Generators, sizes and fuel options?

[Hoss710]

here is a video on how to do so on a mep004a and mep005a.

 

[wawajake]

For those of you that have 10k gasoline electric start generators, how trustworthy have your start battery been. My one year old 10k Generac gas generator gas a small 4× 5 x 2 inch lead acid battery, and once again today with temp at 18 deg F , that battery won't turn starter and needs a boost from a car battery. I am not impressed with battery they provide. Thinking I will leave spare car battery in house for winter months. Yes the little battery does work in summer maintenance tests. Anyone else ditch the little battery ? And sub with what ?

 

[grsthegreat]

Are you keeping the battery on a trickle charger?

 

[wawajake]

It is on a trickle charger now (25%) but if I need to leave it all winter on trickle charger, I might as well buy it a car battery ! Have others been dissatisfied with the battery that comes with new Gens ?

 

[ponytug]

It is on a trickle charger now (25%) but if I need to leave it all winter on trickle charger, I might as well buy it a car battery ! Have others been dissatisfied with the battery that comes with new Gens ?

Yes...and no. For me they die pretty quickly for something that I only use for standby.

Rather than have my battery live on a battery minder, I put a waterproof 100A circuit breaker/switch on the positive line. (I wouldn't trust that model to be waterproof without some additional sealing) With the battery disconnected between uses, the battery remains strong enough crank over the diesel generator even when the battery is only charged up once a year.

I still check on it before major storms, but not all of our outages are storm related. YMMV

All the best,

Peter

 

[LittleBill21]

i went a different way, I just use a li ion jump pack, when I need to start it, I have enough batteries in UPS's to add another one

 

[newbury]

re:failing battery
What do you guys run for oil during and after break-in?
My Duromax manual recommends 10W-30 but also has a chart indicating full synthetic 5W-30 is acceptable.
Based on my experience with my diesels a 5W-30 Rotella would do great for cold weather start.

 

[stumblinhorse]

re:failing battery
What do you guys run for oil during and after break-in?
My Duromax manual recommends 10W-30 but also has a chart indicating full synthetic 5W-30 is acceptable.
Based on my experience with my diesels a 5W-30 Rotella would do great for cold weather start.

Something I do know something about!
Not many 5W-30 in diesels. Probably meant 5w-40 T6. Rotella makes a 5W-30 full synthetic for gas trucks. But in the case of your Duromax. You just have to decide when you are going to change the oil, annually, by hours or never. Decided what it is worth to you. If you change the oil annually the difference in the oils will make no difference really. If you want to go a couple years then synth is good. But unless you plan to start it in negative temps, the 10w and the 5w won’t make much difference.

 

[newbury]

But unless you plan to start it in negative temps, the 10w and the 5w won’t make much difference.

My comments were for those with low, probably negative, temps. I found that my 7.3 cranked a lot better with 5W in Northern Va. during those few times of below 0°F.

/edit Rotella 5W30

 

[stumblinhorse]

My comments were for those with low, probably negative, temps. I found that my 7.3 cranked a lot better with 5W in Northern Va. during those few times of below 0°F.

/edit Rotella 5W30

Most diesel run 15w-40 stock and yes there is a big benefit in switching a diesel to 5W-40. It is all I use in every vehicle and tractors except my jeep. We get really cold here and big difference, and it doesn’t stink like the 15w-40 rotella. Again oil is up to you and you wallet And your maintenance schedule. But in reference to 10 vs 5 synth you won’t see much difference in startup until you are well into the negative degrees in A small engine. In fact I run straight Dino 30 in all of mine. They start when they need to.