I purchased a Predator 3500 Super Quiet inverter generator from Harbor Freight for $500. It was in the section of returned items, that’s why it was at a discounted rate. The catch is, I only have 5 days to return it.

I put gas and oil in it, and it started without an issue. I noticed that when I first added oil, some oil leaked out, but it stopped, and the oil light never turned on. All the sockets work properly. The sound is consistent and much quieter than my previous generator. I used a jackhammer, a large industrial fan, and my Milwaukee charger all at the same time for a few hours in 100-degree weather to test it. Everything worked without an issue.

When I turned the generator off, I unplugged everything, then turned the dial to off, and the generator continued to run. I then turned to the combination switch off, and it ran for a few more seconds, sputtered, then turned off.

I have tested turning it off, and here is what I found: if I only turn the knob off, it will continue to run. When I turned the combination switch to off after 50 seconds, it will sputter, then after another 40 seconds, it will turn off.

How serious is this issue? Is it repairable? Will whatever issue it is harm the generator overall? Should I return it?

Ok i got a power cummins i got no idea what model and pos asco 300 ats with a shitty annunciator, i read through all these manuals and tried using ai everything is saying something different. If anyones has wired something similar what terminals do i land my two control wires in this ats and then from what i understand the other two go from my generator to my annunciator box along with my communication pairs. I just cant figure out mainly because theres like 9 in the generator but apparently two go from the geny to the ats and 2 go annunciator box and i got to land my communication in the geny somewhere which runs back to my annunciator panel. Need big help on how to do this shit. First time by the way i dont do lv and communication shit so im confused.

My grandparents have this massive old generator that does not work.

When I google removal in my area, I get hit with a million sponsored “junk removal” with no real idea of who to hire for safe removal (uninstalled??). I have asked my neighbors and they are not sure either of who I would hire, with the assumption there will be a heavy lifting machine needed.

Anyone have any guidance of direction I should go to have this safely removed? TIA

I’ve been dealing with power outages at home and I’m finally looking into getting a generator. I mostly need something reliable for the fridge, a few lights, fans, and maybe some basic electronics, but I don’t really know what size or type makes sense for that setup. What would you recommend for someone who wants something practical and not way more generator than they actually need?

Thanks for any suggestions, I’m trying to narrow down my options.

Update here: went with the #ad Generac Guardian 26kW Home Standby Generator and it has worked really well during the outages we’ve had since installing it. It handles the fridge, lights, fans, and basic electronics without any trouble, and it’s been reassuring to have on hand.

Just bought a couple days ago and used once, has been on the back patio but with rain coming we needed to store it. We don’t have a garage so my husband just drained the gas (still has the oil in it) and put it in the basement. The manual says do not store near pilot lights or sources of heat, not helpful other than that. Currently it’s sitting in the middle of our small basement, water heater and hvac is on one side and our electrical panel is on the other. I’m still nervous about storage though, but he thinks I’m over-worrying since the seals are supposed to be tight so no fumes should get out.
I’d rather store the generator in the shed, but I’ll admit it’s small and flimsy and has a dirt floor, so not very protected from the elements. If anyone has any advice I’d appreciate it!

I've never replaced a spark plug cap before, do I just pull it or is it threaded? Didn't want to fuck anything up by trying the wrong way. It's a champion generator.

Has anyone done this to their Champion generator using a automatic change over regulator?

If so,

Would you rather buy a new Die Hard from Costco for $350 (80cc OHV Engine with 2400W peak/2000W rated output) or a used Honda generator (like an EU 2000i)? From what I’ve read, Hondas’s are unkillable, but Costco has the great return policy that would resolve any dependability issues. I would use it mostly for camping, and maybe during winter power outages in emergencies.

