FIRMAN TRI-FUEL GENERATOR - TOP FIVE QUESTIONS ANSWERED (review)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- Firman Tri Fuel generator follow up review three months later. I answer the most common audience questions I get regarding the firman 7500 w running firman. Including how much does the firman weigh, how loud is the firman trifuel actually and what kind of warranty does it have.
#generator #firmangenerator #preparedness
My TOP FIVE Recommended Generator Accessories
Natural Gas Quick Connect
amzn.to/33CfpS6
Natural gas hose with quick connect
amzn.to/3JzzkQO
3 Way Power Splitter - amzn.to/34eEHSK
Power Usage Meter - amzn.to/3fjGDzL
Light Up Extension Cord - amzn.to/3wAChKj
Seafoam Fuel Stabilizer - amzn.to/2Roea2v
GENTENT - amzn.to/3yyr3XW
CONNECT WITH ME
www.patchofthem... PATCH OF THE MONTH CLUB
toolmantim.co/ WEBSITE
toolmantim.shop/ AMAZON AFFILIATE
/ toolmantimsworkshop YT
rumble.com/c/T... RUMBLE
odysee.com/@Al... ODYSEE
mewe.com/i/too... - MeWe
/ toolmantimsworkshop - FB
/ toolmantimsworkshop - IG
/ toolmantimworks TWITTER
t.me/toolmantim... TELEGRAM
/ toolmantimsworkshop TIKTOK
/ toolmantimsworkshop TWITCH
podcasters.spo... SPOTIFY
freesteading.c... FREESTEADING
npub1738csh60emd5yl97sr092z0vqhde2fqgz3tdumcuvns2qker296q4dpx5q NOSTR
www.thesurvival... EXPERT COUNCIL
prepperbroadca... PREPPER BROADCAST NETWORK
www.empshield.... Save $50 on EMP Shield
Mailing Address If you have anything interesting tool related you’d like to send my way, for review or just because, use the address below.
U.S.A. Mailing address
Toolman Tim Cook
102 Central Ave Ste 10699
Sweet Grass, MT
59484
CANADIAN Mailing Adress
‘Toolman Tim’
P.O. Box 874
Provost, Alberta
T0B3S0
Canada
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
This is a follow up video to my original review. If you would like to see that you can check it out here.
th-cam.com/video/f7OPXYgcvg0/w-d-xo.html
1st time hvg a gen. But hv seen at once. Hate the gas mntc power up that has to be done. We forget it. Busted 2 Gen already. If I don't use the gas but only LPG.. do I still need to power it up monthly for 30mins? And just change oil. Appreciate your help. 🤗
With propane and natural gas you certainly don’t have to run it nearly as often as there isn’t anything in the propane to go bad, gum up carb, rot fuel lines etc. Me personally I would still run it every three months or so. Just to make sure it’s working. Nothing worse than letting a generator sit for a year or two then when you need it, it won’t start. You might revel stretch it to ever six months if you are comfortable with that. As quite often I have put off my monthly gas gen start up for a month or two extra lol
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Appreciate this 😃😃😃
Can this firman run other rain can it get wet or do u need to build an enclosure for it?
I have this monster and it works great. Used it during a storm with rain, no problems. Hooked up 2 refrigerators, microwave, and a buch of lights, works great 👍
It is certainly a beast
Living in Tulsa, OK with no power for 5 days after a 100mph straight-line wind Thunderstorm knocked out power for 58% of Tulsa County. Just purchased this in-store at Costco for $699 USD. You're absolutely correct about it being heavy. 225 pounds of dead weight in a cardboard box is not easiest to move around. It's home now but still in the box. I am looking forward to getting this going and plan to use natural gas to power it. I'll eventually be doing a video review of it.
Would love to hear your thoughts on it after you’ve had a chance to use it and I got friends down in the Oklahoma area and it sounds like you guys have had a ton of thunderstorms so far this year
Well, the one we had last Saturday night was the biggest thunderstorm event I’ve ever lived through. Hundred mile an hour winds for an hour. Amount of devastation is hard to comprehend. It was basically an EF 1. I actually returned the unopened box generator to Costco this morning. We decided to get the Honeywell 22 kW standby generator instead. Just wanted the peace of mind of having an automatic on automatic off solution.
Just bought this today for full price @ costco ($899). Although I'm jealous of the deals many people here got, I still think it's a killer bargain at regular price compared to everything else! I'm looking forward to getting a switch and connecting this up to my house and seeing how it does.
You are absolutely correct it is a steal if a deal even at regular price. Come back and fill me in on your thoughts once you have had time to play with a bit. My 50 am extension cord just showed up today so I have all the gear to set it up know on natural gas and power my house. Just need to take some time and set it up.
Costco in CA = $999.99
Too loud for me. I will sell mine and buy something else, less loud. I heard the the Predator is quite quieter.
Purchased this a week ago for 699. I actually bought it full price 899. 2 months ago and Costco refused to price match. I returned the old one and bought it again to save 200 dollars. It was a pain in the ass but worth it.
@@Sistopha predator is quieter. But the 240v version with about the same power is $2000. Then add the TRI fuel conversion kit.
The Decibel scale is logarithmic, every increase of 3db represents a doubling in energy, however due to the nature of the human ear it is perceived as sounding twice as loud every 10db. So the difference between 50db and 70db is it sounds 4 times louder, but has roughly 213.3 times as much energy.
