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Posted: 7/22/2010 4:51:03 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Skibane]
[#1]
Originally Posted By capnrob97:
... I'd be curious to know how much current the charger is supplying to the battery. The 12V circuit on these generators is pretty basic - you only get full charging current with a really discharged battery. As the battery voltage rises, charging current tapers off. |
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Posted: 7/22/2010 5:00:44 PM EDT
[Last Edit: capnrob97]
[#2]
The manual says 10 amps from the 12 volt outlet.
ETA: I put the generator away, this weekend I will try and measure how many amps to a nearly charged battery.
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USA
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Posted: 7/23/2010 8:38:28 PM EDT
[#3]
After returning the first one for an internal banging noise, I tried the second for a short while before turning it off and putting it away for a couple of months. It ran fine. I got it out a couple of weeks ago and it stopped running with only a small fan as the load. It ran for about an hour and a half before stopping for unknown reasons. Fresh gas and oil mixture was obtained expressly for this test run. There is plenty of gas left in it too. I'll get it out again this weekend and try again. Not looking good so far.
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Posted: 7/23/2010 9:41:46 PM EDT
[#4]
Originally Posted By tenOC:
After returning the first one for an internal banging noise, I tried the second for a short while blefore turning it off and putting it away for a couple of months. It ran fine. I got it out a couple of weeks ago and it stopped running with only a small fan as the load. It ran for about an hour and a half before stopping for unknown reasons. Fresh gas and oil mixture was obtained expressly for this test run. There is plenty of gas left in it too. I'll get it out again this weekend and try again. Not looking good so far. did you let it warm up before connecting the load? Turned off choke once it was running? Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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KS, USA
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Posted: 7/23/2010 9:59:09 PM EDT
[#5]
I have been curious for awhile how many watts our small (5000 BTU I think) window ac units use. We have central air but at night time we just run a small window ac in our room and one in our sons room instead of cooling the whole house. I went and bought a Kill-a-watt today so that I could check. Yes I know that I could have looked on the side but I wanted to know what they were actually drawing. The one in our room is using 680 watts and the one in my sons room is pulling 550 or so. Ill be using this little Gennie to keep one bedroom cool if the power goes out!
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Posted: 7/26/2010 10:30:06 PM EDT
[#6]
Originally Posted By blacksuit:
I have been curious for awhile how many watts our small (5000 BTU I think) window ac units use. We have central air but at night time we just run a small window ac in our room and one in our sons room instead of cooling the whole house. I went and bought a Kill-a-watt today so that I could check. Yes I know that I could have looked on the side but I wanted to know what they were actually drawing. The one in our room is using 680 watts and the one in my sons room is pulling 550 or so. Ill be using this little Gennie to keep one bedroom cool if the power goes out! Yea, but is that the starting load? Try it and post back please. That's what I'm interested in knowing myself. 
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KS, USA
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Posted: 7/27/2010 1:12:44 PM EDT
[Last Edit: blacksuit]
[#7]
Well I just went and plugged the kill a watt back in and fired it up. It turned on a showed 70 watts for about 30 seconds. Then when the compressor kicked on it jumped up to 350 and then steadily rose to 530.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 7/27/2010 5:48:46 PM EDT
[#8]
Originally Posted By blacksuit:
Well I just went and plugged the kill a watt back in and fired it up. It turned on a showed 70 watts for about 30 seconds. Then when the compressor kicked on it jumped up to 350 and then steadily rose to 530. have you tried to run the 5k window unit with the harbor freight generator? If so, please post the name and model number of the window unit. I have been searching for a 5k window units with a low start rating, however, I have yet to find the specs on the units starting capacitors. Some window units have larger starting capacitors than others allowing a start up with a lower amperage. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 7/27/2010 6:19:33 PM EDT
[#9]
––––––––If so, please post the name and model number of the window unit. ––––––––––––––-
this also please. could you possibly change out the starting capacitors to larger ones with a current unit? |
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KS, USA
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Posted: 7/27/2010 10:00:31 PM EDT
[#10]
I will plug her in tomorrow and see what I find out and let you guys know. Also I think I didn't have the temp where I normally would of had it when it showed 530 watts. When I kicked the temp down to where I normally have it, it showed 630 watts. But it still shouldnt be a problem... Ill let ya know!