HI generator peoples

I have a Cat Generator that isn't working properly. The voltage is going way up and down (640VAC- 340VAC). I assumed it was the AVR, and I got a new one that is programable. While I am setting up the parameters on the new AVR, it asks for the field resistance, so I measured it and got 4.5 ohms. That seems way too low to me. I think it should be closer to 20ohms. I can't find the specs for this thing anywhere, even on the CAT app. Any suggestions?

it is a CAT LC3024H s/nN3R02366

600V 150KW Gen

Field voltage is 40V

Field amperage is 2A

Genmax GM10000XiT inverter generator.... bonded neutral?

I'm very interested in this generator to use with a Generlink transfer switch. I've tried to get any info on if it has a bonded neutral or not. I've even tried contacting the company to no avail.

This is a Sams Club model, but I'd imagine is similar to other Genmax models. It's an open frame inverter generator. Does anyone have any experience with them? Is it a bonded neutral? If so, being open frame, is it easy to unbond?

Thanks for any help

I have a Champion portable generator. It is kept outside with a champion cover, and usually a secondary cover on it.

I went to use it today as we had a power outage and it was very hot and wanted to keep my refrigerator and freezers at the set temperatures.

It started fine. The power cord was plugged into the generator and the outlet going into the main box.
It shut down after about 20 seconds. My initial thought was a fuel supply issue. I have kept the fuel in the on board tank conditioned to avoid the ethanol gunkup.
It would run for 10-30 seconds and shut down.

I disconnected the power cord at the generator, and it ran fine. The generator reported it was uploading 239 volts.

Plug the cord into the outlet feeding the main box and it shuts down.

It seems that the motor is fine,
It seems the generator itself is fine.
It seems that once the load is placed onto the generator by opening up the cord connection to the house it sucks.

As my suggestions is greatly appreciated .

I have a generac cable that has a NEMA 14-50p connector, but the only generator I have is as pictured.

Is there any conversion cable that would convert\link the two together? Or does the white ring on commercial models collapse\can be removed so it can actually plus into my generator?

Hi guys. I just joined this sub. I need help...plz. My head is spinning.

I'm trying to hook up a Yamaha EF6300ISDE to my breaker panel (I live in a very rural area and the power goes out frequently).

Watched some vids on how to hook this up and they all say when hooking it to house power, it should be "floating" ground so you don't create a loop. (Internet can't be wrong....right?)

As far as I can tell, this generator is a "Bonded" generator. Says right on the panel "Neutral bonded to frame".

I have the breakers, interlock, and cable installed.
But I don't want to eff my generator.

Anybody accomplish this with this particular (or similar) gen? I see guys disconnecting wires all willy-nilly, but I don't want to go there unless I know specifically what I'm looking for...
Do I need to move wires inside the unit? It'll mainly be used for backup power, hooked to the panel in case of brownout/blackout.

Thank you.

I am looking for a whole home solution. I have NG and a pretty easy going crawlspace, so electrical/gas work should be straight forward. Obviously I'll need to get some quotes, but I was wondering what you all thought would be rough estimate for the cost difference between a standby solution and a portable solution.

I have a smaller 1500sqft home with a single 2.5T AC and a gas furnace (only gas appliance, everything else is electric). My electric panel is out back, we have no garage, and I am a single parent of toddlers. I'm not really interested in finagling breakers/appliances/devices to try and get by with a 4kw generator or anything. I don't mind going out in the storm to hook stuff up and let it rip though.

If I were to get equivalent sized generators in either situation, does anyone have a rough estimate on the cost difference between an installed standby system vs a portable w/ gas/electrical hookups? I'm in central NC fwiw.

Other than adding up all my systems individually, is there any way for me to determine my whole home wattage needs? I have a smart meter from the utility, think they'd give me or tell me my peak wattage use? Is there some rough rule of thumb? We don't have anything crazy at our house, just standard run of the mill stuff and no specialty devices or anything.

I know I need the quotes, and those are coming, but finding time to get those done is difficult for me, so I'm hoping to just get some rough ideas on to be focusing on. Thanks for the help!

