Who Here Has A Generator, And It Saved Them ?

[peejman]

Any thoughts on this one?  I like the dual fuel option and it gets good reviews... 

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sportsman-2-200-watts-dual-fuel-inverter-generator-gen2200dfi

[billt]

The dual fuel is always nice to have.

[Steve M.]

I've got a 9500 dual fuel, only needed it once to keep chest freezer running during a 12 hour power outage. Normally 12 hours wouldn't be that bad even with it not plugged in but I had just loaded it with some meat that needed to freeze, so wanted it running for sure.

[TripleGGG]

I have a Honda duel fuel 3000w and also a Onan Diesel 12000w in my Motorhome with 100 gallons of diesel available at all times.

I can connect either or both to my house. 

[tnhawk]

During this month I have needed to use a generator on three different occasions varying from 1/2 to several hours.

[Defender]

A friend is researching generators and I mentioned this thread. He’s not a gun guy so he asked me to see what y’all thought about this one:  https://www.harborfreight.com/9500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-with-co-secure-technology-57080.html

[peejman]

2 hours ago, Defender said:

A friend is researching generators and I mentioned this thread. He’s not a gun guy so he asked me to see what y’all thought about this one:  https://www.harborfreight.com/9500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-with-co-secure-technology-57080.html

Predator generators are generally well regarded. I know several people with one who are happy. I also see them commonly on food trucks. 

[billmeek]

Predator generators are also used by big construction firms and a lot of full-time RVers.  The only reason I haven't bought one yet is I want a dual-fuel. 

[trunner]

When we lived outside Portland, OR, we raised broiler chickens and rabbits for meat. We also bought in a share of beef or hog regularly. We had a large vegetable garden, as well as fruit trees and berry bushes. 

Not wanting to risk spoiling the hard-won frozen foodstuffs, we installed a whole-house, 20 kW Generac propane generator. It was expensive, but (literally) saved our bacon a few times during extended outages of up to a week. It also made the outages about as comfortable as under normal power. It was a luxury for certain, but also helped boost our home's sale price. I'd do it again.

I've found this site to be helpful in making buying decisions about generators: https://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/. These folks also have buying guides for various other equipment. 

[pms]

Ditto TGO Benefactor. I would recommend a whole house generator, if you can afford one. With a 2 week tank of fuel you can't go wrong. Especially if your area has a natural gas line that you can tap into. Even in areas of flooding the gas lines typically don't shut down which means you have power for the whole house as long as you need. Although, if you require more than 2 weeks of generator back up, probably should have evacuated.

[Omega]

I had my small inverter generator stolen so had to replace it and went with a bigger non-inverter but multi-fuel one and do not regret it.  I just broke it out when I went to my land in Hardin County to cut some trails and it worked great.  Much heavier than the 2k inverter but it can run all my electric tools with no issue, unlike the smaller one.  It is a bit louder, but not nearly as bad as my regular generator I leave at home for emergencies.  

[Jeb48]

Since my last post I Have added 4KW of EchoFlow lithium batteries. conservatively I can run most all I need it the house for 3-4 hours and if I started getting close I can charge the EchoFlows from the generator. It gives me the added advantage that the EchoFlow has a higher short term output than the generator so it makes a good buffer. I built the EchoFlow with two 2KW packs I only added the second 2KW when a deal came along.  I could add a 3rd pack but no need at this time.

[TennesseeCamper]

On 3/27/2023 at 8:51 PM, Jeb48 said:

Since my last post I Have added 4KW of EchoFlow lithium batteries. conservatively I can run most all I need it the house for 3-4 hours and if I started getting close I can charge the EchoFlows from the generator. It gives me the added advantage that the EchoFlow has a higher short term output than the generator so it makes a good buffer. I built the EchoFlow with two 2KW packs I only added the second 2KW when a deal came along.  I could add a 3rd pack but no need at this time.

I have a small Jackery and I was looking hard at getting a larger one.  Then I saw Ecoflow! The more I read the more I liked the brand. So I just recently bought a Delta 2 to power my refrigerator and a couple essentials. Tested it out and worked great.

I have a Champion inverter generator and solar panels.  I may add more later.