Backup Generator

[RoyKing]

I've read so many terrible complaints about Generac, how many are happy?

 

[shooterdon]

Agree Toyboy!!! My sump pump runs every 3 minutes in the spring and I have a finished basement and it is where my gun safes are. I have a battery back up sump pump but that will not last long. Like in most things we all have different needs and wants.

I see guys with more than three tractors and wonder...why? I currently have three generators and most would wonder...why? Pretty sure I will add another generator and sell one of the back ups. To me, it does not make sense to spend a lot of money on a diesel generator that only works if I am there and then may run 5 days a year.

Being in my late sixties, the last thing I want to do is get a generator running at night when it is below zero. And I have had a generator that refused to start one time...thus the backups.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Building a house in a swamp is as bad as building one on an Ocean baach. You see it around here all the time. Houses built with sewage and sump pumps in the basment and if those don't work, instant disaster. How stupid. People often don't know what kind of crap they have bought into. Build on high well drained land! As long as it has laminate flooring, granite counter tops and is open concept, the important stuff doesn't matter.

 

[grsthegreat]

I've read so many terrible complaints about Generac, how many are happy?

yup, so have i. Then again they sell millions of them and i see a few hundred complaints. You never see any complaints about fords, or chevys or dodge ,.........

 

[RoyKing]

generac video

Generac Product Review - YouTube

 

[buickanddeere]

Well everyone is entitled to there opinion,
I would expect that the 1800 rpm units are in the whole better built, with better componets,
most of them will be liquid cooled and have greater oil capacity then an air cooled disposable screamer.
I would expect that the generator heads would be built better, I also expect that the output will be cleaner
on majority of the slower speed units then the 2 pole high winders.
Heck I wouldn't be adverse to 1200 rpm gensets,
I really enjoyed the 900 rpm direct coupled natural gas units that I used to do control work on,
they would be a tad to big for a homeowner or even most farms.
They had inline 6's 8's 10's some V8's and 10's.

In my mind and my opinion a decent built 1800 rpm genset will out perform
and outlast while running quieter then any 3600 rpm unit will.
I wish my system didn't have as much gearing as it does,
my tractor in 540E is turning about 1750 engine rpm gearing down to 540 pto,
which in turn is geared back up to 1800 for the generator head.

And my money will be spent on lower rpm turning systems.

A lot of people mix up thier light duty standby by equipment with electrical utility base load power generation installations to supply a national power grid .
There is not a person here who will ever wear out an air cooler screamer with high hours while the utility grid is down. . How exactly is the generator head better quality on a water cooled gen set?

 

[CobyRupert]

Building a house in a swamp is as bad as building one on an Ocean baach. You see it around here all the time. Houses built with sewage and sump pumps in the basment and if those don't work, instant disaster. How stupid. People often don't know what kind of crap they have bought into. Build on high well drained land! As long as it has laminate flooring, granite counter tops and is open concept, the important stuff doesn't matter.

Ha ha! Have you seen car & trunk commercials? Obviously it's the important stuff that sells cars too. Ohh! It has extra cup holders! A seat that folds! Bluetooth! Sound system! A truck tailgate that has extra* hinges that create steps! (-Warning: sarcasm)

"Featuring 50% more moveable items to rust and fail than a normal tailgate!"

 

[buickanddeere]

Two big questions do you think you will be able to drive after the storm to get gas, my situation from experience is no, roads took 3/4 days to open gasoline ran out before the storm even got here from people leaving and hoarding. The lawn mower screamer experience worked fine first time, put away winterized it, years later started right up failed two hours later, leaked capacitor. How big of load do you want to run, if just refrigerator and lights anything will do. If you want well and AC and hot water need much bigger. For me in Florida storms come in hot weather, so I need the 3 big ones

. A filter capacitor can fail on a diesel gen set too.

 

[RoyKing]

Even the commercial diesels
Generac warranty fine print, 5 years limited or 2000 hours which ever comes first , parts and labor 2 years, year 3 parts only, 4&5 short block rotor stator, must have proof of maintenance. Now here the line that bothers me

"The following will not be covered by this warranty: 5. Failure due to normal wear and tear, or used for prime power. So 84 days and warranty is gone. So you've got to stay under a maintenance contract. So three years and your on your own.

Sounds like you should lease them.

 

[buickanddeere]

To me, the only thing worse than the noise of a little screaming gasser would be messing around with gas cans. Knowing how many you might need. Trips into town to get them. In bad weather, I stay put.

How much use do people actually get from those HUGE decks, gazibos or golf clubs (Even club memberships) ? Or that Bass boat! Talk about poor ROI. Yet it's funny, becaue often people in those higher socioeconomic classes are the last to want to spend money on an ugly diesel generator.

. I just keep half a dozen 5 gallon Jerry cans in a flammable cabinet. Haven稚 used more than the tank on the generator and one gas can on the longest outage .