What generators/brands to avoid?

[dieselrealtor]

Looking to buy a portable genset that is capable of running at least my well pump (240v), maybe large enough to run whole house with managed load, gas furnace, gas water heater & gas dryer. We have periodic outages & have had some that were extended past 3 days.

I have a Honda EU3000is which I have been very pleased with in my 5th wheel but don't want to spend $5k'ish for its bigger brother equivelant.

Hoping to find out which ones are junk & which ones are a good value. My understanding is Honda & Yamaha are premium units but hoping to find something lower to middle end on cost with relatively good fuel efficiency. Diesel would be great but haven't had much luck finding them in my price range.

 

[xwing]

If you want to run the "whole house" even managed, you are likely above any common portable generator. The "whole house" standby generators are propane or natural gas and not portable. I paid about $5k for a 24kW Generac (inc. automatic transfer switch) and am happy with it. If your load is very small, you may be able to get away with a 10 or 12 kW portable generator, but wiring it safely to your home will be a challenge and require some dedicated equipment and complex setup. (There are couple of easy dangerous ways to do it, but that is not recommended.)

 

[firecadet613]

If you want to run the "whole house" even managed, you are likely above any common portable generator. The "whole house" standby generators are propane or natural gas and not portable. I paid about $5k for a 24kW Generac (inc. automatic transfer switch) and am happy with it. If your load is very small, you may be able to get away with a 10 or 12 kW portable generator, but wiring it safely to your home will be a challenge and require some dedicated equipment and complex setup. (There are couple of easy dangerous ways to do it, but that is not recommended.)

Not true. And you're looking at $11,000+ for a Generac with an ATS these days (you likely got the Generac years ago). You can setup a big portable to safely and legally run it all for under $2,000, depending on which generator you go with.

I have a Harbor Freight 9500 that'll run my whole house. I added a 50a inlet and a interlock switch to my panel. Put a soft start on your A/C and it'll run without issue.

I just bought a Duromax 13k watt unit and will likely list the 9500 soon...it would occasionally trip the breaker if multiple large loads were on at the same time.

We've had two 60+ hour outages this year and the 9500 did great. Fridges on, A/C on, water heater, etc... just the occasional trip of the breaker when we forgot we were on generator power. But that'll be a thing of the past with the 13k unit... it's just louder.

 

[firecadet613]

There's another recent thread here with good generator info, but feel free to PM me with questions.

I've had this at two houses now, first with a HF 3500, the two 9500s and now a 13k unit.

 

[MCgrease08]

https://www.cummins.com/na/generators/home-standby/generator-size-calculator

 

[EyeCarry]

I experienced the first major outage at my "new" house that I moved into in '22 during the 4th of July outage.
At the old place I had manual transfer switch with the (6-8?) circuits I wanted. AC was not a priority for me. Gas furnace and H water so no problems running on what I believe is a 6250/5500 gen.
I'm thinking of doing it this time with the breaker lockout in the box and having all of my loads calculated so that I can pick and choose what parts of the house to run.
I just found out about the soft start AC thing here on INGO and that sounds like a good idea!!
It would be nice to connect the gene input box directly to the meter box but I don't know if that is allowed... otherwise, I'll bring it through the exterior wall on one side of the meter.
What says INGO?

 

[firecadet613]

I experienced the first major outage at my "new" house that I moved into in '22 during the 4th of July outage.
At the old place I had manual transfer switch with the (6-8?) circuits I wanted. AC was not a priority for me. Gas furnace and H water so no problems running on what I believe is a 6250/5500 gen.
I'm thinking of doing it this time with the breaker lockout in the box and having all of my loads calculated so that I can pick and choose what parts of the house to run.
I just found out about the soft start AC thing here on INGO and that sounds like a good idea!!
It would be nice to connect the gene input box directly to the meter box but I don't know if that is allowed... otherwise, I'll bring it through the exterior wall on one side of the meter.
What says INGO?

Put an inlet on the side of your house and bring it into your breaker panel with an interlock kit.

I just set my mom up and she's at $1400, all in. She could get by with a smaller gen, but I grabbed her a 13kw on a Prime Day sale...

If you're on the Book of Faces, here's a good group I stumbled on a few days ago.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/1716967438485868/

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

We put a whole house unit in last year. The first step is determining the size required. My REMC was able to tell me what my monthly max KW demand was and then I added about 25% to that to come up with the size needed. My wife didn’t want to mess with having to drag a generator out of storage, running cables (and making the correct connections), managing loads, etc…so a portable set up was out of the question.

We went with a Generac, LP powered, with automatic transfer switches. We’ve had a number of 2 hour or so outages since installation and it’s nice to count to 10 and have the whole house running as normal.

A few months ago we had about a 4-5 hour outage. When I got home from work my wife was actually in the process of cooking dinner, running the oven, cook top, and i think the washer and dryer were running. She was happy.

