Anyone have any portable generator recommendations?

[NDGuy]

I have zero knowledge on them was just curious how much you need to spend to get into a decent one. Would be used for truck camping and for SHTF possibilities.

 

[rayporter]

how big vs how portable?

a 2 k is very portable at 40lb but is limited in power and a 3 k has power to run an AC but weighs 120 lb wet.

quiet? just how quiet you want will dictate how much you spend. quiet costs bucks in general.
also how long do you want it to run?

small quiet ones have a gallon tank and may not run all night. they also usually wont run an AC.
most AC units take just over 2 k to start up which some will do and some wont -either way it is hard on them and they will burn a lot of fuel running at max rpm.

big ones have big tanks and run all night and run most appliances. big quiet ones tend to cost a lot.












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[KHNC]

Honda 1000 or 2000 is the way to go. Extremely quiet, light and efficient.

 

[tdot]

Do you know your power requirements?

If not, what do you need to run? That will define the size you need.

Generally Honda is going to be your best bet in the smaller portable generators. Yamaha is pretty good too. Both of those are also your most expensive options, but once you start dropping in price, your reliability starts dropping quickly too.

 

[NDGuy]

Yeah I was hoping to stay under $500 but doesn't look like it's possible. I would use it to charge normal items like phone and gear.

Also would be nice to run a space heater vs the propane buddy ones. I get sketched out of the buddy heater will put me to sleep permanently.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

A small Honda will meet your needs and they are the quietest out there. That's gonna be your biggest issue. Personally I don't like em and don't need one. I go camping to get away from chit. A propane heater for my tent is as "high tech" as I get in my equipment choices.

 

[Throwin Darts]

Buy a Honda 2200i and don't look back. Portable, extremely quiet, sips gas.

 

[BeaverHunter]

Yeah I was hoping to stay under $500 but doesn't look like it's possible. I would use it to charge normal items like phone and gear.

Also would be nice to run a space heater vs the propane buddy ones. I get sketched out of the buddy heater will put me to sleep permanently.

I spent a lot of time and energy researching generators a couple years ago. The Honda 2200 is the gold standard in the small generator class. It's quiet, fairly powerful, very fuel efficient and will probably last a really long time. I just couldn't stand to spend over a $1000 on it. After lots of research I found out about the Predator 2000 they sell at Harbor Freight. My first reaction was I'll never buy anything from Harbor Freight that I want to last any amount of time. If you do the research yourself you will find out that they are rated extremely high for longevity. They are the closest thing to a Honda that's not a Honda. 2nd highest rated generator in the small class behind the Honda according to Consumer Reports. The Predator seems to be a Honda "knockoff". I paid just over $400 for mine after taxes when I found it on sale and used a coupon. I'm extremely happy with mine thus far after 2 years. Very quiet and starts easily and runs all night on less than a gallon of gas. Hope this helped, good luck. If you have the money, buy the Honda, if you're looking to save some money and ok with taking a chance, maybe look into the Predator. Just my opinion after lots of research.

 

[boom]

Yeah I was hoping to stay under $500 but doesn't look like it's possible. I would use it to charge normal items like phone and gear.

Also would be nice to run a space heater vs the propane buddy ones. I get sketched out of the buddy heater will put me to sleep permanently.

i have a honda. i recently had the unfortuanate situation where i needed to up my generator knowledge. fast. my area is very prone to PG&E electricity blackouts. we lose power for up to 8 days. i did buy a 2200 watt generator. i know for a fact that it will run my fridge, my 91 year old neighbor's freezer, and lots of lights and stuff. (i have tankless water heater that needs a tiny bit of juice to ignite the NG for hot water) mine sips fuel..i have run it for 9 hours and 20 minutes and it finallly sputtered dry.

now under $500. easy. that Costco Yamaha is around $400. back to back, it is arguably quieter than my honda. my boss bought that one. and a downtown tamale-lady runs one. in a big wide open space it sounds like a hair buzzer. it is 2000 watts. it is loaded with options. same low rpm switch. same option. to pair it with another unit for 4000watts. it comes with the kit!! my bosses only complaint is where they put the fuel filler hole. he thinks it is in the way of the handle. when he wraps his big mitts over the handle, his knuckles hit the gas cap.

all in all i think the Yamaha is a contender.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jmazz]

I have a Honda and have used it to heat/light and power my enclosed trailer in Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska. I wouldn't get anything else.

