$40 less than Amazonvs everyday price. GREAT generator! Bought one of these from Woot several years ago and have used it 6-7 times. Easy to start, runs a looong time on a single gallon using eco mode. Quiet enough it won’t keep you awake at night or disrupt your conversation. I’ve used it to run my fridge, wifi and TV simultaneously with no problems.
Highly recommend! Buy one now before you need it. Power went out this year for a few days and my Inlaws wound up paying 600 for a generator that was way bigger (and louder) than they needed because there was nothing else available.
Highly recommend for an emergency back-up and camping generator. I’ve had mine for 3 years or so now and it has never failed me. My father in-law bought one (which looks like this one) earlier this year and his has also ran like a champ.
I was without power for around 7 days due to hurricane Sally this year. This generator, on eco mode, ran my smaller full size fridge,window A/C on low, and a few lights. It sips gas and is fairly quiet. I could tell this was pushing the genie but it held out. I think it overloaded once and that when I had the above plugged into it and tried to add a fan, TV, and modem.
I can also recommend this generator. I bought mine a few years back from a Woot sale. Finally had a reason to use it when Hurricane Zeta came through Atlanta and we lost power for over 14 hours. Was able to power 2 full size refrigerators, 1 upright freezer, my laptop, and charge my phone which I was using as a hot spot.
And, after running my things for a few hours, it is light enough to take around to other neighbors to chill their fridges.
Had two neighbors purchase this same model generator since then. If you get it, also get the metal dipstick that has a magnet on the end. You can find it on the mothership. After running mine for a full day, I drained the fuel, and changed out the oil, and found quite a few particles on the end of the dipstick.
I agree with all of that. Important to maintain this engine.
Both of these guys are spot on about maintenance and the magnetic dipstick. And that doesn’t apply to just this generator. All generators need regular maintenance if you want them to work when you need them to work.
Pay close attention to the schedule for changing the oil and spark plug. Clean the air filter frequently. AND make sure you completely empty the fuel when it will be unused for long periods of time. Run that sucker dry! I would also recommend using ethanol free gas or using an additive that helps negate the harmful effects of ethanol.
Is there some reason to run this generator dry?
In general my recommendation for generators is to leave them wet, run them about once a month or so, and use fuel stabilizer. Keep the tank topped off to prevent moisture ingress.
The reason is twofold - every time you dry out the carb, the remaining fuel evaporates and leaves behind a varnish. This flakes off and clogs the jet. The second reason is that the seal around the carb dries out and then leaks for a while until it gets saturated again. If you keep it wet, it never dries out.
Thanks.
My suggestion is based upon the manuals with my generator, the advice from my local small engine mechanic,several manufacturers and upon the habits of most users.
If you are willing to get out your generator and run it every month and be very diligent about changing out old gas, then yes, you can certainly store fuel in the generator with a stabilizer like red Sta-Bil.
However, many people are not so diligent. If someone can’t or won’t, it is safer to run the carb dry to prevent corrosion. In addition, it is more and more difficult to find ethanol free gas. Ethanol will introduce water and oxidization into the system. Keeping the tank full will help reduce the amount of air/moisture that gets in, but it won’t keep it all out.
I bought one of these from the mothership a few years back. Slightly underpowered for tools with a high starting load like a circular saw, but it does nicely for powering the fridge, computers, etc.
Less than half the price than comparable offerings from Honda or Yamaha, this thing is a good deal. Might have to pickup another and the parallel kit…
If you live near the coast, look for marine gas; it’s alcohol-free and best for small engines like outboards or generators. I bought one a couple years ago and have since successfully used it to ward off hurricanes and other serious weather conditions that might result in power outages. I have added stabilizer and try to remember to start it once a month. Might get the magnetic dipstick. Tempted to get another and the parallel connection kit.
Specs and all look identical to Harbor Frieght and they are asking $500 for it.
People love the Harbor Freight one for what it is worth from the reviews.