Generators

[redman2006]

10 not as loud as I thought. Comfortable to be around. Some have a really harsh jackhammer sound this is a muffled noise without the sharpness to it.

It is quieter than my 9 year old cub cadet rider lawnmower. It has a kohler motor, but not sure what size. Far, far quieter than my little pancake compressor. NOT sure how to describe it.

What I have discovered is the idle down is a waste. IT seems like a good idea, and may be, but with tools, that low voltage, just for a second, is hard on them. I usually run it with the idle down function off.

[redman2006]

Oh, I bought a small power supply and it included a line conditioner as well, so even if this is a clean power unit, I run it through the power supply and plug my electronics into that.

[W.Lynn]

I vote for the logging chain......attached to a rabid pit bull.

Can not stand a damned theif. I am not sure what the laws are there, but I would do everything legal to defend home and hearth. WE purchased some battery operated security cameras wireless is good. We also had a good alarm installed. THERE are motion sensor lights that are solar powered and good quality now for very little money.

The arlo system is not cheap, but it was the only wireless, battery operated camera system that I could find. It has the binus, and the down side, of being Internet connected. WE can log in from anywhere, and it records off sight. UNFORTUNATELY I guess others could hack it too.

He's in NM, slightly more socialist than TX. Not sure how they are on shooting thieves & intruders, just know that I can.

[kickstand]

Well, I couldn't stand it anymore, so the new genset is on order. It may take up to 3 weeks to get here, so I'm hoping that the collapse holds off for a little longer. But I have another question for y'all.

I am considering either chaining it down on the less visible side of the house, or mounting it to the bed of my truck. It's a full size Chevy C1500. About the only use this truck sees anymore is moving heavier things around the property and going to the dump. This would keep it movable/portable without the headache of dragging it around the yard. This is my preferred answer, and I would be looking at mounting some U-Bolts through the bed to secure it.

The question is, can you see any reason NOT to mount it to the bed of the truck? I'm sure that over time, there will likely be some heat damage to the paint of the bed, but I'm really not concerned about that. The truck has just shy of 400,000 miles on it, and it's not in pristine condition anymore. That's the only thing that I can think of that would be an issue.
Ok, one more question: If you were to mount it to the bed, would you mount it up close to the cab, or at the very back end near the tail gate, and why?

[Zef_66]

I would not mount it in my truck because then I would have to remove it everytime I want to use the truck. And I would not want it to be riding around with my to lowes and HD. The extra vibration would cause preliminary wear and tear on it.

If it were me, I would mount it to an axle and set of wheels and put a tow hitch on it. This would allow me to pull it wherever I wanted around the property to use it.

[redman2006]

One of those little harbor freight trailers and you could have enough room for a little fuel on it too.
If I had a large enough flat bed, I would consider mounting it to the bed.

[kickstand]

My concern with the trailer/axle idea is that I don't want to make it any easier to walk/roll away.

[redman2006]

In some ways, a trailer might prevent theft. Decent locks can hold it to or prevent it from being hitched. IT may or may not have to have a license. Either way, it provides a more identifiable peice of property.

You could consider wild paint jobs or a stenciled "call police-stolen property " on the trailer.

It gives you the ability to move it more easily and put it up faster, so you may not have left it out to be seen. IT also adds weight and bulk, so a goon or two can't hoist it over a fence as easily.

It gives you a lot more opportunities to chain it or use a locking boot on it.

Anyway, just a thought. Unless I had a chain hoist to remove it when needed, I don't believe I would put it in my truck bed. I cuss enough over a hitch ball that does not lay flat when hauling.

Btw, what did you end up buying?

[Zef_66]

In some ways, a trailer might prevent theft. IT also adds weight and bulk, so a goon or two can't hoist it over a fence as easily.

This is my thought. Even if you chain the frame of the generator to a tree, 20 seconds with a battery powered hack saw can cut through the thin frame tubing. So you are not much better than when they stole it last time. But bolt the generator down to a thick trailer axle or frame with hefty u-bolts, and it takes a lot of cutting to get the generator off or remove a chain that is keeping it to a tree.

[kickstand]

Thanks guys...Y'all make good sense. I guess that I need to aquire or build a trailer. We all know that the only real way to stop someone who is set on stealing something is to, uh, make it so they can't steal anything .

Redman, I ended up going with the Westinghouse 7500/9000. Hopefully it's a good choice. It's going to be rough waiting 2 weeks for it to arrive .

[redman2006]

I looked at it. home depot had a great price on it when I looked.

[kickstand]

Just a little reminder, if you have a generator , and haven't used it for a while, it would be a good idea to put it to use to keep everything working properly, especially if you might be in the path of any of the storms and hurricanes currently making the rounds. You really don't want to be out at 2:00am, tugging on a pull cord, trying to get a stubborn one to start because it hasn't been used since last fall.

[W.Lynn]

Kick isn't just whistling in the dark. Leave it empty and dry if you have to for a week or so after purchase, til you can do the job right. When you set it up, check everything, now is when can call for a replacement widget because the one included had a problem. RTFM. Follow ALL the steps, spending money doesn't make you an instant expert. Have a test-load item ready to plug in, beer fridge and garage freezer, whatever. As RV owners find out, it's good to test run for an hour, monthly, and change the oil annually, or when you've had a period of constant use.

The little inverter we haul down to our hunting buddy's cabin and ”test" there on chore runs. The larger generator in the RV is a sweet test, I start the generator, adjust the a/c, set an alarm, and take a nap.

[Infidel]

i got to run my generator today. I drained it out after my last use, changed plugs, and stored it away.

[roach2654]

Tested and ready to go !