Small Generator Recommendation

[Gem99ultra]

I am looking for brand recommendations for a small (2k-3k) generator.

The immediate use for the generator would be power in a 30x50 pole barn I just built. It is on a piece of property that I plan to build a house on, either in 2011 or 2012. I won't have electricity on the property until the house is underway. The barn is wired, and the electrician made provisions for me to be able to connect a generator to the panel.

I will be using the generator to power overhead lights, maybe one tool at a time (drill, small air compressor, saw, etc.), cordless tool charger,etc. I have calculated the wattage requirements and think that 2-3 k will be adequate power. I have a 5k generator I can borrow if I need more power, and also a 8.5 unit if I really have electrical demands.

I also want the generator to be portable enough to use for camping, small construction projects where electricity is not available, and other recreational uses.

Given this info, anyone have experience with specific brands?

Thanks,

Will

One more vote for the Honda 2000EU. I have two and love 'em. After Hurricane Ike I used them 24 hours/day for over 4 weeks. The sip gas; advertise 15 hours per gallon. I only got 13 hours per gallon. oh well

Recently I've bought a jumper cable to connect the two together for a 4000 watt load, if needed. And also a 6 gallon auxilary tank with a dual fuel line. Hope I never need it, but living on the Gulf Coast, I probably will.

Nicest thing about the Honda, other than the extremely low fuel consumption is that they are quiet. Quiet enough to carry on a normal conversation standing next to them, or to sleep at night with them running.

Sure,they are expensive. Not as expensive as the Chinese junkers that I've bought and threw in the trash. I think you'll find though that in this case, you get what you pay for. And that's a good thing!

 

[Skyco]

My inverter is a 3000watt and I have about 190 amp hrs worth of batteries.
Run the genny for the fridge, furnace and well pump.
Use the batteries for the lights, radio, tools etc. I like the batteries for use at night, no genny noise, don't have to fuel up etc. I'd avoid high draw appliances if running on batteries.

I have two 6V golf cart batteries in series at my camp with a 2,000 watt invertor. They are 205 AH.
Just bought a new cheap drip coffee maker the other week so I could quit percolating the coffee and just use that. Nice in the cold early morning to make a pot of coffee without going outside to start the generator or fire up the camp stove.

But wait- the stupid cheap coffee pot wouldn't run on the invertor!

Everything is electronic nowadays and apparently the cheap electronics in the thing didn't like the invertor and the 1 hour auto shutoff would turn it off in a minute or so.
So I took it home with me, it had surgery on the bench and the electronics were all disconnected and a simple toggle switch mounted to turn it on and off, works great now:thumbsup:

BTW a maybe 2 watt resistor on the circuit board I removed to make room for the toggle looked burnt....guess it really didn't like the poor waveform from my invertor...

 

[Scooby074]

+1 honda inverter

 

[dex3361]

One more vote for the Honda 2000EU. I have two and love 'em. After Hurricane Ike I used them 24 hours/day for over 4 weeks. The sip gas; advertise 15 hours per gallon. I only got 13 hours per gallon. oh well

Recently I've bought a jumper cable to connect the two together for a 4000 watt load, if needed. And also a 6 gallon auxilary tank with a dual fuel line. Hope I never need it, but living on the Gulf Coast, I probably will.

Nicest thing about the Honda, other than the extremely low fuel consumption is that they are quiet. Quiet enough to carry on a normal conversation standing next to them, or to sleep at night with them running.

Sure,they are expensive. Not as expensive as the Chinese junkers that I've bought and threw in the trash. I think you'll find though that in this case, you get what you pay for. And that's a good thing!

Am I reading this right 13 hours per gallon of gas under how much of a load? Even if its only half load that is great fuel usage. If I were going to go with a gas unit that is the one I would use.

 

[KubotainNH]

Yep, they sip fuel because they only run high enough to cover the wattage needed. With a furnace, a fridge and a freezer running, my FIL's EU2000 would only rev up when the compressors started and then come right back down to idle. Small engine just idling away = sipping of fuel Can't say the same for my Generac seeing a tiny light bulb will make it rev but it's an entirely different beast with no inverter to keep things clean.

 

[picker77]

Honda EU2000i, hands down!

 

[Scooby074]

Yep, they sip fuel because they only run high enough to cover the wattage needed. With a furnace, a fridge and a freezer running, my FIL's EU2000 would only rev up when the compressors started and then come right back down to idle. Small engine just idling away = sipping of fuel Can't say the same for my Generac seeing a tiny light bulb will make it rev but it's an entirely different beast with no inverter to keep things clean.

Honda's ECO Throttle is awesome.

I dont think ive ever seen our eu6500 ever run wide open because of it.

 

[Will_C]

Ok, you've convinced me: a Honda it is! I was hoping to hear of success using a cheaper unit, but I maintain things well and the Honda sounds like a long term investment. I really won't need the generator for several months-my barn is not insulated and I won't be spending any time in it this winter-so I'll drop hints to family for Christmas, and start saving my extra dollars.

Thanks for the advice, although it will cost me!!!

Will

 

[picker77]

You'd have to weigh portability against power to pick between the EU200i and EU3000i. Both are pretty compact, with dry weights of 47 lb and 78 lb respectively. I use a 2000i for an all-purpose generator, which includes throwing it in the back of my truck to power tools out in the pasture or away from the house, carrying it on trips with my 5th wheel RV (it runs a 13,000 BTU A/C with no problems), and after ice storms it can keep my two freezers and refrigerators running from a 10-3 extension cord so I don't lose a bunch of food while the power company is spending two or three days getting us back on line. It will also easily go 8 hours on a gallon of gas.

I'm not young any more, so the EU200i's approximately 60 lb (including oil/fuel) is about as much as I like to carry around in one hand. At 78 lb dry and closer to 90 lb with oil/fuel, the 3000i would have been much less comfortable for me to mule-haul, so although I liked the 3000i's extra power I went with the 2000i for it's practicality and portability. It's also amazingly quiet, a nice bonus, especially for camping with the RV.

Look around on line and in the back pages of Trailer Life magazine, lots of discount dealers, some with free shipping, and the prices get pretty competitive. As I recall I saved well over $100 compared to the local Honda dealer's prices.

 

[Highbeam]

Here's something that hasn't bee brought up. You can't get 220 volt power out of the Hondas. You might not think you need 220 but you need to see how your electrician wired the shop. If he used a normal panel with circuit breakers then you will find that the input requires two hots and a neutral, in other words 220 power.

I use a champion 3500 to feed my home's panel through an interlock circuit. Works great but must be 220 which the champion is. The genset has been very good for me, cheap to buy, easy to start, I can pick it up and put it in the pickup, dependable, etc. I don't trust the power quality is good enough to run a computer directly but I would certainly run anything in a shop with it.

I really like the 2000 watt hondas for camping. Very quiet and lightweight. You pay dearly for those qualities.