[1985 4runner]

While comfortable in my food, weapon & ammo, & medical preps.

I'm lacking a basic need. Power.


I'm thinking of getting a Generator for emergency use only. I came across this one at Lowes:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_106885-87012-40026_0_?productId=3218343&Ntt=generator&Ntk=i_products&Ns=p_product_price|1&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s?Ntk=i_products$rpp=15$No=15$Ntt=generator$Ns=p_product_price|1$identifier=

I'm thinking my needs will be to run a small window A/C unit, Refigerator/freeezer, recharge batteries, small radio and one or two lights. May be needed to run a home Oxygen or similar medical device.

I'd like a Honda portable, but since money is a factor that option is pretty much gone.

Any experienced Ginny operators want to chime in here?

Thanks

 

[sidroski]

That's a good price but you might think fan over a/c if you want the other stuff. They had the same price at Gander Mountain. Could buy two though.
When we had the ice storm, my widowed mother and grandmother she was taking care of didn't have power. I took a generator over there to plug in the central heat fan (no fan, no heat), a lamp and TV. They were good to go.
Honda is way over priced. I have the smallest one the have for my mom, 2000 watts, I got from a contractor going out of business for $200. Called a Honda dealer and they were about $1K.

 

[sidroski]

BTW, if you have someone on special medical devices, you can call the electric company and they will bump you up in line.

 

[Rw]

Hondas are well worth it, ive seen them go through hell in the tool rental i used to work in. Second i would say wacker(still honda powered) i know one of the 2500w wacker ones we rented had well over 500 hours on it. Only things ever done to any of them were routine pm work. They still ran like new when i left. Ive sold and rented a lot of equipment, only seen one honda fail. It had a defective low oil sensor, the air filter got clogged and all the oil got sucked out... it still ran but knocked like crazy. We ran it another hour with it knocking to see how long it would go, never did let go.

 

[Beladran]

In this order is generators I trust. Detroit, cat, onan. Onan makes the ones in your size range an can have models that run off gas diesel an propane. Be catious of bargin brand generators. I seriously wouldn't look at anything less than a 5kw

 

[msredneck]

I have a Portable 11KVA Honda....bad a$$

For permanent installation to run on LP or natural gas

a Big Kohler....get your checkbook out

 

[Beladran]

I guess we should know how much you are able to spend befor suggesting a genny. Kohler is right next to onan in my book

If you keep your nose in some auctions or classifieds sometimes you can find good deals on old units. The old detroit we had came from a military hospital or base one it had just over 4000 hours on it dad picked it up for about $10k I wanna say it was a 300kw unit??? it was a v16 detroit with twin supercharger 950hp lol it was a monster. it was two V8 that were joined together. She would drain 500 gallons of diesel in a day

 

[arnygollott3]

I guess we should know how much you are able to spend befor suggesting a genny. Kohler is right next to onan in my book

If you keep your nose in some auctions or classifieds sometimes you can find good deals on old units. The old detroit we had came from a military hospital or base one it had just over 4000 hours on it dad picked it up for about $10k I wanna say it was a 300kw unit??? it was a v16 detroit with twin supercharger 950hp lol it was a monster. it was two V8 that were joined together. She would drain 500 gallons of diesel in a day

We should all pitch in and get one of these for Hammer to use as a back up for the server that host our beloved forum, 300kw MIGHT be just enough to get the job done...

 

[Beladran]

buying it would be the cheap part.. fuel and maint gets expensive fast.

 

[GunOneDown]

they have been bargain prices down here for a while with people who want them out of their garages. watch craigslist down here and you can score on one for less than 300 for a 5k usually. I run a 8k and it has plenty of power.
Most folks have brand-r-new ones just sitting around collecting dust down here.

 

[1985 4runner]

Thanks for all the replies.

My needs are very basic, must be portable.
I'm thinking my budget is $400 or less, used or new. 3000-5000KW should be sufficient for my needs.

Checking Craigslist daily from here to new Orleans since I'm over there to visit our son in the Hospital every few days.

