Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Just got in from cranking up my Coleman pulse 1850 and JD Subaru powered genny . Coleman took 2 yanks 2 start with choke. JD 1 yank with choke . Both units where sitting for about 5 months without running and no fuel in them . JD unit has dead battery . I never replaced original batt cause its starts so easily on a yank or two . JD unit has a whooping 5 hrs run time on. Its a little loud also IMO and the motor design has no oil filter (404 cc).
Coleman is one of those compact units . I'd say a lot louder than small enclosed Honda units but price was rite at time I got it .

My gens are similar capacity BB.

Nice to have both - the little one is easy to move, or toss in the trunk of even a small car. If you need to do more serious work, the bigger one has the extra watts, and the big tank :thumbsup:.

My larger Briggs does pull easy, but I do like the convenience of electric start. I alternate back and forth how I start that one.

Rgds, D.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Depending on if it's winter or summer when the power goes out... But, when I need a small amount of power I use this,

IF it goes out for days or I need a lot of power, or for whole house power, I start a smaller tractor and use this,

I do love my pto gen set, even though it doesn't get used much.

The small Honda 2000 "inverter" gen set get's used quite a bit through out the year, for power away from my house or shop...

What a GREAT small generator the Honda 2000 is!!

SR

 

[3930dave]

Depending on if it's winter or summer when the power goes out... But, when I need a small amount of power I use this,

IF it goes out for days or I need a lot of power, or for whole house power, I start a smaller tractor and use this,

I do love my pto gen set, even though it doesn't get used much.

The small Honda 2000 "inverter" gen set get's used quite a bit through out the year, for power away from my house or shop...

What a GREAT small generator the Honda 2000 is!!

SR

Very much the Right Tool for the Job...... highly portable, efficient and quiet is pretty attractive, so the smaller gens are often the first we grab.

Your PTO is another example of some great higher output options that various people have shared in this thread. Like money in the bank, more watts waiting in the wings is a nice option to have.

Rgds, D.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Very much the Right Tool for the Job...... highly portable, efficient and quiet is pretty attractive, so the smaller gens are often the first we grab.

Your PTO is another example of some great higher output options that various people have shared in this thread. Like money in the bank, more watts waiting in the wings is a nice option to have.

Rgds, D.

What is nice about pto gen sets is, many of us already have a tractor or two and we keep them maintained to be ready to use anyway. SO, if the power goes out, we already know we have a good running engine to make power with and the best part is, most of those tractors are diesel.

Priced decent sized diesel generators lately??

SR

 

[3930dave]

What is nice about pto gen sets is, many of us already have a tractor or two and we keep them maintained to be ready to use anyway. SO, if the power goes out, we already know we have a good running engine to make power with and the best part is, most of those tractors are diesel.

Priced decent sized diesel generators lately??

SR

PTO is a good match for a working farm. I was seriously considering getting one, but went for a 7kw gas gen - for portablility, and ease of use (that, and a great price). I don't mind setting up a PTO, but I don't expect my better-half to.

Diesel gens are spendy. Though, if I ever manage to find one of those Honda diesels (approx. 10kw), I'd be sorely tempted. AFAIK, they are not available any longer here, and may be out of production altogether.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Date: May 06/15

Generator: 7kw Briggs

Activity: Ran 1 work flood light, shop vac'd the Civic and wagon, charged 3 truck batteries. Duration 1 hour.

Final Fueling notes: filled w. NonE gas. Stabil 360 Protection/Lucas already in fuel can.

Maintenance notes (Done, or Required):

Manual start. 1/2 choke used for 2 pulls; started 3'rd pull with full choke. Temperature 23 deg C.

Rgds, D.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks for the reminder Dave... on my list for tomorrow. Probably won't put a load on it (Honda 3000is) but want to see how my electric start is doing since I put a battery tender on it this winter.

 

[3930dave]

Thanks for the reminder Dave... on my list for tomorrow. Probably won't put a load on it (Honda 3000is) but want to see how my electric start is doing since I put a battery tender on it this winter.

You're welcome..... I know I've found this thread useful in finding the RoundTuIts I need to get this done; good to hear it is also helping others....

I usually don't run at max load, but I try to throw some kind of load on the generator - partly as a more valid test, partly as that seems to settle better into my mind as Worth Doing Tomorrow (just the way my brain works), and partly due to the possible benefits of energizing the gen (magnetically) at that level.

But, even w/o load, I view any activity as beneficial for a machine I count on.

I'd expect your Honda is liking the fresh battery - key start is certainly convenient, esp. when us gear-heads are absent from the homestead.....

Rgds, D.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

My Honda 2000 does double duty...

If the power goes out for a short period of time, it can be used to power a few smaller things, but it does get used a lot more "all during the year", for many other things too. Like today, I'm going to use it to power a batt charger/starter that I have. If I have a tractor that's sat a long time, I always throw a charge in the batt for a few minutes before I start it. It exercises the gen set a little, and takes some of the load off the tractors alternator/starter...

To properly exercise your gen set, you should put at least a 50% load on it for 30 minutes...

SR

 

[dragoneggs]

... - key start is certainly convenient, esp. when us gear-heads are absent from the homestead.....

Rgds, D.

You nailed that one on the head!