Thanks for sharing that, I am going to do a review on the decibel meter down the road and will make sure it includes this information :)
2 is 1 and 1 is none. I knew you were a prepper Tim! Thanks for the information.
Are quote around here in the workshop community is two is one, one is none, and three is a guarantee
I like the generator but want to share something I was unaware about.
Unfortunately, if you want to use natural gas/propane, your generator battery must have a charge - EVEN if trying to start with the recoil cable. You CANNOT start the generator using the recoil cable using propane/natural gas if the battery is fully drained. Therefore, if the battery is completely drained, your options will be: 1) Run on gas by pulling recoil cable 2) Charge the battery (if power is out at that time, that becomes an issue) 3) Replace with new battery.
Unless you have the battery connected to a trickle charger, the battery will drain over time if not used. So, it is important to always maintain the battery charged if you plan on using propane/natural gas. Not a big deal if you have your generator connected to a trickler charger or if you run it often enough to keep battery charged but something to think about if you plan on leaving it stored and only pulling it out only during outages.
Thank you for sharing that. Just curious how you found out. I will share it in a future video. I have done a couple of videos where I showed how I installed a trickle Charger as I think that is the essential generator accessory for sure.
Never had a problem with the battery yet, I start it once a year on propane and it's going on 4 years.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP This information is in the manual.
glad I watched this video I have went back and forth about buying one of these generators they are decently priced and always in stock at Costco but know that I see how loud they are I will definitely not be buying one 75DB at 24 feet is like a cheap construction site generator at best. it would drive me and my neighbors crazy I'm actually surprised Costco hasn't paired up with something better or at least talked to firman about making the unit quieter. great video and loaded with tons of info thank you and keep up the good work!!!!!
Costco does sell quiet generators. They are 5 to 10k. We are purchasing this unit and putting it into a sound deadening enclosure with air inlet and exhaust outlet. I am very excited to use this machine with this review from Tim.
Had a 2-day power outage last week here in Northern Kentucky (just south of Cincinnati) and that was enough for us to buy this Firman at Costco yesterday. Your video was very informative and will help us get it set up and ready to run. Thanks very much!
Thanks Pete appreciate that
Just bought mine post Hurricane Ida. Loving it so far. Heavy for sure but not a big deal. Just grab a friend. Doesn’t seem any louder than the other 20 generators I hear in the back yard
It’s on par with most other comparable generator of its size. How long have you been without power at this point!
It's very loud. This is an open frame "construction" generator. Much louder than anything you SHOULD be using at a campsite or around others
I love Costco warranty AKA return policy. If the manufacturer mess with warranty I'll return it to Costco in an hour. I think that's the reason high quality products can survive in doing business with Costco 🤔
I bought this beast last month but I haven't had a chance to take it out of the box. I purchased it for emergency situations like earthquake or long power outages due to brush fires here in California.
glad your orignal trifuel video is helping you get a large viewer base to the channel.
great video
Thanks Shawn 👍
Subscribing. You talk fast with no irrelevant story telling. It is too quick can roll it back. Thanks
Thank you very much. Been getting caught up on all the comments. I’ve been on the road for two weeks. Sorry it’s taken me a while to respond. Thanks for the compliment.
Bought mine a couple years ago… believe I got it on sale for $699 at Costco (I’ll check later), using it today for the first time with a prolonged power outage. Have it running NG from my main line where I put in a QD and have a 25’ hose… still figuring out everything it can run… but so far, several lights and ceiling fans in multiple rooms… 2 fridges, our new fish tank 🐠🤦🏻♂️ and I believe my water heater is Hooked to one of the main circuits as well that allows me to turn on the garage gfi where one of the fridges are… so haven’t tried an ax unit yet, but would imagine I’m getting close to the 5500 watts that NG allows for. So far so good.
Great to hear. Sorry I had to deal with a parrot it but it’s great to see you prepared. It is a beast of a generator that’s for sure.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP still out, did the 25 hour oil change (no shavings but was curious) and she’s purring like a kitten still. I’m running everything but my AC units and the room that has the alarm circuit (so it shuts up lol 😂) I even had the hot water heater on at one point. “Poor man’s” whole house generator for under $1k… the NG line is money!!
Love hearing it thanks for taking the time to share
Thank you for the extended review. Answered a couple questions I had on this gen. I bought it at Costco as well, on sale, -$200 from regular price.
Awesome Tim, it’s an investment that if taken care of should last us a long time
How did you get the $200 discount?
@@coreywoodring3905 once or twice a year the generator comes in the Costco monthly flyer last time it was 200 off In store and online
Just bought mine today! It was on sale at Costco for $699. Really good deal in my opinion!
Absolutely. Come back and share your thoughts after you get some time to play with it :)
Got my today!!
@@miogs4825 can’t wait to hear what you think aboutnit
Damn...we just bought this same one online for like $1300.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP I finally got around to doing the first time start up procedure (filling with oil, installing wheels) and man this thing is a tank. I just ran it for a few minutes and checked function to see if it was making power and sure enough she works. I did however run it on propane just so I wouldn't have to dirty up the gas tank and gunk up the carb, since this generator will be only for emergencies and power outages, not for a work site/camper/regular use type situation. Overall its an amazing value in my opinion. Seems to be built really well from what I can see.