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Posted: 7/27/2010 10:18:30 PM EDT
[#11]
Originally Posted By blacksuit:
I will plug her in tomorrow and see what I find out and let you guys know. Also I think I didn't have the temp where I normally would of had it when it showed 530 watts. When I kicked the temp down to where I normally have it, it showed 630 watts. But it still shouldnt be a problem... Ill let ya know! Thanks! We've needed someone to do this! 
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Posted: 7/27/2010 11:07:25 PM EDT
[#12]
Chicago tools are horrible, don't risk your life on them. For backup it's ok, but not for critical situations...
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MS, USA
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Posted: 7/28/2010 10:38:06 AM EDT
[#13]
Originally Posted By Scrap5000:
Chicago tools are horrible, don't risk your life on them. For backup it's ok, but not for critical situations... I don't think anyone is proposing to use this little generator to run a life-support system, just for "convenience" in power outages, like fans, lights, etc. I am actually toying with the idea of turning my storage shed into a mancave/reloading shop, and this thing would be perfect to supply juice for lights, radio, and fan out there. Shed is 100+ feet away from my house, so I'm thinking I could build a little shelf on the outside of the shed, run an extension cord through the wall to a powerstrip mounted on the inside, and voila! It would also be the perfect excuse to keep the generator exercised once/twice a month throughout the year. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 7/28/2010 5:08:06 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Blackoperations]
[#14]
Originally Posted By cockroach:
––––––––If so, please post the name and model number of the window unit. ––––––––––––––- this also please. could you possibly change out the starting capacitors to larger ones with a current unit? Yes. Its called a hard start capacitor, they make them for all sizes including a 1/2 ton a/c (about 5-6k btu). Two problems, the first is that you void the warranty on most units (not a problem if it is old) and the second problem is they cost about 30-40 bucks which is nearly half the cost of a brand new 5k btu window unit. Its an easy install, just pop open the cover and piggy back in onto the run capacitor . I have not purchased a 5k btu window unit yet, as I have other two other larger window (12k btu) units that I run off my 5k watt generator. It would be nice to know if there is a specific brand window unit, with a larger starting capacitor, that will start on this 800 watt generator, so I don't have to pay the additional money for the hard start cap and do the mod. |
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KS, USA
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Posted: 7/28/2010 8:07:17 PM EDT
[#15]
Tried the bigger one and it would not kick on the compressor.... I will report back when I try the other one, my buddy asked to borrow it yesterday, his central air went out...
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Posted: 7/28/2010 8:26:48 PM EDT
[#16]
Originally Posted By Scrap5000:
Chicago tools are horrible, don't risk your life on them. For backup it's ok, but not for critical situations... Unless I am on a ventilator, how could a generator failing possible hurt me? It is a comfort item. Just like the harbor freight solar panels I just bought today. My life does not depend on them. While my fellow survivalists are trying to use their huge tactical knives to hack out a meager existence in a national forest, part of my family will be spending the evenings reading to electric lights and watching movies. |
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Posted: 7/31/2010 6:14:45 PM EDT
[#17]
FWIW.
We had a power outage at the office today. We have a large Honda diesel generator but the battery has gone south and we couldn't get it going even after replacing the battery (so much for our quarterly service on the thing...anywho.) The way our network is arranged all remote locations are linked to this office then go out to the internet, other locations, etc. It is an antiquated setup but it is what we have for now. Being that we had no power all locations were down. I ran to HF, picked up one of these generators, fuel, 2 stroke oil and a 12 gauge 50' extension cord from home. I plugged a APC 450W UPS into the generator then plugged in a Cisco 3825 router and two 2950 switches into the UPS. The UPS squawked and complained for about 15 seconds then everything went green. All remote sites came back online. Admittedly I did not get an easy feeling plugging about $10K worth of network gear vicariously into a $130 generator but figured the UPS would protect the stuff from any naughtiness on the generator's part. The power remained out for about 1.5 hours and the generator kept the UPS happy which kept the switches and router online. I'm expensing the generator and it is going to be stored at my house in case something like this happens in the future.  |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 7/31/2010 6:58:01 PM EDT
[#18]
Originally Posted By SeanTX:
FWIW. We had a power outage at the office today. We have a large Honda diesel generator but the battery has gone south and we couldn't get it going even after replacing the battery (so much for our quarterly service on the thing...anywho.) The way our network is arranged all remote locations are linked to this office then go out to the internet, other locations, etc. It is an antiquated setup but it is what we have for now. Being that we had no power all locations were down. I ran to HF, picked up one of these generators, fuel, 2 stroke oil and a 12 gauge 50' extension cord from home. I plugged a APC 450W UPS into the generator then plugged in a Cisco 3825 router and two 2950 switches into the UPS. The UPS squawked and complained for about 15 seconds then everything went green. All remote sites came back online. Admittedly I did not get an easy feeling plugging about $10K worth of network gear vicariously into a $130 generator but figured the UPS would protect the stuff from any naughtiness on the generator's part. The power remained out for about 1.5 hours and the generator kept the UPS happy which kept the switches and router online. I'm expensing the generator and it is going to be stored at my house in case something like this happens in the future.
