FIRMAN TRI-FUEL GENERATOR - One Year Later
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ส.ค. 2024
- Today I share 15 things I have learned about the Firman Tri-Fuel during my first full year of use.
This Firman generator is the best value on the market for a whole house generator that runs on gasoline, natural gas and propane
Natural Gas Quick Connect
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Natural gas hose with quick connect
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3 Way Power Splitter - amzn.to/34eEHSK
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Check out my original review of the Firman Tri-Fuel Generator
FIRMAN TRI-FUEL GENERATOR - A Portable-ish Whole House Generator
th-cam.com/video/f7OPXYgcvg0/w-d-xo.html
@toolmantimworks can this generator run under rain
A light rain might be ok for a bit but any open frame generator I wouldn’t want to leave to the elements unless you have to I have ran this in a snow storm though. Building an enclosure or buying a gentent would be ideal
thanks so much for your video Tim, My husband and I are just looking into getting a generator after a four day outage in Sacramento California. Our neighbor's electrician recommended this generator. We want to use our natural gas line for the fuel. In the cold I don't so much need to run our natural gas central heat as long as I can have my heated mattress pad on and can charge up my electronics and keep the fridge and toaster oven running. But we are having outages in the summer when it is above 100 degrees and I hope to be able to run my AC at least some of the time. We will look at other videos to continue learning. Thanks Again, Becky Rule
Thanks for the in depth review. I purchased this at Costco last month. Haven't unboxed it yet; on my "to-do' list.
*Came packaged perfectly. This **Generater.Systems** is awesome! No problems starting on Propane. Three cranks and it lit up. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a bigger generator for a camper or to have during a power outage. Dual fuel source is the way to go!!!*
Minimum of 10’ but 15 is better for sure especially if you have open windows nearby
Thanks for making these. I watched the previous one. Always appreciate when people do a follow-up when reviewing/installing products.
I've been looking at generators for almost a year since our wonderful governor here in CA has promised that we are going to have blackouts. Had been saving money to buy a large enough one to run my whole house, when I saw this one and your video. That was all I needed to convince me this one was the one, (also, $600-$800 cheaper than the one I was looking at). Ordered it yesterday and expect to get it in two days. Can't wait. Thanks for the two videos on this unit!
No problem glad you are looking out for your household if you have any questions feel free to post them here or email me at therealtimcook@gmail.com
Thanks very helpful. Going to buy mine today.
Thank you sir for your MOST OUTSTANDING video reviews! Keep them coming!
Great video. I also have this unit, but have not used it yet. It came highly recommended by our electrician.
I think you’ll enjoy it. I’ve been using mine for 2 1/2 years now and hasn’t let me down yet.
I just bought the TO7573 from Costco, $200 off. It has slightly more power than your blue version. You mentioned the noise for the neighbors. I highly suggest you look into a adapter for your exhaust, and attach a small 4 cylinder car muffler. It will make it as silent as a car idling and your neighbors will love you for it. I suggest avoiding the online muffler kits being sold as they are slightly noiser, you can even make a bracket to hold the muffler with some flexible heat rated tubing for exhaust. parts are readily available. I use this set up while camping, and my camping neighbors love it!
I may just do a project video on this. Thanks if you have any specific links to the exhaust adapter feel free to post them here. Take care
Agree with Tim - this sounds interesting. I may not have the skills for something like this so would be nice to know exactly what is involved in the process. Great video Tim - just bought mine in July, electrician installed interlock and wired 50 amp receptacle. Hope to test everything tomorrow and see how it runs things in the house. It won't run everything in my house but also thought about buying a portable A/C unit that I could move from room to room as needed during the summer. Should be able to run NatGas furnace in winter.
What's the power ? Been looking at the one at Costco and it's a 7500 running watt one same TO7573 model you've suggested.
It will top out at just over 9000 watts leak for a second or two but running is that 7500 watts on gasoline less on propane and nat gas
I would love to see a video on this. That's my main complaint from the neighbors - NOISE
Thx for the follow up. Much better than someone just firing up one they just bought
Appreciate that I am a full 2 years in and keep doing updates. It’s a great gen
Fantastic. Thank you!!!!
I was wondering if I needed to buy two for the entire house.
The slow/soft start for ac would definitely be cheaper.
Good video Tim, thanks for sharing.
Appreciate it chris
I enjoyed your update. Thanks.
Thanks Paul
My experience, too! Thanks Tim
Thank you
Thank you, this was SO helpful!
You are welcome Michelle
1 thing i learned TODAY ...
On a 240V generator, there are 2 coils. 120V each. 120V x 2 is 240V Just like the power coming in from the street.
My buddy has a 7kW running generator but it kept poping the breaker after so many appliances or loads were used BUT it would run his 6500W dryer just fine.