My dad and I went to Costco to look at a Duracell portable power station that a couple of his friends had bought. When I saw the price tag at around 500 bucks I suggested we get a generator instead. We ended up buying this one. When we were there two other people bought one too
They have been a huge seller this summer it seems. My two videos on this generator have been blowing up this summer. Please come back and share your thoughts once you have used it
$500??? Where are you lol? I just paid $800 for it at my local Costco today.
@@gulfsouth6231 for the Duracell wannabe generator? Thats what I was referring to at 500.00 No the actual generator is 800 yes
I have the Duracell 660 power station and it is ok for some of our needs. It will run the fridge over night so we can turn off the genny. It has a solar controller which is a nice option. We paid $439 at Costco. I have since looked at other power source units that are FAR superior, but cost 2k and up. In order to get more AH out of our Duracell we are attaching an extra lead acid battery.
Gotta appreciate someone who will buy instrumentation and collect metrics.
Thanks Goatzilla, appreciate it. Now the fun comes when trying to find new uses for my DB meter in other videos/reviews.
Thx bro. Ordered one month ago...dude they are all on backorder...guess I'll pray no outage
That sucks didn’t realize they were on back ordered
I just returned mine to Costco today after buying it a year ago. The AVR failed twice. Once at 15hrs and again at 120hrs. The first time they sent me a replacement in about 2 weeks. This time I waited 3 months and never received the new AVR. So it went back to Costco for a refund. Picking up a Yamaha EF7200DE. tomorrow.
Will this run a 4ton central ac? I'm trying to find a gen that runs a 4ton central ac, 1 fridge, 1 deep freezer, 2 computers/wifi & some lights.
Live in Texas, trying to prepare for winter storms/hurricanes/the great reset.
Awesome videos man, thanks for not putting a bunch of filler in what you say. Straight good info. Thanks!
Get a large rechargeable battery pack. Use the generator to charge the batteries, use the batteries for smaller items around the house. It will extend the fuel for about a month.
Absolutely great idea that way a person isn’t running the gnerator and using all they fuel when you only need to run a few lights and a TV or something. Thanks for sharing that
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP forgot to mention the price... it’s basically double whatever you spend on the generator. So I guess it’s not for everyone.
I just got this generator when it was on sale at Costco. I had my gas company come out to install the quick connect gas hose adaptor and a shutoff valve, then had an electrician come out and install a 50 amp connector plug to my breaker box ($550) now this will run my whole house on natural gas (except for the AC) and I only have to move two switches in the breaker box.
That is a sweet set up
Did you test out the furnace? Assuming you have a NG furnace. I’m a little worried that since this isn’t a true sine generator it might damage the furnace circuit board or make the furnace throw a code.
Did you a actually test the ac to see if it works or no? If it doesn’t maybe hard start kit? What about the furnace?
A Hard Start kit will not reduce the amperage when it is running. Only helps with the start up and is not very good for the A/C unit after time. Use a soft starter, but costs more.
Toolman, I just got my generator inlet finished, so I can connect mine to my house. I was able to run my 3 ton Lennox AC off of propane!
Well now that is incredible. I think I need to hook mine back up and test it again on my central area unit because when I tested it, it was a no go, so I’m gonna try it again and see because if you can run a 3 ton off of propane, I should be able to run into town off of gasoline.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP
I would think so. My generator bogged down quite a bit for a few seconds and I wasn’t sure it was going to work, but it managed. I will admit, my AC in a Lennox unit that I had installed about 3 years ago.
Too funny, wish I saw this before I bought it in regards to the Costco employees helping. It's heavy yes, but rolled the flat dolly that Costco has up to the bumper, and used leverage to slide it up and into the back...a Costco guy ran up and helped for the last foot or so. Lowered it at an angle and onto a auto wheel dolly and rolled it into my garage. It's a beauty and was on sale so it was a win...thanks for the info
Glad to help. They will certainly help after I bought my genie I bought a heavy duty rough shed from them and they were all too willing to help me load that
Q#1 you answered in the first video.
How LONG did you run it when you got hit with the power outage? Did you use Gas, Natural gas or propane? How far from the home did you have your generator? In that you ran the cord thru the doggie door.
Lastly, where and what kind of hook-up did you use if you used natural gas? TY sir. Just subscribed.
Thanks kat for all the good questions :). I’m working on a couple of follow up videos. I’ll give you the short answers for now lol.
Just use gas for the outage.
I have since used all three fuel sources and it runs well.
Kept the generator About 15 ‘ from the house I’ll do a run down in my next vid regarding how I have it ‘wired’ in to the house now.
I have it hooked into a quick release fitting for a bbq on the outside of the house .
TOOLMAN TIM'S WORKSHOP
TY. I look forward to your follow-up vid on how you hooked it up. I hit the bell so I will know. Currently looking into the same generator here in CA and came upon your channel. Currently also looking into plans for a well ventilated generator enclosure which can also protect it from changes in seasonal weather. Great info TY Sir. 👍🏼
@@katg.2628 Just thought I would share my experience with running this generator for 7 days post Ida. I ran natural gas as the fuel. I hooked it up to a 3/4 in gas line shared with my gas grill and used a 25 foot 1/2 inch flexible gas line to the generator. I connected the gen to the house with a 30 amp generator cord to my breaker box. The breaker box has an interlock device to switch from utility power to gen power. I ran 1 12,000 BTU portable AC, 1 large refrigerator, 1 wine cooler, lights and fans, TV, DVD player (cable was out) miscellaneous chargers for phones and laptops. I manually managed my power usage (turn off AC) to run the microwave, or toaster, dishwasher (not with heated dry), washing machine and gas dryer (one load in 7 days). I did not run any 220 stuff but if needed, I could have as long as it didn't exceed the generators capability. The only issue I had was I did get some oil dripping from my air filter box which many have said is nothing to worry about. I used conventional oil but am switching to synthetic. As far as gas consumption, my utility lets me see what my usage is by the hour. The manual has consumption rates and I have to say that my consumption ran right in line with what the manual states. Very pleased with the generator.
