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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2021 06:56pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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My gen experience, and knowledge, is admittedly limited to pretty much some use and more recently the stuff Ive been reading online regarding off-grid cabins. That experience side went back to some use of the old green, noisy Coleman utility gen's and then the typical newer versions we see everywhere for decades.
However they make that 120vac (or more) at the plugs my understanding has been that it 'isnt clean' and some devices dont like it. The same is said about msw inverters. I kinda put the two together in my head....
Then I started seeing mentioned the little Honda 'Inv/Gen' that puts out psw. I dont ever recall seeing ref to an inv/gen before and when I looked into them (and now made by more than Honda) when they are called an inv/gen they specify 'psw'; guess I figured that all went together. I dont recall ever reading about an 'inv/gen' that hasnt been said to be psw???
I do know that a psw inv/gen will run everything within the limits of its output and that is a good thing.
As always, the devil is in the details; maybe I should keep my detailing to polishing my motorcycle.
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offgrididaho
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2021 07:26pm
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Since this is cabin forum, maybe your generator won't be that close and the whisper quiet part of the Honda EU's might not be required. In which case you can spend less $$ and get more wattage from Honda EG2800i... we love ours, good power, runs our large inverter charger (which does have a minimum draw so would have overwhelmed EU2200i), Honda reliability, open frame so maintenance is actually a little easier than the encased EU's. We love our EU1000i in our camper van but that's a different set of needs.
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 10 Jan 2021 09:11pm - Edited by: SCSJeff
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Inverter Generators vs Conventional Generators
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2021 10:58am
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Thats quite the 'info-mercial'
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paulz
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2021 10:59am
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Quoting: SCSJeff Inverter Generators vs Conventional Generators
Good article, thanks. Been playing with generators myself this week, I have about 6 lol. A dedicated 220v 10 house Tecumseh in the well shack, another big Honda in the shop, then beat up but trusty 4kw 110 HF at the cabin, all non-inverter. Then a big diesel, a 10kw propane and another Onan RV propane in storage, both new. Those 3 were all free, people seem to want to give me generators. I have no use for those, yet.
Anyway we've had some really dark days, going into weeks here lately. Combined with tree shrouding, my solar battery bank is getting a bit low I think (hard to tell with the Li batteries) after a four days at the cabin with no break.
So I'm considering augmenting the charging with a genny and 40a Li charger. I also have a little 1000w portable, a Honeywell HW1000i, a cheap Honda knockoff. Got it at a flea market for $40 for the heck of it. Hard to find much about them, probably went out of production soon after. But it is inverter.
Funny part: Never been able to get it to run consistently, always leans out and dies. Had the carb off 50 times. No replacement carbs around. So I drilled the main jet out, too much. Ran consistently but too rich. Gave up and put it away. Then a couple days ago I was fooling with it again. I was going to solder the jet back up and drill it smaller, but, tired of messing with it, instead I found a piece of very small wire, stuck it in the jet and bent the ends over. Runs perfectly, I couldn't believe it! Plugged in the charger, stable 14.6v.
No point to all this really, except I did enjoy that article. 
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2021 11:36am
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I like that 'jet oriface reducer' idea Paul!
That might work for NG jets when going to LP as NG jets are huge. The antique cook stove we picked up for the cabin I could not find smaller orifaces for so I peened the huge holes over (rather than solder or drill/tap for a plug or peen a soft rivet into) and slowly number drilled to get a decent burner flame.
That wire trick would have been fun to play with
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paulz
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# Posted: 5 Nov 2021 12:22pm - Edited by: paulz
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Yep it might work for that. Honestly, I'm astonished how well it's running right now, I have played with that thing too many times. No idea what size the original jet was, or what size I drilled it too, so it was a crap shoot any way I tried, and this was the easiest.
My experience with these small engines and jets is they are very susceptible to outside factors: temperature, humidity, ethanol, summer/winter gas.. more so than larger engines with larger jets. Especially the two smokes. I can get one running perfectly at my city house in the warm sunshine, take it out to the cold and wet cabin and the adjustments are off. Some of it may the California EPA stuff I have to deal with.
As I said I was going to buy one of those $15 ebay replacement carbs for it but didn't find one. It has an electrical gizmo on top that controls the throttle, maybe tied into the 'economy mode' switch it has. I put one of those cheap carbs on the Tecumseh in the well shack after I couldn't get that one dialed in, works perfectly.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2021 08:19am
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Paulz, I had a guy give me a A Power inverter generator, it was Yamaha powered, inverter, chicom unit also. Carb was flooding over, under warranty but could never contact factroy, so he gave it to me. I found a Yamaha model that used that engine and ordered carb parts, fixed it, sold it for $300. All those inverter gennies, throttle is controleld by an electric motor/servo via a computer.
