Generac Engines?

[classicred]

I am looking into buying a standby generator. The Generac Guardian series sold through Home Depot seems to be good bang for the buck. But they manufacture their own engines, which I know nothing about. Does anyone have experience with the Generac line. The one I am interested in has a V2 992CC 30 HP engine.

I would prefer to get a generator with the Honda engine, but they coast much more.

Thanks for your input.

 

[sierrascout]

The generac engine is just as durable as honda. It is an industrial motor and will last a good while. I owned a 7.8 generac on a 4000 watt generator and it ran 13 days straight during the 1996 Ice storm we had here.

 

[Bullet]

The generac engine is just as durable as honda. It is an industrial motor and will last a good while. I owned a 7.8 generac on a 4000 watt generator and it ran 13 days straight during the 1996 Ice storm we had here.

How much fuel did you use?

I have the same generator, but never needed to use in more than about 6 hours.

 

[classicred]

It's good to hear the Generac is a quality engine. The unit I plan to get runs on propane. That is a big plus to me, so I don't have to worry about gas age and varnishing of the carb. I wonder if that also affects engine life and oil change schedules. They recomend synthetic after break-in. Since I use Amsoil in everything but my rotary Mazda, that will work.

Thanks for your reply.

 

[sierrascout]

I forget how much fuel, But is was quite a bit. It was worth it to keep my freezer good.

 

[hatcoleman]

Generac is a Briggs & Stratton company. My 15kw Generac arrived about 2 weeks ago. May I suggest checking with AP electric. That is where I purchased mine. Great company to deal with also lowest price I found too. Free freight and no sales tax either.

 

[Best F100]

I have a 15kw, standby natural gas powered, Generac. I have had it for two years. It kicks on once/week for 15 minutes in an exercise cycle. Powers the whole two story house, including sump pump and furnace and septic system toilets. We lose power around here as often as some third world countries.

It has run for 3 continuous 90* July days and 2 continuous 10* December days during power outages. So far, I am more than pleased. I have seen more expensive brands like Onan sold. But I figure I can keep this one working for the next 20+ years, its worth it. I use Mobil 1 changed twice/year. And if I move from this house, I will be taking it with me to the next one. It sure beats "camping out" in your own house during power outages if you know what I mean.

 

[416Rigby]

When I was shopping for a standby generator last year, all of the companies that sell them in my area recommended against the Generac Guardian units. Since they run at 3600rpm, they don't last as long as the more commercial units which run at 1800rpm. The dealers even told me that they've seen them fail in as little as 50 hours. Plus, they consume about 4 gallons of propane per hour. That can get expenisve.

 

[kschachn]

I have a Generac 8000 watt unit. Our house is very sump pump dependent and a protracted power outage is a serious issue here. Same for most people in my area due to the heavy clay soils.

I use Mobil 1 oil and filters (same filter size as my Toyota Echo) and also change it twice a year.

As an aside, we had frequent power outages prior to and during the building of this house five years ago. That was a major reason I spent the $5000 to get the thing installed. Just before the house was done the utility came through and installed all new wires and poles up and down our street. Since then we haven't had one significant (over 2 minute) power failure ;-)

 

[Old Town]

I installed a 15KW Guardian the other day and it was an impressive unit. The Generator panel and other accessories were well made and easy to install. When we did a load test on this unit I went to change the oil and I had no filter. In the rural Arkansas community I was in no filter cross was locally available. I called Generac and they gave me a Kawasaki equivalent that was available in the next town. The engine does share some distinct likenesses to a V-Twin Kawasaki. Overall the unit was very impressive. By the way, after break-in I filled it with Mobil 1 5w30.

 

[Best F100]

Old Town:
For the 15kw Guardian Generator, the oil filter is the same as a Toyota Corolla filter. I have been using Purolator # L14476 for the past 1 1/2 year with no problems.

 

[Old Town]

Thanks,
best

 

[Master ACiD]

i have a generac 15,000w rated 22,500 surge with the 30 horse v twin over head valve engine. its a good motor and i will tell you why i think this is so. i have it connected to the house via a master disconnect box so i can power off the mains and power on via generator to run the entire house. i broke it in by running it at roughly 70% load for 5 hours and then changed the oil using delo 15w40. we had a hurricane hit and were without power for about 8 days. the generac ran great the entire time. the only time we stopped it was once a day to check the oil, which after 190 some odd hours of use was still at the full mark. i actually kept refilling it while it ran so as to not interrupt power to our house and our neighbors house. yeah this monster powers 2 houses. the oil was also a nice golden colour. i guess the rings are pretty good in the generac because the oil didnt darken even a little.

if this engine was in a car doing 65mph after 190 some hours it would have gone amlost 12,500 miles. so you can consider this one heck of an extended drain interval. although running at near steady rpm's and only 8 shutdowns, with 1 single cold start, its probably the easiest 12,500 mile oci you can have. i think the manual says to change the oil every 50 hours, but that oil looked so **** clean i just couldnt drain it out that early.

i checked the valve lash after the hurricane and they were within spec, just on the lose side of the spec. i adjusted them and drained the gas, then fogged the engine out so it will be ready to go for next years hurricane season.

its kind of loud running at 3600 rpm's but i put it under a temporary car port out in the yard to keep the rain off it and blocked the sound by parking our vehicles between the generac and the house. the noise isnt too bad then.