# What is the best portable generator



## killie11 (Oct 22, 2014)

I have been looking at the honda 2000i but also looking at this one anyone have any experience? 
http://www.lowes.com/pd_28153-24212...L=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


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## scooby074 (Oct 22, 2014)

Honda 2000i is a very, very good generator with a great reputation. 

Ive seen those Lowes generacs for sale in surplus stores under various names. I dont think Generac makes them.. No matter.. even if they did, Id still take the Honda.


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

Your car makes a great generator. Run car at idle with a inverter hooked on the battery abd run an ext cord to whatever you need. Good way to run lights,fridge freezer, pellet stove etc. 
Works great and much cheaper then a gen. A gen is great too, but alot of people overlook the one sitting in their driveway.


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## Z33 (Oct 22, 2014)

TheRambler said:


> Your car makes a great generator. Run car at idle with a inverter hooked on the battery abd run an ext cord to whatever you need. Good way to run lights,fridge freezer, pellet stove etc.
> Works great and much cheaper then a gen. A gen is great too, but alot of people overlook the one sitting in their driveway.




The down side of this is you are EXTREMELY limited on the amount of power you can produce with your cars alternator with out significantly reducing its life, the life of the inverter and your battery. 

The average alternator is good for 80 amps( at idle)  at around 13 volts?  So about 1000 watts is the most you can expect out of your car for a prolonged time.


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## frankan9 (Oct 22, 2014)

TheRambler said:


> Your car makes a great generator. Run car at idle with a inverter hooked on the battery abd run an ext cord to whatever you need. Good way to run lights,fridge freezer, pellet stove etc.
> Works great and much cheaper then a gen. A gen is great too, but alot of people overlook the one sitting in their driveway.


Just curious as to what inverter you would use . Is it something that you would permanently install in the vehicle? or connect with alligator clamps?


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

I use a 1000 w inverter connected with clamps. Any inverter used in this manner would be connected with clamps directly to the battery. With a 1kw inverter i can run all the lights i need and the pellet stove continuously, or the stove and my freezer, or a coffee maker by itself etc. you cant run everything all together due to the limitations.

However, this diesnt cause any excessive wear on the alternator or battery you are just using the wasted power of thr alternator anyway. Been doing this for yeas and years. I am an elec eng who works with batteries and chargers every day for a living.

With this method you pick and choose what you need to run. I typically in an extended power outage will do sonethibg like this. Run coffee maker, then run pellet stove and freezer/fridge for 4-5 hours(all u need to run it to keep it cold for a day or so), unplug freezer and keep stove running and add on lights etc. I run about 800w max typically, but average is 600ish. Stove draws about 300-400, led lights about 6w a piece, fridge/freezer 450ish. Coffee is 800 by itself

I do keep the inverter in my vehicle normally just plugged into the cig lighter but u can only pull 200w or so this way so when needed i just clamp it onto my battery for house use.

I can run my vehicle idle this way for about 2-3 days before needing to refuel.


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

My main point here is this is more than enough power for anyone if u are reasonable and smart with your choices. Not perfect by any means, but it is a very good budget means for people who cant afford a generator. You can get a 800w or 1000w inverter for around $50, a gen will be at a minimum for a cheap one 300+ more realisticaly 800+


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## Z33 (Oct 22, 2014)

TheRambler said:


> My main point here is this is more than enough power for anyone if u are reasonable and smart with your choices. Not perfect by any means, but it is a very good budget means for people who cant afford a generator. You can get a 800w or 1000w inverter for around $50, a gen will be at a minimum for a cheap one 300+ more realisticaly 800+




700 watt running 900 watt peak for 129.00 and regularly goes on sale for 89.00 with a coupon and it will provide almost as much power with half (or less) the fuel 

http://www.harborfreight.com/900-pe...2-cycle-gas-recreational-generator-60338.html


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

Z33 said:


> 700 watt running 900 watt peak for 129.00 and regularly goes on sale for 89.00 with a coupon and it will provide almost as much power with half (or less) the fuel
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/900-pe...2-cycle-gas-recreational-generator-60338.html


 
I had that gen for a while to use on jobsites, only lasted a little over a year with use of it about once a week for 5-6 hours. So don't expect magic out of it, but it is also a decent budget item if your power requirements are low.

However the 5 hour at 50% load is only going to give you 350-400watts, so basically enough to run a pellet stove only if you are wanting to get the best fuel economy. At full load you will be looking at about 2-3 hours per fill up. For hahas lets say  1 gallons/ 3 hours vs a car 1 gallon/3-6 hours depending on the car. The big difference with the car is your going to be able to get full potential out of your inverter without any additional fuel consumption, and you can run it over night without having to worry about needing to get up and refill it to keep the heat going in the house. the average car can idle for 2-4 days on a full tank of gas. I have a chevy silverado 1500 and it will idle for about 85 hours on a full tank. Found that out during sandy


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## velvetfoot (Oct 22, 2014)

Then you'll have to chain your running car down to the ground to prevent it from being stolen like a generator.    Just kidding.


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## briansol (Oct 22, 2014)

Z33 said:


> 700 watt running 900 watt peak for 129.00 and regularly goes on sale for 89.00 with a coupon and it will provide almost as much power with half (or less) the fuel
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/900-pe...2-cycle-gas-recreational-generator-60338.html


junk.

if anyone wants mine, you can come pick it up.  it's a worthless brick in my shed.  won't power my stove.  is louder than a straight piped Harley, and the power that comes out of it is ALL over the place.  i wouldn't plug it into anything worth more than $8.


