Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Amazing he was receiving any signals on HF this time of the year with thunder storms overhead. I would be expecting to hear constant static crashes. To top it off, his rig is a QRP rig.

Latest and greatest from Yaesu did well, but point taken.....

There is usually a salt-water advantage, as Salty Walt has demonstrated many times with a just a G90 (20w max, IIRC). (Coastal Waves and Wires is a fun channel).

Local QRM can be a pain..... part of why a few hams like to live in the middle of nowhere.....

Rgds, D.

 

[5030]

Getting up there on hours, so can't complain there. I rebuilt a Briggs carb on my oldest one before shifting to wet-storage, but it's hard to beat a complete carb @ that price.

Rgds, D.

If it's a Chinese carb, better buy 2 just in case one is bogus.

 

[Camofurever1]

Latest and greatest from Yaesu did well, but point taken.....

There is usually a salt-water advantage, as Salty Walt has demonstrated many times with a just a G90 (20w max, IIRC). (Coastal Waves and Wires is a fun channel).

Local QRM can be a pain..... part of why a few hams like to live in the middle of nowhere.....

Rgds, D.

I have a QRP rig, but it is the old Yaesu 817 I have had for the better part of 20 years. QRP was my favorite power of transmission, as it really tested your ability to get the SWR down as close to 1 as you could get it by exact trimming of the dipoles of the antenna. Doing digital modes on QRP was a fun hobby, too. Amazing how far 5 watts on a good propagation day could get you running PSK31.

 

[D'oh]

If it's a Chinese carb, better buy 2 just in case one is bogus.

The first Chinese Carb made 1600hrs, I think it will be fine.

 

[daugen]

The first Chinese Carb made 1600hrs, I think it will be fine.

I wish there was a way to know/research which are the better Chinese brands.
not a lot of high tech in a small carb.
for example, does one carb maker use better steel or precision?
seems most of the problems have been fuel related in the past; which is why I've tried
to switch to propane as much as I can.

when I had my farm in NC, at one point I had 22 motors to maintain.
and relatively cheap ethanol free premium nearby at multiple stations.
how wonderful for my motors.
I used a lot of Sea Foam, really think that helped

tiny carbs with tiny orifices are just looking to get plugged
no matter where they are built
my Yamaha outboard's tiny four little carbs were a nightmare to keep running, best
Japan could make.

if you buy a part from the US, Japan, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, the list goes on, you have some
confidence there are minimum quality standards applied.
We imported too much low end merch from China that their reputation initially got rightfully screwed up.
Not any more.
If I buy a Cutler Hammer circuit breaker, am not worried about quality.
that's the power of a name brand, with a proven reputation for adequate or even superior quality.
all gets down to engineering and quality control, particularly if parts subbed out.
testing is very expensive

Kubota always made a big deal out of their sole sourcing all their machinery, so that they could maintain
consistently high quality. Sure worked for them.

The start button on my Westinghouse generator broke within two years. The replacement said made in China.
I like to research and compare and it's not possible, that I know of, to do that easily with stuff made in China.
made in Taiwan is actually a very positive symbol today.

I want to make an informed choice between the cheaper one and the better one.
But I can't
Is CE enough? is it real CE? How about UL?
how much of the certification is fake?
did anyone make sure those claims of THD are true?
are your engine bearings the cheapest ones they could buy to
last about 300 hours?

 

[5030]

The first Chinese Carb made 1600hrs, I think it will be fine.

The quality of Chinese carbs has went decidedly downhill as if late. Just ask anyone who rebuiulds chainsaws and buys the cheapo carbs from Amascon. Total crapshoot today, so good luck. You may get a good one, buth then you might get a turd.

 

[5030]

Kubota always made a big deal out of their sole sourcing all their machinery, so that they could maintain
consistently high quality. Sure worked for them

Not entirely sue who makes Kubota replacement parts but I do know their filters are made in various countries to Kubota specs. I use a lot of OEM filters and the 'made in' branding on them varies all the time. Don't much care where they are made so long as they are made to Kubota specification.

 

[daugen]

Not entirely sue who makes Kubota replacement parts but I do know their filters are made in various countries to Kubota specs. I use a lot of OEM filters and the 'made in' branding on them varies all the time. Don't much care where they are made so long as they are made to Kubota specification.

I agree. have bought Kubota filters made in China and somewhere else in SE Asia. All in the spec and QC.
and expensive no matter what

my dream tractor, a Massey 4707 was built in a brand new automated factory in China.
They also build them in a similar state of the art factory in Brazil.
Back then, this was why you could get a first tier loaded $70k tractor for $50k, which was all I could afford.
and what a wonderful tractor it was and it was a Massey.
going green meant at least 20k more, with less features.
probably why folks buy Hyundais today.

fodder for another thread, but would be fun to do a survey among us tractor folks as to what
country would most impress them if the parts box said Made In ?
Which country would worry you the most?...


......
I'm thinking Switzerland and...Somalia?

 

[grsthegreat]

I agree. have bought Kubota filters made in China and somewhere else in SE Asia. All in the spec and QC.
and expensive no matter what

my dream tractor, a Massey 4707 was built in a brand new automated factory in China.
They also build them in a similar state of the art factory in Brazil.
Back then, this was why you could get a first tier loaded $70k tractor for $50k, which was all I could afford.
and what a wonderful tractor it was and it was a Massey.
going green meant at least 20k more, with less features.
probably why folks buy Hyundais today.

fodder for another thread, but would be fun to do a survey among us tractor folks as to what
country would most impress them if the parts box said Made In ?
Which country would worry you the most?...


......
I'm thinking Switzerland and...Somalia?

You ever watch this youtube video on indian made fuel filters…scary

 

[3930dave]

Challenge: buying Quality.

Answer: varies with Time.

I used to only buy Moog parts for chassis work.... they too seem to have succumbed to the bean-counters/offshoring etc..... For 4 wheeled road stuff, tending to buy Dorman lately, if available.

Small carbs.... if it's Totally Eaten By Ethanol, then either scrap the tool, or roll dice with PRC carbs (many people seemed to have been lucky in the Past, but Time can't be ignored). Cheap ^ enough, that if it takes more than one carb, still may be worth it, and if you can lean-on Amazon's Return policy (usually good) you may still only pay for one.

Rgds, D.