At RC thanks for sharing that. That’s the most thorough community review I have gotten yet. Any issues with any electronics not wanting to run. That is another issue I haven’t test much yet but get asked about all the time.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP It ran everything I tried including my desktop computer, monitor cable modem, wifi router, cable box, modern refrigerator, modern dishwasher and more. Nothing failed. However I have heard consistent reports of giving computer UPS devices problems but that is not uncommon for non-inverter generators. I bought this gen to be able to use NG as a fuel source while still having what I consider adequate wattage (5500) for emergency use. I did not push the generator as I have read that the sweet spot for gens is between 50 to 75% of capacity. I have also read that THD gets worse as you approach the limits of any non-inverter gen.
Do yourself a favor and run high quality Full Synthetic like Mobil1, Shell Rotella Synthetic or Castrol Synthetic. My choice is Mobil1 & Rotella. Just don’t get the blends because they are NOT even near 50/50 blends. Keep the oil that comes with it for backup or a cheaper piece of equipment. Run Non-Ethanol Gas!
We bought 6 of these for family last year after Hurricane Laura and 4 of them ran non-stop for 6 weeks and they are still being used. I just bought two more for my home since we just dealt with Hurricane Ida and the quality is awesome for $799 not to mention the plug arrangement is really nice!
Thabks lane I will do that :)
Wow!
Toolman
Got to run my new Trifuel Firman this past winter for the first time. Did great very pleased. The only problem I had was it was hard to cold start it on propane/natural gas. No problem to crank on gasoline. Then I would switch it over on to natural gas. Any suggestions?? Firman said to switch oil from a 10W40 to a 5W40.
So that is really strange now I tend to do the opposite. I start it on natural gas to warm it up so that it’ll start easier on gasoline but if you’re having that kind of luck, I just started on gas for from a few minutes and then switch it over see if that helps but maybe you don’t want to run gas in it but I don’t see how switching to a thinner weight oil would make it easier to start for natural gas or propane but if you try it, let me know I’d love to hear back
Great video and info! I bought one of these the other day. LOVE this machine!!! :-)
Great job Tim I purchased mine in 2020 works great. I keep the battery on a battery tender if you mentioned that I missed it. Good video I am going to share it with my friends.
Just purchased this one from Costco today, asked about warranty at counter when purchasing manager said Just bring it back up to two years.
bought 1 after watching your videos. great generator!
Happy with my inverter. It's whisper quiet at 20 feet.
Would adding some sort of muffler concoction help quiet it down some?
Can a sound isolation box be put on top which would reduce noise but also protect from weather while running for long time in Canadian climate?
Yes you absolutely can. Two main issues you need to concern yourself with, first the insulation needs to be fire retardent for obvious reason, something like roxul works great, second is ventilation, a powered exhaust fan small but like what you would see in a garage works great, it keeps the generator for over heating and more importantly from shutting down due to too much carbon monoxide building up
I had an electrician to installed this Firman gen. to my house and it was not working the way it should. So my electrician check everything and told me that the governor in the generator was bad. This was the first time I used so I took it to Costco and they gave me a paper with the places were we can take it for service. This is in Bayamón, PR. So no one answer my call in the places nearby. I will let you know what as soon as we contacted one of them.
Hi Ricarte, is Bayamon the only place they fix this.? and how is it working for you now. especially with the lights being cut out in PR. I'm looking into this in Costco and wondering if you are still happy with it or not.
That switch below the start button I’m assuming that activates the 50 amp I’m not sure and if it does using a 50 amp what else will run in your house what would you use that 50 amp for.
That’s my main power out I use with my 50amp power cord to power my entire house I was hoping it woudl run my central air too but it didn’t will need a soft start for that
I like how quite it is at your house.
That tio
Great video. My husband and I are senior. There is no way in hell. We can pull the generator around. Is there is another one that will help seniors. Thanks
thanks for the info video . i've ordered one , just waiting for it to arrive.
Awesome I am sure you will love it. The more I use mine the more I like it.. just used it last week for a few hours when the power went out.
I think the way the spec'd the sound was the sound at 30' (recommended distance away from house) to get 74 dB under 1/2 load. Mine is about 93 db about 3 feet away under load and built a shed with MLV and mineral wool that cuts about 22 db. Its about 55 db in the room that is about 10 feet away so.
3 ft to 10 ft -10.5
shed -22 db
house wall -5.5 (estimate, glass windows)
The THD rating seemed high compared to what I measured and you can have a much lower WC for NG that what the regulator states. I cut it down to 4.5" WC and it ran at full load (this is 4.5"WC right at the gas connector on the generator).
