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re: Small generator recommendation
Posted on 1/30/26 at 9:39 am to SETH6180
Posted on 1/30/26 at 9:39 am to SETH6180
quote:
What kind of fuel efficiency do you get and can stand within 30' of it and hear yourself talk? The efficiency and quietness of the Honda(and some other IV generators) are part of the benefits.
I can chill on back porch 5' away from mine and never have to raise my voice when on eco-throttle mode.
I chill in my house, where the A/C is running.
It's a 5800W generator. Yes it's loud. It's outside, and it runs one of my 2 A/C's and the rest of the house.
It's a 7 gallon tank and that will last me around 12 hours. I don't have to worry about refilling it in the middle of the night.
And what i'm wanting to get is an inverter that's bigger and quieter.
The point i was making and following up on is that it Mr Boo is right, it doesn't matter that much what the brand is if you take care of your generator properly.
1
Posted on 1/30/26 at 9:47 am to HeartAttackTiger
I've loved my Predator 3500 up until this week (don't hate it, just don't love it anymore). I've used it here and there and always made sure to run it every few months. I do the required maintenance. This week I've had to run it almost 24/7 for almost a week, and it hasn't been up to the task. It's cutting out after an hour or two and hard or impossible to restart. I really need to get in there and do some maintenance since it's been running so long, but it's too cold and I also can't replacement parts right now. I know it's not totally on the generator. I don't think they're meant to be used as hard as I've used it this week. It's a great generator for occasional use, but I'm not going to rely on it in the future for prolonged power needs.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:24 pm to BottomlandBrew
quote:
This week I've had to run it almost 24/7 for almost a week, and it hasn't been up to the task.
That's basically too much for any air-cooled generator outside of some low-RPM diesel gensets. Even home standby generators don't do well under those conditions. You either have to cycle the generator to give it some rest/check oil/filters/sparkplug for a few hours or plan on it having problems. The generator head unit suffers too, they get pretty hot and they generally don't have the best cooling designs since they are sucking air that was cooling the engine first. One advantage of open frame generators is that you can keep an air mover aimed at the generator head to help cool it, even in the winter.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 12:59 pm to HeartAttackTiger
I'm not convinced there's a colossal difference in terms of quality and longevity across most brands. Pick the features and size you need and pick on price after that. Personally I have two Wen inverter gennies that have been solid for years. Buddy of mine with a similar size Honda was shocked at how quiet my Wen was during a recent power outage.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 1:01 pm to BottomlandBrew
As said below, you aren’t supposed to run 24/7. After a hurricane, we would let it shut off during the night as we slept and then start back up for coffee, etc., run a while, then let it rest a while after that cycle. You should have a whole home or multiple portable to keep one going if you want to run 24/7.
Posted on 1/30/26 at 9:07 pm to HeartAttackTiger
I think am about to pull the trigger on a Honda 2200i.
I have a Chinese 5800 Watt that I bought at Sam’s that has been a workhorse that works well. However, it is just too heavy to want to mess with for short duration power outages.
Any of them work for limited service, but you have to run every bit of the fuel out every time.
I have a Chinese 5800 Watt that I bought at Sam’s that has been a workhorse that works well. However, it is just too heavy to want to mess with for short duration power outages.
Any of them work for limited service, but you have to run every bit of the fuel out every time.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 11:18 am to Spankum
Questions about a stand alone generator:
Looking a combination of both gas and propane powered generator.
Are they worth it? Are they big headaches? What, if any, are the pro and cons of having a combo generator?
TIA
Looking a combination of both gas and propane powered generator.
Are they worth it? Are they big headaches? What, if any, are the pro and cons of having a combo generator?
TIA
Posted on 1/31/26 at 12:56 pm to HeartAttackTiger
quote:
Small generator recommendation
HeartAttackTiger
Looking for something with approximately 3,000-4,000 watts running power.
I own a Yahama inverter. Rock solid. Have owned it since 2019. Just as good as a Honda. But also proud of their pricing, like Honda.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 1:42 pm to Reubaltaich
I have a Wen 4750W that runs on gas and propane. When using propane it runs 7 hrs. Half-load run opposed to 11 hrs. using gas. I didn’t want to gum it up but realized I would be buying a lot of propane. Had to rush out during the last expected outage and load up on gas. It’s a key start and has worked well. Payed $400, 4 years ago.
