I have a "L5-30P to L14-30R(Hots Bridged) 30Amp 125Volt to 30Amp 125/250Volt" adapter

arriving today along with a "10 gauge 4 wire Nema L14-30" 20' extension cord

for the Predator 3500 30 amp out.

This is why I have a 50A inlet, wiring and interlock breaker.
I can use up to a 12KW generator.

When I'm only feeding it 30A (either 120V or 240V) I have adapters.

You can run a lot on a single 1600W Honda EU2000i.

Nice.  Do a review when you get it.

I wanted to to prepare for my whole house generator use, so I just switched about 80% of my house lighting over to LED's.  Costco currently has 65W equivalent BR30 Flood bulbs on sale for $4.95 a 4 pack.  They have a limit of 3 X 4 packs currently, but I keep going back, and almost have enough.  I must have about 40 of these cans throughout the house.  They claim 22 years expectancy, and only 10 watts power usage.  The box states "Saves $1.20 per year average".  So at the end of a year, these will have cost me $.05 net each. LOL

I just added up all the new lamps on my first floor, and I'm at 250 watts.  The bulbs I replaced were between 60-100 watts each.  They are never all on at the same time, but they now could be, even on the genny !

Costco also has some of the table lamp style replacement bulbs with a rebate, but I have already converted most of my lamps to those in the past year.  Hopefully the LED's will save enough power drawdown to allow my Predator 3K generator to make life fairly normal during an outage.  Mostly concerned about 2 fridges, TV & Cable box, modem & computers, and gas furnace one floor at a time.  Coffee pot and microwave once in while would be a bonus.  I figure I can cut the furnace power long enough to make coffee or zap a burrito or two.

The BR30 4 pack is $12.95 with an $8 rebate at the register here in Oregon with no sales tax.

Very smart. The energy savings will entually pay for the generator & gear.

I would get a hand held ammeter or plug in like a killawatt & find out what the coffee pot, microwave , fridge, etc. pull.

Wouldn't hurt to put a permanent ammeter on the outgoing legs of the generator.

It will help you juggle loads.

Like others have said , used judiciously, 2kw , especially 3.5kw, can be stretched quite a ways

I have a kilowatt meter but haven't been using it yet.  I figured if I can keep some of the lights, fridges and furnace or space heater running off of the Predator, I'm golden.  Anything else is a bonus, but fingers crossed, the TV & computers should also get in under the 3K I have available.

I'm still a little surprised by all the interest in parallel kits, but no mention of getting it into the breaker box.  I hope there aren't too many going the suicide cord/dryer outlet route.

OST

I've read the whole thread, but I don't recall seeing this.

Is grounding an absolute necessity for a portable generator?  If yes, how do you do it?

The manual recommends consulting an electrician for proper grounding, but it is not covered in the quick start instructions.

If you're hooking it up to a house via an interlock, the generator is grounded through the grounding plug via the ground in the panel.

This... if you're connecting through the house wiring, you will be connected to the existing house ground.

If you're running extension cords or whatnot, you should really put in a ground rod at the generator and connect the rod to the ground lug on the gen.

Thanks, gents.  How deep does the rod need to go?

All the way.



The grounding rods I see at Home Depot are around 48" long.

Really depends on the soil conductivity and moisture level. If you're in a salt march, about 6 inches. If you're in the desert, 8 feet might not be enough.  SWAG would be somewhere between 4 and 8 feet would be ok for most.

I just checked the price of the Harbor Freight Predator 3500 generator, and it is currently at $729.  The coupon code 19749348 is now worth $70 off however, and it still works (On line at least) so the net price is still $659.  I bought one about a week ago at that price from $699 -$40 with that coupon.  All you need is the code number.  I just gave it to the clerk verbally at checkout, she punched it in,  and I got the discount.

I finally got everything connected properly with an Eaton interlock to my breaker panel.  I shut off the main and engaged the interlock and crossed my fingers, but everything worked properly and I was able to run my house for around an hour & a half without a glitch or breaker trip either at the panel on on the genset.  I have a 4500 sq. ft. 3 floor house with a gas FA furnace, thermostat & AC for each floor.  It's in the low 40's here, so no AC, but the FA heaters all seemed to be running fine.  I recently switched about 90% of my lighting to LED's, and turned on most lights I would normally use, and my flat screen TV's one at a time, plus my desktop computer without a problem.  My KillaWatt meter says my coffee pot brews and runs at 1Kw, so I think I can temporarily shut off the heaters and brew coffee, then do microwave or gas stovetop heatups.  Trivia:  My 2 slice toaster uses 800 watts in regular mode, but only 600 in bagel mode.  I think it lowers heat on one side per slot for bagels.