Hey TOOLMAN TIM! Just bought one yesterday (I work at Costco and mine was the 12th of 12 sold in one day - the load-up guys were happy about that!) Anyway, I would like to know, now that it’s in my garage, should I in-box it and fire it up...or should I leave it unused until the next big emergency?? Aside from the fact of knowing how it works, so it’s not such an ordeal in a “trauma” situation, I thought it might be nice to not have to run it every couple months. Does that make sense or does it need to charge the battery up sometime soon? PS, this is our first generator after having a miserable 20-day outage in an Oregon ice storm a few months ago. Sure burned a lot of wood, but with all the trees we lost on our acre, we’re set for firewood for a few years. Thanks for your reply, Andy.
So this is a great question that preppers debate all the time :) I can give you my opinion on it. First if I had two identical generators one as a back up to the first I would probably leave the second one brand new in the box.
However we’re just talking about one geneator. First leaving it on the box of course doesn’t allow you to familiarize your self with it. So in the panic if a power outage something simple like not connection the battery cord might cause a bit of panic especially if it’s dark, cold, wet, noisy etc.
Number two the electric start battery will eventually need to be charge as it will lose some charge over time just sitting in the box, yea it has a pull start but why use it if you don’t have to.
Three if you don’t like keeping gas in the generator over extended periods of time you can either just out a bit in and run it totally dry or just run it on propane to test it every 2-3 months.
Finally the biggest reason I see for not keeping it in the box is peace of mind. Taking it out and testing it lets you know you didn’t get a lemon or a dud. Imagine trying to get it started in a black out and your following all the instructions but at the factory one of the pistons was installed faulty and the engine is seized.
One other thing I am sure you will need this generator for more than a single power outage so once you need it the first time your gonna need to do the maintenance on it from that point on anyway so you might as well let that become part of your schedule now :)
Hope that helps. Tim
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thanks, Tim, all good info. Appreciate your prompt reply.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Agree with you on becoming familiar with the machine and making sure you don't have a lemon. Texas resident here. Bought mine last Fall and kept in the box, waiting to get past the holidays to deal with it since we don't get hurricanes until late summer. Then we had the Texas 100-tears ice storm that shut down the state almost. Pulled it out of the box only to find out that the rip cord/crank case was completely bent up and damaged in shipping. Lesson learned.
Unbox it and assemble the wheels and other attachments! The generator weighs 75 lbs more than I do, so moving it is impossible without the wheels.
Thanks Tim for your well informed Vid and answer to ?
What size supply line do you have for the natural gas feed for the Firman Generator ? Any issues running on natural gas, does your BBQ line supply enough fuel to not starve out the generator ?
So I installed the bbq outlet myself and made it 3/4” and use a 3/4” hose. But if you use a fairly short hose 1/2” would work ok
Hi great video. Plz keep them coming. I have two questions. If running off of Gasoline what steps should I take when storing for a while. Example turn off gasoline until it turns off, drain gasoline, or just store while full of gasoline. Next question if on Gasoline and want to run propane, or Natural Gas... any procedure needed to go from one to the other? Thanks again for a great job.
No problem at all. First question if you are going to run it every couple of months to keep it starting good I would leave it half full with gas and add a good fuel stabilizer. My preferred on is seafoam. But others like stabil will work. If you are planning on going a few months or longer without running it I would run it dry completely of gas. It will keep the carburetor from getting gummed you with old gas.
As far as switching from propane it’s simple you just turn it off from running gas. Then turn the selector knob to propane/ng and then the other selector on the side to propane. Don’t have to drain the gasoline out of it or anything
I’ll do another up to date versions of my generator maintenance down the road and talk about this stuff more in-depth.
Thanks for the info. It's lame that Firman doesn't disclose the decibels on their website for this unit.
Yeah I mean its not like its totally out of line with other generators either
Firman states 74 dB at ½-load. It's incredibly noisy.
Thanks great video. Just got mine $200 off!
Awesome that’s a great deal just till tommorw
Any recommendations or ideas for its enclosure to reduce noise so neighbors are not annoyed / upset ?
I have been looking at a few different options and will probably build something as a project video down the road. There are some good diy project videos out there though.
th-cam.com/video/CKQu_Pvdh0I/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/_qPRIq-9U-4/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/uZy_cPewy4s/w-d-xo.html
The second one is probably my favorite
Those Firman are great but so noisy! I have a small yard so, putting the generator that far is not an option. I ended up buying another Honda EU7000is, now I dont have the noise issue, (52 decibels at 10 feet) not to mention the fuel savings. Now the Firman goes to the workshop and the two Hondas run the house when needed alternative, one for daytime, one for night time.
My firman arrived last night and I just shut it off after the first hour of running , time for a oil change
Love hearing that preventative maintenance always a good thing
Thank You Tim for a very informative video!
Thanks for taking the time to watch appreciate it
Does it have a manual fuel shut off valve?
How do you change the oil and oil filter.
This video here shows how toward the end th-cam.com/video/MFDA_TRu6GA/w-d-xo.html
And this is my playlist of all my generator videos of you want more
GENERATORS - Everything you want to know
th-cam.com/play/PLqwMYzk2_P_4E7GFhsUzbL5j_6mCZ4K1T.html
MOVE that plywood panel over to the Firman, Build a plywood Tippee, It drops the sound level down into the high 50's
Great suggestion for simple sound deadening
got mine this past sunday. indeed its heavy
Yes it is totally dead weight :)
What do I have to do to convert this to natural gas? That would be the ultimate win-win for me.
I will do a video next month on my natural gas hook up for it. But all you really need is a fitting that will screw on you the gas inlet on the generator that will connect to the natural gas line from your house
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP i’ve been looking at so many dual fuel generators I didn’t even notice this said tri-fuel. Saw another review and it’s just as simple. So disregard but I’ll stay tuned. Thank you!
