Backup Generator

[vdubnut62]

I am surprised that it has no CAT!! My 6.5 hp 4 stroke from HB has one. Go figure.
Ron

[cgwymp]

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.

Coupon code 21238746 gets it down to $89.99 through Dec 26th....

[BioHazard]

Somewhere I read that the EPA takes into account all of the engines a particular brand is selling, and if some are cleaner than required, others can be a bit dirty. It's like how the MPG standards apply to vehicles - Chevy couldn't sell trucks that get 15mpg unless they also sell cars that get 35+mpg. Maybe Harbor Freight gets away with the 2 stroke since everything else they sell is a Chonda, and relatively clean burning.

[Henry W]

I know that manufactures used to get credits for having so many clean burning 2-stroke and/or 4-stroke engines. And they can use those credits to sell a not so clean running 2-stroke engine here in the U.S. This has been the way it has been for Companies like Jonsered, Stihl, Shindiawa, Red Max, Echo and Husqvarna for some time.

Husqvarna uses this to sell the popular 372XP professional saw with no catalytic converter in the U.S. They come in at limited quantitys and once they are sold out that would be it until they get more credits.

The Jonsered CS2171 has no catalytic converter and is pretty much the same saw as the 372XP except for a few enhancements and color that I like and they were not limited. The reason is they had enough credits to import them year around.

Note: If you need a 372XP or the CS2171 (Which is my favorate) you better better buy one fast. they will no longer be available once they are sold out. They are some of the best new saws ever made. When I tried the CS2171 I realized the CS2171 was a better fit for me and the Stihl 046 was put on craigslist.

This also might be the case why the tiny 2-stroke generator can be sold in the U.S. They might of had enough credits when they were imported in the U.S. And who knows when and how many Harbor Freight brought in the U.S.

Henry

[BioHazard]

Coupon code 21238746 gets it down to $89.99 through Dec 26th....

Nice! Does anyone know if there's any way to use that in store?

[Ronmar]

Bob. Did you get the mix up to 50:1 yet?  That might be effecting your startup.  Excess oil builds carbon film
On plug.  At startup this film catches fuel and fouls the plug...

[BioHazard]

I don't like two stroke engines because of the oil mixing requirement.

That's what I thought too, but I couldn't pass up this gen for the price. Now I kinda like the idea of not having any crankcase oil on a generator, that way it never has to be changed and never runs low. I thought for sure it would burn more fuel, it's even more efficient than harbor freight claims. Even with an NGK plug and a 50:1 mix the plug does get dirty real quick. I guess I've never put this many hours on a 2 cycle before...

Now all the sudden I want a 2 cycle air compressor to match.

[mobile_bob]

i too am not crazy about mixing oil with gas, but as mentioned there is no crankcase oil to change of fuss
with, so i guess it is a reasonable compromise.

u used to have a small leaf blower and an echo weedeater, both of course 2strokes

neither got mixed fuel with the right oil or the right ratio, and sometime i would fuel either or both with pure pump gas
they never did anything but keep right on running.  heck i never even tuned either of them up, not even a spark plug
although i did wash out the foam aircleaners every other year or so.

not sure i would want to treat this little generator with the same abuse, but my experience with 2strokes is they are pretty forgiving
once they get some hours on them.  or course the lack of 80krpm attacks on the throttle might have allowed my old units to handle not having oil in the gas from time to time.

when its all said and done, adding enough oil to make it 50 to 1 is really not much trouble in my opinion, and my 4 stroke can share the same can if need be to finish the lawn if i run short for it.

bob g

[d34]

Running a 2-stroke with to much oil leans out your a/f ratio.  Most people think more oil is better, but when tuned correctly more oil leans it out and can melt the piston.  I built and raced twin cylinder 2-stroke 4-wheelers for a few years and built quite a few engines for others. 

[Henry W]

I have over $3,400.00 invested in professional 2-stroke equipment:
1-Shindiawa hand held leaf blower
1-Shindiawa backpack blower
1-Shindiawa edger
1-Shindiawa hedge trimmer
2-Shindiawa line trimmers
1-Jonsered CS2171
and had no trouble with any of them. They are all 4 years old except for the Jonsered and I go through roughly 35 gallons of 50:1 premix a year. All I have done to all of them is blow dirt off them, change air cleaners three times a year. I keep the engines running close to full operating rpm's most of the time. How many hours on them? I don't know. If you baby a 2-stroke they could have a short life.