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## briansol (Oct 22, 2014)

killie11 said:


> I have been looking at the honda 2000i but also looking at this one anyone have any experience?
> http://www.lowes.com/pd_28153-24212-0057930_4294641569__?productId=3712820&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=?Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=


I've been eyeing this as well as the http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-EF2400iSHC-Portable-Generator/dp/B00AYUWDZG because of it's higher startup surge capability.  Will ensure that things turn on.

but i also don't want to run gas.   I'll never keep it stored.   My car takes 93, not 87, so rotating fuel is a PITA for me.  And when the grid goes down, fuel lines are crazy, if even available at all.   so, I want gas, not gasoline.  propane.   It's cheap ($13 to fill a grill tank at the cost club right now) and i can rotate stock with my grill, which i can also use for cooking in an outage. and those exhange places are at every gas station and hardware store in down these days.  Plus, they never go bad.  I can just stock a pile of them behind my shed.    The conversion kit is available as well  http://www.amazon.com/Impco-Generator-Conversion-Ef3000Ise-Ef2400Is/dp/B00GA9VXLU/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1413986265&sr=1-4&keywords=yamaha generator propane for an extra 250.  

honda has similar choices, but the 2000 is really 1600.   much like this 2400 is really 2000.   and since i want 2000, this is the way i'm swinging.


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## Bioburner (Oct 22, 2014)

velvetfoot said:


> Then you'll have to chain your running car down to the ground to prevent it from being stolen like a generator.    Just kidding.


Here in MN you probably will get a ticket too.


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## yrock87 (Oct 22, 2014)

TheRambler said:


> I had that gen for a while to use on jobsites, only lasted a little over a year with use of it about once a week for 5-6 hours. So don't expect magic out of it, but it is also a decent budget item if your power requirements are low.
> 
> However the 5 hour at 50% load is only going to give you 350-400watts, so basically enough to run a pellet stove only if you are wanting to get the best fuel economy. At full load you will be looking at about 2-3 hours per fill up. For hahas lets say  1 gallons/ 3 hours vs a car 1 gallon/3-6 hours depending on the car. The big difference with the car is your going to be able to get full potential out of your inverter without any additional fuel consumption, and you can run it over night without having to worry about needing to get up and refill it to keep the heat going in the house. the average car can idle for 2-4 days on a full tank of gas. I have a chevy silverado 1500 and it will idle for about 85 hours on a full tank. Found that out during sandy


I'm curious as to the wear and tear on your car engine. Cars  are not ment to idel forever. We would go through rear main seals all the time from constant idling while in convoys overseas, and up here many cars have bad rear main seals for the same reason. Here it is cars being idled to stay warm in - 20+ temps. Overseas it was the old "hurry up and wait" that forced us to idle for + hours a day. 
This is a pretty good idea for short term emergency use, or occasional camping. But i would not want to buy a car real had been used like this extensively


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## moey (Oct 22, 2014)

yrock87 said:


> I'm curious as to the wear and tear on your car engine. Cars  are not ment to idel forever. We would go through rear main seals all the time from constant idling while in convoys overseas, and up here many cars have bad rear main seals for the same reason. Here it is cars being idled to stay warm in - 20+ temps. Overseas it was the old "hurry up and wait" that forced us to idle for + hours a day.
> This is a pretty good idea for short term emergency use, or occasional camping. But i would not want to buy a car real had been used like this extensively



Any ideas why a rear main would go? Although it may be a case of the car has 10000 miles on it but has been running the equivalent of a car on a highway that has 300k miles. Its hard on the alternator unless its designed for it the windings are not meant to be under that type of load constantly.


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

yrock87 said:


> I'm curious as to the wear and tear on your car engine. Cars  are not ment to idel forever. We would go through rear main seals all the time from constant idling while in convoys overseas, and up here many cars have bad rear main seals for the same reason. Here it is cars being idled to stay warm in - 20+ temps. Overseas it was the old "hurry up and wait" that forced us to idle for + hours a day.
> This is a pretty good idea for short term emergency use, or occasional camping. But i would not want to buy a car real had been used like this extensively


 
I agree completely, and like you said this is really just for short term emergency use. Same as a generator. Most generators, especially portable ones, are only rated for a couple hundred hours of use for its lifetime anyway. Idling your car for days upon days year round or even just for a few months will definitely cause issues over time. But lets be realistic here too, most people are only going to see an extended power outage of 1-3 days at most a few times a year. There is always an exception if your really remote, or a bad storm or something. So lets say if you do use your vehicle in this manner 3 times a year for a total of 5-10 days your not going to significantly impact the longevity of any of your vehicle components by doing this. Most people idle their cars in traffic throughout the year FAR more than this amount and you dont see seals going on every car in major urban areas every year. So i would say yes its possible, but its not very probable unless your doing it on a routine basis. Idling your personal car in this manner your talking at *most* a few hundred hours a year and that is really pushing the limits of what the average person will experience a year, a more realistic number would probably be 100 hours or less a year for most people. Where as a convoy your talking a hundred hours a month easy, if not a few hundred a month.

Its all about weighing the pros and cons and cost vs reward. Cost of an inverter 50-100 bucks , and you already have the car and most people have a few extension cords and a power strip already. Verses  a generator for say 500-1000. Plus if you dont maintain that generator it may not work when you need it. More generators go bad by people leaving fuel in the tank and carb for months or years at a time between uses. Your car is being used frequently in most cases, so you wont really have that issue to worry about.

Don't want anyone to think i am anti generator or anything. I think generators are awesome, its just most people overlook the one sitting in their driveway. Using a vehicle in this manner, or at least having the capability to use your vehicle in this manner is a great preparedness step. You can do so many things with a $50 800w inverter, an extension cord and a power strip. If you have something that needs 240v that you need to run too, like a well pump, then it makes alot more sense to buy a generator.

$47, 800w 1600w peak
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-CPI-880...&qid=1413988383&sr=8-1&keywords=800w+inverter


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## LuvMyPellets (Oct 22, 2014)

I have the Honda and it is a fantastic unit with two exceptions. I do not run it except during power outages so it can be a groan to start after sitting for long periods. It has no drain for the gas. You have to suck it out or run it dry. Well if it is full your going to be running it forever. I have resorted to putting stabil in it. A friend has the Yamaha and it is really nice also. Both of them have super  clean power which you will not get from the cheap ones.