Could never figure it out until the generator repair place he went to told him that we was overloading the 1 side coil which was why he was popping the breaker.
This is a 7kW running generator which means its 3500W per 120V coil x 2 which gives a total of 7kW ... Only by coincidence, when he would turn stuff ON inside his house, it was just his luck that MOST of the loads were wired to 1 side of the vertical buss bar in the breaker box .... which meant the one 120V leg from the street was getting more power consumption than the other 120V leg which created a light imbalance on the main transformer coil which isnt a big deal because he has a 200 amp breaker ....
So when he got a clamp meter and measured each 120V leg, he saw that one leg was 7100 watts while the other leg was only 3000 watts ..
So while that was all fine and good with a 200 amp breaker, this is a problem when it came to his generator that could only do 3500 watts per coil or per 120V leg ... And most of the stuff he ran was wired to one side of the 120V bar so as he got to 3500W and passed it, he popped the breaker.
While the Dryer was on 240V .... it was an even balanced load at 6500 watts ..
Thanks for sharing that
Bought the gray version about 6 weeks ago I sale for $799, aside from the CO detection they now have all the switches covered with clear weatherproof flexible plastic to protect them
Thanks for sharing that
Very helpful thank you 👍
No problem
Good video. Waiting to see your enclosure build. Thanks
Thanks Andy I’m excited to get on it as soon as the snow and ice melt here in alberta :)
We have used the th-cam.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
Thanks for sharing
I have been researching generators for the past couple of days. I know nothing about generators. It's all Greek to me! YOU are a Godsend!!! My Costco Business center has this for $200 off at $759. I live in Phoenix and am worried about potential rolling Blackouts/Brownouts with our summer heat as my 96 year old mother lives with me. My biggest concern is being able to run the central AC. I think it's a 3 ton unit. Everything else I can get by without for limited time if it puts too much of a load on the generator while AC runs..
Questions:
1. Electrician to install soft start on roof AC unit and plug in at electrical panel?
2. Already have natural gas for heat. Would gas company install some kind of "outlet" or attachment to hook into the existing gas meter?
3. I assume once the electrician has the hook up at the electrical panel, it's just a matter of connecting propane tank up?
It would be so much easier if you could come to my house and hook this all up...Hahaha. Thank you for this great easy to understand video.
Thanks so much I love hearing about people trying to get a bit more prepared for power outages. First your doing great. Second yes a soft start have your electrician look and see what the east way to power it would be an outlet or a switch at the panels
If you already have a natural gas outlet for a bbq you can tap into that if you don’t get a pipe fitter to hook one up for you.
Yes once you have the electrical figured out it’s as simple as hookijng up propane or natural gas the instructions are printed on top of the unit and there are two selector switches one chooses between gasoline and propane/ng and the other selects between propane and natural gas it’s so simple
If you want more information I just did a podcast called from anxiety to action dealing with potential rolling blackouts
anchor.fm/toolmantim/episodes/131--FROM-ANXIETY-TO-ACTION---Dealing-With-Potential-Blackouts-e1kc8gp
Also there is an entire generator playlist on my channel too which hopefully will be helpful
th-cam.com/play/PLqwMYzk2_P_4E7GFhsUzbL5j_6mCZ4K1T.html
Take care
keep up the good work Toolman!
Appreciate it
I'm considering purchasing this generator from Costco which currently has it on sale for 699. I asked their online support about the dirty power concern that I had with my electronics. This was their reply...
"Total Harmonic Distortion Firman portable generators will output an industry standard total harmonic distortion (THD) rating of about 12%-20% depending on load applied. They will produce a sine wave, not a modified or square wave. This is perfectly acceptable for running common commodities found in your home such as TVs, computers, your appliances, etc. Inverters has a THD of 3% or less THD is a measure of the deviation of a sine wave from a "perfect" sine wave. All electricity, including line electricity, has measurable THD."
Great video! Costco has it on sale for $699. I'm going to pick one up.
Nice you won’t be disappointed
I just got mine and I’m ready to give it a whole house test run.
Have fun
Thanks for the review. And you NEED a soft start on your AC. My Firman handles mine just fine now.
Thank you I talked to my go to electrician the other day he hadn’t installed one before but said it should be simple lol
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP mine had not either. I showed him a couple of TH-cam videos and he said the same thing!
I love mine. Definitely need to see the enclosure you build.
I’ve been researching for quite some time have lots of good ideas
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP I have watched some videos of things people have done just a matter of designing one and build it now. Then hope it does what its supposed to. If it doesn't quieten it much at all I'm ok just lugging it out now and then when needed but if it is significant it's worth it.