No worries thanks for sticking around
Great video excellent presentation. Is there a break-in period for the engine?
I was surprised when I read but they recommended 50 hrs before your first oil change then 1000 after that
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP thank you.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP The operators manual says change oil after first 25 hrs then every 100 hours.
Do you know what the fitting size for the Gas inlet for the generator? is it 1/2 or 3/8? Do you have a link of a cable to buy to connect to Natural gas line of house?
It’s a 3/8 flared inlet. I bought a 1/2” 24’ with 3/8 quick connects on them. I honestly should have just went with a 3/8 hose because it’s going to be limited by the narrowest point ie the inlet anyway.
If your interested this is the one I purchased amzn.to/3zSXkcT
It is a 3/8" POL male fitting. If you use a 3/8" Female Flare by 1/2" Male Flare brass adapter to connect to the generator then be careful. My adapter was too long (deep) on the female end and I had to sand it down so the bevel flange inside the adapter would seal against the LP gas (POL) fitting on the generator. I marked the inside of the flare with a magic marker and kept testing it until I saw a scratch indicating that it had sealed against the 3/8" POL fitting.
This is a great video I will be getting my soon
Please come back and share your thoughts on it when you do
Hey great video can you please tell me which quick disconnect natural gas coupler you purchased for this generator thank you
amzn.to/33CfpS6
Hope this helps
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP
Thank you so much perfect
you mentioned: Have your oil and filters handy... Are you talking air filter or is there something else?
Do you prefer synthetic versus conventional oil?
I prefer synthetic but firman states brother extends the duration between oil changes
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP thank you so very much
Thanks for the helpful info.
Nice shirt.
Thanks for the compliment and I’ve since misplaced the shirt :(
Can you do a video on installing the quick connects on the generator
absolutely might be a week or two but I most certainly will
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP thank you
I have a firman generator propane /gas it is only 1 year old and the electric start will not start it had to use the pull cord it started and now I have a busted fuel line . How do you repair these 2 problems. Please give me some advice to get this up and running
I haven’t had that issue were had to fix that yet I would call Furman customer service. I have had incredible like dealing with them so far unless it’s still under warranty and you happen to get it from Costco then just take the damn thing back and get them to exchange it for a new one because they are incredible for returns.
What is the BTU requirement (e,g 30,000 units or 50,000 units) for Natural gas operation of this Firman Tri Fuel generator if you know of? Will it work with 1/2 inch gas line from the gas dryer?
So I don’t want to recommend something your shouldn’t do, but from the reading I have done it you are running no more than 20 maybe 25’ a half inch hose should suffice any longer than that and you need to bump up to 3/4”
Ffirman claims to build a lot of the competitor brands but doesn't list them,however its obvious as to the relationship if you study the most minute details of the sets.Champion is a near identical twin.other names I have studied were Westinghouse,Ford and a bunch of never heard of names.
Very good info. Do you know what the THD is like at say 50% load?
I sent a message to tech support and they said 11-14% THD they didn’t at what load but if I had to make an educated guess it’s probably 50% load
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thanks but that THD is at 100% load which is what they have listed on their site. I'm thinking if 100% load gives that level of THD, then maybe half load should be reaaonably clean power.
@toolmantimsworkshop can run under rain?
Thank you for the review
Thanks for taking the time to watch it
Very informative! Thanks!
Thanks Ron
Hey Tim, any thoughts or suggestions for an added muffler to quiet the unit? Thanks for your good work on the Firman videos. Really helpful. John
Sent you and email but posting here to so others can benefit
Hey John glad you picked up the firman it’s a great gnerator. So o have done a bunch of reading and watching about upgrading or adding a muffler to a genrator and there doesn’t seem to be a consensus. The biggest problem with generators is how much noise the entire unit makes not jus t exhaust. The rattling the shaking the air intake the motor in general.
So my plan is it build a sound dampening enclosure something like this one.
th-cam.com/video/CKQu_Pvdh0I/w-d-xo.html
However if you are set on upgrading the muffler this is the product I have my eye on
gensilencer.com
I’m going to reach out to the company and see if they’ll send me one to test :). If you do decide to get it I’d love ot hear your thoughts.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Hey Tim. Have you had a chance to try the GenSilencer on your Firman tri-fuel generator? Everyone in our cul de sac HATES me when the power goes out and we fire up our generator. I'd love an economical solution.
@@anitawillis8825 so I reached out to the company twice hoping they’d send me one to test but never got past customer service so I struck out I do plan on billing an insulated gen shelter at some point but not till things thaw here on the prairies in the spring
Is it advisable to buy this only for sump pump for basement? I have 1one 1 HP, one 3/4 HP and one 1/2 HP. Or I will be wasting propane ?
I've been hearing bad things about the cleanliness of the power this produces. The online support agent said its between 11% - 14% THD which is terrible these days.
Many non-inverter generators produce
I would love to but I havebt get gotten one. If you have a recommendation for one that isn’t over the top expensive I would gladly run the tests. Also for the record I have a video of the whole house test I did with it and had not issues with any electronics.
This is my problem with it also. I want it because of the natural gas hook up but I think I will have to go with an inverter dual fuel
I borrowed my friends spec an to measure TDH on mine, was getting right at 6-8% with main peaks at 120 180 and 240hz. Good enough to run the washer machine motor.