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## richkorn (Oct 22, 2014)

LuvMyPellets said:


> I have the Honda and it is a fantastic unit with two exceptions. I do not run it except during power outages so it can be a groan to start after sitting for long periods. It has no drain for the gas. You have to suck it out or run it dry. Well if it is full your going to be running it forever. I have resorted to putting stabil in it. A friend has the Yamaha and it is really nice also. Both of them have super  clean power which you will not get from the cheap ones.



Agree, the Honda is a great little Inverter Gen. I keep a small amount of fuel with stabil in the tank. There is a carb drain line to at least drain the gas sitting in the carb after use; otherwise you'd have to pull the line going to the carb, siphon it , or tip it upside down to drain gas from tank. I don't do that though, just start it once a month or so and it starts by 3rd pull.


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## mchasal (Oct 22, 2014)

The use of a car is interesting. I already have a standard generator, but it's big and loud. I've been considering getting a small inverter generator specifically to keep the heat on overnight. Using a car + inverter instead is an interesting approach for this use case. A car at idle is basically silent from within the house. I do wonder if there are any issues with keeping up with the power draw at idle? Not sure if you're really getting good output from the alternator at that rpm, and could you be slowly draining the battery resulting in a possible no-start situation? If so, I suppose there are some simple ways to prevent that. You could raise the rpms a bit with anything from a zip tie to a brick, or just make sure you go for a drive or something for 15 minutes before shutting the car down.


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## Bioburner (Oct 22, 2014)

A lot of the newer cars will automatically increase engine rpm to manage electrical needs.


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## sigepsb (Oct 22, 2014)

I own two Honda 2000i's (one companion and one regular) and a Yamaha EF2400is. Both are great generators. Quiet and efficient on fuel. I would recommend either depending on what your needs are. Not so sure about the Generac.

The advantage to the EF2400is is that it can generally start a 13.5KW RV air conditioning unit, while the Honda 2000 generally will not. Unless you RV I wouldn't think that would be too much of an advantage. The advantage to the Honda 2000 is that it is lighter and much easier to carry. You can also turn off the eco-idle on the Honda manually to ramp up the RPM's for items with large start-up loads. The Yamaha always starts 1st or 2nd pull, even when it's been sitting for a while. Sometimes if the Honda's have been off for a while it can take 3 or 4 pulls. Not a big deal either way. I would probably say go with the Honda 2000 and get two if you need more power. Easier to transport two, than one large generator. I run them hooked together for 4000 Watts total. The Yamaha 2000's are also nice, but the parallel connection is not as integrated as the Honda setup.

I only have one bad experience to report and it was with one of the Honda's. When I first got them I put gas in them and fired them up. One surged very badly, right from the get-go. I went to the Honda dealer and BEFORE he even LOOKED at the generator, he told me it was from bad gas and that it would NOT be covered under warranty. Well, it was new gas, and I had just put the same gas in both Honda's and my Yamaha. Both the other Honda and Yamaha ran just fine on it. They said they had to drain the tank and bowl on the carb and that it would be $100, which I paid reluctantly. I think its way more likely it had some crap in there from manufacturing, given the circumstances and I wasn't too happy about it. I called corporate Honda and they didn't really care.


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## killie11 (Oct 22, 2014)

Thanks for the replies I appreciate all the advice. I found a
*Hyundai HY2000si *
I was wondering if it was any good. reviews seem good.


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## lagger (Oct 22, 2014)

been considering a whole house gen for a while 7.5 to 9k would be more than enough .. gotta wonder.. most gens have a 12v dc out..., now I am aware that gens produce less than the sine wave that is required for electronics to work properly or at all.. so why not use an inverter running off a large gen 12v dc output and run the stove off that leg ?


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## velvetfoot (Oct 22, 2014)

I find it hard to believe that a permanently installed standby generator wouldn't be able to power a pellet boiler.


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## Happy Hour (Oct 22, 2014)

I have a 6K generac that sports a Honda engine (13HP iirc) that runs my entire house.  Obviosly you need to be smart about what you run and don't run (Oven, Dryer) Two summers back we were the only ones in our neighborhood that had AC during a 24hr power-outage


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## killie11 (Oct 22, 2014)

I would love to get a big generac though not untill NG comes through my area in a couple of years.


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

In 99% of situations a modified sine wave generator or inverter will run anything you would ever care to power. Almost every item out there isnt that sensitive as you think or converts the ac to dc anyway.

Unless your running high end servers, or sensitive lab equipment it dorsnt matter. Its all myth and urban legend. You can run any household computer, tv, washer, dryer, oven, radio, pellet stove, furnace, anything under the sun darn near with no ill effect. A modified sine wave cant actually damage anything, it just wouldnt be qualified as a good source and the sensitive item in question just wouldnt turn on.

This is what i do for a living, trust me, it doesnt matter for the average joe.


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## Skinn (Oct 22, 2014)

I have a Yamaha EF2400 inverter style, for me it fits the bill perfectly. My main concerns during an emergency are heat, refrigeration and a couple of lights at night. My small housing development has a generator backed water system so no need to worry about water, normally that is a pretty big draw on power. For me the fuel efficiency and next to no noise is worth having to go without use of the dryer or oven for a day or two. This little Yamaha will run a coffee maker or the microwave if we choose to, just need to manage the loads properly, the plus is it is light enough and quiet enough to use for the occasional camping trip if we decide to take a few comforts of home with us!

I was set on getting an 8000 watt Generac until I saw how much fuel one of my neighbors used during an outage, his wife loved that they could go about their lives as if nothing had changed...until they ran out of fuel and the local stations were all closed because they had no power either! I listed what I really needed in a true emergency outage situation and that is when I decided on the Yamaha, I was also nervous after hearing issues with the sensitive electronics in pellet stoves not always liking the power of some of the conventional/cheaper generators on the market.