In my case, I used the parts from a Yamaha EF2000i generator of about 2013 vintage. Perfect fit.
I used Cheap Cycle Parts
I see a new complete carb for $106. If you create an account, this place sells at 10% over cost.
That was for a 2000 watter, here is breakdown for a 1000 watter.
Or ebay, look for inverter generator carb, use inverter in the search and should come up with electric throttle carb.
I have used those chicom carbs with great success.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2021 09:46am
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech All those inverter gennies, throttle is controleld by an electric motor/servo via a computer.
Thanks TMT.
Great, a computer on a generator, just what I need. ;)
It controls the throttle, looks like. There's an economy switch on the panel that does cut down the RPMs, that's what it does I guess? So in non economy mode it may not be used. I didn't use the economy mode.
I ran it for an hour yesterday charging my cabin batteries with a separate Li charger. It ran pretty well the whole time but I still needed to feather the choke part way on to get consistent running, even when hot. A very mixture sensitive engine.
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Aklogcabin
Member
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2021 10:12am
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I've got a bunch of generators too. The 25 year old 3500w generac is still running good. After a cheap 18 dollar carb.
I have a ryobi 2000w. Broke the plug in receptacles when it was 25 below. I called customer service. They sent me 2 in case another one broke. For free !
I have a rigid brand 8 kw with a 4 stroke Subaru engine that should run forever.
Except for bad gasoline issues, which kill all generators equally. I've not had issues with any of them.
For me less money usually wins out. And when I could buy 2 smaller generators for the cost of 1 more expensive one and also hook them up to double my amperage output. Why not.
I've been buying the less expensive units as I have limited funds n lots to buy. They are still running years later.
To me the biggest problem with engines is today's gasoline. No matter the brand. And the worst thing you can do is not run your generators.
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paulz
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2021 10:35am
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This is the genny I built my cabin with a decade ago, before lithium power tools. It's a cheap knockoff, and was used when I bought it. I took this photo yesterday.
It's been fully underwater twice, has no front panel, just the AC wires and a ground wire for the magneto. Hasn't had an air filter in years. The rubber motor mounts are long gone, just bailing wired to the frame. It sits outside the cabin, in the rain, for the rare times anymore when I need more power than the solar inverter or battery tools will provide. It just won't die, still one pull start and reliable running. I did replace the pull start and the capacitor over the years. When it finally does die I'm going to give it a decent burial and tombstone behind the cabin.
I want to use the little 1000w inverter genny for augmented battery bank charging instead, it's an inverter genny, much quieter and less gas.
Remember those little 900w two stroke gennies with the carrying handle on top? Still have one of those too but haven't used it lately. It was handy to haul around the property before all the lithium tools came out.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 9 Nov 2021 10:44am
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Good points, and timely for the season here in WI.
I just finished my 'small engines' winter runs. For those that get run regularly, like the lawn tractor, I run the eth-blend reg 'in season', but for the last lawn mulching runs I use non-eth prem with some Sta-Bil mixed in (and only put in enough gas for the project, NO full tank) When done I Off the gas line and run the float bowl dry.
The other stuff, randomly/occasionally used, press-washer, chipper, tiller, gen, motorcycles, etc Id be better off using the non-eth prem all the time, but Im too cheap (certainly too cheap for that $20/gal engineered gas stuff). I had to drain the eth-blend out of a couple, add the non-eth + Sta-Bil and run till dry.
Food grief, do I have a lot of engines!
Ive been doing it this way for years and my stuff starts up and runs fine even after 6mo. of lay-up.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 11 Nov 2021 03:40pm
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Quoting: paulz It controls the throttle, looks like. There's an economy switch on the panel that does cut down the RPMs, that's what it does I guess? So in non economy mode it may not be used. I didn't use the economy mode.
No, it throttles all the time, in or out of eco mode. Its an inverter unit
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2021 08:49am
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech No, it throttles all the time, in or out of eco mode. Its an inverter unit
Ah OK. So what does Eco mode do exactly?
Speaking of carburetor electronics, boy did I get stung yesterday. I got some time to play with an old dead Bush Hog UTV I've been given. Started with electrical since It wouldn't turn over, which I got it to do with a hot wire to the starter solenoid, but would only run on a prime. Figuring the jet was plugged, I pulled the carb, no easy task, buried between the 20hp Honda cylinders. When I finally pulled it up there is was, one of those fuel cutoff solenoids in the float bowl, unpowered by my hot wire job. I went ahead and pulled the float bowl and jet out anyway, clear. Slapped it back together, hot wire to the fuel solenoid, off and running.
I've seen these things before on lawn tractors. Pull start generators probably don't have them since you need juice to power them, but some of the snowmobiles and UTVs you guys have might have them.
