Genmax Inverter, 240v 5,500w for 1k on amazon
- Thread starter henni
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I see the name and color scheme are trying to play off of Generac reputation (for better or worse)... No harm, no foul, Generac's cheaper units are made by the same offshore outfits as the no-name brands.
If it has vents of any kind on the bottom it would not be a good idea to sit it in grass in actual use. That would restrict air movement and reduce cooling. If it were designed properly that would only cause it to shut down if it approached over-heating. But if not designed to monitor that posable problem it could cause perinate damage and loss of ability to make power.
Proper air-cooling air flow is a very important consideration with generators.
Proper air-cooling air flow is a very important consideration with generators.
If you need repair parts, that could be an issue with getting them. But for the price it could be worth the gamble.
You took out the query string! Thank you!!
Agreed, never seen an inverter before with 240. But, 5.5kw on an inverter might not be able to handle too many things that ask for 240. Hvac could be a challenge, could handle hot water (though it will be expensive hot water). I think if the heavy hitters are truly needed, a traditional genset might be the better way to go, unless it was a known robust electronics package.
Typically inverter generators only spin the engine fast enough to supply the power needed at the moment. they idle down under light loads and speed up under higher loads. This Genmax unit is not doing that.
Flip through the video. In every shot of the generator, it sounds like it is running at the same RPM. Even the stickers on the unit say 3600 RPM. When the AC unit in the guy's RV kicks on, the engine speed does not change. It seems that this generator is really just a quiet version of a construction generator.
I guess the benefit of this unit is the noise reduction. I don't see this saving very much on fuel.
Flip through the video. In every shot of the generator, it sounds like it is running at the same RPM. Even the stickers on the unit say 3600 RPM. When the AC unit in the guy's RV kicks on, the engine speed does not change. It seems that this generator is really just a quiet version of a construction generator.
I guess the benefit of this unit is the noise reduction. I don't see this saving very much on fuel.
If you look at 4:44 in the video the thing clearly has an Eco mode switch. I don't know, but it may be possible that it was tested with Eco mode off. In that case it would run continuously at 3600 RPM. That's my theory...
Maybe.
I did miss at 8:00 where he tested eco mode on/off and it did rev up and down.
I ordered the 7,500/6,000 watt version from Sam’s Club. It’s supposed be here tomorrow. I’m in the process of installing a 50 amp generator inlet and an interlock on the house. I really like having a 14-50 outlet on a generator this size. If it holds up good, I might order another one and the parallel kit at some point down the road.
Genmax 7,500
Genmax 7,500
My god that fella has a lot of time on his hands and the review seems as if he's testing a toy. I would want to see it put to work.
That size is a tough one because 6000W can't be output through 120V circuits alone and the 240V circuit limits you to single 240V appliances (typically). Powering through a transfer switch to a home, I think one would be better served with a larger unit. Coupling two together only increases your maintenance costs and odds of something failing.
I have a much larger (40kw) tractor pto driven generator that can easily power my whole house, just not through a 50 amp inlet (the pto generator does have a 14-50 receptacle though). I can drag the Genmax out and run the basics in a short term outage. It’s big enough to run a water heater or the clothes dryer, or run my electric stove/oven to cook on. It’s also small enough (117 lbs) to throw in the truck and take with me to help out others if needed. I have some elderly relatives that live close by that either don’t have a generator or aren’t capable of starting and hooking one up if they did. We don’t lose power a whole lot, but I have lost power here for as long as 9 days at a time.
I also bought an RV adapter that will plug into the 50 amp generator inlet and allow you to power both legs of the panel with 120v, the hot legs are tied together at the adapter. I can run my refrigerator, freezers and lights off my smaller 2,000 watt inverter generator and not use all that much gas per day.
I look at having 2 of these units as having some redundancy, if one of them goes down (or if a friend or neighbor needs one), you can still run some 240v appliances off of one of them. Buying two of the 7500 units is cheaper than one of the larger inverter generators. For example, the HF 9,500 watt inverter generator is $2,300 and only gives you 7,600 running watts. If you have 2 of these Genmax units in parallel you can max out a 50 amp inlet with 12,000 running watts. For me it’s kind of the sweet spot between portability, capability and fuel efficiency.
Very good points. Using a larger generator to power a whole house swallows up gas QUICK, making it impractical for longer duration outages. At least with that unit (or two) you should be able to power up the essentials. Let us know how you like it.
https://wenproducts.com/collections/inverter-generators
I would buy a Wen.
My old Wen Power Pro 3500 purchased in 2007 has 120/240 but it isn't an inverter. I retired it but am confident I could take it out of the box and it would start right up.
Wen is an established company and when I need a part - if I can't find it on Amazon or eBay they will have it.
The things I need 240 volts - my central AC, clothes dryer, stove - I doubt this unit would power any of them. If it did it would suck gas like crazy.
I am also in the smaller is better camp. But if I had to run a well pump to get water that would require a bigger unit.
I would buy a Wen.
My old Wen Power Pro 3500 purchased in 2007 has 120/240 but it isn't an inverter. I retired it but am confident I could take it out of the box and it would start right up.
Wen is an established company and when I need a part - if I can't find it on Amazon or eBay they will have it.
The things I need 240 volts - my central AC, clothes dryer, stove - I doubt this unit would power any of them. If it did it would suck gas like crazy.
I am also in the smaller is better camp. But if I had to run a well pump to get water that would require a bigger unit.
Nice thread.
Just a reminder, for those who have electric water-heaters, if you understand electricity enough to know the way 120 and 240 are wired, you can rig something to run a 240 resistive heating water-heater on 120. The current draw will be 1/2 of what it was on 240. The heat put into the water will be 1/4 of what it was on 240, because then it's 1/2 current X 1/2 Voltage = 1/4 Watts. This drastic reduction of Watts can usually allow a much smaller 120 generator to run a resistive heating 240 water-heater. Of course it will take 4 times longer to heat the water.
Even if your generator can handle it at 240, you might want to rig it for 120 so the water-heater does not dominate the usable capacity of your generator.
If you do not truly understand the differance in 120 and 240 wiring, do not attempt this. But if you still want to do this, in that case get someone who does understand it to rig it up for you in a way that is easy to use.
Just a reminder, for those who have electric water-heaters, if you understand electricity enough to know the way 120 and 240 are wired, you can rig something to run a 240 resistive heating water-heater on 120. The current draw will be 1/2 of what it was on 240. The heat put into the water will be 1/4 of what it was on 240, because then it's 1/2 current X 1/2 Voltage = 1/4 Watts. This drastic reduction of Watts can usually allow a much smaller 120 generator to run a resistive heating 240 water-heater. Of course it will take 4 times longer to heat the water.
Even if your generator can handle it at 240, you might want to rig it for 120 so the water-heater does not dominate the usable capacity of your generator.
If you do not truly understand the differance in 120 and 240 wiring, do not attempt this. But if you still want to do this, in that case get someone who does understand it to rig it up for you in a way that is easy to use.
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