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

Skinn said:


> I have a Yamaha EF2400 inverter style, for me it fits the bill perfectly. My main concerns during an emergency are heat, refrigeration and a couple of lights at night. My small housing development has a generator backed water system so no need to worry about water, normally that is a pretty big draw on power. For me the fuel efficiency and next to no noise is worth having to go without use of the dryer or oven for a day or two. This little Yamaha will run a coffee maker or the microwave if we choose to, just need to manage the loads properly, the plus is it is light enough and quiet enough to use for the occasional camping trip if we decide to take a few comforts of home with us!
> 
> I was set on getting an 8000 watt Generac until I saw how much fuel one of my neighbors used during an outage, his wife loved that they could go about their lives as if nothing had changed...until they ran out of fuel and the local stations were all closed because they had no power either! I listed what I really needed in a true emergency outage situation and that is when I decided on the Yamaha, I was also nervous after hearing issues with the sensitive electronics in pellet stoves not always liking the power of some of the conventional/cheaper generators on the market.




If a pellet stove or anything has an issue running off of a portable gen the chances are its a frequency problem due to the load be very light or it just being a cheap pos. the fix in most cases is increase the load to stabilize the gen to stop it from hunting and oscillating the frequency.


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## BrotherBart (Oct 22, 2014)

TheRambler said:


> Almost every item out there isnt that sensitive as you think or converts the ac to dc anyway.



Running my stuff with a mod sine genny for the annual five to seven day outages finally ruined my fridge. After 28 years.


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## Bioburner (Oct 22, 2014)

BrotherBart said:


> Running my stuff with a mod sine genny for the annual five to seven day outages finally ruined my fridge. After 28 years.


You sure it wasn't the giant dust bunny trying to stay warm off of the compressor and just smothered it?


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## simple.serf (Oct 22, 2014)

I prefer my MEP002A  (it's portable...well it's on a m116a2 trailer). The Honda is one of the best portable homeowner grade units out there. I know of one unit that is used every weekend in the summer that runs at 80% load Friday through Sunday. It now has almost 12k hours and is still going strong. 

If you want a whole  house unit, look for some of the old Onan gensets. They were commercial duty, and many are being scrapped out these days with low hours. Many are nat gas/propane fueled as well.


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## TheRambler (Oct 22, 2014)

Those giant dust bunnies are fiesty... And have big teeth.


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## BrotherBart (Oct 22, 2014)

Don't know but glad it finally died. The 118 watts the new one uses is wonderful.


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## Skinn (Oct 22, 2014)

TheRambler said:


> If a pellet stove or anything has an issue running off of a portable gen the chances are its a frequency problem due to the load be very light or it just being a cheap pos. the fix in most cases is increase the load to stabilize the gen to stop it from hunting and oscillating the frequency.



That is good to know, like I said I had just heard that it could ruin something but didn't know much about that aspect, I had already decided on my needs and the Yamaha fit my needs. 

To support your statement I will say a few years back that I ran my Pellet stove on an ancient Coleman 2200 watt beater that was basically junk that I kept going with some constant tinkering. It was an old one I had from our hunting camp. Even though it took forever to get it running every time I needed it, it did do the job of keeping us warm by running our stove! It was essentially a job site model that was loud and cranky so I moved on to something more reliable ect.


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## oliveone (Oct 22, 2014)

Stove is run through a small UPS. This is for small power losses less then 2-5 min. I have a small inverter with a battery for short power loss or until I get the generator fired up. For longer I have a 5 KW an a 10 Kw diesel generator. Either can run whole house. 5 Kw will do everything if I am careful. The 10 KW will do everything and don't have to worry about it.  Just got the 5 KW last week have to run a few more test before it gets hooked to the housed. These are pure shine wave an are the same a utility power.  They cost a lot but are long term items 15-25 years.


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## chken (Oct 23, 2014)

In power outages, I have a standby whole house GE 12k propane generator. It has run my pellet stove numerous times without any issues.

Having said that, my tank holds about 5 days of propane, but the fuel company doesn't like to come fill it up unless it's low, so more often than not, I have 3 to 4 days worth of propane. I suppose I can buy another tank, but I also thought about connecting a pure sine inverter to my hybrid and running just my stove off that at night. It would give me a little cushion on my propane for those longer outages. The hybrid presumably would turn on and off automatically as needed to keep the battery charged. It'd be just about the quietest generator around.


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## metalsped (Oct 23, 2014)

I always tell folks to go diesel! When we lose power (or you are looking at a greater grid disruption)... gasonline will be VERY hard to come by. Diesel is what keeps this nation moving, fed, and protected. It is diesel reserves and refineries that will be the first to come back on, or be secured. It is of particular national importance that we have an undisrupted diesel supply. Plus it is a superior fuel in my not so humble opinion.

Want something bulletproof that will do way more than you ever need? Buy this, and fashion it onto a rolling cart (for lack of a better term) http://www.generatorsales.com/order/Slow-Turning-Yanmar-5kW-Diesel-Generator.asp?page=yanmar_4kw

Portable, with crazy good efficiency, and lower noise than any gas unit on the market.


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## metalsped (Oct 23, 2014)

I mean... it uses only a third of a gallon of fuel @ full load. How great is that? My father laughed at me when I was talking to him about power backup. He has some large Kohler whole-home propane unit. Propane is a proor backup method because it absolutely chews through fuel (ie... efficiency is poor compared to other fuel sources) and it requires much higher overall maintenance to keep right. Guess whose generator currently needs to be serviced??


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## metalsped (Oct 23, 2014)

Not to knock anyone who does run it though. We all power (and heat) according to what works best for us.


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## lagger (Oct 23, 2014)

velvetfoot said:


> I find it hard to believe that a permanently installed standby generator wouldn't be able to power a pellet boiler.


the issue is not the [power of the generator but the requirement of the control board (and other digital electronics in the home) to get a pure sine wave at 60hz .. standby gens don't produce a pure sine wave, expensive inverter gens like the little eu2000i Honda do..


