Comments on: The Little Generator that could – Part Deux http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/ My little pothole on the information superhighway Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:48:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Ade http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-416 Ade Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:30:12 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-416 Hi John, Your site is quite informative. Could you furnish us with information on where and how this inverter generator can be purchased. Either used or new ones Honda GX-31 Mini 4 stroke engine or the type you bought from Harbour freight in 2007. Hope to hook up to your blog often. Thanks Hi John,
Your site is quite informative. Could you furnish us with information on where and how this inverter generator can be purchased. Either used or new ones Honda GX-31 Mini 4 stroke engine or the type you bought from Harbour freight in 2007.
Hope to hook up to your blog often. Thanks

]]> By: Matt http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-358 Matt Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:14:16 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-358 Most refridgerators (mine at least) run 115V and 6.5 amps... That is like 750watts... What is the starting watts? Could this generator run it and by this generator I mean the 1000Watt Chi com jobs... Most refridgerators (mine at least) run 115V and 6.5 amps… That is like 750watts… What is the starting watts? Could this generator run it and by this generator I mean the 1000Watt Chi com jobs…

]]> By: Bruce http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-348 Bruce Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:59:08 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-348 I'm thinking a building a little doohickey platform for one of these that plugs into my 2" trailer hitch receiver, and solidly holds the generator. In addition to being a convenient place to put your generator, you can even then plug the battery charger output into the 7 pin trailer connector and recharge the vehicle battery if necessary. -Bruce I’m thinking a building a little doohickey platform for one of these that plugs into my 2″ trailer hitch receiver, and solidly holds the generator. In addition to being a convenient place to put your generator, you can even then plug the battery charger output into the 7 pin trailer connector and recharge the vehicle battery if necessary.

-Bruce

]]> By: WILLIAM http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-301 WILLIAM Fri, 22 May 2009 17:02:39 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-301 A wire undone ? It most likely was not run and tested an the build site. How do you know the "varnish" is "baked ?" It looks like copper wire, are you sure? It's not plated ? What the Hell is "sophisticated Silicone Steel?" How did you determine that? I have never heard of "silicone" steel ! "remarkable for a unit this inexpensive" Boy you sure are talking these things up good! The proof will be in long time durability,not just observations. It's a product from a communist country,and that is not good. A wire undone ? It most likely was not run and tested an the build site.
How do you know the “varnish” is “baked ?”
It looks like copper wire, are you sure? It’s not plated ?
What the Hell is “sophisticated Silicone Steel?” How did you determine that? I have never heard of “silicone” steel !
“remarkable for a unit this inexpensive”
Boy you sure are talking these things up good!
The proof will be in long time durability,not just observations.
It’s a product from a communist country,and that is not good.

]]> By: Mike Hendrix http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-282 Mike Hendrix Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:37:44 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-282 John, I just looked at the Northern Tool web site this morning (March 19, 09) and that little genny is $169. I really love my $99 model. When mine had a problem and I sent it back they shipped me a brand new unit. That got me to thinking----what are they doing with the units that people return? I called them this morning (they are a small company and the same girl, Amy, answers every time, to ask what they did with the repaired units. She told me that they were getting a stock pile of them then they would offer them at a discount price. She told me to call back in June or July to see if they had started that program. All I can say is they better be selling them cheaper than $99. VBG mike -- John, I just looked at the Northern Tool web site this morning (March 19, 09) and that little genny is $169. I really love my $99 model. When mine had a problem and I sent it back they shipped me a brand new unit. That got me to thinking—-what are they doing with the units that people return? I called them this morning (they are a small company and the same girl, Amy, answers every time, to ask what they did with the repaired units. She told me that they were getting a stock pile of them then they would offer them at a discount price. She told me to call back in June or July to see if they had started that program.

