A good Generator under $500

[Easttxbowman]

Without a doubt I'd go with a champion. Look up how popular they are with Rv users. I wouldnt hesitate to use the predators either.

[basskicker24]

My father in law has a tri fuel Firman he bought a while back from Costco for 799. He has worked great so far. They have been without power since Monday. I borrowed his Honda and have torn it apart trying to fix it. It still won't start. I am sure it sat too long so its not the generators fault. I am buying a Predator from Harbor freight after this. Probably two of them.

[Swtexan]

Honda isn't what it used to be. It was the gold standard but talk to a repairman and they say the same. If you can afford a diesel I would go that route.

[Mike D]

Keep in mind electric space heaters use a ton of power, typically up to 1500 watts each. So if you want to run 2 of them that 3000 watts (3kw) alone. The redo of the stuff you mentioned is minimal.

That being said I i were going to use a portable generator I would get double the capacity you think you need. In the case above I would be looking at a generator with a minimum of 7000 RUNNING watts. Many shady generators are advertised self starting watts and can be misleading. I would also explore dual fuel units. They will be more efficient on gas but long term storage of gas can be a problem. Also know what the consumption rate is on both gas and propane, they will be different typically with propane being higher so plan accordingly.

I think I would up your budget a bit and get a larger generator that you can rely on when needed. I can’t be much help with brands because I have a built in generator but there are plenty of resources available.


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[Jason]

On the multi-fuel generators, can you use the same propane tank used for the BBQ grill with it?

Are they simple to convert back and forth between Unleaded Gas and Propane?

Are there any negitives to using propane other than it looks like reduced wattage output?

[Bill]

The Westinghouse and Cummins 9500 are the same generators in different colors.

See my post on the backup generator thread- my Cummins has not arrived yet for retirement home in Montana.

Depending on electrical (DIY) or electrician cost for a transfer switch you might do it all for $1500 or a little more.


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[ATI]

is the price difference worth it?


$850

https://www.harborfreight.com/3500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-63584.html

VS


$550

https://www.harborfreight.com/6500-watt-max-starting-gas-powered-generator-carb-63964.html

[Dale Moser]

I ordered this one.

WEN 56380i Super Quiet 3800-Watt Portable Inverter Generator with Fuel Shut-Off and Electric Start https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PTNTRRJ...ing=UTF8&psc=1

Big enough to run my camper, or hook to the house and run some lights/TV/fridge/space heaters.


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[Boar Stalker]

A couple years ago we went to the hardware store to buy a Honda. The sales lady said we should look at the Powerhorse 2300 $520 at Northern Tool.

We bought one and this year bought a second one for our place in East Texas. They’re quiet and start up every time. Very happy with the quality.

We also have a large Briggs & Stratton that works great, just really loud but gets the job done.

[Arrowsmith]

On the multi-fuel generators, can you use the same propane tank used for the BBQ grill with it?

Are they simple to convert back and forth between Unleaded Gas and Propane?

Are there any negitives to using propane other than it looks like reduced wattage output?

Yes. You can use your grill tank as long as the regulator is supplying the correct pressure. It won't last long though.

The duel fuel generators simply switch back and forth from gas to propane.

Propane is cleaner burning and is easier to store.

You can easily convert a gas unit to duel fuel with a carburetor conversion kit. Most conversion kits are very similar but you need to get the kit that is specific to your generator.

Look here:

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GgsQAS4JDg"]CONVERT YOUR GENERATOR TO PROPANE - (QUICK HOW-TO VERSION) - YouTube[/ame]

[BrianL]

Do you have natural gas or a bulk propane tank? Figure out how to heat without electric power, then use the generator for smaller items like fans, tv, fridge, freezer. An inverter generator will pay for itself after about 3 weeks of use, just in decreased fuel cost.

[30-30]

As others have suggested, get higher starting/running watts than you need. You don’t want to overwork the machine and burn excess fuel to hit your minimum wattage requirement. Generators are pricey. It sucks but if you can bump your budget to $800-$1200 you can get a much more capable setup. I’m struggling with that now. I want to be able to run a fridge, two freezers, TV, router/modem, heater blower, and any needed lights and space heaters or cooling fans. I gave up on the $500 budget early...

[Smart]

is the price difference worth it?


$850

https://www.harborfreight.com/3500-watt-super-quiet-inverter-generator-63584.html

VS


$550
https://www.harborfreight.com/6500-w...arb-63964.html

Loud plus more watts versus not near so loud, more fuel efficient and less watts ...you're choice

[Jtrage]

I didn't post this to be judged, if you don't have a suggestion read and move on.

Kids stuck at home want some type of entertainment after they're bored out of their minds. TV and Internet will keep the entertained. You either don't have kids or are just a smart@$$

Ha. I am right there with you. We had no electricity. I had a fire to keep us warm, food on the stove and hot water but the kids were driving us crazy and going crazy themselves. (Before my judging, my kids play a lot of math/school games in their spare time. Not just xbox.) Especially when I was trying to work with minimal connections.

I realize we could have had it much worse and we would redirect resources away from internet/entertainment if we had to.

[Gus]

I have the Predator 3500 and couldn’t be happier with its reliability. There are tons of reviews on RV sites that backup it’s dependability. I just turned mine off after 80 plus hours of continuous use. It did its job for our household again.