I guess it takes the place of a manual petcock, so if the needle and seat are faulty it won't leak fuel, if the tank is above the carb.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2021 10:30am
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That is exactly why. Far too many people forgetting to manually turn a shut-off and a leaking float needle & seat and there is a crankcase full of gas on your engine oil. The elec valve is a simple solenoid, basically works until it doesnt. On any so equipped rig I install a manual shut-off asap! If/when the elec valve fails just removing the wire doesnt help, it needs power to open the valve (and a functional solenoid).
If you have to make that valve flow gas the tip inside can be snipped off so with the manual shut off you are all set up like a reliable 'old' rig.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2021 10:46am - Edited by: paulz
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Ha, I should have snipped the tip of that solenoid off yesterday, I was wondering about a way to hold it open. There is an o-ring around the main jet holder that fits into the bowl, creating the separate chamber for the solenoid. I removed that o-ring, thinking fuel could run past it and get to the jet but it still didn't allow fuel to pass. The gas tank is at about the same level as the carb. I haven't looked yet to see if it pulls fuel out the top, like a car, or the bottom of the tank. I'll fill it up today, pull the hose off at the carb and see if it comes out on it's own. The carb has an overflow line, so if the needle does leak it should just go on the ground.
But at this point I'll just run power to it like it's supposed to have rather than dig that carb out of there again.
Not even sure I can drive this thing, it has some kind of electric clutch and variable transmission. Bush Hog only marketed these things for a couple years, they were all recalled (cept this one..). Dunno who actually made them. Good chance I'm wasting my time. Nice Honda V-twin though.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 12 Nov 2021 11:05am - Edited by: gcrank1
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As long as the float bowl needle/seat is good so it stops the gravity gas flow that would be Ok, BUT, you wont know when that (and old ones arent to be trusted) fails until you have diluted your engine oil with whatever gas passes through; BTDT!
If it is not gravity fed the tank most likely would be below the carb level and there will be a small fuel pump.
I suspect, without researching the rig, that it is based on a gas engine golf car. We have a Toro Workman based on that, 20ish yrs old, B&S c-twin, pre UTV I think. It is our cabin mini-truck and works just Ok and was far cheaper than any used UTV I could find around here.
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DryCreek
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2021 10:38am - Edited by: DryCreek
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Quoting: offgrididaho Honda EG2800i... Honda reliability,
FWIW, we have both an EU2000 (town) and EG2800 (cabin). As far as Honda reliability on the 2800:
good news: no complaints. A couple of weeks ago it was starting on the first pull with temps in the low teens.
bad news: my understanding is that Honda makes two kinds of engines for generators/pumps/etc. The better ones, which the EU has, have cast iron cylinder liners, etc. They are the right choice for, say, a contractor who plans to run the engine for thousands of hours. The cheaper ones in the EG skip the liner and just run the piston against the aluminum block and so on, and so one shouldn't expect the same longevity as the better/more expensive engines. They are just aimed at users who don't plan to run up high hour counts. For example, the EG has a sort of engine hour meter - it blinks a light on startup for each 100 hours of run time ... up to 500. It doesn't track past 500 hours.
So there isn't anything wrong with them if they fit your intended usage, but be aware the cheaper price relative to the Eu series comes with tradeoffs.
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DryCreek
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2021 11:04am
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Quoting: paulz So what does Eco mode do exactly?
Speaking generically, because different manufacturers might do things differently, it adjusts the engine speed (above idle) so that the engine is producing just enough power to supply the number of watts currently being drawn.
For example, suppose it is idling and you turn on a 100W load - it will speed up just enough to supply the 100W. If you then add another 1000W of load, it will speed up just enough to supply the total 1100W of load.
This is possible because the engine is producing DC current to feed the inverter, and the inverter produces 60Hz AC output regardless of the load in watts. This is in contrast with non-inverter generators that can only produce 60Hz AC by running at a fixed multiple of the number of poles in the generator (3600 or 1800 RPM).
In practical terms, we used to have one of the ubiquitous 5000W 3600 RPM 'contractor' type generators. When the power was out we'd connect the furnace and fridge, which each drew about 700W, but intermittently. Having to idle at 3600 RPM meant it used 5 gallons of gas a day even though most of the time it was just idling.
With the EU2000, it is just ticking over most of the time, and only throttles up when the furnace or fridge kicks on. It used about a quart per day. That's a big, big difference.
Obviously, 2000 is less than 5000, but even a bigger inverter generator still has the advantage of being able to adjust RPM to load.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2021 11:17am - Edited by: gcrank1
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Alum cylinders sans cast liners have been used for decades successfully, and with long life. They use a long lasting hard coating on the alum surface. A reputable manufacturer such as Honda will most certainly do so, China-made?....um...we will see.