 

[manifest destiny]

I eliminated heating and cooling for my gene needs. Cooling would be awesome but I can live without and fans are a lot less amps. Heating, I have other well practiced methods. I'm looking mainly at powering fridge/freezer, lights and maybe a few ancillaries such as pc/phone/chargers. Cooking without power is also doable for me, though gene power would be covenient. This is the largest drawback to portable generators (besides fuel planning and storage):

My wife didn’t want to mess with having to drag a generator out of storage, running cables (and making the correct connections), managing loads, etc…so a portable set up was out of the question.

 

[Super Bee]

I have a Briggs and Stratton and a Generac both 8500 max. Either one will run my entire house, I know because I have done it. Now I can not run the dryer and microwave at the same time, there are a couple different combos like that I need to watch.

Had my uncle come over and he wired in a transfer switch, works great.

Next house I will get a natural gas or propane unit. But for now, one of these will work just fine.

 

[Chase515]

I run a Generac 10,000 watt starting 8000 watt running. Also picked up a cheap Westinghouse 2500 watt starting 1800 watt running for my camper. The Generac runs my whole house but i have to shut everything off to run the electric water heater. The price trade off is worth the hassle of turning everything off and waiting 15 minutes for hot water. I ordered a ptg kit for the Generac a couple years ago and its ready to run off propane or gasoline. I wired in a whole house surge protector right across from the generator interlock circuit I wanted a place for the extra surges from the gen to dump. The Westinghouse is amazingly quiet but sensitive to being on perfectly level surface. I have ordered a soft start for the camper ac. I'll wait til the temp drops before climbing up and installing it. I did plug in a 5000btu widow unit to the Westinghouse with a lamp and fridge it ran all of them fine.

 

[armalitesheepdog]

I have a 1000 sq ft home and I run the whole thing furnace and all. With the described set upI haven't had to try central air yet. Probably just wouldn't even try but....
My set up is a $200 breaker box with a manual transfer switch. (Turn off main turn on generator) i have a box outside where the breaker panel is that the generator plugs into. I have a 7200w 9000 starting wattsgenerator from Harbor Freight that is push button start. 5 gallon capacity fuel tank runs 11 hours depending on load.
I know, I know, it's Harbor Freight but it's a Honda clone. So much so if I need parts I can use Honda parts. A guy I know that is a professional generator technician who works on generators that power commercial buildings and did the install and recommended what I bought. I use it 2 or 3 times a year for short periods and maintain its fuel, battery, and just run it sometimes.
GENERATOR $995
BREAKER PANEL $200
OUTSIDE BOX. $45
BATTERY. $55
Wheel kit. $60
Cord. $55

Total. $1405. Runs a 1000sf home as normal

 

[Tactically Fat]

$5k for a Generac 18kw - that's MSRP from their site. That's about the minimum for a 1500-2000sq ft house. Can probably get by with smaller if you have gas hot water, don't have a deep freezer, and choose not to use your laundry or A/C.

And unless you're an electrician, you'll probably have $3k into the cost of the transfer switch, pad prep, and installation.

 

[Amishman44]

I have a 1000 sq ft home and I run the whole thing furnace and all. With the described set upI haven't had to try central air yet. Probably just wouldn't even try but....
My set up is a $200 breaker box with a manual transfer switch. (Turn off main turn on generator) i have a box outside where the breaker panel is that the generator plugs into. I have a 7200w 9000 starting wattsgenerator from Harbor Freight that is push button start. 5 gallon capacity fuel tank runs 11 hours depending on load.
I know, I know, it's Harbor Freight but it's a Honda clone. So much so if I need parts I can use Honda parts. A guy I know that is a professional generator technician who works on generators that power commercial buildings and did the install and recommended what I bought. I use it 2 or 3 times a year for short periods and maintain its fuel, battery, and just run it sometimes.
GENERATOR $995
BREAKER PANEL $200
OUTSIDE BOX. $45
BATTERY. $55
Wheel kit. $60
Cord. $55

Total. $1405. Runs a 1000sf home as normal

Good-2-Know on the 'use Honda parts' side of things...
I've always run a Briggs-n-Stratton engine because I am comfortable with them and can work on them easily.
I currently have a 4500 with 4 x 110 outlets with no issues...I can alternate appliances and run 2 window AC units or heat + keep refrigerator / freezers running and keep a cord available for lights / TV / movies...
I would love a Generac gas unit, but not in the budget at this time.

 

[xwing]

Not true. And you're looking at $11,000+ for a Generac with an ATS these days (you likely got the Generac years ago). You can setup a big portable to safely and legally run it all for under $2,000, depending on which generator you go with.

I have a Harbor Freight 9500 that'll run my whole house. I added a 50a inlet and a interlock switch to my panel. Put a soft start on your A/C and it'll run without issue.

I just bought a Duromax 13k watt unit and will likely list the 9500 soon...it would occasionally trip the breaker if multiple large loads were on at the same time.

