. While a whole house generator run on natural gas would be great I'm glad I have the little Honda. She sips fuel and is very quiet. The downside is I need to run extension cords around the house. I'm pretty OCD about maintenance on any gas powered thing I own and the Honda is no different. I change the oil frequently and run it every month or two. When exercising it I power my shop vac and vacum my truck so it runs under load.


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## Shadow&Flame (Nov 2, 2012)

I try and keep at least 50 gallons of gas on hand at all times and rotate it thru the lawn equipment and autos every 6 months...


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## FrankMA (Nov 2, 2012)

I always do a recon trip just after a major storm to be sure I'm not blocked in by downed trees and to see what effects the storm had on my area. Knowing if your local gas stations and food stores are fully functional or not has a bearing on how conservative one needs to be with their fuel/food supply.


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## WellSeasoned (Nov 3, 2012)

I put about 48 hours on my new genny, changed the oil after 10 hours, then changed it again when the power came back on for storage. Best purchase besides for woodstove in a long time.


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## firecracker_77 (Nov 3, 2012)

i bought a whole house generator last year.  we have water issues and need to make sure our sump pumps operate when we lose power and it rains.  i wouldn't be without one.  comes on automatically when power is interupted.  it was $3200 installed, but it is a small price to pay considering what a flood costs.


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## Sprinter (Nov 3, 2012)

Scotty Overkill said:


> I gotta get one, if for nothing else, just to keep the freezers and the fridge kicking......sad thing is, it takes an event like this to make you realize that you REALLY GOTTA GET ONE....
> 
> After the storm passes, it's soon forgotten til the next one.


Some thoughts: If you only are concerned about the essentials like fridge/freezer, some lights, computer, TV, etc, then a small gen is perfectly adequate. Like many others, I have a Honda 2000i inverter gen (actually 1600 watts continuous) which is great. It sips gas, starts right away, is quiet for a generator, and has enough power for those items, (although maybe not everything at once, depending). It's enough for many if not most furnace fans depending on size, you have to look at the surge requirements. There are other ones like Yamaha's. I am on a well with a submersible pump that takes a large surge, so I have about 135 gallons of water stored also. We have to be careful with water in an emergency. I just can't justify a big generator just to run a pump occasionally. Any water suggestions would be appreciated.

Those cheaper generators like the 2-stroke one from HF would be risky to use for sensitive items like electronics. The inverter types give you a nice clean regulated waveform, but you do pay for that.

I keep about 17 gallons of gas in containers, and I keep my two cars full of gas, which can be syphoned if necessary, plus another 5 in a mower. I don't worry about using Stabil because after a few months, I'll rotate all that gas through the cars and burn it anyway, so it all keeps fresh.

Whatever you do, DON'T backfeed a generator into the house. I know, it seems like common sense, but it happens. If you have a large enough generator to partly power the house, it's a good idea to have a transfer switch installed. If you're really rich, get a whole house propane generator with an automatic transfer switch. Now that's the ticket. Edit: Yeah, like Firecracker's...


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## firecracker_77 (Nov 3, 2012)

Sprinter said:


> Some thoughts: If you only are concerned about the essentials like fridge/freezer, some lights, computer, TV, etc, then a small gen is perfectly adequate. Like many others, I have a Honda 2000i inverter gen (actually 1600 watts continuous) which is great. It sips gas, starts right away, is quiet for a generator, and has enough power for those items, (although maybe not everything at once, depending). It's enough for many if not most furnace fans depending on size, you have to look at the surge requirements. There are other ones like Yamaha's. I am on a well with a submersible pump that takes a large surge, so I have about 135 gallons of water stored also. We have to be careful with water in an emergency. I just can't justify a big generator just to run a pump occasionally. Any water suggestions would be appreciated.
> 
> Those cheaper generators like the 2-stroke one from HF would be risky to use for sensitive items like electronics. The inverter types give you a nice clean regulated waveform, but you do pay for that.
> 
> ...


 
We aren't really rich by any means.  We have flooded out several times over the years and it is such a nightmare.  July 2011, we had 7 inches of rain in 4 hours.  My parents had to drive 1.5 hours to bring their generator and pump out our basement right before we lost a 2 year old h.e. furnace, water heater, and washer dryer among other things.  State farm ended up cutting us a check for $23,000 for the structural and contents damage.  We had enough left to finish a bathroom upstairs and buy a Generac as well as do some concrete work to modify our foundation wall....long story, not worth mentioning.  I also put that Woodstock gas stove into the basement in 2011 partly as a back-up as earlier in 2011, the blizzard killed our power and had me panicked about frozen pipes although the power came on eventually.  I never want to be without a option for heat...even if the Generac failed.