http://i29.tinypic.com/15gv60y.jpg unreal. looks like you saved the day, with a little help. on a side note: Did you allow the generator to warm up, before plugging in the UPS? I suspect the UPS detected a dirty voltage or hertz output, and didn't switch over to a/c power until it stabilized. This thing puts out fluctuating current, for about the first 3-5 minutes till its warmed up. |
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MS, USA
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Posted: 7/31/2010 10:51:43 PM EDT
[#19]
Originally Posted By SeanTX:
FWIW. We had a power outage at the office today. We have a large Honda diesel generator but the battery has gone south and we couldn't get it going even after replacing the battery (so much for our quarterly service on the thing...anywho.) The way our network is arranged all remote locations are linked to this office then go out to the internet, other locations, etc. It is an antiquated setup but it is what we have for now. Being that we had no power all locations were down. I ran to HF, picked up one of these generators, fuel, 2 stroke oil and a 12 gauge 50' extension cord from home. I plugged a APC 450W UPS into the generator then plugged in a Cisco 3825 router and two 2950 switches into the UPS. The UPS squawked and complained for about 15 seconds then everything went green. All remote sites came back online. Admittedly I did not get an easy feeling plugging about $10K worth of network gear vicariously into a $130 generator but figured the UPS would protect the stuff from any naughtiness on the generator's part. The power remained out for about 1.5 hours and the generator kept the UPS happy which kept the switches and router online. I'm expensing the generator and it is going to be stored at my house in case something like this happens in the future.
http://i29.tinypic.com/15gv60y.jpg Yet another example of how surfing ARFCOM is good for business!!! 
Bill your ARFCOM time as "Contingency Planning Research". |
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Posted: 8/1/2010 12:31:35 AM EDT
[Last Edit: SeanTX]
[#20]
Originally Posted By Blackoperations: Originally Posted By SeanTX: FWIW. We had a power outage at the office today. We have a large Honda diesel generator but the battery has gone south and we couldn't get it going even after replacing the battery (so much for our quarterly service on the thing...anywho.) The way our network is arranged all remote locations are linked to this office then go out to the internet, other locations, etc. It is an antiquated setup but it is what we have for now. Being that we had no power all locations were down. I ran to HF, picked up one of these generators, fuel, 2 stroke oil and a 12 gauge 50' extension cord from home. I plugged a APC 450W UPS into the generator then plugged in a Cisco 3825 router and two 2950 switches into the UPS. The UPS squawked and complained for about 15 seconds then everything went green. All remote sites came back online. Admittedly I did not get an easy feeling plugging about $10K worth of network gear vicariously into a $130 generator but figured the UPS would protect the stuff from any naughtiness on the generator's part. The power remained out for about 1.5 hours and the generator kept the UPS happy which kept the switches and router online. I'm expensing the generator and it is going to be stored at my house in case something like this happens in the future. http://i29.tinypic.com/15gv60y.jpg unreal. looks like you saved the day, with a little help. on a side note: Did you allow the generator to warm up, before plugging in the UPS? I suspect the UPS detected a dirty voltage or hertz output, and didn't switch over to a/c power until it stabilized. This thing puts out fluctuating current, for about the first 3-5 minutes till its warmed up. It ran for maybe 3 minutes before being presented with a load. Not likely it was up to op temperature but it was 100+ here today. I'm sure the UPS detected out of spec power and sounded the alarm but I didn't see which alarm LED was lit before it went away (the UPS was inside the building and I heard it walking in the door). After getting home and taking care of some things around here, I fired it up again just to run the tank dry. My method of mixing this batch of fuel was...questionable and I want to go ahead and break it in. Currently hooked up to it is one 