Looking for a decent generator.. 5000 watts

[kenmac]

I have a Generac 5500 with a B&S engine I bought about 10-12 yrs ago.... Not a Chinese generator.....It will run my TV's computers,freezer,etc, without any issues.. I use nothing but pure gasoline in the generator. It will start on the 2nd pull every time

 

[liberty2701]

I have a Generac 5500 with a B&S engine I bought about 10-12 yrs ago.... Not a Chinese generator.....It will run my TV's computers,freezer,etc, without any issues.. I use nothing but pure gasoline in the generator. It will start on the 2nd pull every time

Today, most Generacs are made in China. I know it runs all of those things. Total harmonic distortion(thd) is a concern nobody is aware of. This is what ruins sensitive electronics. You want less than 5%. Overtime the gen will shorten the life or abruptly kill the electronics. I use to use a a similar type gen being unaware of Thd.

 

[kenmac]

My genset isn't made in china..My electronics will die of natural causes long B-4 my genset kills them

 

[Garandman]

According to what I've read (may be false, not sure but) from what I've read the Yamaha 2800I commercial unit I have (not the fully enclosed genny but the one in the cradle) is quieter than a comparable Honda. I have to say, it's extremely quiet. I can have it running outside the RV and I cannot hear it inside.

That is rated by the manufacturer at 68dB at rated load. The EF2000 is rated at 61.

The EU300iS is rated at 58 dB at rated load. The EU2000i is rated at 59. You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference but those are the manufacturer claims.

EF2800i - Consumer Products | YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Honda EU2000i Model Info | Super Quiet 2000 Watt Inverter Generator | Honda Generators

 

[5030]

That is rated by the manufacturer at 68dB at rated load. The EF2000 is rated at 61.

The EU300iS is rated at 58 dB at rated load. The EU2000i is rated at 59. You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference but those are the manufacturer claims.

EF2800i - Consumer Products | YAMAHA MOTOR CO., LTD.
Honda EU2000i Model Info | Super Quiet 2000 Watt Inverter Generator | Honda Generators

The difference between fully enclosed and open cradle. My 2800I is an open cradle design. I prefer it as everything is accessable instead of covered up. If I wanted it to be even quieter, I'd just add a length of flex exhaust tubing over the muffler outlet, probably wouldn't hear it at all then....

 

[PILOON]

I had occasion to do a teardown on a 7000 watt Champion as sold by Cosco that had over 800 hrs on the clock.
The innards were like new and all it needed was a valve adjustment. With fresh gas it started 2nd pull, the battery was even good.
Cosco must exercise a good quality control on the production.

800 hours is big time for that sort of small engine!

I run all my electronics on a similar one as well. Items that use a separate power source (adapter) enjoy additional protection due to voltage conversion via a transformer. Even most flat screen TV's basically run on 12 volts with some sort of converter circuit or cube style power source.

When I have an outage I fire up the genset, sit back enjoy TV and go on line.
Unfortunately this happens all to often but it is the price to pay to live in paradise. (remote lakeside 1 hour from Montreal)

 

[liberty2701]

My genset isn't made in china..My electronics will die of natural causes long B-4 my genset kills them

That maybe true but the science behind electricity tells a whole diff story. If the grid was fed with dirty power ( ie high Thd) everything would fry overtime. Use your gen daily and see what happens.

 

[TomSeller]

That maybe true but the science behind electricity tells a whole diff story. If the grid was fed with dirty power ( ie high Thd) everything would fry overtime. Use your gen daily and see what happens.

Do you know of a listing by manufacturer and model of THD? That would be good to know.

 

[Gunny]

Just throwing my two cents in, but I've read on three or four pellet stove forums where a generator fried the main board because of a square or modified sine wave. An expensive fix, plus no telling how long it would take to get a new one in. Not exactly a position I'd want to be in during a winter power outage.
We've also just replaced our refrigerator and one freezer, both are Energy Star rated and I just didn't want to take a chance of burning up anything on those expensive items.

On a good note, I ordered the Champion from Costco on the 8th, they stated it would take from 2-3 weeks for delivery, then got an email later on that day. It's supposed to land at my doorstep sometime Monday.

I've had one of the older Champions for several years now, it has been a beauty, easy to start, not all that loud and I haven't had the first problem with it.

 

[liberty2701]

Just throwing my two cents in, but I've read on three or four pellet stove forums where a generator fried the main board because of a square or modified sine wave. An expensive fix, plus no telling how long it would take to get a new one in. Not exactly a position I'd want to be in during a winter power outage.
We've also just replaced our refrigerator and one freezer, both are Energy Star rated and I just didn't want to take a chance of burning up anything on those expensive items.

On a good note, I ordered the Champion from Costco on the 8th, they stated it would take from 2-3 weeks for delivery, then got an email later on that day. It's supposed to land at my doorstep sometime Monday.

I've had one of the older Champions for several years now, it has been a beauty, easy to start, not all that loud and I haven't had the first problem with it.

Is the Champion made for sensitive electronics? Call and see what the THD is. In addition, thd will be listed in the specs of the generator. The Northern tool northstar i mentioed up above use the McAlte Italian gen heads and have a Thd of less than 5%