All I can say is they better be selling them cheaper than $99. VBG

mike
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]]> By: Mike http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-281 Mike Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:35:25 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-281 John, my little unit malfunctioned while really exercising it when we were recently boondocking in Key West for almost a month. Anyway, I like the unit but it developed a problem that was going to require taking the generator apart. They were willing to send me the parts "free" (it was under warranty). Or I could just send them the generator and they would either fix or replace the unit. I decided to return the generator to them. It was an easy process. I received what looks like a brand new generator this afternoon. I am telling you this so you will have info concerning how well their warranty works and availability of parts. They obviously have a stock pile of parts and will send them out immediately. I do not think parts will be a problem for this unit. I am still happy. My unit would put out 8-amps although it seldom had to. Most of the time it was just putting out 2 to 5 amps while charging the batteries and running a few small appliances in the motorhome. What I liked most is running around 9-hours on a gallon of gas. It is also surprising quiet even compared to a Honda or Yahama. The Yamaha's and Honda's on either side of us were about the same when generating 2 to 5 amps and louder (much louder) when producing greater amps. mike -- John, my little unit malfunctioned while really exercising it when we were recently boondocking in Key West for almost a month. Anyway, I like the unit but it developed a problem that was going to require taking the generator apart. They were willing to send me the parts “free” (it was under warranty). Or I could just send them the generator and they would either fix or replace the unit. I decided to return the generator to them. It was an easy process. I received what looks like a brand new generator this afternoon. I am telling you this so you will have info concerning how well their warranty works and availability of parts. They obviously have a stock pile of parts and will send them out immediately. I do not think parts will be a problem for this unit. I am still happy. My unit would put out 8-amps although it seldom had to. Most of the time it was just putting out 2 to 5 amps while charging the batteries and running a few small appliances in the motorhome. What I liked most is running around 9-hours on a gallon of gas. It is also surprising quiet even compared to a Honda or Yahama. The Yamaha’s and Honda’s on either side of us were about the same when generating 2 to 5 amps and louder (much louder) when producing greater amps.

mike
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]]> By: Toby http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-237 Toby Sun, 11 Jan 2009 23:01:17 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-237 I just bought one of these, mainly because of reading about it here and in your usenet postings. What a great little unit! I got it for backup power for the furnace, in case we get an ice storm or another August 2003 knocking out the power for a few days. Took me about 4 hours all together to get set up to try it, and that includes going out to Wallyworld to buy one of these, plus a bunch of parts at Home Despot to, er, facilitate powering the furnace from an extension cord. Just gave it a try and it worked great. The one part of my plan that didn't work was the idea to siphon gas from the car to fuel the thing. Either I'm doing it wrong or there's something about the tank design that deliberately makes it hard to do that (maybe to discourage theft?) I'm probably going to have to arrange a method of getting fuel from the fuel line instead, as you've mentioned somewhere I think. I've got some "emergency fuel" in portable containers right now, just hate the thought that there could be all this gas sitting in the car with no way to get to it in an emergency. It's going to be about -8 F here later this week... might just try to fire up this little generator again and see how it does in that kind of temperature. I just bought one of these, mainly because of reading about it here and in your usenet postings. What a great little unit! I got it for backup power for the furnace, in case we get an ice storm or another August 2003 knocking out the power for a few days. Took me about 4 hours all together to get set up to try it, and that includes going out to Wallyworld to buy one of these, plus a bunch of parts at Home Despot to, er, facilitate powering the furnace from an extension cord. Just gave it a try and it worked great. The one part of my plan that didn’t work was the idea to siphon gas from the car to fuel the thing. Either I’m doing it wrong or there’s something about the tank design that deliberately makes it hard to do that (maybe to discourage theft?) I’m probably going to have to arrange a method of getting fuel from the fuel line instead, as you’ve mentioned somewhere I think. I’ve got some “emergency fuel” in portable containers right now, just hate the thought that there could be all this gas sitting in the car with no way to get to it in an emergency. It’s going to be about -8 F here later this week… might just try to fire up this little generator again and see how it does in that kind of temperature.

