diesel generators

[calvinater]

The wife wants me to get one for backup power

8500 watts should do it

any one with experience or recommendations ?

multi fuel would be even better.
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"Albatross"!

[Abscate]

Unless power goes out often for more than three days, stick with a 2kW name brand for about $1000 used
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.ssS!

[vwracerdave]

If all you want is for an emergency back up and probably won't use it more than a few times a year I'd buy a gasoline generator and look at Harbor freight or Northern Tools.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[Erik G]

I would look be looking at standalone tri-fuel, and adding a breaker lockout and generator plug, instead of one with an automatic switch etc. The cost savings is huge even if you have to upgrade your electrical panel. You do want the invertor type as it's better for your electronics.

keep in mind these big generators do well at full power, but if you aren't running a big enough load, they don't like to run either... many people buy too big and then end up buying a smaller generator for just their fridge and some basics.

I like my Champion 2K watt

[Jon Schmid]

So, a 2K watt unit will run a couple of fridges? It wouldn't even have to be simultaneously, just enough for the food from thawing/spoiling. Thanks--

[Erik G]

[Jon Schmid]

[DesertSasquatchXploration]

I have a Honda 2200watt just a little guy end up using it every summer something happens we lose power for a good 6 hours. It will power my 1100watt room ac, The fridge, Internet modem and router, Tv and a small fan its going balls out but works. A 3000watt generator is nice size if your looking for a backup but they are heavy require a team lift to move. If you have natural gas or propane that's a nice fuel option they make conversation kits. But you wont get the full wattage unless you use gasoline.

I change out the fuel early spring and use Sta-Bil storage it has fired right up every time I needed it. Use ethanol free fuel of course

[calvinater]

looking to power the house , well pump, furnace ,refrigeration, lights, etc.
also full time power for a shop/garage.
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"Albatross"!

[busdaddy]

I power the house (well, gas furnace, fridge and most lights) easily with a 7500 watt one, thanks to LED bulbs the lighting part of the load is almost nothing now.

But this shop of yours?, what's going on in there?, welders?, compressors?, lights?, heat? And all day every day?, or just now and then?
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[Q-Dog]

I have a Honda 2200. It ran a 12000 btu window AC and my fridge and a couple of lights just fine. My problem was finding gas for it after a hurricane when we lost power for 6 days. And the noise sucks, even for such a quiet unit.

So, I built a battery backup with 2000 watts of solar panels and kept the gas generator to top up the battery if solar runs short. That means the gas generator is the backup to my backup and hasn't been used for a couple of years.

Do an energy audit and see how much power you really need.
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Brian

'69 Dune Buggy
'69 Beetle Convertible
'70 Beetle

[DesertSasquatchXploration]

[Q-Dog]

[Emily's Owner]

Our 6000W ran the well pump to the house and barns, propane furnace/blower, fridge and kitchen lights. Our electrician set up a panel switch so we could flip to generator feed, and it worked great.

You could go old school and get a big old tractor and do the same thing (we ran two houses, 3 barns and 2 wells off that thing), but that may be a little overkill.
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Xargaret

ITMC - OG Den Mother

What (and I cannot stress this enough) The Actual Fuck?!

1974 Transporter
2023 Subaru Outback

[xoo00oox]

Why not VW powered? This is the back-up generator I built for my house. I gave it remote start so you don't even need to go outside, just press a button.

[kingkarmann]

Our motorhome has an Onan Cummins Diesel 4kw
The diesel will allow for longer boondocking. It does smell and you have to watch your fuel level as it draws from the same tank as the motor.
The rig is built in Canada. Canadian delivery has a auto gen shut off as a fail safe. US models don't

We installed a propane fueled 22kw Generac generator for the house about 10 years ago. Everything is automatic. If the power goes out the generator kicks on in about 15 seconds.
It's important to us that we have reliable power as we have a well and septic.
It is nice to run A/C or heat as needed.
Pro's, Fairly quiet and very little odor.
Con's, it's propane. We nearly ran out last year due to a driver shortage.
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[oprn]

I have a 3K watt gasoline power plant but there are 2 things wrong with it. First is that it is NOT enough power to run the well. Second is the being gasoline, storage of fuel is a problem. I like to keep 2 jerry cans on hand and cycle them out by using them for my sand rail and garden/yard fuel supply. All good but the power outages always seem to happen when I am about due to refill the cans leaving me with little to no fuel on hand and no power at the gas pumps in town!

The solution in my mind is to have a natural gas powered generator that just plugs into a barbeque outlet. The natural gas has not been off here in 30 years for any reason. It is also far far cheaper than gasoline!
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[busdaddy]

I bought a NG carb for my 7kw gen last year for the same reasons, this post reminds me I have to put that on before winter, got me a BBQ outlet and hose for it too.

You'll have to do a size upgrade if you convert, less HP than gasoline I'm told, if it can't run the well now you'll be extra screwed on NG..
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Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
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[oprn]

Thanks, I am aware of that!
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)

[16CVs]

We have a 5K Honda and use it once or twice a year. Be sure to start it every couple of months and check the battery. Ours has a pull start and starts quite easily.

We had our electrician put in a new panel so that we have to throw 1 switch to disconnect from the grid and power into our house.

I also bought a Boat type 10 gallon gas trolley that I keep next to the Generator and full of gas. I also put a leash on it so it does not walk away.

It was an expensive upgrade, but when the powers out and I have lights and heat my wife's cooktop work I'm happy.

Stacy
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