 

[camping1601]

Honda and done.

 

[rayporter]

an option you can consider it the ability to run an auxiliary boat tank on the smaller units for all night all day use. a hose runs from the filler cap to the boat tank. Honda is the only one with a fuel pump, or so i hear. some of the others will suck gas somehow but usually the boat tank must be set above the genny.

i am a honda guy but i do see good reviews on champion, Westinghouse and predator. i also hear that all the off brands are hard to get parts for.

 

[fmyth]

After burning up 2 Champion Generators I purchased 2 Honda EU2000's. Bought one new for $1,200 10 years ago and bought the second one for $200 (wouldn't start due to bad gas) 6 years ago. I generally run them 6 times a year at Glamis sand dunes and another 6 or seven times a year camping/hunting. Both sit in my un airconditioned Phoenix garage for up to 6 months at a time and always start first or second pull. I've changed the oil, cleaned the air filters and changed plugs once. They've never let me down. If I had to replace them both today I would be tempted to try the AIPower with the Yamaha engine from Costco for $499. From my previous research on 2k units I believe Honda had the largest engine and is quietest under load. My friend has a Honda EU2000 that he leaves at his cabin on an uninhabited island in the Cook Inlet Alaska. He flys in once a year, lands on the beach and stays for a month and fishes. The Honda stays there 11 months out of the year covered with a tarp. Its been there in the elements with extreme temps and salt spray for over 8 years and never fails to start. Don't know if I'd trust a Harbor Freight Gen to perform in those conditions.

 

[mtguy]

Honda

 

[NDGuy]

Sounds like the Honda or Costco Yamaha then lol

 

[fmyth]

Honda

The Honda is expensive but a sure thing.

 

[tdot]

Yeah I was hoping to stay under $500 but doesn't look like it's possible. I would use it to charge normal items like phone and gear.

Also would be nice to run a space heater vs the propane buddy ones. I get sketched out of the buddy heater will put me to sleep permanently.

Get the Honda or the Yamaha 2000 watts. But if you want to run a space heater, I'd recommend against one with a fan, and ensure that it has several settings that keep it under 1000watt draw. I heated my van with an oil filled radiant heater for 2 winters while skiing in the Rockies, nights as cold as -40.

Just watch the max vs continuous rating. It's very different.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I'll echo the recommendations for a Honda inverter style generator if you want something light, quiet, and reliable. I've put hundreds of hours on my Honda EU2000i over the years running the lights on my fish gigging boat. It's never given me a lick of trouble and always starts within 2-3 pulls, even in temperatures well below freezing. Honda also makes 1000 and 3000 watt inverters. If light and quiet aren't that important to you, you can get much more power for the money out of a conventional generator.

For backup power at home, a small portable generator could run your lights, fridge, freezer, plus maybe a microwave just fine, but it wouldn't have the capacity (or appropriate voltage) for something like a heat pump, electric water heater, or oven (all typically 240V). The information in your breaker panel can help you estimate home power needs. To calculate the watts of generator power needed to run an individual circuit at full capacity, multiply the amperage value printed on the circuit breaker by the voltage of that circuit (120V except for big appliances like oven, clothes dryer, heat pump, water heater) then divide that number by 0.8 (to account for generator power factor). But you can't (rather, you shouldn't or you'll end up with an unnecessarily large generator) just add up the individual wattage of each individual circuit to size a generator because you don't need to run everything in your home simultaneously and each circuit draws somewhat less than the rated amperage of the breaker. Choosing which appliances/circuits you for sure want to be able to run is key in right-sizing a home backup generator.

 

[B.dallum000]

Used generac IQ2000 for 250$ and it works awesome.