25" fan, my battery jumper is charging and a small garage refrigerator connected directly to an APC power strip. It sounds MUCH better with a load than without. It is running beside the outside A/C condenser and when the A/C is running you can't hear the generator at all. Don't feel like messing with the multi meter to get the wattage being drawn. When the refrigerator kicks on you can really tell it. It has been running for just over 5 hours now on the first tank of fuel. Skimming this thread I noticed several people asking about running a 5K BTU A/C on this thing. I actually have one of these in the garage and will try to get around to connecting it to the generator in the next week or so and will post my findings. If it works I will post the specs on the A/C unit along with measured actual load. |
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KS, USA
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Posted: 8/1/2010 11:35:22 AM EDT
[#21]
Well I tried my other small window ac. It actually did kick on the compressor and I ran it for about 5 minutes or so. The generator was "reving" pretty bad so I decided to call my experiment quits. I was looking at the kill a watt and it was climbling to about 500 or so. I would try it again if I had too, ie shtf but wouldn't try it camping because I wouldn't want to blow up the gennie or ac...
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NJ, USA
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Posted: 8/4/2010 12:02:13 AM EDT
[#22]
I'm pretty sure my generator is cooked. I bought it back about 2 months ago.
Using the coupon in american rifleman for $79.00. I never did use the thing for anything real. Just a halogen work light for some sort of break in period. I'm going camping this weekend and wanted to bring the genny along to charge up dewalt batteries. Camping is on my own property in NH so I try and get some work done when I'm there. Anyway the genny will not charge dewalt batteries. The charger gives the incoming voltage alert. Using my kill a watt I found that at idle my genny puts out 150+ volts. Too much for the charger. I then tested with a large fan and also tried a 60 watt light bulb. The fan would run but at a much reduced power. Genny dropped down fast to about 85-90 volts and around 300 watts. The 60 watt light bulb was on the other end... ran at about 130 volts and 70-72 watts. Not sure what I'm gonna do about it at this point. |
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USA
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Posted: 8/4/2010 10:05:47 PM EDT
[Last Edit: EXPY37]
[#23]
Originally Posted By Scrap5000:
Chicago tools are horrible, don't risk your life on them. For backup it's ok, but not for critical situations... I never understood this philosophy. Folks carry a decent LED flashlight and have a dim keychain light with an oddball short lived battery for backup. My thought is if you have lost your primary critical usage tool, now you have another critical situation [or possibily two] that requires a near equal quality tool to carry on with your mission. |
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Posted: 8/4/2010 10:22:10 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Skibane]
[#24]
Originally Posted By Heavyopp:
Using my kill a watt I found that at idle my genny puts out 150+ volts. Too much for the charger. Most cheap generators put out a pretty dirty AC waveform when operated with no load - which may be confusing your Kill-A-Watt and battery charger into thinking that the voltage is too high. Adding a sizable load tends to smooth out the waveform quite a bit. So, try putting a hundred watts or so of AC load on the generator while you try the battery charger. It'll also make the engine run smoother, since two-strokes tend to hunt and misfire under no load. I then tested with a large fan and also tried a 60 watt light bulb.
The fan would run but at a much reduced power. Genny dropped down fast to about 85-90 volts and around 300 watts. If your large fan draws a lot more than 800 watts (particularly during start-up), this would explain why the generator bogged down. It's a small generator, not Hoover Dam! The 60 watt light bulb was on the other end... ran at about 130 volts and 70-72 watts.
Normal. Not sure what I'm gonna do about it at this point.
I'll give you $10 for it, sight unseen - If you pay the shipping charges. 