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## Bioburner (Oct 23, 2014)

metalsped said:


> I always tell folks to go diesel! When we lose power (or you are looking at a greater grid disruption)... gasonline will be VERY hard to come by. Diesel is what keeps this nation moving, fed, and protected. It is diesel reserves and refineries that will be the first to come back on, or be secured. It is of particular national importance that we have an undisrupted diesel supply. Plus it is a superior fuel in my not so humble opinion.
> 
> Want something bulletproof that will do way more than you ever need? Buy this, and fashion it onto a rolling cart (for lack of a better term) http://www.generatorsales.com/order/Slow-Turning-Yanmar-5kW-Diesel-Generator.asp?page=yanmar_4kw
> 
> Portable, with crazy good efficiency, and lower noise than any gas unit on the market.


I picked up a Chinese copy that's totally enclosed. Several paint jobs of the same engine genny combo with analog and digital control panels the first part of October and used camping for a week. Ran the old Profile Whit and several other items without issue. Once you go past 100lbs the definition of portable wanes in my opinion. I am used to diesels. Probably would not recommend one to most. I usually try to get everything up and running and tested a day or so before a storm is predicted. Have a small freestanding propain direct vent stove that can supply needed heat without electricity. 3 days without ability to leave home in winter in my area is not unheard of.


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## rbart46 (Oct 23, 2014)

TheRambler said:


> In 99% of situations a modified sine wave generator or inverter will run anything you would ever care to power. Almost every item out there isnt that sensitive as you think or converts the ac to dc anyway.
> 
> Unless your running high end servers, or sensitive lab equipment it dorsnt matter. Its all myth and urban legend. You can run any household computer, tv, washer, dryer, oven, radio, pellet stove, furnace, anything under the sun darn near with no ill effect. A modified sine wave cant actually damage anything, it just wouldnt be qualified as a good source and the sensitive item in question just wouldnt turn on.
> 
> This is what i do for a living, trust me, it doesnt matter for the average joe.


Thanks...needed to hear this....lots of "information" out there to get worked up about...Robert of Cow Hill, Vermont


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## moey (Oct 23, 2014)

I have a champion inverter generator I got it refurbished here for $375. The RV folks swear by them. They also have excellent customer service I have a larger champion generator that had a fuel leak after a couple months they were going to send me a new generator when I called their 1800 number. I could tell what part was bad and asked if they could just send me that next day I had the part no cost.

http://supergenproducts.com/shop/refurbished-2000w-inverter-yellow/

A lot depends on what you want. I just want to survive comfortably I can do without running my welder during a power outage. Although I wont have hot water but my wife does not know that.


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## yrock87 (Oct 23, 2014)

moey said:


> I have a champion inverter generator I got it refurbished here for $375. The RV folks swear by them. They also have excellent customer service I have a larger champion generator that had a fuel leak after a couple months they were going to send me a new generator when I called their 1800 number. I could tell what part was bad and asked if they could just send me that next day I had the part no cost.
> 
> http://supergenproducts.com/shop/refurbished-2000w-inverter-yellow/
> 
> A lot depends on what you want. I just want to survive comfortably I can do without running my welder during a power outage. Although I wont have hot water but my wife does not know that.


Haha, you will hear all about it the first morning of a long outage when she steps into an ice cold shower! I am fortunate (kinda?) that my dhw is heated by my boiler. Rather than messing with my stove, the plan is to run the genny for lights, fridge and boiler. Providing full heat and hot water. I am tempted to get an inverter and deep cycle battery to run the boiler overnight. This using the car trick my be enough to sway me into purchasing an inexpensive 1k inverter. Can be used for camping or for powering the heat overnight!


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## velvetfoot (Oct 23, 2014)

It looks like my new pellet boiler uses around 1300 watts or so when starting up (igniting).  Is that similar to a pellet stove?  No option for me to start up without electric ignition, I believe.  Not much required once lit though.  I'll have to use the juice from the Honda 2000i carefully when the boiler is igniting.


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## yrock87 (Oct 23, 2014)

velvetfoot said:


> It looks like my new pellet boiler uses around 1300 watts or so when starting up (igniting).  Is that similar to a pellet stove?  No option for me to start up without electric ignition, I believe.  Not much required once lit though.  I'll have to use the juice from the Honda 2000i carefully when the boiler is igniting.


Can you set your boiler to "manual"  mode where it goes into maintenance burn between calls for heat? I have not checked my stove with a kill-a-watt yet, but word of mouth is that most stoves run on around 100 watts and have a 300(ish) Watt igniter. A far cry from your pellet boiler. Once u wore up my furnace with a plug, i will check the draw on that too. Will be interesting to see the difference between an oil boiler and a pellet boiler.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 23, 2014)

My oil boiler takes a lot less.  I used to run that, and maybe one other thing, with my Harbor Freight 900 watt 2 stroker.  It makes motors make funny noises though, lol.


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## velvetfoot (Oct 23, 2014)

yrock87 said:


> Can you set your boiler to "manual"  mode where it goes into maintenance burn between calls for heat?



I think it only can light off with electric ignition.  It goes into modulation mode after the flame stabilizes and can go down to 30% output.  If there is any kind of load, and along with the buffer tank, I think it'll go for a pretty long time before requiring another ignition cycle.  It'd require a lot of watching, or actually turning it off, if I were to use the generator for other things.  It'd be a learning thing.


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## mchasal (Oct 23, 2014)

velvetfoot said:


> It looks like my new pellet boiler uses around 1300 watts or so when starting up (igniting).  Is that similar to a pellet stove?  No option for me to start up without electric ignition, I believe.  Not much required once lit though.  I'll have to use the juice from the Honda 2000i carefully when the boiler is igniting.



I measured my stove with a Killawatt and it's about 300 watts at start-up with the ignitor running and about 100 watts running full tilt after start-up is complete. When you're measuring your boiler usage is that including all the circulators? Maybe you could manually keep those off until the ignitor is done?


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## velvetfoot (Oct 23, 2014)

The circulators have efficient ECM motors and consume a max of 60 watts each.  My theory is that it's probably a heavy duty ignitor.


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## killie11 (Oct 24, 2014)

Well I picked up the honda today though I have yet to test her out.


