Generators

[Socalman]

I am about ready to drop my $ and buy a generator in the next 10 days. My requirments are:

1. Portable - most are nowdays

2. In the area of 3000 watts continous power

3. Have electric start so my wife can fire it up if necessary

4. Relatively quiet

5. Be an invertor type

6. Last, it must be Kalifornia compliant (CARB)


I have been reading as much as I can find, now I want to know if anyone has personal experience with either of the following units:

Honda EU3000is - Have spent time with this unit at different times, home use and camping with my BIL.

PROS- Meets my requirements; the quietest unit around; about the lightest in the class; Has a long track record; 3 year warranty; up to 20 hours run time on 1 tank of fuel at 1/4 max output; can be chained with another unit for higher output

Cons Most expensive in the class; Japanese company, made in Japan

Champion 3500

Pros Meets my requirements; Slightly higher continuos output; several hundred dollars less than Honda; 2 year factory warranty; company is located about 30 minutes away if warranty work is needed;

Con Slightly louder (by only 3 db) than Honda but still acceptable; shorter run time, only 7 hours on a full tank at 1/4 max power; American company but made in CHINA

Let me know of your experience with either of these units. Remember that I have to be CARB compliant and I want it quiet for both camping use and OPSEC if that need arises

[Fidel MD]

In small generators, any of the Japanese mfgs (Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki) are just excellent.

I think you might need the proximity for the Champion....

[helomech]

Agree with fidel, if you can afford it get the Honda. You won't be disappointed.

[bacpacker]

No experience with the Champion. But I have used a Honda 2000 extensively with zero issues. Pull start is easy enough my wife can start it, with messed up shoulders. I will be buying a 2000 later this year. Would love to have the 3000 but the money is more than I can stand right now.

[ElevenBravo]

buy once, cry once.

i wish i could have bought a honda... everything else has been trouble after its first two years. the one i have now is no exception

[Illini Warrior]

you check into service and parts for that Champion? - probably OK for the engine but what about anything else?

[helomech]

I have a generac 6500 watt, and it has done me well. It is 11 years old, and has only had oil changes done to it, has always been out in the weather. It has just recently started causing me trouble by making my surge protectors inside go bad. It still runs and works, but something is not right. It is also VERY LOUD. So I bought a used 7000watt, from my mother in law for 200 bucks, they only used it for one storm for 1 week. But have run it every month just to keep it up. Don't remember the name, but it has a Honda 11 hp engine. Still LOUD, but not as bad as the generac. Had I taken care of the generac, it would probably last me another 10 years.

[realist]

Honda is my only choice. I have used a bunch of different types and have never had a problem. I too am going to buy a 3000 watts, why because I can also hook up another 3000 watts if I need to get 6000 watts. Why not just buy a large one because the 3000 drinks less fuel.

Socal make sure you buy it out of state you save on taxes. A lot of places will give you free shipping.

[Socalman]

Thanks for all the responses. Helomech, I know folks in construction who swear by the Generac but the one reason they do not fit my requirements is the noise level rating. Recently we were camping by the beach near San Diego. Around 0330 I woke up and had to pee. I took my db meter outside and found that just the sound of the surf was 62db. I could not hear any other sounds. The quietest invertor generators have a noise level rating of 49db at minimum load up. The Honda is 49 to 67db at maximum output. I have about made the decision to go with the Honda. As Eleven Bravo said, buy once, cry once. I will search around for the best price and like Realist suggested not be adverse to buying out of state to save the high California tax rate.

[LUNCHBOX]

I have the Champion 3500, had it for about 7 years now. No issues and it still runs great. I'd buy another one if I needed to.

[Vodin]

Generators. Awesome to have but bad bad bad to have where I live. Noise will attract the vermin if I need it and the SHTF. In my opinion an inverter (silent) attached to a car battery will provide a brief charge. Longer if the car is running.

[bacpacker]

I didn't do any comparisons today, but mayberries.com had the Eu3000 for $1999. That's where we bought the one for our radio group. No tax and free shipping at the time.

[Domeguy]

Socalman....I just have to ask if you might think about building your own solar generator? Easy to build, super easy to set up, and definitely quieter than any gas generator...just sayin.

[ElevenBravo]

The Honda EU gensets are a lot quieter.. no need to change the muffler, simply put it in a hut or similar and the noise signature is reduced by 75%!

I have a heavy canvas tarp thrown over two pallets for an A frame type deal, so its a tent more or less.. It gets enough air to keep cool, and is much quieter than without.

HTH,
EB

[AlphaTea]

I think you have overlooked Yamaha. The Yamaha EF4500iSE or EF3000iS are right up your alley. Price is comparable and the technology is the same.

[ElevenBravo]

yup, AT has a point...

[Stormfeather]

Ive been doing some serious research into them as well. In my experience, what I have seen work best is to either build a hut for it, or I have seen folks dig a pit for them, and that seems to work even better. A tarp covering 3/4 of the pit and the noise is literally gone. I assume the same could be said for a hut.
As for models, Im looking at a Generac, but I am also looking at a home generator hooked into the NG line that wont be portable in any way.
Hope this helps.

