Backup Generator

[squarebob]

I think I found my backup, backup generator!!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/homelite-power-plant-generator-/230539262427?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35ad35f9db

or this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/Montgomery-Ward-2-Cylinder-Stationary-Engine-Generator-/120633381273?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c164f5199

Bob

[Tom T]

State of the art:)  Tom T

[BioHazard]

Is the homelite 2 cycle? I just bought a little 2 cycle generator at harbor freight for about $70 on sale, I love it! Quality isn't very high but it weighs and costs less than a deep cycle battery! I thought for sure the 2 cycle engine would be more obnoxious than it is...

[admin]

i just got one of the harbor freight 2 stroke gen's too, and i really like it as well.

didn't expect much, and its capability is only about 800 watts, but it will start a 6 inch bench grinder
or run an angle grinder which is all i need it for on my service truck,

pretty handy little bugger in my opinion.

just be sure to turn the fuel off if you transport it, otherwise it will leak down and fill the crankcase
which really floods the crap out of the engine.

it runs remarkably well, burns cleanly, and the governor response is really good when the load is applied.

got it for about 70 bucks on sale

bob g

[LowGear]

Hi bob g.

it runs remarkably well, burns cleanly

Hmmmmm - really?  Don't you mean it doesn't smoke bad - even for a two cycle.  I wonder how these units get imported and sold when Listeroids are on the bad favors list?

Casey

PS.  Is it me or is the Homelite part cartoon dog from the 30s.  A really smart cartoon dog with great ideas now and then.

[vdubnut62]

Hi Casey, everything that I have that is 2 stroke runs on Stihl synthetic 2 stroke oil at a 50:1 mix, regardless of OEM recommendations.
No smoke and I ain't burned anything up yet.  Not saying that I won't!
Ron

[admin]

what i meant by burning cleanly was in a relative way

it doesn't smoke or smell bad, and no i haven't any idea how they get them imported.

maybe there are minimum size that is exempt, i dunno

the little bugger might well blow up at 10 hours or so, i guess i will see
however for what i need it for, 10 hours might take me 10 years to accumulate
no more often than i need it to provide me power on the service truck.

now that it is getting darker earlier, i might put it to a longevity test and use it to power
some work lights,, i could probably get a few hours per week accumulated on it.

it just seems like a remarkably well engineered and built little guy for 70 bucks, we bought
two of them, one for each truck and paid the 20 bucks for a 2 year no questions asked warranty
so i guess for 90 bucks we are guaranteed to have a running unit which isn't bad at all

at least for what it is.

i wish we could build something like it here in the states, so i could keep my money here instead
of sending it overseas.

btw, it calls for 50 to 1 mix as well, however i am running it at 35 to 1 for breakin
at least that is the story i am telling, because i dumped too much oil out of the bottle into my gas can
it don't seem to bother it at all, doesn't smoke at that level of mix, so i would expect it to be quite clean
at the recommended 50/1



bob g

bob g

[vdubnut62]

Bob check and see if it doesn't have a cat on it. The small 2 stroke kits to motorize a bicycle have a cat, (Wonder how they pull THAT off?) and I would expect to see about the same thing on your small genny.
Ron

[admin]

i will take a look, it might have a cat

i assumed it was a muffler, however thinking about it the thing is rectangular and
nearly as large as the little engine, so maybe it has a cat.

will report back

bob g

[SteveU.]

Hey.
Cats get real hot - but then so do most close coupled exhausts.
Cats however due to the thermal mass of the ceramic core Stay HOT for a LONG time after shut down.
Oh and heavier than gauge metal exhaust when removed.

Regards
Steve Unruh

[BioHazard]

I already put 10 hours on 2 of the little HF generators. It's really quite remarkable to see how much it smokes when it's cold, but when it's hot, it's not much different from a 4 cycle engine. The first one ran for about 10 hours and then make a loud noise. Some shredded plastic parts fell out. I paid extra for the warranty too, and I've already got 10 hours on the new one. Still running great. Will run for around 8 hours on a gallon of gas, and my "Kill-a-watt" says it's making around 3.5KWH/gallon. Not bad at all...

I noticed part of the way it works is to blow the hot air out the same place the exhaust exits, so that probably helps keep the fumes down. I like it enough that I think I'm going to buy another and make an air compressor out of it. I was pleasantly surprised to see the entire cylinder assembly made out of iron, unlike your standard weedwacker engine...

[SteveU.]

Hi
While the wife was dallying in the Dollar Store I snuck down the way to Harbor Freight and stuck a wire into the muffler on one or these 800 watt HF 2-stroke specials. Hollow muffler -  no cat core on the one that I checked. Did have a class 1 - 50 hour US EPA compliance sticker on it, BUT was not California CARB certified like one of it's bigger 4-stroke brothers. Was rated as a low 2 in the scale of 0 to 5 of Least to Most polluting engines in it's class. FWIW

Regards
Steve Unruh

[admin]

now that i have used the little bugger, i am having a real bitch of a time getting it to start cold
it floods easily and wets the plug, however once dried out and started it runs well and does a heck of a job.

i decided to read through the 100 plus reviews on the product and found out that the starting issues are commonly
related to the crap chinese sparkplug, apparently many folks have had starting issues that were resolved by replacing
the plug with an autolite 64 or champion RN11yc or equivalent plug.

one guy posted he has had one sitting on a boat dock that has amassed about 2000hrs so far and has fallen in the water
twice, but still keeps on running.

hard to beat that with a stick.

also found out that it can support a full size fridge or start and run a 5kbtu airconditioner, thats useful in an emergency.

i am going to get the new sparkplug and if that resolves the starting issue, i will be buying another one of these units

i am thinking of a special application for one, that should be really a neat application for the unit.



bob g

[BioHazard]

I put an NGK plug in mine. Always starts on the 3rd pull cold. I'm stress testing it since I bought the extra warranty. I'm seriously thinking about mounting one under the hood of my Chevy, it will fit if I move the gas tank. I measured 1000w peak while using a circular saw.

I love how the instruction manual tells you to change the fuel/oil mixture after the 25 hour break in period, and then every 50 hours there after. Change it to what?  

Looks like it's back down to $120 now. It's not hard to find a 20% off coupon too. Less than a hundred bucks is an amazing deal, and I'm betting due to all the great reviews on the website it isn't going back down to it's previous $79.

[LowGear]

Did someone whisper "trade deficit"?

Casey