Such cylinders have far better cooling but are typically not 'rebuildable' as in the old school sense. Now they are just replaced.
My little Champion inv/gen has taken everything Ive thrown at it. Even on ECO, idling along, when I trigger my big old contractor grade circular saw it increases nicely in rpm and I let the saw really fully spool up. Then the gen settles in and I make a cut. No need to leave the gen on non-ECO. My 700w microwave is pretty much the same, it takes just a quick moment more for the gen to settle in and do the nuke than if it is on grid power.
As far as I can tell, compared to my experience using msw and psw inverters off my batteries, the Lil' Champ is psw, everything 'touchy' about power seems to be running 'clean' and steady.
It became a real game-changer for us.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 13 Nov 2021 12:10pm
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Paulz, on an inverter generator, RPM can vary as the AC cycles are generated electronically vs a standard 2 pole generator that needs to spin at 3600 rpm. A 4 pole used in most RV's are 1800.
With an inverter, engine speed isnt that critical, its allowed to throttle down to save fuel etc and the throttle si more or less based on electrical load. Also keeps it quieter too. ECO mode off, you will get more RPM, but still governed to some extend.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2022 01:11pm
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Quoting: davitgarren Be ready for anything with the DuroStar DS10000E generator. Powerful Engine is able to accept high wattage loads with ease....
I have a Spaminator, it puts out a nice clean signal when spam is detected.
Hey, all chicom gennies in your top ten, strange. Keep buying chicoms so they can continue predatory loans entrapping small countries with continual chimcom occupation and of course, fund them so they can build their military to bully all their neighbors.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2022 05:13pm - Edited by: gcrank1
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I ran my Lil' Champ 1700/2000 last year as needed with no complaints . It came new without oil, spec'ed 1/2qt 10w30. I did not keep track of hours but to guess maybe 15?
Today hit an unseasonable 53*f so I ran it and changed oil, black but no sparkles detected. I used a full syn 10w30 this time. 1/2 qt sure isnt much so the syn additive package should serve better than dino. I figure if I change it every fall it would winter over with clean blood and be ready for spring but last fall hit me suddenly and using it to the end.
Ready Now!
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2022 08:11pm
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gcrank, I think rule of thumb is oil change at 50 hours.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2022 08:53pm
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Please send me an email when you smell spam.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 20 Feb 2022 11:57pm
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I recalled that 50 hr thing too but with my past air-cooled motorcycle experience I consider more frequent oil changes (within reason) 'cheap insurance', especially on an engine with small oil capacity and no replaceable filter.
On this one its my first oil change since new so the basic, 'break-in' and flush is now done and I consider my chances of a long and happy life of the unit is likely.
Now if I change it once a year that quart of syn will last two years! Far different than when we changed oil on the D7 Cat dozers!
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paulz
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# Posted: 21 Feb 2022 09:51am
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If I had to count all my internal combustion engines it would take 2 days! Let alone trying to keep track of miles or hours. I pretty much go by the one year plan, some vague memory of how much use it's had and what the oil looks like.
A trick the old times use: With the oil up to operating temp pull the dipstick out and let it drop a couple of small drops on the back side of a business card and let the card sit until the oil is dried, and read how it spreads out. An oil in good condition will be dark but not too dark, but will spread out evenly, all the same color. An oil loaded with lacquers will be real dark in the center where the heavier deposits will sit and the color will lighten as the oil spreads out. That's an oil run too long. Fuel diluted oil will spread out much farther and the outer edges will be very clear. Water contamination is a frothy, greyish build up on the top of the dipstick and the breather/fill cap, and you might see rust forming on the dipstick.
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neb
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2022 07:45pm - Edited by: neb
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I haven't posted much in the last years but the site was a great source of info when I built my cabin on the ranch.
I never had a generator at the time and used all hand tools and chainsaw for construction. All material had to be sledded and packed on foot.
Any way I got a Gen for Christmas, and it has been a pleasure when I'm at the cabin. I also bought more land and there was an old 100 plus year-old ranch shop and old house.
The gen has been come in very handy while I was rescuing the old shop.
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 23 Feb 2022 10:13pm
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I cant imagine not having an inv/gen in that class as long as Im able to 'do cabin life'. Ours became a true game changer; its my go-to.
Ive got an older (25yr?) low hour Kawasaki 'construction' type with a rotted out gas tank I got free. Im thinking about getting the LP universal kit for it. It would certainly solve my continual rust in the petcock, sed-bowl and carb. It would run real big stuff like radial arm or table saw, etc. that the little one cant surge enough for.
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neb
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2022 11:38am
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Quoting: gcrank1 I cant imagine not having an inv/gen in that class as long as Im able to 'do cabin life'. Ours became a true game changer; its my go-to.
Absolutely has been a time saver and less physical work tool for me.
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