 

[sidroski]

I guess we should know how much you are able to spend befor suggesting a genny. Kohler is right next to onan in my book

If you keep your nose in some auctions or classifieds sometimes you can find good deals on old units. The old detroit we had came from a military hospital or base one it had just over 4000 hours on it dad picked it up for about $10k I wanna say it was a 300kw unit??? it was a v16 detroit with twin supercharger 950hp lol it was a monster. it was two V8 that were joined together. She would drain 500 gallons of diesel in a day

You buy that to resale? You could run half of McComb with that. Lot of companies would like something on their lines.
How our gov't works, my wife went to a garage sale and saw one for $100. They had gotten it free and it still had the tags on it. She gave them $20 to hold it for 1 hour and came to get me. I went in there and there was a black lady looking at it. I told it had already been sold. Would retail for about $400 but they didn't care, they got if free.

 

[pinetor]

I second CL. I also found them on ebay. One interesting note: about 18 months ago some company that had set up a distribution point for thier, large (like the size of big AC unit) gen that ran on nat gas were selling for $2000... or less than half retail. It include the the hook up and cutout that would start the gen in just a few seconds when the power went out. I tried to get my (aging) mother to spring for one as she is on a medical device for breathing. But in-action let them get away.

 

[Beladran]

You buy that to resale? You could run half of McComb with that. Lot of companies would like something on their lines.

maybe not all of mccomb but everyone on my street lol that genny powered 6 wells on our farm a shop two houses and then it could run maybe 10 or so paddle wheels

 

[PhillipM]

I have two Onan's, a 5,000 watt gas and a 4,000 watt diesel on my service trucks. I also have a Lincoln Ranger 8 welding machine powered by a 16hp Onan that produces 8,000 watts. The diesel gets the best bang for the buck and the fuel, if stored properly, will last forever. The welding machine got me through Katrina and although at 600lbs it's not easily portable but nobody walked off with it either! Seriously consider a welder/generator even if it's just a small one that makes 5,000watts and AC welds only. That way you have killed two birds with one stone.

My Onan's are run daily and are very reliable, but when they do break and you have to go to Cummins in Richland be advised there are no inexpensive parts! Mark in the service department is top notch.

 

[racine]

Portable vs. Anchored Generators

Anyone splurge on a quieter home generator???

 

[msredneck]

LP and Natural Gas generators still have maintenance issues...a family member has a big LP Kohler and its usually a PIA at times...You gotta use these things fairly regular to keep em running

It all depends on what your needs are...I have an 11 KVA Honda portable... it aint used much at all...most of the time it has on it is just running it for the hell of it...It does come in handy when Entergy decides to F me up..I sure would hate to loose a whole freezer full of meat...I live on the back side of my subdivision, we are always the last in Clinton to get juice...During Katrina...I was taking supplies to folks on the Ms coast that had power b 4 I got it

I've been lusting after a really small and quiet Honda to use for things like a night shoot...or to go camping...but those muthas are really high

 

[Beladran]

i learned during the bad ice storms we had growing up that quiet is bad.... so is portable lol friend of the family was a big honda man. he had a sweet genny and one night someone stole it, cranked up his lawn mower and took off with the genny...

 

[msredneck]

an 11 kva still weighs about 400 lbs..its portable cause its on wheels...its a 20 HP ...you don't just walk off with the mutha...

The U loot we shoot rule is always in effect...

I'd go diesel if I had enough cause to purchase one...diesel was easy...gas was a ***** during Katrina...but I've used the thing twice since Katrina...

another thing you generator folks should consider is a transfer switch to keep your generated power off the line

while having a gas run generator is a PIA, I generally keep a decent supply on hand....and I can siphon out of teh Z-71 if I need to...

Its main use is to keep my frig and freezers and a room a/c going......other creature comforts I can tolerate being without

 

[sidroski]

i learned during the bad ice storms we had growing up that quiet is bad.... so is portable lol friend of the family was a big honda man. he had a sweet genny and one night someone stole it, cranked up his lawn mower and took off with the genny...

He probably knew the guy, someone he's seen before. I guess loud is bad too, let's everyone know you got power (and fuel). Makes me want one of those normal closed cables and alarm, have to keep it out of site like running the little cable to it and have the alarm mounted high out of site. I already chain it up but chains can be cut quick like. Glad you made me think of that.