I have a duel fuel firman generator..How hard is it to convert to tri for natural gas since I already have the propane setup?
How do you bypass the CO sensor ? , I run mine in a vented shed and it keeps tripping the CO alarm and dies!!
So mine is the one without the low CO sensor, so I’m not 100% sure
It certainly couldn’t hurt to put more ventilation in the shed. Maybe plug a box fan into the generator while it’s running to help push more air out or maybe a turbine vent on the roof but it sounds like you’re gonna need to add more ventilation.
I just purchase my Firman from Costco. When started, seems the engine is running at full throttle. Is there a way I can throttle down the engine? Should it be running at full throttle? Thanks
Have you run a load on it yet because my when under load definitely throttles up. It’s certainly not the quietest when running
Love this generator but it does shut off if it's a hot day and it's in the sun. Solution for me was to just move it to the shade.
By the way I use it with my toy hauler, easy to wheel up the ramp.
We ran it by the back of our RV, only about 10 feet away, with the back windows closed, and could barely hear it over the AC.
Can you place the generator in an enclosure to lower the decibels?
Yes you can make sure the enclosure is lined with some sort of fire proof material and properly vented. Something like this video
th-cam.com/video/uZy_cPewy4s/w-d-xo.html
One other question. Can it run in the rain or would you need to shelter it?
I let it run in the heavy nasty wet snow in March but personally I am going to get a shelter if some sort. I had a community member recommend a storm shelter called gen tent I am going to get and test out.
amzn.to/2TJlPKa
Also I’ll save this question for the next follow up video ;)
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thanks. These videos are helpful. By the way, it went on sale over a month after I bought it and Costco refunded me the $200. I hope this helps someone.
Thanks Dean you are the second person to comment that but the first was only a week after so that is super helpful.
@@DeanMatthewMusic i am in a similar situation, how were you able to get the refund? by calling? i was trying to avoid hauling in my car for a return, and hauling back a new bought one at the new sale price?
For how long can I run it using propane continually without getting it damage or before needing service? I meant for how many hours?
100 hours if runtime between oil change sis what’s recommended no matter the fuel you are running it one. Basically four days straight
Thanks
At 2am replacing the gas tank, the switch button stopped working and the pull start cable broke. Do you have videos on how to correctly replace the thread? And what is the size of the nut where to replace the oil?
How do I use this for my whole house backup electric power??? Where can I buy the harness to hook up for my main electric house circuit panel ??? Thanks
Can I hook up this generator to a bbq propane line that my home is equipped with? I’ve read some conflicting info about whether or not it’ll work
What are your recommendations on storage and fuel?
Check out this playlist I’ve got a bunch on storage stabilizer etc th-cam.com/play/PLqwMYzk2_P_4E7GFhsUzbL5j_6mCZ4K1T.html
Hey Tim can i run tvs or fridge wuth out damaging them on this guy? Also do they have oil filters? And where do you get the air filters etc?
I wonder if they make a high altitude kit for this generator
That’s soemthing I haven’t ever looked into it I run into one I’ll post it here.
How much can I run off the Firman? One light bulb? A radio? A refrigerator? The whole house?
Got two of these at Costco for home back up. Bought two because hey we’re on sales at $699 each. I’d like to keep both if there’s a parallel kit for these. Has anyone had luck finding a parallel kit? Wondering if paralleled would it run a 3 ton AC unit?
I just got one today on sale for $799 here in Louisiana. What state are you in where it was only $699?
@@gulfsouth6231 I found it at a business Costco in Utah
700...you sure it's tri fuel?
@@antoinetbd8016 yeah I mixed gas, liquid propane and a little NG, stuck it in the cap that says fuel and she runs!!
Did you find the parallel kit by any chance?
What voltage does your display show when its running at full load? I just got mine and out of the box it showed 258Vac . it then cut out Firman sent me a new AVR and brushes and now it runs at about 233vac on the display and the frequency is at 62.7 .just curiuos what those # are I have not loaded it up yet , Ive also only tried it on gas .Thanks
Robert DeFazio
So I purchased one a week ago and I'm having a ng line ran to my back porch to us it. My question is what all were you able to run at one time like fridge, heaters and such without over loading it?
So I haven’t experiment much on the NG side of the gnerator yet. Natural gas provides the lowest running watts of the three at 5500 running and 6900 peak. What type of heaters are you running. If you have ng furnace and hot water heater you would be golden you could run most anything else in you house just don’t run your dryer or the oven portion of your stove you could run a burner or two though if you wanted too
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP so I have a ng furnace, water heater, and stove. I'm in Houston TX our big thing is potential hurricane so I bought a window ac unit because I know it wont run the whole house ac. But was wonder how well it would do with 2 fridges a window unit and the wifi router tv and fans
@@dereklozano4048 no issue at all your window screen unit will be 1500 watts abd your fridges will run at 150-200 watts except when they kick in fans Wi-Fi router etc use next to nothing. Wouldn’t be much more than 2500 running watts total. If you central air uses 3500 running watts which is typical it would even run one of those but I would talk to an expert about that to make sure it’s 👍
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP I appreciate the feedback.
I just bought this generator this week and installed a rv plug with a 50 amp breaker into my main panel. I started it up on propane and plugged in in and was able to pretty much run my whole house, two fridges, a handful lights, tvs and wifi, a pool pump and my central ac. I just didn't try to run my dryer or microwave because I didn't want to push it. Remember I ran it on propane just to try it out but you would get even more watts on gas. But it worked great and I let it run for about 45 minutes with no problems!