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## Sprinter (Nov 3, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> We aren't really rich by any means. We have flooded out several times over the years and it is such a nightmare. July 2011, we had 7 inches of rain in 4 hours. My parents had to drive 1.5 hours to bring their generator and pump out our basement right before we lost a 2 year old h.e. furnace, water heater, and washer dryer among other things. State farm ended up cutting us a check for $23,000 for the structural and contents damage. We had enough left to finish a bathroom upstairs and buy a Generac as well as do some concrete work to modify our foundation wall....long story, not worth mentioning. I also put that Woodstock gas stove into the basement in 2011 partly as a back-up as earlier in 2011, the blizzard killed our power and had me panicked about frozen pipes although the power came on eventually. I never want to be without a option for heat...even if the Generac failed.


Wow, you are a "poster child" for preparedness. It's so well worth the cost when you need it that bad. I'm in an area that has had catastrophic floods in recent years, too, and it can be a true disaster. (I'm not in a high risk area, fortunately). All I need do worry about is maybe a week of no power (fingers crossed), so I consider ourselves pretty lucky.


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## firecracker_77 (Nov 3, 2012)

Sprinter said:


> Wow, you are a "poster child" for preparedness. It's so well worth the cost when you need it that bad. I'm in an area that has had catastrophic floods in recent years, too, and it can be a true disaster. (I'm not in a high risk area, fortunately). All I need do worry about is maybe a week of no power (fingers crossed), so I consider ourselves pretty lucky.


 
I am not as good as I'd like.  We don't have enough food, medical supplies, etc as we would need in a major disaster.  There were so many people in Sandy that had nothing ready.  I don't want to be one of them.


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## Sprinter (Nov 3, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> I am not as good as I'd like. We don't have enough food, medical supplies, etc as we would need in a major disaster. There were so many people in Sandy that had nothing ready. I don't want to be one of them.


Where are you? Is that Sandy, Or?  I used to be in Portland and know of the problems around the Sandy River.  Our problem is the Chehalis River. 

Lots of good preparedness and survival sites on the net if you haven't looked into them.


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## firecracker_77 (Nov 3, 2012)

Sprinter said:


> Where are you? Is that Sandy, Or? I used to be in Portland and know of the problems around the Sandy River. Our problem is the Chehalis River.
> 
> Lots of good preparedness and survival sites on the net if you haven't looked into them.


 
No...I was implying that Hurricane Sandy was a recent reminder of the need for preparation.  All those people without food and gas.


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## Sprinter (Nov 3, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> No...I was implying that Hurricane Sandy was a recent reminder of the need for preparation. All those people without food and gas.


Oh, Hurricane Sandy.  Sorry.  Yes, it has been a reminder.  I've seen the news about all the lines for gas and such.  I've been in outages that shut down gas stations for miles.  It's not pretty.  Which is why I've got about 55 gallons of gas now between two full cars and several containers.


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## firecracker_77 (Nov 3, 2012)

Sprinter said:


> Oh, Hurricane Sandy. Sorry. Yes, it has been a reminder. I've seen the news about all the lines for gas and such. I've been in outages that shut down gas stations for miles. It's not pretty. Which is why I've got about 55 gallons of gas now between two full cars and several containers.


 
That's smart.  I know some people keep drums.  That makes me a little nervous to have that much explosive stored in one container.


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## Sprinter (Nov 3, 2012)

firecracker_77 said:


> That's smart. I know some people keep drums. That makes me a little nervous to have that much explosive stored in one container.


It is important to keep stored gas fresh, though, by using it frequently enough.  Six months should be okay  usually, depending on how much air it's exposed to (oxidation) and temp.  Stabil is okay, but even that only gives you an extra 6 months or so safely.  I just overhauled a Harley carburetor that had gas in it for several years.  The jets were completely clogged and a lot of varnish build-up on the surfaces.  It wouldn't start for some reason...


