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Dhunter
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 04:29pm
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Looking at purchasing a new generator, really can’t afford a new Honda. Would like to get a 3500 watt. Have heard good things about Wen. Think Lowe’s sells those. What do you guys use?
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Princelake
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 05:01pm
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I have a 1500watt champion and have run the crap out of it and have left it out in all kinds of weather and still runs strong. I just bought a 5000watt champion I'm going to use to build my cabin running power tools with. Once my cabin is built I'll buy a yamaha or Honda like 3000watt and give it a long easy life.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 06:23pm
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Are you getting a gas or propane powered generator?
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Dhunter
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 06:52pm
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Getting a gas, I will be powering a 5,000 BTU ac and a couple led lights and maybe a small tv. Will be in a 10 by 16 cabin.
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rockies
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 07:27pm
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An air conditioner? Is that wise? They use a lot of power. Can you make use of thermo-syphoning instead (putting a vent window high up on a wall opposite a low window on another wall in order to create a natural chimney effect and flush the cabin of hot air)?
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ICC
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 08:28pm - Edited by: ICC
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The OP's profile has the location as Iowa. I believe one of the things about summer heat in Iowa is that it is also humid. The heat plus humidity makes A/C very attractive, some would say necessary. Maybe a good flow of fan assisted air would help, but I seriously doubt that natural air flow would be noticeable. A 5000 BTU A/C will easily run on a 2000 watt generator, although I dislike the thought of the noise from a continually running generator that is not a quiet inverter type.
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Dhunter
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 08:34pm - Edited by: Dhunter
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Yes I am from Iowa, summer humidity can be brutal. I would be getting a inverter generator when I get one. Also, this will be a cabin I am not going to be in all the time. Just a day here and there. I live within 20 min of where my cabin will be.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 09:00pm
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We purchased one of the Harbor freight Predator 3500 watt inverter/generators after reading a lot of good reviews. It is super quiet and though they say it is supposed to run about 11 hours on 2.5 gallons of gas, we are getting closer to 15 hours. That said we aren't pushing it very hard. They sell for $799.00 regular price but often come on sale for $699.00. It has been said that it might be tough getting parts in the future but at 1/3 the cost of the Honda I figure if and when it breaks down and if it can't be repaired I'm still money ahead.
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neckless
Member
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# Posted: 24 Feb 2019 11:34pm
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my yamaha geny 2800 inverter will only run my 5000 btu air on med ,, cool fyi ... thats on the 20 amp plug
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Kamn
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 07:19am
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Nobadays,
plus you can stack or tie 2 of those predator inverter/generators together for more power.
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Dhunter
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 07:46am
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This is what I have figured for usage..
Tv- 22 w
Ac- 1300w startup then 460w
Lights- 100w total
Phone charger- 10 w for 2 chargers
I assumed I would get by with a 2200 watt generator
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 08:27am
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Quoting: neckless my yamaha geny 2800 inverter will only run my 5000 btu air on med ,, cool fyi ... thats on the 20 amp plug
Interesting, I have an enclosed trailer we used to haul motorcycles and would use it for overnight sleeps and it had on the roof a 9000 BTU AC unit, my Honda EU2000i would run it, it was about max for the generator, but it would do it and on max cool too. Some AC units require more start up power, while others use less, ie a scroll type compressor etc.
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Ptomaine
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 11:04am - Edited by: Ptomaine
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Getting back to the OP's original question. I do have a WEN generator (I think it is a 3250W /4000W peak model). I picked it up for less than $200 at Menards when they were closing them out a while back. I have an older Honda 1000ex that is great for hotel loads, but too small to run my power equipment. The WEN is a basic Chinese made generator that does exactly what I wanted to do. It has no 12v; just two 20 amp and one 30 amp outputs. It is reasonably quiet, reasonably fuel efficient, starts easily and has no issue running my air compressor and saws (table, mitre, or framing). Mine included the wheel kit; I sure wouldn't want to lug it around without the wheels as it is well over 100 lbs with a full fuel tank.
If I was looking for a single generator to power a weekend use cabin, I would seriously consider the Harbor Freight Predator 3500 inverter generator. I have a friend with one that has been trouble free, is even quieter than my Honda, and has electric start.