This post was edited on 1/31/26 at 1:52 pm
Posted on 1/31/26 at 5:13 pm to HeartAttackTiger
Whatever you do buy, when you are finished with it run it dry then drain the fuel bowl in the carburetor, and whatever brand you buy, get spare spark plugs, a carburetor gasket set, hell it wouldn't hurt to buy a spare carb they are cheap, because when you need your generator this stuff will not be available. The honda clone from harbor freight is very good.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 9:11 pm to HeartAttackTiger
The secret to giving your gasoline engine a long and enjoyable life is clean oil and run the gas out until it shuts down after use, especially generators that sit unused for long periods. In all these years, and there are many, I have never used ethanol free gas.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 9:57 pm to Commander Rabb
Posted on 1/31/26 at 10:27 pm to Commander Rabb
quote:
run the gas out until it shuts down after use, especially generators that sit unused for long periods
I go a step further and run some TruFuel 4-cycle fuel to flush out the last of any gasoline from the carburetor. Spray some LMT or MMO into the carb throat and sparkplug hole too. My generator, and other OPE, has sat for years at a time while I was stationed away and all of it fired up right away when I got back to it. It's now my end-of-season ritual for my mowers, trimmer, and edger (I flush with Echo RedArmor pre-mix fuel for 2-stroke stuff). My blower sees nearly year-round use though.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 10:31 pm to Ikneauxnuffin
quote:
This is a really nice gen set
Funny how the Westinghouse 5k is obviously made by the same factory that makes that Cummins.
Posted on 1/31/26 at 11:15 pm to Reubaltaich
quote:
Looking a combination of both gas and propane powered generator
I see that someone makes a kit to convert the Honda that I am looking at to run on propane….it automatically switches back to gasoline when it runs out of propane.
Posted on 2/1/26 at 5:50 am to Commander Rabb
quote:
The secret to giving your gasoline engine a long and enjoyable life is clean oil and run the gas out until it shuts down after use, especially generators that sit unused for long periods. In all these years, and there are many, I have never used ethanol free gas.
This is what I do every time on my WEM 6,250watt inverter generator. I turn the fuel switch and when it finally dies I turn the main switch off.
Posted on 2/1/26 at 9:12 am to Spankum
quote:I put one of those on a Honda 2000 and it runs well, but the eco mode doesn’t work. Not sure if it’s an install thing or what but something to consider
I see that someone makes a kit to convert the Honda that I am looking at to run on propane
Posted on 2/1/26 at 1:15 pm to HeartAttackTiger
a predator, or any other honda clone in the 3000-4000 watt range are all going to be the same machine for all practical purposes. Definately get an inverter. You willl have to decide if running gas, propane or nat. gas. There are several choices for gas or propane + gas in that range, you will have to get a bigger machine for tri-fuel capability from the oem or you will have to buy a kit and diy. Youtube has tons of videos of campers, overlanders and those off the grid, etc. that have chondas with thousands of hours on them. As far as extended run times, you will have to shut the machine down everyday to check the oil/refuel if running gas. Then fire it back upand continue on. I have a 3000 watt honda that ran through Gustav for 8 days, Ida for 11 days and several other small power outages, projects and the quarterly maintenance runs. I would always shutdown everyday to check the oil and would change it evry 3/4 days. In the long runs, i wouldnt have the machine down for longer than 30 minutes, max. They dont need to "rest" 
but you need to check and change the oil and air filter. Ive changed the plugs 2x, machine has almost 600 hours on it, bought new in 2007
but you need to check and change the oil and air filter. Ive changed the plugs 2x, machine has almost 600 hours on it, bought new in 2007Posted on 2/2/26 at 7:46 am to Megasaurus
quote:
need to "rest"
"just like a horse, generators need a break every now and then"
I've given up on trying to dispel this silly but quite common belief.
Posted on 2/2/26 at 11:00 am to TeddyPadillac
quote:
The point i was making and following up on is that it Mr Boo is right, it doesn't matter that much what the brand is if you take care of your generator properly.
I'm not attacking Honda, the people here pimping Honda are right too. You get what you pay for, and those Honda's are very high quality. But for most practical applications they are extremely overpriced. If you are willing to pay $5,000 for a 5,500 watt generator... You can get a 12kw standby with automatic transfer switch for that price.
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