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Posted: 8/15/2010 4:41:47 PM EDT
[#25]
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/16/2010 10:40:19 AM EDT
[#26]
dang it why oh why did I read this thread... now i've got to go get one. Can't justify the really nice handa mini at 800+ but under $100 is something I could handle so thinking why not? Might even spring for the extended warranty on it since that just bumps it up to $100 which is still very reasonably priced.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 8/16/2010 5:12:03 PM EDT
[#27]
Originally Posted By oldrock:
dang it why oh why did I read this thread... now i've got to go get one. Can't justify the really nice handa mini at 800+ but under $100 is something I could handle so thinking why not? Might even spring for the extended warranty on it since that just bumps it up to $100 which is still very reasonably priced. the service plan really isn't worth it, there is very little that could possibly go wrong with this thing. I abused the hell out of the generator during the 30 day return policy, and continued during the 90 warranty. If you get a bad unit for some reason, you will know if well before the warrany is up (as long as you use it). Harbor Freight has a nasty habit of rough handling there products, might be because of the 16 year old kids that work in the warehouse. If you over load it, it will just stall out, its not likely to catch fire or blow up. YMMV Harbor freight is playing there cards right with this thing offering it so cheap, I am amazed at how many different versions floating around the internet, flea markets, and auto part stores that are asking $150-$200 for the same thing. I bought two extras for "spares" @ $79 +tax to loan out to my family should they need it. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/16/2010 8:01:07 PM EDT
[#28]
I picked mine up today. Got the $79 deal but did pay the extra 19.99 for the 2 year warranty. I figured it was cheap enough insurance against a failure that I'd go ahead and pay for it. If it keeps running thru the two year period, I will be happy that it is reliable and if it fails in the two year period, I get a replacement. I have it running with a 500watt light in the driveway as we speak to start the breakin period. Started up easy and idle lopes a bit but not bad and light is steady. Will wait till I have a couple hours on it to check voltage and see how stable it is. Got to say it is not a bad looking little generator for a hundred bucks with two year no questions asked warranty.
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/16/2010 8:11:26 PM EDT
[#29]
thought about getting a second one to have a spare but cash is tight and I'm trying to add another solar panel so better save up for that instead.
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Posted: 8/17/2010 6:46:54 PM EDT
[#30]
Originally Posted By oldrock:
I picked mine up today. Got the $79 deal but did pay the extra 19.99 for the 2 year warranty. I figured it was cheap enough insurance against a failure that I'd go ahead and pay for it. If it keeps running thru the two year period, I will be happy that it is reliable and if it fails in the two year period, I get a replacement. I have it running with a 500watt light in the driveway as we speak to start the breakin period. Started up easy and idle lopes a bit but not bad and light is steady. Will wait till I have a couple hours on it to check voltage and see how stable it is. Got to say it is not a bad looking little generator for a hundred bucks with two year no questions asked warranty. I "splurged" for the two year warranty also. Cheap enough, I thought. Like you, I broke mine in with a 500w lamp. I don't have a lot of faith in anything that Harbor Freight sells, but this little genny has proven itself to me. I've got @ 150 hrs on mine, with no issues yet. When they're on sale again, I may just buy one or two more, just to have around. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/18/2010 9:13:40 PM EDT
[#31]
I tried (operative word) hooking up a small 5k BTU AC to the generator this evening. Long story short, the AC will power up and the fan will spin but the compressor will not kick on. Also the generator and the AC sounded pretty bad. The gen and the AC would spin fast then slow sort of in a wave pattern cycling once every 2-3 seconds. Neither were very happy. I may try the same trick I used before and connect the AC to a UPS then the generator to the UPS to see if this will work but the exercise is getting pretty futile at that point. Suffice to say, to run even the smallest AC this thing isn't the tool for the job.
Thinking about going a size or two larger than this one so in the event of an outage I can keep the refrigerator, freezer, a small AC (as needed) and a few other appliances online. This being my first experience with consumer generators I'm just wondering if this small, cheap, harbor freight unit is the sweet spot in value vs. performance. Pro tip: For the cool down cycle, pull any devices off the generator, shut off the fuel valve and let it run with no load until the carb bowl runs dry. This will let it cool down thoroughly and also empty the carb for storage. Even with the carb empty once you turn on the fuel again it starts in usually two pulls. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/18/2010 9:21:25 PM EDT
[Last Edit: oldrock]
[#32]
I have an AC in the garage so I may try to plug it in just to see what happens as well as testing a portable heater. I am waiting till I get a few hours on it to try heavy loads though.