We've had two 60+ hour outages this year and the 9500 did great. Fridges on, A/C on, water heater, etc... just the occasional trip of the breaker when we forgot we were on generator power. But that'll be a thing of the past with the 13k unit... it's just louder.

Wrong. Bought it 2 years ago. Right now, still only $5700 + tax including 200A ATF. https://www.menards.com/main/outdoo...ansfer-switch/7210/p-105478329024-c-10107.htm

At least you added an interlock switch, but you're probably still using a cobbled-together male<-->male cord to connect your generator to your panel, which is not a great practice. Buried (in conduit) hard-wired is much safer.

I used to have a Harbor Freight gas-powered generator. It had all kinds of problems and was extremely difficult to start. And your unit only had 7.6kW (31A@240). You must have a tiny load if you can run your house off that. My Generac is able to run 2 central ACs, 3 fridges / freezers, microwave, dishwasher, electronics, plus normal house lights / loads. (And if the outage is in the winter, it'll run my 2nd-floor heat-pump, although pushing limits if "emergency heat" is also being called.) If I only had 1 central AC, I might've gotten away with a slightly smaller one, but still there's no way you're running central AC on 7.6kW...

 

[Dwight]

This is my setup. 2200sf home. Heat pump and all electric appliances. Runs the whole house. I do flip unnecessary breakers in the panel just to be careful.



And this transfer switch is awesome. Comes with the correct cord set when you order. Did require the power company to approve and install. But Boone REMC did it quickly and for free!

Transfer Switch | Global Power Products

 

[duanewade]

We have a whole house solar system but when the battery is dead it is dead. I've bought a used 7500 Northern Tool generator and it will run only what I need to survive. I've got a line setup to run the furnace (large wood furnace in the basement), the refrigerator and the well. My 2 freezers run off of another hybrid solar/wind system set up just for that.

I went with a minimalistic approach to save money but still gives us what we need to survive.

 

[Mark-DuCo]

I and my family and friends have all had great luck with the Harbor Freight Predator generators, I myself have 2 of the 2000 watt ones with a parralell kit for camping and racing. I went with them for mobility, i usually only need 1 at the race tracks, but can bring both if I want to run AC on the camper.

My BBQ team uses the 9500 watt quiet generator, and it is my team mates back up for his house. It has run flawlessly for 4 years now. I would like to get one for my house, but my power rarely goes out for more than a few minutes, and I can live with my small generators running just my fridge and freezer.

I know lots of people with the 3500 watt Predators and all of them have been great as well.

 

[firecadet613]

Wrong. Bought it 2 years ago. Right now, still only $5700 + tax including 200A ATF. https://www.menards.com/main/outdoo...ansfer-switch/7210/p-105478329024-c-10107.htm

At least you added an interlock switch, but you're probably still using a cobbled-together malemale cord to connect your generator to your panel, which is not a great practice. Buried (in conduit) hard-wired is much safer.

I used to have a Harbor Freight gas-powered generator. It had all kinds of problems and was extremely difficult to start. And your unit only had 7.6kW (31A@240). You must have a tiny load if you can run your house off that. My Generac is able to run 2 central ACs, 3 fridges / freezers, microwave, dishwasher, electronics, plus normal house lights / loads. (And if the outage is in the winter, it'll run my 2nd-floor heat-pump, although pushing limits if "emergency heat" is also being called.) If I only had 1 central AC, I might've gotten away with a slightly smaller one, but still there's no way you're running central AC on 7.6kW...

That $5,700 is including the Menards rebate, add in the install costs and you're much higher. The quote I received from a Generac dealers were $11k or more.

But, if you're like me with no natural gas or propane on site, MUCH higher. Then you're only looking at 4-5 days run time on a 500 gallon propane tank, when you'll be at the mercy of the propane company to refill it.

Far from cobbled together here. If you read my other post, I have a 50a inlet on the side of my house, which goes direct to my panel. There you'll find an interlock switch so it can't backfeed to the utility, far from a male-male cord.

Take a look at soft start kits for your A/C, I have zero issues running my entire house here on the generator I have, including the A/C and the electric range or electric dryer. It'd pop the breaker occasionally with multiple big loads running and something else (like the well pump) kicking on, but entirely doable. Two 60+ hour outages and the house was like normal.

Over Prime Day I bought a 13kw unit and during a few test runs, haven't been able to kill it.

Your experience is far from mine, hell the 13kw generator is push button start!

If we were on natural gas or my research showed a Generac would run longer on propane, I would have bought one vs the 13kw....

 

[firecadet613]

This is my setup. 2200sf home. Heat pump and all electric appliances. Runs the whole house. I do flip unnecessary breakers in the panel just to be careful.

View attachment 289700

And this transfer switch is awesome. Comes with the correct cord set when you order. Did require the power company to approve and install. But Boone REMC did it quickly and for free!

Transfer Switch | Global Power Products

That's the mac daddy! You can run everything with that, no need to leave unnecessary breakers off...