[Fidel MD]

To re-direct the noise of a generator, I have four panels of plywood, 3x4', that are loosely tied together on the short ends with rope. After the generator is running, I set these panels on end around the generator, forming a kind of box.

This provides enough of a baffle to direct the noise essentially upward. There is enough airflow to keep everything cool, the plywood is cheap and lightweight (it's 1/4"), and the generator can be seen if needed.

This is similar to the technology the movie industry uses on location shoots. Rather than attempt to muffle all the sound, they redirect the sound upwards where it doesn't much matter.

I suppose that thin rigid insulation panels could also be used, but they are quite fragile.

[Domeguy]

I did basicly the same thing this summer when I took my 2000W Generac generator to Bonnaroo. I made a 3 sided box from 1 inch foam, open in one end and put a one piece sloping roof on it to protect from the rain, and to help direct the sound out and up. It worked fairly well.

[Fidel MD]

I did basicly the same thing this summer when I took my 2000W Generac generator to Bonnaroo. I made a 3 sided box from 1 inch foam, open in one end and put a one piece sloping roof on it to protect from the rain, and to help direct the sound out and up. It worked fairly well.

Sometimes simple things work :)

[Socalman]

I have settled on the Honda EU3000. I did take a long look at the Yamaha. Indeed the Yamaha has slightly more power than the Honda but I can not get it at a price close enough to make it my number 1 choice.

I was actually set to pick up the Honda a few weeks ago when the wife's car took a dump with the transmission. Damn Chevy 6 speed automatic really screwed our plans on the genny. Hell, it took all my genny $$$ plus!

I hope to be able to save some more in the next month and a half and be able to pick it up by the end of October. While I have worked my rear off to pay off credit cards, I have even considered power an important enough prep to think about putting it on the card and paying it off in a few months. Trying to be strong and hoping S doesn't HTF before Nov. 2!

[ElevenBravo]

Transmission repairs ARE expensive... Unless you drive a straight drive!



And for the humor in the thread...

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/64090107.jpg

[Kesephist]

I have settled on the Honda EU3000. I did take a long look at the Yamaha. Indeed the Yamaha has slightly more power than the Honda but I can not get it at a price close enough to make it my number 1 choice.

I was actually set to pick up the Honda a few weeks ago when the wife's car took a dump with the transmission. Damn Chevy 6 speed automatic really screwed our plans on the genny. Hell, it took all my genny $$$ plus!

I hope to be able to save some more in the next month and a half and be able to pick it up by the end of October. While I have worked my rear off to pay off credit cards, I have even considered power an important enough prep to think about putting it on the card and paying it off in a few months. Trying to be strong and hoping S doesn't HTF before Nov. 2!

Give us figures, man. If I have something to send, say the word.

[Socalman]

It has been just over a year since I started this thread and EVERY time we are about ready to get the Honda, some other major expense that must be dealt with RIGHT NOW comes up. I still favor the Honda. Three reasons why the Honda really fits the bill for me: 1) portability 2) low sound footprint - even without baffles will be difficult to hear 3) reliability

The negative for #1 above is portability translates to stealability. However a BIG f-ing chain will hold it in place from all but the professionally equipped thieves.

[bacpacker]

I purchased a EU2000 back in the spring. I am perfectly happy with it for the reasons you mentioned. But also for the fact they sip fuel vs the power they provide.

[Socalman]

Four years & a month after starting this thread, I finally added a generator/invertor to our household. Early this past September we experienced a typical heat wave for Southern California, temps around 104 for several days. Then around the 5th of the month it got worse, we were recording temps of 116 - 117 for about 5 days. Normally we can deal with this. Heck as kids we did not even have air conditioning. However our electricity went AWOL early in the evening of the 6th, temperature had dropped to 110. To make things worse we are fairly close to where a new fire had started on the 6th, the Bobcat fire. (Currently has burned over 125,000 acres). We had no wind at all, good for the firefighters, bad for us. For the next two days we had no power, took food to our daughter's home and spent time at here house. That was the final straw, this state has closed electric generating stations in the past few years, this is going to become typical. Time to act now.

I finally opted for a Champion hybrid (dual fuel) unit. While not as quiet as the Honda I have wanted it is still fairly quiet at 64db. Run time on gasoline is supposed to be 17 hours on the tank (not sure of the size) and 18 hours on propane. Starting wattage is 4000 watts on gasoline and 3500 on propane. It is fairly light at 85 pounds. I added the optional wheel kit and even my little wife can roll it around easily. One minor negative for my wife is that it does not have electric start but it starts very easily via the pull cord. Of course if you do not keep the battery charged on other units, you still have to pull the cord.

Right now I can use extension cords to run refrigerator, freezer and lights and fans inside if the need arises. In a few weeks we will have a transfer switch installed so that we can power the vital appliances such as fridge, freezer, microwave, house fans, some lights, modem/router, even tv, without any extension cords.

I will keep you informed when we have the transfer switch installed.

[Vodin]

@Socalman, just purchased a DuroMax XP5500EH Generator. Running it with propane option. I am at ~6000’ elevation so I am expecting to lose about 18% HP. It is the first of this type of purchase.