As someone who spent over ten years working in a home improvement center selling tools, I would never want to run the average home window air conditioner on anything less than a 3000 watt generator. That opinion is a combination of the generator manufacturer's guidelines and feedback from customers.
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 11:59am
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We have had the Harbor Freight Predator 3200/4000 generator up at our cabin for one year and so far it has been great! We were up at the cabin a couple of weeks ago and in the low 30s it started on the second pull every morning.
I have not taken very good care of it with hundreds of hours running and I only just did the second oil change. I have ran synthetic 10w30 after break-in so maybe that has helped it stay alive. For the $289 (on sale) price I give it a thumbs-up.
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Dhunter
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 12:18pm
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justinbowser
I assume that is not the inverter generator that is quiet. If not, how do you deal with the loudness of the generator?
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justinbowser
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 01:25pm
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We have it in a storage building which is detached from the cabin. We can hear it but it's not objectionably loud. Probably when it wears out I will look into an inverter generator if for no other reason than fuel efficiency.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 25 Feb 2019 04:47pm
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We had our Predator 3500 running - mostly in the evenings and were totally impressed at how quiet it is. Ours is in a "doghouse" with open sides about 20' from the cabin. With just normal noise... cooking, ceiling fan, hissing of propane lights (it was near 0* F so the lights were lit to add warmth as well as light) and just moving about you didn't even know it was running. Sitting on the couch after dinner reading you could hear it but very easy to tune out. Just hoping it holds up for a few years. We will be putting 1500 watts of solar up th his spring so the generator will be used primarily for running heavy loads like saws and air compressor.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 28 Feb 2019 08:43am
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Just get the Honda in the first place, save you from buying a 6 pak of inferior gennies, get one supreme unit, you will throw rocks at all the others after this and not only will it outlast the 6 pak ones by a mile, you will have parts available for many years down the road. And will be quiet to boot
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Gary O
Member
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# Posted: 28 Feb 2019 08:59am
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Just get the Honda in the first place, save you from buying a 6 pak of inferior gennies, get one supreme unit, you will throw rocks at all the others after this and not only will it outlast the 6 pak ones by a mile, you will have parts available for many years down the road. And will be quiet to boot
Yup
Saved me some keystrokes there, T-tech
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SCSJeff
Member
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# Posted: 28 Feb 2019 10:04am
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech Just get the Honda in the first place
I currently have an older Coleman 5500 beast for running the 240v well pump (and occasional other high amperage devices) and a Champion 2000 Inverter for everything else. (Love the Champion. Got it on sale at Cablelas w/ points).
I also debated just getting a Honda 6500/7000 Inverter to start with. Initial cost aside though, the chance of theft made me decide against it...
Anything bigger than a 2000w is too big to bring back and forth. To be honest, I don't even bring the Champion back and forth anymore. But, it won't hurt as bad if they get stolen.
Food for thought...
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2019 02:36pm
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Westinghouse also makes a 3500w open frame inverter for roughly $620.
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redwolfguild
Member
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2019 06:14pm
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Quoting: toyota_mdt_tech you will have parts available for many years down
Parts, Ha - what parts. I bought my Honda 5 years ago and run the crap out of it. Change the oil and clean the air filter. Never let me down and no need for replacement parts.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 3 Mar 2019 06:55pm
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Quoting: redwolfguild Parts, Ha - what parts. I bought my Honda 5 years ago and run the crap out of it. Change the oil and clean the air filter. Never let me down and no need for replacement parts.
You got that right. Honda makes some of the finest power equipment on the planet, all of it is way over engineered. Just the way I like it. Its there when you need it. 
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 7 Mar 2019 04:33pm
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Prob not over engineered...just not under engineered and built with poor quality materials like many things these days.
Even the old Japanese stuff from the early 90s was quality.
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LoonWhisperer
Member
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# Posted: 8 Mar 2019 04:44pm - Edited by: LoonWhisperer
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My Energizer eZV3200P inverter runs great. The remote start feature is brilliant.  Here is a review eZV3200P
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