Costco Generator

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Farbie

Joined
Jun 28, 2004
Messages
38
Location
Centerport N.Y.
After the hurricane and 5 days without electricity the wife is demanding we get a generator. I plan to install a manual transfer switch to hook the generator up. Costco will have on sale the end of the month a ETQ generator 7250/8250 with electric start for $650.00 delivered.I know these generators are made in China. Has anyone had experience with this brand.
Any thought would be appreciated.
 
Originally Posted By: Farbie
After the hurricane and 5 days without electricity the wife is demanding we get a generator. I plan to install a manual transfer switch to hook the generator up. Costco will have on sale the end of the month a ETQ generator 7250/8250 with electric start for $650.00 delivered.I know these generators are made in China. Has anyone had experience with this brand.
Any thought would be appreciated.


The engine is a Chinese copy of a Honda engine most likely. The parts are interchangeable.
 
Why would you have the unreliability of electric start for a seldom-used home gen? Why deal with float-charging batteries?

Can you get one that is just pull start if it is going to be portable and storable and all manually installed?
 
The generator also has pull start. The electric start is for the wife.
Here is a description of the generator
The ETQ TG72B12 has a power output of 8250 watt surge and 7250 watts of continuous power. The ETQ TG72B12 is powered by an ETQ 14 HP, 420 cc, 4 Stroke, air cooled heavy duty engine and with a fuel efficiency of 11 hours at half load. This is accomplished with the 6.42 gallon fuel tank. The battery is included with the TG72B12, which gives you two options of recoil start and electric start on this unit.

The ETQ TG72B12 comes with ETQ Sine Power® this features allows the electricity produce from the unit to be almost as clean as the electricity produced by your home wall sockets. This allows sensitive electronics to be run on the TG72B12.

The ETQ TG72B12 has a heavy duty 1” rolled tube steel design with double bar top frame protection and run flat wheel kit with easy to pull down fold handle. Power outlets included are (2) 120V 20 Amp duplex outlets, (1) 120/240V 30 Amp L14-30R twist lock-outlet, and (1) 120V 30 Amp L5-30R twist-lock outlet.

Features:

Output: 7250 Watts continuous/ 8250 Watts max
Engine: ETQ 420cc 14HP 4-stroke Single Cylinder Air-Cooled OHV Engine
Starter: Easy pull recoil start and hassle free push button electric start with battery included
Outlets: (2) 120V duplex, (1) 120/240V L14-30R twist lock and (1) 120V L5-30R twist lock
Fuel tank: 6.42 gallon fuel tank
Oil level: .9 liters
Decibel sound rating: 70db
Runtime: 6.6 hrs at 100% load and 10.5 hrs at 50% load
Frame: 1’” rolled steel tubing
Wheel kit: Run flat wheels and handle bar included.
Some assembly required
Additional features: ETQ Sine Power®, Low decibel muffler, low oil protection shut off warning, fuel gauge, and automatic voltage regulator (included)
Includes: Funnel and convenience start up tools
Dimensions: 32.68” L x 22.05” W x 23.62” H
Weight: 210 lbs
 
One other thing, do not believe (yes or no) the db rating of the generator. There is no industry standard for that rating. Is it measured 1 meter or 10 meters away, full load or half load or no load? And thats when the muffler is brand new.

Not saying the ETQ is noisy or quiet. I have no idea.
 
Not so the chondas, 68 dB for the 6.5 hp version.

I just got a 6.5 2500/3250 and it has a muffler suitable for a ford festiva on it.
 
Who is going to do warranty work on this if needed? That's what I always think about with these brands. Tough to argue with the price though.
 
+1 to the big'ol automotive style muffler they put on these. Every Chinese import gen I've seen has one. The engines purr quietly w/ most of the noise coming from forced cooling air and gen end.

In regards to warranty, unless you're buying one from Harbor Freight (where you can just return it after so long), these are throwaway unless you can cobble a fix yourself. You have to accept that going into it, thus the low price.

Joel
 
go smaller if you can and accept no hot water, and run a room A/C instead of whole house. Your gas consumption will be sky-high and when there's no power, stations don't pump gas. plus, newer fridges do better run full time than on/off (my samsung used SAME fuel from my inverter genset regardless of full-time vs on/off), so there's little gained there.

3kw-4kw range is what I'd suggest.

transfer switch is GREAT WAY TO DO IT!!! Thumbs Up!!

Mikey
 
Originally Posted By: Unearthed
Who is going to do warranty work on this if needed? That's what I always think about with these brands. Tough to argue with the price though.