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Posted: 8/18/2010 9:55:21 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Skibane]
[#33]
Originally Posted By SeanTX:
I may try the same trick I used before and connect the AC to a UPS then the generator to the UPS to see if this will work That's an interesting idea. If the UPS is beefy enough to provide the starting current required by the compressor, the generator might be able to power the A/C after the surge subsides. Several of Yamaha's inverter generators use a similar trick - A small built-in 12 volt battery provides extra current for a few seconds, increasing the generator's surge capacity. Suffice to say, to run even the smallest AC this thing isn't the tool for the job.
Some RVers are having success powering 5,000 - 6,000 BTU air conditioners with the 1200 watt Champion 4-stroke generator. I've never seen any smaller generator size do it (although the 1000 watt inverter models from Honda, Yamaha, etc. might). |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/18/2010 11:11:49 PM EDT
[#34]
Originally Posted By Skibane: Originally Posted By SeanTX: I may try the same trick I used before and connect the AC to a UPS then the generator to the UPS to see if this will work That's an interesting idea. If the UPS is beefy enough to provide the starting current required by the compressor, the generator might be able to power the A/C after the surge subsides. Several of Yamaha's inverter generators use a similar trick - A small built-in 12 volt battery provides extra current for a few seconds, increasing the generator's surge capacity. Suffice to say, to run even the smallest AC this thing isn't the tool for the job. Some RVers are having success powering 5,000 - 6,000 BTU air conditioners with the 1200 watt Champion 4-stroke generator. I've never seen any smaller generator size do it (although the 1000 watt inverter models from Honda, Yamaha, etc. might). I used the UPS before to clean up the power for 2 Cisco switches and a Cisco router. That's what got me into this. There is a post by me earlier in this thread about it. Granted that was a small load but it worked great for the task.Will probably need more than 1200 watts to power a fridge, freezer, A/C and maybe a few lights. Something around the $500-$600 range that isn't a total POS would be ideal. I wonder if the higher end HF units are as good as the 900W 2T unit? |
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Posted: 8/18/2010 11:26:25 PM EDT
[#35]
Sean, I don't know about the quality of the other HF generators, but if I were you, I would get one of the Champion brand 3kw generators.
This is the company that Skibane linked above. You can usually find them retail for @ $300-$350. They have a good reputation for quality. People say their CS is top notch, also. I've got two, and have no problems out of either. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/19/2010 12:24:58 AM EDT
[#36]
Originally Posted By rsqhobbs: Sean, I don't know about the quality of the other HF generators, but if I were you, I would get one of the Champion brand 3kw generators. This is the company that Skibane linked above. You can usually find them retail for @ $300-$350. They have a good reputation for quality. People say their CS is top notch, also. I've got two, and have no problems out of either. Thanks for the advice. I will look into them further. |
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Posted: 8/19/2010 1:31:13 AM EDT
[#37]
Originally Posted By SeanTX:
Originally Posted By Skibane:
Originally Posted By SeanTX:
I may try the same trick I used before and connect the AC to a UPS then the generator to the UPS to see if this will work That's an interesting idea. If the UPS is beefy enough to provide the starting current required by the compressor, the generator might be able to power the A/C after the surge subsides. Several of Yamaha's inverter generators use a similar trick - A small built-in 12 volt battery provides extra current for a few seconds, increasing the generator's surge capacity. Suffice to say, to run even the smallest AC this thing isn't the tool for the job.
Some RVers are having success powering 5,000 - 6,000 BTU air conditioners with the 1200 watt Champion 4-stroke generator. I've never seen any smaller generator size do it (although the 1000 watt inverter models from Honda, Yamaha, etc. might). I used the UPS before to clean up the power for 2 Cisco switches and a Cisco router. That's what got me into this. There is a post by me earlier in this thread about it. Granted that was a small load but it worked great for the task.
Will probably need more than 1200 watts to power a fridge, freezer, A/C and maybe a few lights. Something around the $500-$600 range that isn't a total POS would be ideal. I wonder if the higher end HF units are as good as the 900W 2T unit? On sale at Lowes for $299. I might need one.
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MS, USA
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Posted: 8/19/2010 8:04:25 AM EDT
[#38]
I don't know if you can still do this, but I got mine when it was priced at Lowe's for $299. I went by my local post office and requested a "change of address packet". Inside that packet was a 10% off coupon for anything at Lowe's, so I got the 3000W/3500W peak Champion generator for $269 + tax.