As long as you use a good oil and run 50:1 that little 2-stroke generator should be fine.
Another thing, I was an Amsoil dealer a couple years back and tried their 2- stroke oil once and they ran hot at reccomended 100:1 mix. at 80:1 my equipment ran ok with it. So I found all this 100% full synthetic 2 stroke oil was just a waste of money.  My word of advice is stay with a good brand synthetic-blend 2-stroke oil like Echo, Stihl, Husqvarna ect that is used in line trimmers and other lawn care equipment. Fuel stabelizer are in some also. Make shure you do not run TCW3 rated oil. That is for outboards.

Drain the tank for long storage fog the engine and take the spark plug out and spray some fogging oil in the cylinder, put the spark plug back and crank it ofer a few times.

You do this and that little generator should last a long time.

Henry

[LowGear]

I'm really curious why the engines in my stable of farm equipment, both 4 and 2 cycle, really prefer Chevron white pump fuel.  I went to the harbor and bought some of the non-ethanol fuel and it took lots of headaches before I was free of that "stuff" (I'm trying to become more socially acceptable).

I wonder if that K-Mart $13 a gallon 2-cycle oil is OK in the long run?

Casey

[SteveU.]

All excellent, excellent advice Henry.

Trough failures I would add:

Store your pre mix in an approved PLASTIC, NON-Vented Red gasoline can. Air moisture condensation in a metal can will rust it inside and the rust particle will drive to crazy with starting/running problems and score the cylinder walls.

DO mark this container as 50:1 CHAINSAW gas. Chainsaw is an understandable generic term. "2-stroke?" "2-cycle?" "Whats that?" As MB said ain't gonna matter one bit if this 50:1 pre-mix get's into a 4-stroke engine.

If and when you absolutely must loan out your 2-cycle engined equipment (wife's brother) insist they MUST ONLY use gasoline you send along out of this can. Insist that they DO NOT refill this can. Take pay back in a drinkable beverage of your choice instead.

Best your in-use fuel can is sized for the smallest common container quality brand of 2-cycle oil. Neck wire and then cord tie this pre-measure oil bottle to the CHAINSAW gas can. This will be a second tactile reminder "wake-up" label and allow you to then just dump and fill mix both the gasoline and oil from larger containers.

Really, really sucks to have a use-it, 'till you lose-it even a cheap piece of equipment like this gen-set, have to be thrown away prematurely and then find you ain't gonna ever be able to replace it for that price.

By the way the newer Stihl products are calling for 89 octane fuel now versus 87 octane. Start up and run better with more power on the 89 octane fuel.

Regards
Steve Unruh

I store

[Henry W]

Make shure you do not run TCW3 rated oil. That is for outboards.

Oh Oh .... I think I know why my chainsaw packed it in. I don't know if it is TCW3 oil but the oil I used was indeed for my old outboard engine.

Yea that is what cooked it. TCW3 does not protect hot running air cooled 2-stroke engines. TCW3 is designed for watercooled engines where cylinder temperatures stay below 300 deg. F.

Henry

[Henry W]

Here are the oils I mostly use:

ECHO POWER BLEND OIL
Ultimate, universal 2-stroke oil is manufactured
exclusively for ECHO. As a result of extensive
research, Power Blend® XTended Life™ Oil :
• Is a synthetic blend oil that's certified for use
in all air-cooled, 2-stroke, outdoor power
equipment engines
• Exceeds ISO-L-EGD and JASO M345/FD
requirements• Has superior cleaning capabilities
• Minimizes exhaust port blockage
• Protects against rust, wear and corrosion
• Provides low smoke emissions
• Contains a fuel stabilizer that
doubles fuel life


STIHL HP Super
Partial synthetic blend for high
performance power tools and
chain saws
Certified ISO-L-EGD and JASO-FD
(exceeds API TC)
 Excellent engine cleaning
and low smoke quality
 No spark plug fouling
 Superior lubrication
 Contains fuel stabilizers

[Ronmar]

I mix my 2cycle fuel in 1quart oil containers.  They stay fresh/sealed, are very easy to pour into saw/blower/weedeater, and are never stored for very long.  I have 2different ones, one for 40:1 and one for 50:1.  Both different shapes and pretty hard to confuse for their intended equipment.