Posted: 9/29/2009 11:32:47 AM EDT
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So i have been looking into Generators for the past couple of week's and having trouble with what I should get. I know that everyone recomends the Honda's and I agree 100% but I am not looking to spend $1000 or more. There is a possibilty of a very serious flood in my area here in the coming months and I have no idea what its going to do to the power grid. The company I work for is in the flood zone with hundreds of other companies including Boeing. There have been several meetings on this issue here in our state, basically the damn that holds the water back may not hold for very long and they may have to flood the valley. Luckily I live on a hill that will not be affected but I won't be able to leave the house or get to work. Of course this also may not happen at all so who knows what will come.
So what is a good alternative to the Honda's? I want 5000W or bigger since I will be wiring it in to the Panel. I have looked at the Rigids at Home Depot and they also carry a brand called ETQ. Looking to spend anywhere from $550-$1000. Let me know what you guys think |
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Really for your price and size range all you can control on what you get is the motor in that range powerheads will more likely be all the same , proabbly made in china but i had no problems... To get a honda fully made genset is in the $3k range that is around 5-6K watts.Id rather have 4 cheaper gen sets instead of one $3K unit.. I have a 6500/5000wcoleman with briggs motor $500, and a Genrac 12,5000/10,000w with Briggs vanguard ( Dahiatsu made for briggs) commericial engine it was $1000..Both are great over 200 hrs on each and not a hickup...
If you want to run a washer a 6500/5000w wont do it..Also a built in micorwave wont run on a 5000w. Thats why I bought the bigger Generac during our month power outage last year becuase we did not have a way to wash clothes or Warm up microwave food, keep firdges cold all at once. We rotated the generators every time they ran out of gas to let them rest till the other ran out of gas to let them last longer I was told this is what the fire depts and PD's in town did..Spent about $1800 on both but worth it..Yeah lots of money, and I could of stayed with family out of town, for that month but I would have lost $5K in income and proabbly fired from my job since i was emergency personal. Gas we have lots of gas the 5000W will suck about 5 gallons in 12 hours the 10,000w will eat about 7 gallons in 12 hours..We ran them 24/7 since it was under 30 degrees and if we didnt have kids we could have lived without running 24/7 but infants dont stay under blankets, so we had about Eight 5 Gallon cans of fuel or 40 gallons lasted about 4-6 days...Everytime We left the house I would bring the gas cans because you never new when gas stations had fuel they ran out of fuel within an hour of getting refuled by the tanker truck since no gas stations had power only one chain store had genrators running..So basically about 20 gas stations in a town 900,000 all looking to get fuel.. and gas stations cant pump fuel without power so at least 40 gallons would be best but I dont store that much since i rotate fuel every 6 months with stabil to keep it fresh... Idieally I want to store about 120 gallons when I get a proper storage setup. |
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My generator is a Brigs and Straton 5250 running 6500 startup. I bought it used for about $350 off craigslist and it runs great for what it is, an EMERGENCY BACKUP generator. It is loud compared to camping type generators and it is not designed to run 24/7 for an extended period like the military, commercial, or whole house generators. However, if will work just fine for a few weeks or even months in an emergency and that is really all I need before my lifestyle will be changing and I no longer need to worry about electric. Some of my generator related projects: Shed: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=18&t=626894 Transfer Panel (not done still): http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=18&t=626636 Convert to propane (not done yet): http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=18&t=626509 I plan to buy a small camping size generator that will be much quieter and use less gas. My funds are very tight at the moment but I would ideally like to buy the Honda eu2000i. That generator will cost at least double what our big one cost but I want that for camping and because it uses MUCH LESS GAS and when SHTF gas is more limiting then the need to keep all the appliances running! The small generator would run lights, 12v battery charger, and small appliances but not the house. EDIT RE ABOVE: Kerosene might be a better way to get emergency heat and using an electric hot plate would use less electricity then a microwave. When we lost electric for a couple days, we cooked on the propane grill with the propane burner on the side. A generator will run everything if you get a big enough unit, but fuel supply might make finding other ways to heat, cook, etc a better use of resources and more so when refueling might be impossible. Hence the reason I want a second and more efficient generator. |
| I have this one master genny it has served well. You can find a genny with a Honda motor if you look. I have had several cheap briggs powered gennys, keeping good oil and keeping it serviced is key. Keep checking Lowes and HD for sales or clearance. |
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So i have been looking into Generators for the past couple of week's and having trouble with what I should get. I know that everyone recomends the Honda's and I agree 100% but I am not looking to spend $1000 or more. There is a possibilty of a very serious flood in my area here in the coming months and I have no idea what its going to do to the power grid. The company I work for is in the flood zone with hundreds of other companies including Boeing. There have been several meetings on this issue here in our state, basically the damn that holds the water back may not hold for very long and they may have to flood the valley. Luckily I live on a hill that will not be affected but I won't be able to leave the house or get to work. Of course this also may not happen at all so who knows what will come. So what is a good alternative to the Honda's? I want 5000W or bigger since I will be wiring it in to the Panel. I have looked at the Rigids at Home Depot and they also carry a brand called ETQ. Looking to spend anywhere from $550-$1000. Let me know what you guys think I picked up a like new Generac 4000 exl on craigslist $250. 4kw, 6kw start up, good overall genset, but it is horribly loud. I would keep an eye out on Craigslist or similar sites, alot of contractors are getting rid of their stuff, and backup power for jobsites is a very common use for generators. Something like this would probably fit your needs if you wanted to buy something new. ETA: my Generac has been 100% reliable thus far. others on this board have them and are quite happy with them. They put out clean power, and are definitely not cheap knockoffs. |
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I got one of these a few years ago and I am reasonably happy with it. it seems to fit your parameters - 6,200 watts continuous & $995 delivered to your front door. It has enough power to run everything I need to run with some amps to spare. It'll throw up to 25A at 240V (continuous) - It can run my water heaters (one at a time). It can run my 1 ton central A/C unit which cools the master suite. Refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, coffee pot, TV and a few lights can be run all at the same time...
