Suggestions on a quiet decent sized generator

If shtf a generator with be as useless as a gun without ammo.

Oh found one, it looks cheaper but duel fuel. I might buy one and just have everything I need on hand. I would just leave it in the box.

[link to www.walmart.com (secure)]

Last Edited by Peter Quill on 10/04/2022 09:27 PM

Here's my 2 cents worth.

The main objective for a generator is reliability.
Most if not all of the so called inverter generators have a LOT of semiconductors that are prone to failure, especially the MOSFETs. They are great when they are working, but they have a MUCH lower reliability. A standard cheaper generator makes power that runs everything just fine. I had a 5500 watt Coleman generator after Hurricane Ike and it made power just fine for 30 days of power outage. I ran 2 window air conditioners, the fridge, and was even able to run the washing machine,gas dryer and the dishwasher (individually of course).

Also powered up a flat screen TV and the satellite TV unit I had at the time.

It is loud and it runs at the required speed all the time, vs an inverter genny which can throttle the speed back for reduced load conditions. Uses more gas and is louder. But invertor gennys fail, so all those advantages don't mean crap when it quits working.

If you have a well, make sure the genny has the 220V capacity to run the well pump.

I also bought a larger generator 11,000 watt Power Horse brand from Northern tools. Overkill for the house except I want to have the option to run one of the big Central Air conditioners.

Also bought a smaller 4000 watt one with no wheels in case I want to toss it in the pickup truck.

Whatever gasoline genny you buy, the gasoline storage will be an issue for gumming up the carburetor unless you buy 100% pure gasoline.

I bought a 12V fuel pump that I can use to transfer gasoline. If you have larger gas tanks, you can't just lift them anymore to pour.

Get spare parts for the carburetor, a can of gumout cleaner spray, and a spare fuel shutoff valve, and if it uses carbon brushes, spare brushes. Any other parts you can think of, because the store won't be open during a hurricane or a nuclear war. Learn how to take off the carburetor and clean it.

Don't just buy a HUGe generator if you don't need it, because it will use way more gasoline than necessary.

There is a cheap interlock kit you can buy if you want to feed power into your house panel directly. It meets code and lets you run anything in the house so long as the generator has the amps. A biggy I found in living on a genny for a month was the bathroom vent fans. You don't want to take showers and steam up the bathroom and you can't run a vent fan. Luckily I had an upstairs shower that had a window you could open to let the humidity out.

If you have a few sheets of plywood, you can make a Tee Pee arrangement with the boards and knock down the noise level quite a bit. There is a youtube video of a guy showing his method.

This one is close to the larger Northern tools generator I have. It is pretty heavy. I moved mine alone, but it is heavy. Most people would have trouble moving it. (325 lbs without the gas in it).
[link to www.northerntool.com (secure)]

The medium size was a Coleman 5500
Similar to this one.
[link to www.amazon.com (secure)]

If you do want to buy an invertor type, the Harbor Freight Predator series has a large following as they seem to be almost as good as the Honda version, for much less money.

Last Edited by JustmeTX on 10/04/2022 09:41 PM

In Humboldt County, we used to bury our mufflers 3 feet deep when we were growing dope. The generator was pretty much silent

Yeah, I've read a ton of reviews and Honda is always top. The inverter kind is quieter than the regular.

The invertor will slow the engine down and be quieter and easier on gas when not fully loaded.

But if it is heavily loaded, the engine speeds up and it becomes close to a non-invertor engine noise and fuel usage.

Like I said, the main convern in my book is reliability. ANd that means to avoid invertor gennys. (Unless you like replacing MOSFETs and have power to run your soldering iron. :)

Here is a video on repairing an inverter.








Last Edited by JustmeTX on 10/04/2022 10:48 PM

Natural clean burning gas generator is the way to go.

No more going outside on those cold dark and rainy nights to fill it up with gasoline/petrol.

The Harbor Freight Predator 3500 (3.5kW) is quiet, effective and a good value. It is an inverter design also with a 12VDC output. It has electric or pull start. Gasoline only, unless you find a conversion kit. One problem: the generator has an internal battery drain of about 700 uA. This means the internal 12V 7AH sealed starter battery is 50% drained in about 20 days of no operation. The solution is to add a disconnect switch on the battery +terminal to eliminate this drain. I always pull-start it but it's nice to have a functional battery for starting if needed.

Suggest you look at how much gas they use, then realize just how useless they are in shtf.

Learn to store food long term without refrigeration or buy emergency rations.

I am considering this one. Any comments pro and con would be appreciated. [link to www.amazon.com (secure)]

I have read you need two kinds, one for electronics and another one for heavy duty stuff. One is sine and the other is not. I think that is right, I am just learning. This one above can pull the freezer and electronics but not the entire house like my big one in the RV. I think......... LOL

I liked the propane option because I can fill the tanks and forget it for years and it will still be fine, but you cannot use old gasoline in them. I think...... pretty sure. I am learning.