Is anyone having trouble with the 15amp gfi plug on the right of the panel? Everything I plug into it instantly trips the gfi making it useless. Just simple low amperage chargers cause instant trip.
Fortunately it came with a 30amp cable with with 4 plugs that work great.
I would message firman and let them know orbits it’s brand new exchange it at Costco if you got it there they are both really good
Do you think it's still worth getting for someone who will never use the natural gas option?
I can’t say 100% yes but Even if you are jus rising it with gasoline and propane the price is still really good for a dual fuel generator. Also propane gives you better wattage output and gas is better than propane again. It is a large generator that likes fuel but for the price it’s hard to beat.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thanks for the reply. Was comparing this one to the equivalent Champion generator at Costco wich is dual fuel. The Firman looks like it's put together a bit better than the Champion.
Whatever you decide drop back by and fill me in on review of the chosen generator
Could you do a DB reading with Propane and Natural Gas if you can?
Pretty sure you’ll enjoy this video ;)
FIRMAN TRI-FUEL GENERATOR - IS IT QUIETER ON PROPANE THAN GASOLINE?
th-cam.com/video/jYVdWK5pAjg/w-d-xo.html
Any time
Do you think this firman tri fuel 9400w is better than the predator 9000 watt?
So I live in Canada and don’t have access to harbour freight but all of my American friends speak highly of the predator as far as cost vs value goes. The 400 w different doesn’t mean anything for me I guess it’s down to wether you want the multiple fuel option or not
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP cool. i had the predator 9000 but i returned it to get the new firman 9400w yesterday. it really had more to offer for the price. 800 dollars and it included oil and wheels also a stronger frame and a handle and a cover and a adapter with a adapter holder when storing it away and the fact that i could use propane as well if i was to run out of gas and the digital display that shows you how many hrs you have ran it for and the co sensor in case someone borrows it who is dumb enough to put it somewhere enclosed. the digital reader is good to know when to do your maintenance on the oil and carburetor and filter etc. Every a Harbor freight manager told me to just go with the better generator that costco had on sale right now so i thank him for telling me about it. i was lucky that i had not used the predator 9000 so i was able to return it and get a full refund. 900 total but it would have be 1000 if i did not get it 100 bucks cheaper. i hope i made the right choice. i just need it like 8 times out of the year anyways not daily.
Hey Tim, the gentent generator cover in your link doesn't appear to have enough depth to cover the generator. Firman dimensions: H 29.8" x D 27.5" x H 26.1". Gentent cover dimensions: W 36" x D 24" x H 18". I'm not worried about the height but the Gentent doesn't seem to be deep enough. The GenTent XL is W 42" x D 28" x H 28". It's more expensive at $219.99 vs. $159.99 for the one you have a link to. Am I wrong about this? Does the GenTent you link to really work for you? thanks!
I just doubled checked my Amazon order and matched up the sizes between the one listed and the one I purchased and installed. If you wanna see the video here is the link.
th-cam.com/video/Zk3Xsz8vt3o/w-d-xo.html
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thanks, Tim! I'll return the XL and buy the standard size.
@@carog804 anytime
I had a quick connect put into my gas meter to run this generator. The problem is I need 50ft of length to reach my backyard where I had the electrician put the 50amp inlet. My thought process was to put the inlet in the backyard to run the gen from the back to avoid theft or anything like that .. I bought two half inch 24ft hoses to put together and create one long 48ft hose .. has anyone done something similar? Will it work??
I am not 100% sure if it will work but the reading I have done says you should have 3/4” hose for that length. However the inlet on the generator itself is only 3/8 or 1/2 inch so even if you were feeding it with 3/4 line it’s still only getting the feed at 1/2”z
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Yes you’re correct the inlet in the generator is only 3/8 of an inch. The hoses I purchased came with an adapter to fit so we can make that part fit for sure. My plumber said that since were coming off the main line(the meter itself) It should be OK to go that far with half inch holes. He also recommended 3/4 of an inch would be better but I can’t seem to find a hose that length in 3/4”. Biggest Amazon has is 15 feet and it is substantially more expensive than a half inch. It’s about $130 for 15 feet. I think I paid $50 apiece for each half-inch hose.Anyways, thanks for taking the time to reply. I’ll try this out and I’ll reply again if it does in fact to work.
Is it the same dB level no matter which fuel source you use? A friend of mine has a Generac open frame that he put a conversion kit on and he says it runs smoother and possibly quieter on propane vs. gasoline...?
So I haven’t done an actual test of gas v propane db reading but just through observation I didn’t notice a difference but I’ll do this for my next follow up video on a couple of months
Please explain about Battery tender.
This video may help. I show how I install my tender on the firman trifuel generator
HOW TO INSTALL A TRICKLE CHARGER ON A GENERATOR (Firman Trifuel) th-cam.com/video/_E3bzGA6t28/w-d-xo.html
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thank you.
Thanks Tim😎😍😎😍😎😍😎
As always you’re welcome Ted and thank you for watching
I also plan to buy the T07571 and was wondering whether it is OK to use it to power 'modern smart' fridge you know those with gadgets such as WiFi etc... I have a Samsung fridge whose manual warns against powering it on a non-inverter generator. Do you have one of those recent sensitive fridge? And, if so did you power it successfully with the generator?
The Firman generator Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is