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## Bioburner (Oct 24, 2014)

Fill it up with non booze fuel and a bit of stabil and hope you never need it except to make for more comfortable camping.


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## yrock87 (Oct 24, 2014)

Bioburner said:


> Fill it up with non booze fuel and a bit of stabil and hope you never need it except to make for more comfortable camping.


How long does the ethanol free fuel last?


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## Bioburner (Oct 24, 2014)

My motorcycles,mowers seem to do ok with it and a bit of stabil for 5 plus months


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## chken (Oct 24, 2014)

velvetfoot said:


> It looks like my new pellet boiler uses around 1300 watts or so when starting up (igniting).  Is that similar to a pellet stove?  No option for me to start up without electric ignition, I believe.  Not much required once lit though.  I'll have to use the juice from the Honda 2000i carefully when the boiler is igniting.


My stove uses 300 watts when igniting, and around 100 watts when running. The blower is what uses the most electricity when it's running, the 


metalsped said:


> I mean... it uses only a third of a gallon of fuel @ full load. How great is that? My father laughed at me when I was talking to him about power backup. He has some large Kohler whole-home propane unit. Propane is a proor backup method because it absolutely chews through fuel (ie... efficiency is poor compared to other fuel sources) and it requires much higher overall maintenance to keep right. Guess whose generator currently needs to be serviced??


Okay, I must be doing something wrong! I've only changed the synthetic oil and filter on my standby propane GE wholehouse generator, annually. Changed the plugs and air filter once too. Anyhow, I've had the unit several years now with no issues whatsoever. Maintenance has been totally minimal.


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## Wilbur Feral (Oct 24, 2014)

yrock87 said:


> How long does the ethanol free fuel last?


Ethanol-free fuel is hard to find in our area, so I've stopped worrying about it.  I just fill up in November-December before a big storm, put regular (red) Stabil in immediately, and have yet to have a problem from gas stored at least 8-9 months.  I keep about 38 gallons in storage plus 9 in the gen, as we can lose power for a week here (usually the last folks restored due to location on a small branch of the grid).  So if we regain power right after I have replenished that supply, I can have a lot of gas on hand for months.

We had our last outage in Feb as I recall, so the gas in the gen has been in there since then, and it still starts up on first crank with the monthly test.  I also use leftover gas in various small engines from chainsaw to weed whacker to blower to riding mower, with zero problems all summer and into fall if we have few summer outages.  I finally got rid of the last of this winter's gas this week, in our cars - with zero issues.  Stabil is great stuff!


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## TonyVideo (Oct 27, 2014)

Love my Honda eu2009i. Harman approved battery backup that bursts the exhaust lasts plenty for me to crank up the Honda. I put an extended 6 gallon marine tank on it and I get 30-40 hours on the combined 7 gallons. Never a problem. Reliable Honda &  Harman (I have 2). Also run lights, TV and fridge. I usually keep an additional 10 gallons on hand. Bring on the blizzard.


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## moey (Oct 28, 2014)

Wilbur Feral said:


> Ethanol-free fuel is hard to find in our area, so I've stopped worrying about it.  I just fill up in November-December before a big storm, put regular (red) Stabil in immediately, and have yet to have a problem from gas stored at least 8-9 months.  I keep about 38 gallons in storage plus 9 in the gen, as we can lose power for a week here (usually the last folks restored due to location on a small branch of the grid).  So if we regain power right after I have replenished that supply, I can have a lot of gas on hand for months.
> 
> We had our last outage in Feb as I recall, so the gas in the gen has been in there since then, and it still starts up on first crank with the monthly test.  I also use leftover gas in various small engines from chainsaw to weed whacker to blower to riding mower, with zero problems all summer and into fall if we have few summer outages.  I finally got rid of the last of this winter's gas this week, in our cars - with zero issues.  Stabil is great stuff!



Often the local airport will have ethanol free gas thats about the only place you can find it around me usually higher octane. Its a big stink about nothing in my opinion. Ive never had a problem with ethanol gas and have left it in some yard tools and my boat for years and they still ran. I usually run the carb dry though which I think makes a big difference. 

http://pure-gas.org/


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## velvetfoot (Oct 28, 2014)

moey said:


> I usually run the carb dry


me tto.  I think that works.


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## EJL923 (Oct 28, 2014)

I think i can add quite a bit to this conversation.  I went through this when we had that October snowstorm and lost power for 7 days.  I had no generator at the time, but did need power for my insert.  i had a small inverter (200w) i could run off my car.  it kept us warm, but couldnt run a fridge and we lost our food.  I hated running the car at idle for a long time.  In the cold moisture seemed to build up in the exhaust and idling the car for a long time is just overall not a good idea.  In an emergency great, but not recommended.

I wanted a cheap solution to run the fridge and stove.  After seeing my coworkers burn through $70 worth of gas a day on large generators, i just wanted something fuel efficient for those extended emergencies.  Dont get me wrong, a large generator would be nice, but its just me my wife and the dog and we can get my without all of the luxuries a whole house gen would bring.

Anyhow to get to the OP's question.  I bought a Honda EU2000, awesome generator.  Dont skimp here, you can get them for a few hundred bucks more than the competition and its worth it.  One thought about those cheap harbor freights, they are just that.  That was my first solution after the power outage.  I figured for $100 bucks why not.  After about 7 hours of use, it wouldn't produce electricity anymore.  Engine ran, but no juice.  Called it a loss, moved on and bought a honda.


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## TheRambler (Oct 28, 2014)

Only issue with ethanol fuel is it can be harsh on fuel lines or any other non metal part it makes contact with for a long duration. It can cause lines and seals etc to become  brittle and crack or otherwise accelerate deterioration . Not a huge concern unless its sitting there for months on end. Best practice is to use an ethanol fuel treatment product and to run your carb dry. You should have no issues if you do that.