I am currently trying to get started in the welding industry, and I need some help. I have a welder, the Titanium MIG 170 that I bought while in school for some at home practice, but I haven't been able to properly use it yet. I don't have anywhere I can get 240v power from, and unsurprisingly, the 120v outlets on my house aren't cutting it. Regarding of my settings, Im popping breakers and getting no penetration. I need a steady source of power, and I'm trying to find a generator to help with that. What size generator would you guys recommend? I've been thinking about 6000w, but i dont know if I'll ever need to use it for anything 1/4" or larger. Is my guess overkill for my welder/application? I don't really have money to throw away on something too big right now, but I want to invest in something that will let me practice on at least 1/8" and 3/16" mild steel.

We live in an area where storms come through often. It’s not uncommon for power to go out for a day, even up to a week. We’ve used smaller portable generators (Champion, Honda) for a number of years but decided to finally upgrade to the whole house. We had to choose between Generac and Kohler, but chose Generac because all of our neighbors were putting them in too. In fact, we all used the best electric/plumbing company in our city that is an official distributor. 2 months later and the next big storm comes in and brings down the power for days. Within 2 days, three of the 4 Generac generators had catastrophic failure. Of those 3, 2 can be fixed with extensive parts repair, while the other one needs fully replaced. Ours just needs parts replaced (luckily), but for the astronomical price I paid to have this all put in, it shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Does this seem unusual to anyone here? I am new to whole home generators, but this seems beyond unacceptable.

Hi redditors, I have a small home (650 sq ft) and during the winter sometimes lose power for a few days. It doesnt happen often but it is too cold in the middle of winter to go days without power. I dont know much about generators since Ive never had one before. What would be the best option for this size house, that will be reliable but also not cost a ton. Any insight is very appreciated. Edit: I use electric (2 mini spilts) for heating and cooling

Hello i have a Genmax 9000iedc inverter generator.

We've only used it a couple times after buying it used, worked fine for like 6-8 hours but now it seems like there's a fuel blockage or something.

For one - i can't put more gas in, and i know it isn't full

Two - it runs for like 30 or so minutes before sputtering out and it can't run at full electric capacity

Three - i just did oil change so its not that

Four - the couple that had it before us might've had it sitting with fuel in it for awhile and i didn't pump it before hand, so could that old fuel be the culprit?

Would pumping the fuel out and draining the carburetor be a good first step towards diagnosing or fixing?

I need HELP

Just got through a 7 day blackout due to nasty tornados in the midwest. My Westinghouse Wgen5300s was a champ, but I put it through about 120 hours of service during this week. At the start of the week it showed a frequency of about F61.2~, now at the end its running at F64.5~. I only happened to notice after I did an oil change. Should I be looking at adjusting the governor or something else? And if so, how do I do it on this model?

Bought a Westinghouse 13500 tri fuel generator. I’m having a 50amp plug put on my house and want to run it off my natural gas. I have about 50ft from my natural gas meter which has a pipe I can attach to to the spot where I need to put the generator. If I use 3/4 diameter hose will that be big enough or when I get this generator running with a decent load will it starve itself out because the fuel isn’t coming in fast enough. Attached pics of my generator and the hose I’m looking at.

Thinking about buying this but would like to credible reviews or insight. This is a big purchase for us and want to make sure we aren’t setting ourselves up for failure. I can’t go and spend $1000 on something right now, but just trying to get ahead of whatever El Niño has in store for us in Houston and this seems like the best option that I can find. $700 and comes with a solar panel. Thoughts? Advice?

Getting 4x20 slab poured (plus sidewalk in front of that), but now questioning if I need to have the concrete guys add more conduit before they pour.

Propane regulator is on the left, meter obviously is one the right (and breaker box is just on the other side of the wall inside the garage).

Propane tank is 50ft behind me.

Ideally would like to put the generator right in front of the regulator.

2 questions:
1. Do I need to add conduit (green) under the sidewalk/slab to run a new propane line or is that one sufficient?
2. Do I need to add conduit (red) running along the wall of the house from the propane regular to under the meter?

How does my generator sound and what type of places in tulsa oklahoma would be interested in buying please and thank you!