I would only consider buying the generator from Costco. If it fails under warranty just return to Costco for full refund.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Why would you have the unreliability of electric start for a seldom-used home gen? Why deal with float-charging batteries?

Can you get one that is just pull start if it is going to be portable and storable and all manually installed?


I've got the Harbor Freight version of the 5.5k and let me tell you pull starting that 13hp engine is not easy. I don't consider myself a weak person and I've tried pull starting it. It's not easy at all cold. Not sure if it's because of the size (13hp) or something else like the automatic choke. I ended up putting a 18Ah battery from a jump start pack in it and it fires right up within a couple seconds of turning the key so I know it will start with minimal fuss.

On the version I have the battery charges when the generator is run and I do plan monthly tests which should keep the battery topped up. If not, it's a 12v system so you can "jump" it with either a jumper box or jumper cables from your car.

These Chinese units seem to be pretty good - ours saved my bacon from a flooded basement during Lee.
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08


I've got the Harbor Freight version of the 5.5k and let me tell you pull starting that 13hp engine is not easy. I don't consider myself a weak person and I've tried pull starting it. It's not easy at all cold. Not sure if it's because of the size (13hp) or something else like the automatic choke.
O


I have a Honda 13HP GX390 powered pressure washer. It's not difficult to start at all. First pull, every time, the compression release works wonders! It's roughly as difficult to start as a typical push mower.

Maybe your compression release is not working properly. Is it hard to pull through? Or is it simply not starting?
 
When cold if you pull on it, there is a decent amount of resistance and if you find the compression stroke and then do a full stoke pull it spins a few times. I gave up after 4-5 pulls and hit the ignition switch and it fired right up.

When warm you can pull start it easily and it starts on the 1st pull.

It's got an auto choke and my guess is that with these lean carbs it's not as good as a primer + "real choke". When it is running it runs beautifully.

It could also be the junk spark plug they put in it too. That will get changed in the spring when I change the ones in the rest of the OPE.
 
Originally Posted By: Cujet
On my 13HP Honda, it's nearly impossible to find the compression stroke.


Wow. I can find the compression on all my small engines - the Briggs in the lawnmower, pressure washer, the God knows what on the weedwacker, and the 2 stroke on the blower.

I always assumed it was normal.
 
Originally Posted By: itguy08
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Why would you have the unreliability of electric start for a seldom-used home gen? Why deal with float-charging batteries?

Can you get one that is just pull start if it is going to be portable and storable and all manually installed?


I've got the Harbor Freight version of the 5.5k and let me tell you pull starting that 13hp engine is not easy. I don't consider myself a weak person and I've tried pull starting it. It's not easy at all cold. Not sure if it's because of the size (13hp) or something else like the automatic choke. I ended up putting a 18Ah battery from a jump start pack in it and it fires right up within a couple seconds of turning the key so I know it will start with minimal fuss.

On the version I have the battery charges when the generator is run and I do plan monthly tests which should keep the battery topped up. If not, it's a 12v system so you can "jump" it with either a jumper box or jumper cables from your car.

These Chinese units seem to be pretty good - ours saved my bacon from a flooded basement during Lee.


How loud is that HF generator? When I was there a couple months ago (for other things), I happen to ask and they had no idea what the dB ratings are.
 
I don't have a dB meter but I can say this as I've used 3 at our house (2 on loan from friends/family):

1. It's louder than a Honda eu2000i.
2. Quieter than a Porter Cable 5500w with a Briggs 10HP OHV
3. About the same as a lawnmower or snowblower.


I run ours in our carport with the exhaust pointed away from the house. I think some of that may cause lots of echo and make it sound louder than it is.

With the Porter Cable any conversation near it was impossible and even 10-20 ft away was hard. That sucker was loud.

With the HF you have to speak loud near and at 10-20 ft away you can speak in an elevated manner.

I think they claim about 79dB or so. I'm happy with it so far - it saved our butts during the storm.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

redhat
Neighbor gave me a generator!
2
Replies
32
Views
1K
redhat
A
Champion 4000/3500 Generator Not Running
2
Replies
29
Views
3K
Rogueman2016s
92saturnsl2
3 day power outage, Westinghouse generator experience
2 3
Replies
53
Views
7K
Thermo1223
D
Westinghouse Wgen9500 fuel valve actuation in generator shed
Replies
16
Views
3K
4WD
P
Help me understand grounding portable generators with a transfer switch
Replies
9
Views
3K
LouC
Back
Top