I back feed my breaker panel through a 30 amp dryer plug (after disconnecting the main) and it works great - no extension cord spagetti. Had to custom make the connection - 4 conductor, 10 ga wire with appropriate ends - about 75 feet long. The wire was about $1 per foot (on a 150 foot spool - I had enough to make my connection and one for a neighbor and still had some extra to make other (short-ish) cords if necessary) and the ends were about $50 to $60 (total)... The good new >>> reasonably plentiful, clean power which is available in 120 AND 240 volts - I had no problems with AC motors or computers. The bad news >>> not quiet (about as loud as lawn mower), not miserly when it comes to fuel consumption, not small or light weight. My "to do list" to finish the project include installing a dedicated inlet (with breaker) and some meters... If I didn't want to run my electric water heaters or 1 ton A/C unit, I could probably get by with either the 2000 or 3000 watt Honda inverter model... |
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So i have been looking into Generators for the past couple of week's and having trouble with what I should get. I know that everyone recomends the Honda's and I agree 100% but I am not looking to spend $1000 or more. There is a possibilty of a very serious flood in my area here in the coming months and I have no idea what its going to do to the power grid. The company I work for is in the flood zone with hundreds of other companies including Boeing. There have been several meetings on this issue here in our state, basically the damn that holds the water back may not hold for very long and they may have to flood the valley. Luckily I live on a hill that will not be affected but I won't be able to leave the house or get to work. Of course this also may not happen at all so who knows what will come. So what is a good alternative to the Honda's? I want 5000W or bigger since I will be wiring it in to the Panel. I have looked at the Rigids at Home Depot and they also carry a brand called ETQ. Looking to spend anywhere from $550-$1000. Let me know what you guys think I picked up a like new Generac 4000 exl on craigslist $250. 4kw, 6kw start up, good overall genset, but it is horribly loud. I would keep an eye out on Craigslist or similar sites, alot of contractors are getting rid of their stuff, and backup power for jobsites is a very common use for generators. Something like this would probably fit your needs if you wanted to buy something new. ETA: my Generac has been 100% reliable thus far. others on this board have them and are quite happy with them. They put out clean power, and are definitely not cheap knockoffs. I have a xl5500......its been good but I wont buy anything from generac again........bad customer service when you have to deal with them........for what you want to spend the black max at sams has a honda motor and looks well built but I havent heard any user reports |
| I am looking into used military surplus diesel generators. In your budget, you could get a very nice 5kw unit, if not a 10kw. These will use 1/2 - 1/4 the fuel of a gas model and last much longer. On the flip side, parts availability often sucks but once you have what you have it running in good order and your necessary spares, it seems to be the most economical way to go by a long shot. |
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The Ridgid brand gensets with Subaru engines from Home Depot are pretty highly thought of around where I live. They put out consistent power and hold up very well. The only downside is that they are loud.
My default answer to anyone in the market for a high quality genset is to buy a Honda or Yamaha-but I'm sensitive to the fact that getting one in the size you require is an expensive undertaking. I realize that you indicated that you want a larger genset to hard-wire into your home, but having a transfer switch with separate circuits would be very helpful for a smaller generator as well. My 2500 watt Honda will do everything that my 5000 watt Honda will do-it just won't do it all at the same time. When I first wired my home for a transfer switch I bought the biggest generator I could afford. My thinking was that I wanted to be able to power the whole house during a power outage. Since then I have changed the way I deploy emergency power. My fridge, for example, doesn't need to be plugged in 24/7 to stay cold. I can run it for 30 minutes a couple times per day and still keep the milk cold and the vegetables frozen. Same thing with the furnace blower-I can run it every couple of hours and keep the house warm and the pipes from freezing. With that in mind my big Honda EB5000 was supplemented with a 2500 watt Honda EB2500, and most recently an ultra-quiet Honda eu2000i. After the 2008 ice storm I used the eu2000i almost exclusively-the transfer switch made it easy to switch circuits as needed. Through careful and judicious use of the small generator I was able to keep my home up and running for nearly eight days with less than ten gallons of fuel. |
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That is pretty good, because gasoline can be really hard to come by in an emergency, especially in winter time.
