Good portable generator brand

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mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
I just came off a four day power outages at my home. I used a portable 4200 watt generator that was over 20 years old. It died about an hour before power was restored so I am in the market for a replacement. Can anybody suggest a good brand? The only thing I would want beyond a basic unit would be some wheels and maybe a battery start. My right arm is really sore after tending that old one for four days. I even had to use starting fluid on two cold mornings
 

shortcircuit2

Senior Member
Location
South of Bawstin
My customers have been getting the Honda EM6500. It has wheels, electric start, and there is no neutral bond or GFCI protection of the 30amp receptacle. It's pricey at $3000, but it will be the best IMO
 

mkgrady

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
My customers have been getting the Honda EM6500. It has wheels, electric start, and there is no neutral bond or GFCI protection of the 30amp receptacle. It's pricey at $3000, but it will be the best IMO

Wow that is pricey! I think I could get a fully automatic standby for that much, which is tempting.

Also, are there any brands I should avoid?
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
Based on what I read from people posting elsewhere Honda probably makes the most reliable units. The inverter style Honda units are purportedly the most fuel efficient and quiet ones.

Having said that, the little Harbor Freight unit that retails for <$100 has quite a following.
 

shortcircuit2

Senior Member
Location
South of Bawstin
Honda makes an EM5000 also for $2400 and the book shows 7000 surge watts for 10 seconds for starting motors.

Honda inverter models are quiet and run along time on a tank of fuel but they go flat at their rated watts and I have seen them struggle to start motors.

I just have a Coleman 5000 watt that I have only used a couple of times for extended power supply and I tell you it seems to take a beating when run for for that long.

I would stay away from generators that can't be setup without the neutral bond removed for premises connection. You get what you pay for from the home stores. Honda stands behind their product.
 
http://www.sears.com/briggs-stratto...p-07133183000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2


Although someone else said to stay away from Briggs and Stratton, 8-10 elderly customers of mine have purchased this model over the last year and a half with no problems.

They like the electric start feature and I believe it's important to have the manual pull cord back up starting option, which this unit has.

Had one 65 year old widow with an electric start (no manual backup) genny. Every time she needed it she had battery problems.
 

RLyons

Senior Member
Portables make up %1 of our business so I cannot say with absolute certainty there is a difference between briggs portable and standby quality. We install allot of Briggs/GE units as well as Generac. Our Company owner has a standby briggs and has never had problem. I personally have seen brand new units blow up due to engine failure not to mention various circuit board issues to the point I would never consciously recommend a briggs product. IMO there QC has dropped big over the last 10 years. If my boss saw me write this he'd fire me as he has no problem selling them :lol:
 

jmellc

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Occupation
Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
I'm a bit discouraged on generators myself. I had a Troybilt that blew the engine within a year. Got a Briggs when they were supposed to be good. It lasted maybe 2 years and started blowing oil. Got a Husky from HD year before last. It now cranks & runs about 20 minutes before shutting down. My mechanic says not worth fixing, that the Subaru engines in them are not good & most other engines won't fit. It lasted just a few months beyond the last payment for it.
 

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
My boss had me buy two 8kw Briggs vertical generators for Y2k, someone liked one of them better than we did, and pilfered it a couple of years later, the other one is down at his farm, and still runs good. Don't know how the newer ones hold up. I have a 1.85 kw Coleman that has a Kawasaki engine, and other than the gas tank gasket rotting out, still runs good. It is also a Y2K model.
 

John120/240

Senior Member
Location
Olathe, Kansas
Portables make up %1 of our business so I cannot say with absolute certainty there is a difference between briggs portable and standby quality. We install allot of Briggs/GE units as well as Generac. Our Company owner has a standby briggs and has never had problem. I personally have seen brand new units blow up due to engine failure not to mention various circuit board issues to the point I would never consciously recommend a briggs product. IMO there QC has dropped big over the last 10 years. If my boss saw me write this he'd fire me as he has no problem selling them :lol:

WE WILL TALK IN THE MORNING !!!
 
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