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## Skinn (Oct 28, 2014)

EJL923 said:


> I think i can add quite a bit to this conversation.  I went through this when we had that October snowstorm and lost power for 7 days.  I had no generator at the time, but did need power for my insert.  i had a small inverter (200w) i could run off my car.  it kept us warm, but couldnt run a fridge and we lost our food.  I hated running the car at idle for a long time.  In the cold moisture seemed to build up in the exhaust and idling the car for a long time is just overall not a good idea.  In an emergency great, but not recommended.
> 
> I wanted a cheap solution to run the fridge and stove.  After seeing my coworkers burn through $70 worth of gas a day on large generators, i just wanted something fuel efficient for those extended emergencies.  Dont get me wrong, a large generator would be nice, but its just me my wife and the dog and we can get my without all of the luxuries a whole house gen would bring.
> 
> Anyhow to get to the OP's question.  I bought a Honda EU2000, awesome generator.  Dont skimp here, you can get them for a few hundred bucks more than the competition and its worth it.  One thought about those cheap harbor freights, they are just that.  That was my first solution after the power outage.  I figured for $100 bucks why not.  After about 7 hours of use, it wouldn't produce electricity anymore.  Engine ran, but no juice.  Called it a loss, moved on and bought a honda.



This is the thought process that led me to buying my Yamaha! Very happy with it and it meets my needs just fine.


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## EJL923 (Oct 29, 2014)

Cant say anything bad about yamaha, i researched them as well and seemed to have just as many happy customers.  I teetered on both, but Honda was more readily available to me and found one at a great price.


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## Curtis Morman (Jun 30, 2015)

Well it depends on a lot of questions whether you have the adequate spacing to place the generator or whether you will be comfortable in maintaining the generator. We had bought a Generlink portable generator( http://www.theshockdoctors.ca/electrician-services/standby-generators/portable-generators/ )for our house at Orillia last year because we had faced acute shortage electricity for a period of 5 days and it was not a pleasant experience. It allows almost anything to run on it without any connection issue and also came with a 7 year warranty. We haven’t face any issues as such till date so if you ask me, I would recommend it.


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## smwilliamson (Jun 30, 2015)

Got a New Holland 6500 watt. For the money, $930.00 it was the best deal in town. Powers everything I need to run in the house.


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## DougA (Jun 30, 2015)

This is an older thread but I did notice an earlier question on Hyundai inverter generator.  I bought 2, a 1000W and a 2000W. I sold both within a year and would not buy them again. One had to be returned to the store for a carb rebuild and the other should have gone with it.  I used only hi test gas.  The power output was fine but not reliable to start when you needed it.
I bought a Honda 2000i and very happy.  I wish I could have bought the 1KW but it will not power a 120v skillsaw or equivalent under a heavy load.


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## Arti (Jun 30, 2015)

It's not a one size fits all world for sure.
I have a 6500 watt generator and have used it for years. Works great however it consumes fuel at rate that would put a Mack truck to shame.
Was at a garage sale one day and they had a 1500 watts Champion sitting there for 50 bucks guaranteed not to run so I bought it.
Took it home dumped the Water out of the Gas Tank put fresh gas in it and fired it up.
Hooked it to a Pellet stove and it works fine.
Wouldn't want to run the big generator over nite So Much noise any neighbor within 5 miles won't get any sleep and would need a gas tanker attached to the gas tank to make it thru the nite.

Little Generator will run a couple of lights and any heat source in the house on a couple gallons of fuel and is quiet enough that you don't notice it's running. Which is a good thing.
I put an outlet in the hallway that just goes to a cord outside sort of like a permanent extension cord so if the power goes out we plug in the generator outside and have one outlet with power inside we just run an extension cord to the pellet stove and plug in a lamp this takes care of heat and lights. Doesn't need any special wiring because it's not attached to the fuse box.

Here's the problem with the little generator We are in the country with a 220 volt well system without a decent sized 220 v generator we don't have water!

The big generator is hooked to the main panel we get up in the morning and dump in a half gallon of fuel and that will run the refrigerator and pump the pressure tank full of water, sort of an automatic thing when it runs out of gas it shuts itself off! at nite another half gallon of fuel and we are set for the nite. The longest we have been without power is 8 days, Most of the time it is a few hours once in a while it will be a day or a day and a half at the most.

Anyone living in town wouldn't have to deal with the water situation and we could easily get by for a long time without water, Snow in the bathroom ceramic keeps things fresh
Put perishable food in cardboard boxes and set them in snow or in garage etc. takes a bit of work but will save it. so the little gen would be all we need but running water and not having to move food out of the refig is nice.

Almost forgot the point of all this rambling , Evaluate what your needs are before U buy a generator If all u want is heat and lights buy small, if you have a need to run more then buy bigger. just be safe.


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## maple1 (Jul 1, 2015)

Said this many times before - but in an extended outage here (next to the middle of nowhere), the priority is not enough juice to run everything, but rather how long can I go on a gallon of gas when I need the juice. I've seen some friends & neighbours go from all happy as heck to a wreck of nerves & frustration from start to end of a long power outage with their big gennies.

I sold a very nice working 5500/8500 Craftsman genny the fall before last, and replaced it with a 3000w Lifan inverter model. Haven't had to use it much since, but it works like a top, gives us enough juice to run everything we need, uses very little fuel - and was very reasonably priced. Home Depot sells them.

As far as 'best' goes though - I would have to say Honda or Yamaha. I would have likely gone with a Honda if we were a regular genny user. And if we were really dependant on one for many long outages, I would likely have gone diesel connected to a big fuel tank.


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## tiger (Jul 1, 2015)

...playing with fire; have had a "portable" (193LB is portable?) Generac for a year, still in box.



velvetfoot said:


> Then you'll have to chain your running car down to the ground to prevent it from being stolen



Doesn't everyone?


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## notshubby (Jul 1, 2015)

all I have is an older generac 5000w saw it for sale on cl about 5 years ago advertised at 75 bucks with seized up motor. got there took a look at it gave it a half hearted pull liked what I felt offered him 50 bucks. took it home untangled the rope in the recoil cleaned carb fired right up. haven't lost power for more than an hour or so since. go out about once a year start it let it run for a while. I just drained off the gas for the second time and replaced with new. this time I put stabil in it but if it goes 2 or 3 years without being used ill still drain it off and put fresh in.