I figure I spent about $250 on the output cable adapter, interlock, 20' cable, Reliance input box, breaker, etc. to get this operational.  If I had any idea how to do this a week ago, I doubt it would take more than about 3-4 hours tops to complete.  I figure I'm all in at about $900 for a running 3Kw plus fuel.  I'm OK with that.

My trial run yesterday still has me amazed at the quality and amount of power this unit can provide.  My modem, cable box, TV's all seem to work perfectly on this source.  I probably have about 5 hours total on the genny, so I plan to run off it for a few more hours today, then do an oil change.  I installed a magnetic drain plug yesterday, so I'm curious how that looks after the trial.

Guys.  Just an FYI.  Go to Zoro.com and register an account.  I'm constantly getting emails with coupon codes for 25% off if you spend at least $250.  I picked up my Champion 3500 Hybrid genny from them.  After using the discount code it came to $490.00 shipped.

That is awesome & relatively inexpensive peace of mind.

It's probably been covered and I may of read it but my heads ready to explode trying to get this all dialed in but, for the guys using a small 2,000 or whatever to run just a few things through the interlock what kind of adapter are you using to get from the normal "House style" 120 on the generator up to the 4 prong 30amp that's plugged into the house in the box?

I've now got 2 of the champion 2000 invertors and need to pick up the parallel kit to link them together but for times I'm only running one into the house I still need to adapt it from the normal plug to a 30amp 4 prong.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074PWJVWC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1



https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HS2LBQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I love you man .... no homo

man ive been looking for hours but just got all twisted around in my head. Thanks so much

I bought this one from Amazon:

3 prong to 4 wire plug, $40

My mistake, I didn't notice you were looking for a 2 prong to the L14-30 connector.

20' 10/4 extension cord and then this cord to get to the plug into the house:

Cord $52

https://www.amazon.com/Nema-L14-30-Generator-Power-Gauge/dp/B01A7EIIAM/ref=pd_sim_60_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01A7EIIAM&pd_rd_r=CZTZKV92HNHCVCMQMENR&pd_rd_w=C5Yn8&pd_rd_wg=vfDjN&psc=1&refRID=CZTZKV92HNHCVCMQMENR

The same ones I posted at the top of this page 5 days ago. LOL

I'm running it right now for the past 1.5 hours.

BTW, if you are buying the Champion parallel kit for the stackable genny's, the plug I have is not the right one for their out plug.

I have a 10ft cable, which turns out to be surprisingly short.  You may want a 20ft.

10 feet is most of the way across my back yard so it was right for my application. I did install the inlet as low on the wall as I could, about a foot off of the ground so I didn't waste any length going up..

price drop $435 prime

Costco has the Firman 2900/3200 inverter generator back up on their website:  $549

•3200 Starting Watts / 2900 Running Watts
•Parallel Capable with a 1.8 gallon tank
•9 hour Run Time
•Outlets – TT30R, 2 120V Standard (5-20 Duplex), 12V (W/Battery Charging Cables), USB (5V, 2.1 amps), (1) TT-30R (for RV) 120V-30A, (1) 5-20R Duplex 120V- 20A, (1) DC outlet 12V-8.3A, (1) USB 5V, 2.1A
•Built in Tuff-Stuff Handle & Wheels for easy portability and consumer convenience – no assembly required.
•FIRMAN First pull - Reliable Recoil
•Fuel Efficient Economy Mode with a Volt Lock Automatic Voltage Regulator, and Power Stream Alternator
•Max Pro Series 171cc FIRMAN Engine
•Phoenix Fat Head Block For Enhanced Engine Efficiency
•Legendary Life Time Warranty Serviced From Our HQ In Phoenix Arizona, USA
•Whisper Series Muffler
•USDA Forest Service approved Spark Arrester
•Accessories Include Oil, Spark Plug Wrench, Battery Charger Cable, Funnel and Manual
•Durable Compact design with integrated ergonomic handle
•Weight – 94.8Lbs
•Carton Measurements – 24.2"x18.5"x19.7"

The FIRMAN W02981 Inverter generator features 3200 starting watts and 2900 running watts. Power is supplied by our Max Pro Series 171cc FIRMAN engine which runs cool and efficient thanks to its Phoenix Fat Head Block.Our Whisper Series muffler keeps the W02981 running a quiet 58 decibels – well below the standards set by the National Parks Service, and our spark arrester has been approved by the USDA Forest Service.  The 1.8-gallon fuel capacity provides a whopping 9 hours of run time.  Starting is simple with the FIRMAN First pull, reliable recoil system.

