Inexpensive Emergency Generators

[DrRoughneck]

Originally Posted By: JTK
I would rather have 2 lower wattage units than one 10K watt unit. If your usage needs something that big, you might want to consider a standby unit. I've seen "cheap" units with tons of hours on them with nothing but oil changes. I believe there is a member here who has put 100s of hours on a little HFT 2-stroke 600-800w units.

I've got a 20yr/old ~1600w Coleman powermate that works like a charm and a ~3yr/old HFT 2-stroke cheapy. Works great too.

Exactly this. Plus modern inverter generators can be daisy-chained and phase-matched to cumulate power output.

 

[another Todd]

Originally Posted By: DrRoughneck
Originally Posted By: JTK
I would rather have 2 lower wattage units than one 10K watt unit. If your usage needs something that big, you might want to consider a standby unit. I've seen "cheap" units with tons of hours on them with nothing but oil changes. I believe there is a member here who has put 100s of hours on a little HFT 2-stroke 600-800w units.

I've got a 20yr/old ~1600w Coleman powermate that works like a charm and a ~3yr/old HFT 2-stroke cheapy. Works great too.

Exactly this. Plus modern inverter generators can be daisy-chained and phase-matched to cumulate power output.


+2 Large gas generators can burn through 8 gallons of fuel in 12 hours, better to have a couple smaller inverter units that can run days on 8 gallons.

 

[Ausfahrt]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Isn't "inexpensive emergency" an oxymoron?


+1

Inexpensive until you need it.

Smaller and simpler is better in a real emergency where gas and other seemingly basic necessities are not available.