. . Through careful and judicious use of the small generator I was able to keep my home up and running for nearly eight days with less than ten gallons of fuel. |
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Quoted: I have a xl5500......its been good but I wont buy anything from generac again........bad customer service when you have to deal with them........for what you want to spend the black max at sams has a honda motor and looks well built but I havent heard any user reports My folks are on their 2nd Generac. First one got fried by either a massive surge or lightning last fall. It had a long, full, trouble free life. Insurance bought us a new one. The new one hasn't ran since January, it went out during a major ice storm. It just came back from the Generac Service guy's place with a new engine and basicall all new parts. Even though it was a brand new genny, Generac CS fought us the entire way trying to get it fixed or replaced. We won't be replacing this one with another Generac unit when/if it needs it.  |
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I have a Honda 6500is. If I were to do it again, I'd go with a "conventional" generator, not the inverter type. The cleanliness of the power is greatly overhyped, and I could get more capacity for less money. CostCo has decent deals on generators as well, take a look there. |
| You really need a quality generator to reliably operate more than a few hours a day for long periods of time. After Hurricane Charlie a few years back, I watched many inexpensive, contractor generators start to have serious issues after only a week of constant use. The engines just weren't designed to be operated 24/7 and started to quickly wear out. If you have any illusion of running your system non-stop, get something designed for constant use. Something else we learned is that having the generator feed a battery backup system is a wonderful thing...think of it as a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) for your house. Without it, operating even a 20watt bulb requires the generator to be running. Doing so is a waste of valuable resources (fuel) when in a disaster area. Just a thought... |
| I think Hondas are overrated. I have five Briggs & Stratton motors (log splitter, mowers, generator) including a couple from the early 1980s that were terribly neglected by my relatives and they all run great and I can get parts for them at lots of places. As for generators I love my B&S 5550/8550, starts on first pull every time and runs everything in the house I need. |
| Yes, the Hondas may get all the hype, but their engines lasted far longer than the standard B&S when run constantly. Again, make sure whatever generator you get is designed for continuous duty; many are not when you read the fine print. You'll also find that the high quality engines are often much quieter than the bargain units. Don't underestimate how big an issue that is when trying to live around one of these things 24/7! |
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Also a built in microwave wont run on a 5000w.  I don't know what kind of monster microwave you own but my above the stove built in microwave runs great with my little Yamaha 2400 watt inverter genny. I seem to recall that most microwaves are 1500 to 2000 watts.? Microwaves can be finicky about power though and the clean power of a inverter can make them run better.
I own both a large B&S powered genny (6500w) and the little Yamaha inverter. I much prefer the smaller generator. It certainly cannot run everything all at once like the bigger one but I can deal with rotating appliances (fridge,freezer,ec.) and get far greater fuel efficiency with the littler one. IMO, the Honda and Yamaha inverters are well worth the extra $. If you convert them to tri-fuel they are even better. In nearly all emergency use scenarios fuel availability is going to be a very big issue. Unless you have very large "must have" electrical needs (large A/C units, electric oven, clothes dryer, etc.) you will be better served with a smaller more fuel efficient genny. The only thing I need more power for is my well pump (240v) and that is what I use the big genny for. I just need it for long enough to refill water my storage. The smaller unit powers everything else I need. What you truly need in a situation is dependent on you. In AZ or TX you just might need to have A/C depending on the time of year. Where I live my needs are the fridge and freezer, microwave, wood stove fan, some lights, water pump, etc. I can get by for a long long time without my hot water heaters and clothes dryer. |
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When it comes to generators you know what they say: two is really one and one is none. I picked up a kill-a-watt meter and figured out my exact needs (during the night hours)…..Fridge, furnace, TV, 2 small fans, 2 computers, 2 lamps. I plan to run it from natural gas but I also have 3 100lb propane tanks incase things “really shut down for awile”.
I just couldn’t stand the sound of my 8000 watt (Troy Bilt) Briggs motor all night. Not to mention wasting ALOT of gas. Not to mention attacting attention. Also, There is no way I could store 30days worth of juice to keep the Briggs running (at 5gal per day). 
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I have a Honda 6500is. If I were to do it again, I'd go with a "conventional" generator, not the inverter type. The cleanliness of the power is greatly overhyped, and I could get more capacity for less money. CostCo has decent deals on generators as well, take a look there. I prefer two linked 3000is generator over the single eu6500is. |