The FIRMAN Volt Lock automatic voltage regulator (no seperate AVR in this model) ensures clean, consistent power output from the FIRMAN Power Stream alternator.  For the ultimate in portability the W02981 is less than 94.8lbs. with a built Tuff-Stuff handle and wheel kit.  Major touch points are all front and center for easy starting and use, power, choke, eco-mode and all receptacles are conveniently located for easy access. The durable, lightweight, powerful inverter is built for years of use.   Just add gas!

Everything you need comes standard in the box including: oil, funnel, owner’s manual and, spark plug wrench.

After a month of sitting with Iowa* gas (though Sta-bil'd) in the humid outdoors of south Florida the Champion 3100 began running in the first 3/4 of a pull on the rope. (I had run the carb dry previously)

Still need to get pure gas.

* corn-fed gasoline

TLDR: My new Champion inverter doesn't stay running for more than a minute or so.  Anything I can try before I return it?

I've got in it Mobil1 oil and 91 octane ethanol-free gasoline.  Everything is setup as described in the manual.  At cold start, it runs for a couple to a few minutes, then it dies under no load.  Subsequent runs last a minute +/- under no load.  I've run it a total of ~45 minutes over two days in these short intervals.  After an hour on the phone with Champion customer service, they suggest I see if Cabela will replace it.  It's filled properly with oil, gasoline, and all the controls are set correctly.  Air filter seems just fine.  It can't be the idle controls because the economy mode is off, meaning the engine should run at normal operating speed.  Anything else I can try before asking Cabela's for a replacement?

Do you have the fuel vent on top of the fuel cap set to "open" or "on"?

Easily overlooked on these small gens with no fuel pumps.

Yep, and fuel valve open.

That won’t void the warranty if you told them? Probably not.  If you don’t feel like returning it, here is what worked for me.  
https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?28140-How-I-fixed-my-surging-Champion-generator

See if it runs OK with the gas cap completely removed (on the chance that the cap isn't venting even when it's set to "open").

I missed this thread!

I was looking at getting the Predator 3500 generator earlier to use with my camper trailer, but went with the Westinghouse 2200W unit instead. It's only 43lb empty and is pretty damn quiet. It'll run everything in my camper, and even start the AC when the gen is not on the eco throttle setting. I picked up a hard start capacitor to put on the AC unit to see if that will get it to start with the generator in eco mode, since it's pretty damn quiet when there's little load on it.

For $479 offa Amazon, I'm happy with it so far.

I like that peak output is 2200W, with running output at 1800W. That gives me a couple amps more current than most of the 2000W generators out there. It's the same size and weight, and has about the same layout. It also has a 1.3 gallon fuel tank, and says it will run 11 hours at 50% load, and 17 hours at 25% load. Better than like 6 hours or so that some other 2000W generators will get. I'd like to be able to run it overnight if it's hot AF and I want AC in the camper, and not run out of fuel.

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I do lament that Westinghouse had a 2400W generator that unfortunately, they discontinued. I hope I get a lot of use out of this little thing!

That seller doubled the price on several generators about 5 days before the hurricane hit the Florida Keys....

$299 is what they were normally.....with free shipping.

They just jacked the price up and left it and now are probably going to be coming back down since 'cane season is over....for now...

Make sure unit is level and then recheck the oil level in the unit. Oil sensor may think oil is low or is getting hot and cutting out.

Any opinions on this?  Reviews are pretty positive.

Attached File

Picked up my Champion 2000/1700 from the Cabela's Black Friday deal.

Fueled it up, and it started on the first pull. Runs great, and really quiet at idle. Damn near exponentially quieter than my dad's 7000watt DeWalt.

I don't have kill-a-watt to measure exactly what my appliances are pulling, but it ran a space heater on high that has a 1500 watt label on the back. And while that was running, my fridge cycled on. Fridge label says max draw is 6.5amps at 115v. Didn't miss a beat.