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## michpelletburner (Jul 1, 2015)

I have a 9k generac that i purchased a few years ago, i have it wired into my panel with a plug outside. Works great powers everything including the stove without a hitch( everything electronic is on monster power surge stripes just incase). I did add a battery tender to it to keep the battery charged, and i keep it full and use marine stabil that helps with the ethanol, but it usually gets used every couple months so the gas is fresh.


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## velvetfoot (Jul 1, 2015)

michpelletburner said:


> it usually gets used every couple months


Do you use the generator for other stuff?


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## rona (Jul 2, 2015)

velvetfoot said:


> Do you use the generator for other stuff?


I have a Honda eu2000 that I have owned for 10 years. I use it for powering electric chain saws as well as power when we are camping. It has been used for charging batteries on my boat as well as running a corn stove. I use 10-30 Mobile one oil in it as well as adding Sea-Foam to the ethynol gas.  I try to run it at least every other month if possible. I guess I am sold on Honda products as I have 4 small engines  and have had no problem with any of them.


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## DougA (Jul 2, 2015)

The OP is asking about 'portable'. Some of the answers here are not portable in any typical sense of the word.  Even the Honda eu2000i I own is tough enough to haul around, especially when the power is out.


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## cableman (Jul 4, 2015)

My yamaha 2400ishc ran more then my kipor 3k. Great generator, got it from here a few years back.
http://www.yamahagenerators.com/EF2400iSHC-p/ef2400ishc.htm


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## michpelletburner (Jul 5, 2015)

DougA said:


> The OP is asking about 'portable'. Some of the answers here are not portable in any typical sense of the word.  Even the Honda eu2000i I own is tough enough to haul around, especially when the power is out.


mines on wheels and pretty portable, a non portable to me would mean like a automatic whole house unit. I take mine with me every trip up north wheeling( powers a welder nicely)


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## jebatty (Jul 6, 2015)

One more experience story. As to easily portable, I bought a Champion 2000w inverter generator 4 years ago. It's quiet but not as quiet as a Honda or Yamaha. Only used once for a power outage just to power the fridge and freezer for awhile, but used about 50-60 hours over 4 days each year during the last three years for camping during a music festival we enjoy, and will be used again later this month for the same thing. It uses about 5 gallons of gas for that number of hours of use. Flawless in operation. Main reason for getting this was for the computer and electronics during a possible long power outage; also to run the circulators on my shop heating system if a long power outage during the heating season, but this has never happened yet. The circulators buzz when run on a non-inverter generator.

Also have a Craftsman 5500w - 240V generator on wheels that plugs into a 10 circuit transfer switch on our main panel. I have had this for many years. It gets used for a few hours about once a year during a power outage. The 240V is needed for the water well pump. This generator is quite noisy. It also has enough power to run my 240V MIG welder, so my welder now also is portable, a real plus.

For both generators, premium non-ethanol fuel and Stabil, run the carb dry after use, exercise each on at least a 1/2 load 1-2 times a year.


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## maple1 (Jul 6, 2015)

jebatty said:


> One more experience story. As to easily portable, I bought a Champion 2000w inverter generator 4 years ago. It's quiet but not as quiet as a Honda or Yamaha. Only used once for a power outage just to power the fridge and freezer for awhile, but used about 50-60 hours over 4 days each year during the last three years for camping during a music festival we enjoy, and will be used again later this month for the same thing. It uses about 5 gallons of gas for that number of hours of use. Flawless in operation. Main reason for getting this was for the computer and electronics during a possible long power outage; also to run the circulators on my shop heating system if a long power outage during the heating season, but this has never happened yet. The circulators buzz when run on a non-inverter generator.
> 
> Also have a Craftsman 5500w - 240V generator on wheels that plugs into a 10 circuit transfer switch on our main panel. I have had this for many years. It gets used for a few hours about once a year during a power outage. The 240V is needed for the water well pump. This generator is quite noisy. It also has enough power to run my 240V MIG welder, so my welder now also is portable, a real plus.
> 
> For both generators, premium non-ethanol fuel and Stabil, run the carb dry after use, exercise each on at least a 1/2 load 1-2 times a year.


 

How is your Craftsman on gas? I think my old Craftsman (not actually that old, was a nice genny otherwise) would have gone though those 5 gallons in 10 hours rather than 50. That was the tipper for me.


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## velvetfoot (Jul 6, 2015)

I am also on the two generator plan: one  big and one small.


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## jebatty (Jul 6, 2015)

Have not had to use the Craftsman for long long periods to have a concern about gas. I normally have on hand 15-30 gal of regular ethanol gas plus 5-10 gal of premium, non-ethanol, Stabil gas that can be used in the generator if needed. Maybe the best thing about having a generator in my case was once I had the generator, power outages seemed to diminish. Buying it was insurance that I wouldn't need to use it.


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## maple1 (Jul 6, 2015)

*Maybe the best thing about having a generator in my case was once I had the generator, power outages seemed to diminish.*

I think I have also experienced this strange phenomenom...


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## velvetfoot (Jul 6, 2015)

Me as well.


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## Arti (Jul 6, 2015)

Having 2 backup gennys has helped with the power outages, since we have bought them we have only used them twice.
Use the small one for camping in craft show parking lots, will run my small window shaker in the camper or a fan and some lights. sure is nice to have.


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## johnny1720 (Jul 18, 2015)

I have had a generator for 18 months, zero power outages in 18 months.


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## TonyVideo (Jul 18, 2015)

Good insurance.


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## johneh (Apr 30, 2019)

Depends what you want it for 
But the Honda is probably the best 
but also the most expensive 
I use a whole house unit 25 KW gen-teck 
and have a 5000 watt portable Honda
They cover what ever power I need at home and away


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