]]> By: neonjohn http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-228 neonjohn Wed, 31 Dec 2008 23:22:02 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-228 John: Two strokes are no longer the problem they used to be. Two reasons. One, the much improved oils, especially the synthetics, allow a very lean mixture to be used. I use 80:1 in my stuff. That means much less oil to foul plugs. Generally the synthetics don't (partially) burn. They simply vaporize and exit the exhaust more or less intact. That is another factor limiting fouling. The second major improvement is the ignition. The old point contact energy transfer type ignitions were weak to begin with and the high voltage had a slow rise time which gave it time to leak off over plug deposits instead of sparking. The ignition on this unit, like on most 2-strokes made in the last 10-15 years, is a high energy capacitor discharge system. The "black box" that makes this happen is barely visible in photo #2 over at the extreme right. This system is fully electronic with no points (pointless? :-) The high voltage rise time is extremely rapid. The spark will generally jump over the gap of all but the most fouled of plugs. Before they were available from the factory, I used to design and build capacitor discharge ignition systems for my racing bikes. One demo was to dip a plug in oil, connect it to the system and crank over the engine. It would spark right through the oil! Another minor contribution is the improved carburetor designs, mostly caused by EPA regs. That's a double-edged sword, though, because the same regs force the engines to run far lean of optimum. The only thing keeping modern 2-strokes from being one-pull starters is the need to wet the crankcase parts with gas before the vapor can get to the combustion chamber. Until the crankcase is wet, the gas simply condenses as a liquid on the cold parts. This new generator is giving all indications of being a consistent 3 pull starter when cold. Two pulls to wet things and one pull to actually start it. John John:

Two strokes are no longer the problem they used to be. Two reasons. One, the much improved oils, especially the synthetics, allow a very lean mixture to be used. I use 80:1 in my stuff. That means much less oil to foul plugs. Generally the synthetics don’t (partially) burn. They simply vaporize and exit the exhaust more or less intact. That is another factor limiting fouling.

The second major improvement is the ignition. The old point contact energy transfer type ignitions were weak to begin with and the high voltage had a slow rise time which gave it time to leak off over plug deposits instead of sparking.

The ignition on this unit, like on most 2-strokes made in the last 10-15 years, is a high energy capacitor discharge system. The “black box” that makes this happen is barely visible in photo #2 over at the extreme right.

This system is fully electronic with no points (pointless? :-) The high voltage rise time is extremely rapid. The spark will generally jump over the gap of all but the most fouled of plugs.

Before they were available from the factory, I used to design and build capacitor discharge ignition systems for my racing bikes. One demo was to dip a plug in oil, connect it to the system and crank over the engine. It would spark right through the oil!

Another minor contribution is the improved carburetor designs, mostly caused by EPA regs. That’s a double-edged sword, though, because the same regs force the engines to run far lean of optimum.

The only thing keeping modern 2-strokes from being one-pull starters is the need to wet the crankcase parts with gas before the vapor can get to the combustion chamber. Until the crankcase is wet, the gas simply condenses as a liquid on the cold parts.

This new generator is giving all indications of being a consistent 3 pull starter when cold. Two pulls to wet things and one pull to actually start it.

John

]]> By: John http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-227 John Wed, 31 Dec 2008 20:08:54 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-227 John.... great review!! What abt two cycle generators though? Are they a pain in the you know what to operate? John…. great review!!

What abt two cycle generators though? Are they a pain in the you know what to operate?

]]> By: Ol'Gar http://www.johndearmond.com/2008/12/31/the-little-generator-that-could-part-deux/comment-page-1/#comment-226 Ol'Gar Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:09:26 +0000 http://www.johndearmond.com/?p=655#comment-226 I too.. buy and sell.. [not on purpose] these things.. it just when your using it someone just 'happens' to need one.. Keeps me up to date on the newest models and makes a friend... and a sawbuck or so for myself.. :) Good info.. thanks.. -gar I too.. buy and sell.. [not on purpose] these things.. it just when your using it someone just ‘happens’ to need one.. Keeps me up to date on the newest models and makes a friend… and a sawbuck or so for myself.. :)

Good info.. thanks.. -gar

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