Only ran it about an hour so far, so I can't comment on fuel consumption. But, I installed an hour meter. So, I'll report back when I get through the first tank. Probably this weekend.

Overall, I'm really happy with the purchase. $399 - 12% active junky, -11.5% discount gift cards, and $50 Cabela's bucks. Hoping to snag another one next year, so I can run my fridge, freezer, lights, fans, and a portable A/C, incase we lose power during summer.

Off to find some Jerry cans.....

Getting in the game late... Any good deals still going on? Looking to get the best bang for the buck inverter gen for$300-400. I can wait if there is a good probability of sale coming up.

At that price it's a great deal. I paid the full $599 at the beginning of September.  Not exactly a budget gen at that price but I have no regrets.  I only have about two hours of low load break in time on it so far.  It seams to be well made, starts easily and runs very quiet.  It has two wheels and a pull out suitcase type handle to help move it around. Download the Ryobi GenControl  app before you go to see it.  You can then connect to it via Bluetooth and the app will tell you the total run time on it.  The stock spark plug is crap and should be changed.

I’m going to go look at it, it’s a pawn shop nearby.  Good call on the run time, I’ll get the app.

Cabela’s has the Champion Blackout 4375/3500 on sale for $279, $200 off the regular price. It’s not an inverter, but probably a decent unit at a great price.

Champion Blackout Genny

Thank you sir!

I’m a total newb to generators and borderline functionally retarded when it comes to electricity. This thread has been great for helping me figure out what I might need for emergency power while trying to keep costs down.

Still, I have a bunch of questions, perhaps dumb ones. Any help from the hive would be appreciated. As I said, I am not conversant in these matters, so bear with me.

1. 240V Output: One of my biggest needs in an outage is powering the well pump, which runs on 240. It seems that I’m SOL with inverter generators (unless I spend a ton) so I’m stuck with a regular smoke/noise type, correct? I’m eyeballing one of the HF 6500/5500.

2. Panel Connection:  I’ve got several questions here. First, I’ve got a service disconnect out by the meter but no main breaker on the panel. So, I guess I basically have a sub panel in the basement. Is that normal? Does this prevent use of an interlock or is it easy to just install a main when doing the interlock? In the alternative, can a generator breaker be installed with an interlock at the service disconnect?

Given my lack of expertise, I’m only asking for purposes of assessing the job that needs to be done, not to do it myself. To save money I can install a 30A  exterior connection box myself and run the wires up to the panel and let the pros do the panel work and make the connection.

3. What Exactly Gets Powered at the Panel? Several early posts regarding interlocks referred to powering one or both legs with various discussions (over my head) about how to do both. I seem to recall the term “bridge” being tossed around. Many of those posts concluded that the 240 stuff should be left off. But, the 240 output has to be good for something so I assume that was only in reference to the 120V units. Can’t the generator be connected to the panel with a double pole breaker and back feed both legs? If not, how would it be done? Transfer switch?

4. Clean Power:: Because it looks like I’m limited to a regular generator, I need to be concerned about this. This is probably a stupid question but, is “clean power” still an issue if running through the panel or only if directly plugged into the generator? Is a unit equipped with an AVR a sufficient solution to the problem or is there another way to clean it up like an inverter does?

5. Cost: Generator aside, about how much am I looking at to get a pro to install a generator breaker, main, and interlock, if those are my options? Although the actual interlock installation seems simple enough, I’d guess he’s not leaving that for me to do since the job won’t be up to code until it’s on.

Thanks for any input.

If you need 240 then you have to have a generator capable of 240.
You either have to connect the generator at the service disconnect using a switchover, or make a lot of changes, or else do it the unofficial manual way that triggers all the crusaders. Since you haven't figured that out on your own, I'd not recommend the manual unofficial way.
If you have a 240 generator you will just be connected to 240. All the discussion you are trying to understand is in regards to how to power the whole house with a 120V generator.
You can buy some expensive power conditioning things for electronics, but you might be better off to just get a separate inverter generator for those things.

This is why I have a standard generator.  To run the well pump and the water heater if I want a faster reheat. (otherwise I can run it off of 120V understanding I'm only feeding it 1/4 of the power as on 240V).
Also my shop which has a 240V table saw, dust collector and bandsaw.  
You can either run those loads directly from the generator, installing an inline plug and outlet or through the panel.  If you run through the panel and want to power other loads at the same time you'll need a larger generator.
I have the HF 8750/7500 W generator and have had it for about 3 years with around 100 hours.  It starts right up and provides plenty of power that is "clean enough".
I have an inline plug for the well and water heater but they are also in the panel in case I hook up the large generator to the house.  The inline plugs are there to keep options open.
My shop panel is a subpanel off my main, it has it's own interlock so I can power it independently from the house.  Hook up the inverter genny's to the house and the 240V large genny to the shop.
Again, to keep options open.

