Old 02-10-2013, 15:42   #1
MK262MOD1
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Honda 2000i

Just thought I would put a plug in for a generator I have been using on and off since December.


It has seen constant use this weekend. I have been buried in 28 inches of snow since Friday morning. Not that surprising and I knew it was coming. I have powered a full size fridge, coffee pot, microwave, cellphones, TV for the kiddos in the neighborhood and my lights off this generator. (all the essentials) I was surprised it handled the load. What is even more surprising is I am getting almost 9 hours of run time off a tank of gas. (1.1 gallon) Having used larger generators for years overseas I never thought this one would run like this.

Another nice thing is it is super quiet. I bought this after I lost power after Sandy (6 days.) Living on the coast I have come to realize National Grid is less than stellar in getting the power going. This generator has been running since Friday night and will probably run till Tuesday.Not bad in the 0-10 degree nights we have been having.

I am happy with this thing. It's small and very efficient and in this weather damn useful. I recommend it for what it's worth. I think it is slightly more powerful than advertised.




On another note it is to bad my household goods were going out on friday as well. Hopefully we get them rescheduled and out next week.

Last edited by MK262MOD1; 02-10-2013 at 15:45.
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Old 02-10-2013, 15:53   #2
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Yep, it's a heck of a piece of equipment ....

I agree with your assessment. The onboard generator for my 42 foot Hunter sailboat gave up the ghost and I bought one in Miami to top off my batteries when I was on the hook in the Keys. I was amazed how long the thing ran ... and it isn't much heavier than the generator for the ANGR-109 (grin).
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Old 02-10-2013, 18:55   #3
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We've been using one RVing since '08. It's great, but the starter cord is frayed now. To replace it I've got to take the whole thing apart, including removing the fuel tank.

The service manual is worth the money.

Pat
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Old 02-10-2013, 19:18   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MK262MOD1 View Post
Just thought I would put a plug in for a generator I have been using on and off since December.


It has seen constant use this weekend. I have been buried in 28 inches of snow since Friday morning. Not that surprising and I knew it was coming. I have powered a full size fridge, coffee pot, microwave, cellphones, TV for the kiddos in the neighborhood and my lights off this generator. (all the essentials) I was surprised it handled the load. What is even more surprising is I am getting almost 9 hours of run time off a tank of gas. (1.1 gallon) Having used larger generators for years overseas I never thought this one would run like this.

Another nice thing is it is super quiet. I bought this after I lost power after Sandy (6 days.) Living on the coast I have come to realize National Grid is less than stellar in getting the power going. This generator has been running since Friday night a
nd will probably run till Tuesday.Not bad in the 0-10 degree nights we have been having.

I am happy with this thing. It's small and very efficient and in this weather damn useful. I recommend it for what it's worth. I think it is slightly more powerful than advertised.




On another note it is to bad my household goods were going out on friday as well. Hopefully we get them rescheduled and out next week.
We have some for work and they are great little hard workers.

FYI ---- they do have a recal on some of them. We had one that were recalled. Here is the notice so you can check.

http://powerequipment.honda.com/pdf/...all-poster.pdf

Stay warm up there.
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Old 02-10-2013, 21:35   #5
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I had a neighbor run a similar load on one after Sandy, he got about the same runtime as well, they are definitely impressive for their size. On a side note, many of the street vendors in my work AO(downtown NYC) use them, one told me he gets about 3-4 days on a full tank.

I have a larger Honda clone(Generac GP5500) which I bought right before Sandy, and I ran heat (1/3 HP blower), full size fridge, chest freezer, hot water heater(electric ignition + direct vent, about 700w), sump pump(1/2 HP), and lights(indoor and some exterior security lighting), toaster oven and coffee maker, got about 10 hours on a full tank(7.4gal). I ended up getting a tri-fuel conversion kit for it, you might want to consider one for yours. My next project is an automatic transfer switch and electric start.

As for National Grid, I can tell you a thing or two about them(ok, it was LIPA, but they sub-contract to National Grid)

Stay warm.

My .02
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Old 02-10-2013, 22:19   #6
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Speaking of the national electric grids, you all know we have 3...the eastern, the western and the TEXAN grids!

I have been thinking about getting a generator and I think this one just went to the top of the list. I had been looking at larger "house mounted" ones but this looks like it can handle a good size electrical load for a small amount of fuel AND its portable! And at $1000 or so cheaper than what I was looking at too.
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Old 02-10-2013, 22:50   #7
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Originally Posted by SF18C View Post
Speaking of the national electric grids, you all know we have 3...the eastern, the western and the TEXAN grids!

I have been thinking about getting a generator and I think this one just went to the top of the list. I had been looking at larger "house mounted" ones but this looks like it can handle a good size electrical load for a small amount of fuel AND its portable! And at $1000 or so cheaper than what I was looking at too.
Bear in mind that the portable emergency generators are great for small portable power needs, but require either extension cords run into your home, or the same sort of hookup that a larger generator requires to energize a few circuits. Obviously, you can pull the main breakers and use a suicide cord to backfeed the house, but you would have to disconnect pretty much everything but the dedicated appliance on those circuits to keep from overwhelming a 2KW genset. On the plus side, it is small, quiet, relatively lightweight, energy efficient, and handy. Down side is limited power, perishable fuel, expensive units, need to run several long entension cords and inability to power heavier loads (like a window AC unit, sump pump, well pump, or a big saw). Even the larger ones, like the 5500 watt Generac are not made for continuous operation. They are meant to run for up to a tank's worth of fuel, then need to cool off. Like any other internal combustion engine, they also need regular servicing with oil changes, air and oil filter replacements, plug changes, and periodic tune-ups. The whole house models have significantly longer run times and service intervals.

I still have a 5500 watt gasoline powered portable (and would love to have a little Honda for travelling use), but rely primarily on a 14KW whole house unit running off an underground LP tank. I can save the gasoline for vehicles and chainsaw use.

When that bad boy Kohler fires up for exercise once per week, I can hardly hear it in the house, and outside, it is significantly quieter than a lawn mower, even under heavy loads. I am considering building a wall or adding vegetation to muffle the engine noise further. No action required on my part for it to come on, though. I see the lights flicker three times, the power drops, and I start a ten second countdown from my chair. When I get to zero, the power and lights come back on with no effort by me. The big check for the unit, the transfer switch, (and the electrician) only hurt for a little while, but I expect my quality of life to be significantly better than my neighbors' when disaster strikes. If I were to run it for more than a few hours, I would notice it when the LP tank needed refilling though.

There is a place for the small portable, the large portable, and the whole house generators. Pick the one that works best for your needs (and budget).

Just my .02, YMMV.

TR
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Old 02-11-2013, 00:15   #8
MK262MOD1
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Correct as always Reaper.

The right tool for the right job.

I can't wait till I have my Montana cabin, with Koehler attached...
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Old 08-11-2015, 23:04   #9
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When that bad boy [14kw] Kohler fires up for exercise once per week, I can hardly hear it in the house,

TR
TR,

Can I get an update on your Kohler? After almost 4 years off-grid, I've finally decided to add an automatic gennie. The 8kw LP Kohler is what the solar guy is recommending and it seems to fit the bill. Ours is going to be dual purpose, auto charge if the batts drop below a certain voltage, and whole house if we need to service the solar system. We are using a Generac portable now but I know nothing about the Kohlers except what he said and the online reviews.

We have only had one total shut down of the solar system plus two precautionary manual switchovers so it's just precautionary. This year has been touchy, though, because we have had many overcast days which is very unusual.

Pat
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