That was about 2-3 months ago, so see if you can find one of those 10% off coupons to use. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 8/26/2010 10:32:38 PM EDT
[#39]
wanted to do a quick update on my generator. I now have 10 hours break in time on it so decided to do some experiments with it tonight to see what it could power. I have been using a 500watt light for break in so it runs that with no problem. Hooked up a power strip and started adding stuff to see what it could power with the light. Added a shop light and ran it no problem. So then I added a 20" floor fan and on low or med it ran it fine. On high, it didn't seem to spin as fast as it should have but did run. So unplugged everything and tried my air compressor. The engine didn't die but it really was lugging hard so after a few seconds I turned off the compressor. Tried a 10amp battery charger and it works fine. Tried a hand drill and it worked fine.
So of all the things I tested tonight, the only one that would not work was my air compressor which is rated at 2hp. The generator is pretty neat but I do hear a knocking sound on mine. When it was new, it didn't do it but now I hear a mild knocking sound kinda like an car knocking with low octane gas. I am using regular 87 octane gas so think I am going to try 89 octane on the next tank and see if that stops the knocking sound. The knock doesn't seem to be bothering the power and my motor starts 3rd or 4th pull and runs fine. The knock just makes it louder than it would otherwise be so if higher octane gas stops the knock, I'll start using that. |
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Posted: 9/4/2010 3:11:30 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Skibane]
[#40]
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MS, USA
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Posted: 9/4/2010 2:18:16 PM EDT
[#41]
Originally Posted By Skibane:
On sale again this weekend for 72 bucks when used with this coupon... http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_1879.jpg can you use it online? I tried the coupon code(barcode) and it said invalid. Just wondering, because the nearest HF is 2 hours either way I go... |
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AL, USA
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Posted: 9/4/2010 4:28:13 PM EDT
[#42]
That coupon has a date of 12/15/10 - 12/31/10 on it anybody got a current coupon?
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Posted: 9/4/2010 4:38:39 PM EDT
[#43]
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Posted: 9/4/2010 7:14:57 PM EDT
[#44]
Originally Posted By snakeshooter1: That coupon has a date of 12/15/10 - 12/31/10 on it anybody got a current coupon? Double check it. I see 12/15/09 - 12/31/10. Right click, save as. It will come in handy. |
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Posted: 9/4/2010 7:49:47 PM EDT
[#45]
Originally Posted By LOW2000:
If I wanted to use it to spin my electric meter backwards by plugging it into a wall socket, would that work? How much gasoline would you go through to break even on the price of the gen vs. $80 worth of electricity? Assume I get gasoline for free. 
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Posted: 9/6/2010 6:22:26 PM EDT
[#46]
Is anyone able to run their generator nearly dry?
After three tanks, I still have ~300 mL's left in the tank each time it stops running. |
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MS, USA
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Posted: 9/6/2010 6:28:41 PM EDT
[#47]
I think mine did that too, until I set it on a slope where the corner with the fuel shutoff valve was the lowest corner on the slope. I believe that ran it dry. But it's been a month or so...
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Posted: 9/6/2010 6:31:10 PM EDT
[#48]
Originally Posted By Canoer: I think mine did that too, until I set it on a slope where the corner with the fuel shutoff valve was the lowest corner on the slope. I believe that ran it dry. But it's been a month or so... That is what I do with mine. |
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FL, USA
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Posted: 9/6/2010 6:33:01 PM EDT
[#49]
Originally Posted By Gixxersixxer:
Is anyone able to run their generator nearly dry? After three tanks, I still have ~300 mL's left in the tank each time it stops running. pull the fuel line to drain, it comes off real easy. I turn the fuel line off, then run the carb dry till it dies. |
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USA
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Posted: 9/6/2010 10:41:10 PM EDT
[#50]
Originally Posted By JoeRedman:
Originally Posted By Skibane:
On sale again this weekend for 72 bucks when used with this coupon... http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_1879.jpg can you use it online? I tried the coupon code(barcode) and it said invalid. Just wondering, because the nearest HF is 2 hours either way I go... Call their 800#. I told them i had a coupon but there is no store near me. They took the order over the phone and applied the 20% off. |
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