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## Todd 2 (Nov 3, 2012)

Sprinter said:


> Some thoughts: If you only are concerned about the essentials like fridge/freezer, some lights, computer, TV, etc, then a small gen is perfectly adequate. Like many others, I have a Honda 2000i inverter gen (actually 1600 watts continuous) which is great. It sips gas, starts right away, is quiet for a generator, and has enough power for those items, (although maybe not everything at once, depending). It's enough for many if not most furnace fans depending on size, you have to look at the surge requirements. There are other ones like Yamaha's. I am on a well with a submersible pump that takes a large surge, so I have about 135 gallons of water stored also. We have to be careful with water in an emergency. I just can't justify a big generator just to run a pump occasionally. Any water suggestions would be appreciated.
> 
> Those cheaper generators like the 2-stroke one from HF would be risky to use for sensitive items like electronics. The inverter types give you a nice clean regulated waveform, but you do pay for that.
> 
> ...


Good quote about the cheep generators, they can be harmful to electronics with there voltage variances.
better to spend a little extra to protect the big screens and computers...


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## Todd 2 (Nov 3, 2012)

Also about gas and stabilizers, If you want to leave the fuel in your gas powered gen. or any tank long term. Most marina gas is now non meth, eth or alcohol added, or they have it as a option, it may cost a buck + more a gallon but I've had it in mine for 1 1/2 yrs. now and prior to Sandy, I took a sample from the carb bowl drain, looked and smelled fine, no tarnish and fired right up. I will drain it in the spring though and burn in the garden tractor.


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## Fi-Q (Nov 4, 2012)

Me, as for gas, I always have at least 10 gallons on hands. And the gas station down the road is own buy a guy who owns the dock terminals tank, and he is also a disttibutors for small stations within 100 miles. And the do have a genny for the regular and 1 diesel pump when power is out. So I think gas won't be an issue for while in case of a major outage ( wich haven't happen in 30+ years). And I have 2 gennys. 1 champion 3000/4000 watt and got a deal on a used odd brand genny http://www.energplus.com/products/p...prod_specs&catID=80&subcatID=795&prodID=78724 

Never heard of the brand bedore but it's got a yamaha engine.

Eventually I would love to build myself a diesel genset with a old lister type engine..... But that's another story.

As far as water goes, I have a surface well. I bought a 12v rv pump to put in as a back up, but havn't had the time to set it up yet.


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## flyingcow (Nov 4, 2012)

A three way switch is a must have. The power companies will spend time trying to figure out who is energizing the line, instead of fixing downed lines. Or as pointed out in another post, in this thread, or they will short out the lines and fry the source.


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## MasterMech (Nov 4, 2012)

FrankMA said:


> Been thinking about getting a small 2000 watt generator for it's ability to sip fuel, run the fans on my insert and a few other low watt items like a TV with DVD player and a couple of lights. In reading some other generator related posts here, it seems I could get a Harbor Freight model for cheap money. Most have said they work pretty well and they're in the very affordable $100.00 range.


 
The manual for that Harbor Freight 800/900W genny states that it is NOT intended to be used with sensitive electronics.  If you wanted to use it for such, I would get an UPS that conditions/filters the power to protect your entertainment equipment.


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## FrankMA (Nov 4, 2012)

Thanks MM: I appreciate that bit of information. I am also considering a Ryobi i2000 inverter generator as I had the opportunity to use one for several days during last October's nor'easter when we lost power for close to 6 days. It was very economical on fuel and powered the blower fans for my insert as well as a few lights and the TV so we could watch DVD's. It costs about $500.00 but would definitely save a bunch of fuel during an extended power outage. It would be the go to generator for the better part of the day as opposed to using my big EM6500SX that powers most of the house but is needed especially for my well pump. I could get away with running the i2000 for most of the day and save a bunch of fuel for when the family is home and power requirements are much greater.


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## mattn85 (Jan 6, 2016)

FrankMA said:


> So far so good! Nice to have back up power when the grid goes down. When we lose power it is usually for several days at a time. Feel like I hit the jackpot with this generator. 95% of what I need powered is handled by this generator. All the important stuff plus a few extra circuits that make a huge difference.



I am considering the same generator for home back up as well. I am wondering if you have experienced any issues since you posted this a few years ago with dirty power effecting sensitive electronics. I am worried that if I get the EM model that dirty power will fry computers in newer appliances down the road. Also, did you consider the EG 6500 when looking? And if so why did you go with the EM series. 

Thanks for any help


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