Thread: Portable generators - advice

Pumps that cycle like pressure pumps need approx three time their KW to kick them in. We occasionally have power failures here and as we have a pressure pump for our water supply we start a 3.5 KVA genny. We also have a 2.2 KVA which we thought was ample considering our pump is 0.7 KVA, however that was not the case....the poor thing worked it's butt off.

Cheers, Mick.

Originally Posted by bacicat2000

For a house, I would recommend a 4 or 5KVA. That will run everything, including the pool. If you take a generator camping, please don't camp near me. I can't for the life of me work out why people go into our beautiful peaceful outdoors and want to run a generator? With a good battery setup you can get a whole weekend out of a fridge and if you are moving about every few days, you will always have power, and LED lighting is cheap and easy. There are so many options for cooking, so why a genset?

You need 0KVA for basic camping needs. Buy a torch and a gas stove and save your dollars. If you don't like carrying gas, then get a dual fuel stove - the are fantastic.

By all means get one for the house, but PLEASE leave it there....

I also agree!
If you are going bush you are there for the solitude, peace n quiet and to get away from the rat race.
Spend three weeks before you go eating top class tucker, then take powdered milk, bake beans and a bottle of port if you must have alcohol.
You are there to hear the noises of the bush, smell the smells of the outback and basically chill out. You won't starve, and you won't die of scurvy or malnutrition. If you must have a shower a fire blackened Stainless Steel or Alumium milking bucket boils in no time sitting alongside an open fire......ten litres of cold water in a canvas shower bag and then ten litres of hot water and you have ample time for two to shower comfortably.
Modern four wheel drives have made people soft, they travel over rough roads in a superbly well sprung vehicle, air conditioned comfort and consequently expect the same sort of conditions when they arrive at their camp site.
We have been travelling for a long time, started in a Series 1 and we have noticed that as the years passed and 4WD's became more comfortable more and more people ventured into the outback. Many years ago we were the only campers (swags) in an area of the Kimberly's and another vehicle set up camp twenty feet from us. I think they were city slickers who were scared of the dark. Actually it was about the same time when the mad German "Schwab" was shooting people up there. (Circa 1986)
What is worng with experiencing some of the "days gone bye" style of life!
Just my "two bobs" worth!

Cheers, Mick.

If you had specific needs for a portable generator for both bush work and power down backup.

A single Honda 2eu has just run in our Cookers power downs; 2 domestic fridge/freezers, a 200L chest freezer and a 180L upright freezer... Just need some judicious juggling to make sure all compressors dont hit her at once. She drinks a bit at full load but better than a freezers full of cray and fish going to waste!

And when camping if you happened to have the need, a 2eu will run 6+ engels (et al) on eco throttle without blinking.

Steve

I agree with RoverRescue - Honda EU20i is a nice piece of kit:



Cost is around $1800.

Good long term unit.

After the earthquakes here in Christchurch New Zealand, everyone rushed out to buy generators, most brought the Chinese rubbish that bunnings sell and within 3 days they had a whole courtyard full of returns, our friends one lasted two hours and blew up. buy a decent one like Honda or Yamaha and for computers get a inverter generator.

Originally Posted by spudboy

I agree with RoverRescue - Honda EU20i is a nice piece of kit:



Cost is around $1800.

Good long term unit.

At Xmas we had one of these for a trial as we sat for several days. Unless we all figured wrong, at idle it only powered 1 Engle fridge. It didn't charge the Aux battery, only maintained things as they were.

On full, we figured 7amps was all it was pushing, so for a full day of drone the battery had minimal charge.
Where an idled vehicle motor for 20 minutes a day kept the Aux toped up ready for another hot summers day of abuse.

National parks cant tell you to go if you start the car. And if you do around particularly if it midday you upset no one. Where as if you start a geny you'r everyone enemy.
Perhaps these Honda units may be the quiets on the market, and perhaps they are at the show stall. But take them somewhere quiet and you may as well take the lawn mower.

I bought a Bunnings gennie a few years ago. They were throwing out GMC and a mate that worked there said they were selling 4 stoke 950w gennie for $100.

So I got one for camping and other stuff. Well it has sat in the garage for 4 years never been used in anger. Until last weekend when we lost power on Sunday morning and did not get it back until Wednesday morning.
Not the most powerful in the world but ran the main fridge and kept the phones , iPads and kids games charged. So payed for its self many times over this weekend

Originally Posted by roverrescue

If you had specific needs for a portable generator for both bush work and power down backup.

A single Honda 2eu has just run in our Cookers power downs; 2 domestic fridge/freezers, a 200L chest freezer and a 180L upright freezer... Just need some judicious juggling to make sure all compressors dont hit her at once. She drinks a bit at full load but better than a freezers full of cray and fish going to waste!

And when camping if you happened to have the need, a 2eu will run 6+ engels (et al) on eco throttle without blinking.

Steve

Have to agree with you on the Honda Steve. I have taken gennies and bush freezers on extended bush/fishing trips for over 40 years now and even though the gennies are not used constantly I have used one to run freezers and lights. Initially this was before the emergence of small refrigerators like Engels etc that can be run off dual battery/solar setups. Where we camped there were no other campers or Nat Parks so only annoyance was to ourselves. I built a bush freezer to replace the generator/house freezer setup which only required running for about 4-6 hours/day whereas the gennie required about double that. Like you I now have a Honda EU2 for standby (power outages and bush trips) and did a lot of checking around before I decided on it. We used it at home the other night when we had power out for about 7 hours and they are unbelievably quiet. In my opinion they are not the cheapest but probably the best available. With anything like this you get what you pay for.