You need a breaker in the panel that has the interlock.  The way the interlock works only one or the other can be on at one time, so you are forced to turn off the main breaker in order to move the interlock and close the backfeeding circuit breaker.  Conversely, you have to open the backfeed CB, and slide the interlock to be able to turn the main back on.
Your service disconnect may have a circuit breaker in it.  I'd be surprised if there wasn't a main breaker somewhere in the path.  There has to be overload protection for the main feed somewhere.
If your main panel can't be fitted with a breaker to use an interlock.  You can add a subpanel with a main breaker and interlock and bring over just the circuits you'll want to power off the generator.
This is how mine is setup.  I didn't bring across the big 240V circuits for the heat pump, emergency heat, ovens and cook top because I won't run them off the generator.
I'd talk to an electrician, describe what you want and let him evaluate your particular setup.

The beauty of an interlock on the main panel is flexibility.  You decide which loads you want powered by opening and closing individual circuit breakers.  But all of the loads on that panel are available to you to power.  You have to do some load management to make sure you don't turn on more than your generator can handle or you'll trip the generator offline.
The panel is setup in two legs.  Each is 120V, to power 240V loads you pull from both legs.
A 240V generator has 4 prongs.  Two hots, one for each leg, L1 and L2, a Neutral, needed to create 120V on each leg independently, and a ground.
A 120V generator has 3 prongs.  One hot, L, a Neutral, and a ground.

So when fed with a 240V generator it is powering both halves with 120V and also has 240V available across both legs.  Just like utility power.
Most inverter generators are 120V and most loads are 120V as well.
With an interlock and a standard split phase panel you have loads on both legs.  You want to power both sides with 120V.  If you hooked it up with a standard 3 prong cord, you could only power one side or the other at a time.
By bridging the legs you are feeding both sides with 120V as if it was one large single leg panel.  In that case 240V is not available.
You can power the panel with either 240V or 120V, your choice.  The reason to go to 120V and bridge the legs is to use less fuel and produce less noise by using an inverter generator.
When you don't need the large 240V loads you don't need to run a 7KW gas guzzler generator.
Flexibility.

The panel does nothing to clean up the power.  It's just routing electricity via wires and overload protection.  Garbage in garbage out.

Depending on the main panel changes mentioned above you should easily be able to get set up for under $1000 (not including the generator).
If you have a standard panel with a main breaker that just need an inlet, interlock and backfeed circuit breaker installed, I'd say $300, $500 at the outside for parts and labor.

Great post! I've been researching all of this for quite some time since we're building a house and this one post summed up everything I've read in 2 months of research lol

Lately this has been stackable with 5% veterans discount and 10% off plus free shipping and 10% active junky refund

A big thank you to all the contributors to this thread. Here is my setup, created from your posts from the last 27 pages

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Got the 2 companions, and was running them thru a 5l-30 to 14l-30 hots bridged.  This was adequate to power the 12.9 x 2 amp draw forced air circulating fans.  I have nat. gas,  so we would do ok, just has to juggle the loads a bit.

Along came the Sportsman duel fuel on rollback at ww for $499, had to fo.  BTW it runs much better on gasoline than propane,  I will try the lpg again after 10 hours on gas.

So I then made the adapter of 2 l5-30 plugs into a 14-30 hots not bridged.  Not bridged so the maximum thru each hot is under 30 amps.  I combine the hots at my 220 volt water heater.   Attached File


The hondas have welcomed the strange green friend, they all run nice and slow on eco mode when the load is light,  and all roar into life when the appliances come on.

Again,  thanks for a great thread.  Mike.

Nice!  Signed up.

Sorry if this has been answered already, but can two 2000w units interconnected provide 220v power, or do they just provide more 120v amperage?

I need to power a 220v well pump.

Unless each generator is capable of producing 240 volts by itself, paralleling two of them won't change that - All you'll get is a lot more current at 120 volts from the combined pair.

However, if you don't mind the extra expense and weight, a step-up transformer may provide what you need.

I love this thread, keep it up.