@@dereklozano4048 I bought a decibel meter a while back so I’ll be able to do some practical testing to see if it makes a difference
As yet another Californian dealing with our idiotic government, I appreciate the info. Great review, thanks
Some of us here in Texas are dealing with an idiotic corporation that is stripping the money out of its coffers and handing it to shareholders
Thank you for the video
Thanks for watching!
Soft start is a good idea, been checking into them also
I’m certianly planning on it this summer or fall
Was going to exchange my smaller inverter firman 3300 for this one. Currently on sale for $1198 cdn. $250 off. But after reading more info THD and sensitive electronics requiring THD of 5% or less I decided to keep my Firman inverter. It has 3% THD while the model your review is rated at 11-14%.
I have a newer Lennox furnace (2019) with smart thermostat, and a couple of UPS to protect routers and components and higher THD supposedly can cause issues.
Yeah, I totally get that the THD for this one is between 11 and 14% which is fine for most electrical stuff but yeah anything expensive that requires that has electronics in it for sure stick with an inverter generator
You could purchase a couple inexpensive uninterruptible power supply (UPS) units for your sensitive devices. I have one for my router and modem and runs for ~4 hours for $50. This gives you sign/simulated sign wave power and surge protection. Basically how data centers work on a small scale.
@@jerrybell6786 It’s more a concern for the Lennox furnace which is hardwired into main panel with 15 AMP breaker.
My Lennox user manual actually has a section on generator power and states it requires a THD 5% or less
I learned my lesson the hard way about 15 years ago using the Onan Homesite generator with the Honda cloned engine and a who knows generator head. Cost me $800 to replace the mother board in my 5 year old Amana furnace. Didn't happen immediately, but over time dirty power will weaken the electronics in any appliance.
@@stephane184
Will a UPS protect a major kitchen appliance?@@jerrybell6786
Mine's been great for 3 years, I only run on propane because propane can be stored forever without going bad. Gasoline can't be stored without degrading even with stabilizers. Bought one of plastic shed's to store it in, an I use a solar battery tender. Great purchase.
For me I store propane and gasoline and rotate the gas so it never has a chance to go bad
I almost bought the tri-fuel version last year but went with the regular one to save a little cash. My cover blew away yesterday tho, and I hope a neighbor spots it! 😅
A tarp and a bungee cord works in a pinch
interesting , Thank You
I'm glad I checked this video. I have only run mine off of LPG so far, and I also thought that it would run louder off of gasoline.
Yeah I was Absolutely surprised
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP I bought the same generator (T07573 model, but pretty much the same) and I have been doing some researching. Is it a problem that this generator has a bonded neutral when it is connected to a main panel with a bonded neutral?
@@aaornmmatchette hopefully this video will help :)
th-cam.com/video/Q-dIslW_6Pk/w-d-xo.html
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thanks Toolman. I only have one more question. Does anyone know what time it is?
I believe it’s ToolTime or possibly five o’clock somewhere lol
On the 2ton AC. A PTC Thermistor is a better option then a relay capacitor Start assist. I have the same T07573 and it starts my 2 ton 14 SEER split AC with out issue.
I’d also spring for a UPS for the most sensitive electronics like, cable modem, router. They are Uber cheap and the built in dirty AC filters work well. The one I bought was from Costco and was $110 on sale
I’ll look for a good ups Next time at Costco I already picked up the start assist but I’ll def check out the thermistor thanks for the good recommendations
Thank you.
I just bought a 10,000 Tri Fuel Firman and would highly recommend it...
Thanks Tim. I'm going to order one from Costco. I'm curios if it has a 240 3 or 4 plug connector. I watch your first review and your one year review. I'm out on the prairie in Canada as well. BTW - where did you find your small trickle charger? Thanks again! Excellent reviews!
This is the trickle charger I got from Amazon LST Trickle Battery Charger Automatic Maintainer 6V 12V Smart Float for Auto Car Motorcycle Lawn Mower SLA ATV AGM GEL CELL Lead Acid Batteries www.amazon.ca/dp/B073Z73TB5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_VBN8K6VC5F3X57G3N7Q4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
And the outlet on the generator is a 4 prong 50 amp 240 v
Tim Thanks for the great review..
Quick ask... do you have video how to empty fuel or clean fuel from carbonator?
Any thoughts on unbounding the neutral ground on the Firman to avoid having two neutral grounds, the second being in the main panel? Does a transfer switch solve this, where an interlock would not? This seems to be the common question.
Toolman Tim - enjoyed your review of Firman 07571 tri-fuel. Question, I am concerned about weight of unit. I have an RV. Can I run the generator for an hour while it is secured in the storage area of RV. I can’t see myself & friends lifting unit in and out of RV on daily basis with it weighing 200+ lbs. All responses appreciated. Thanks
Phil
Very interesting that you couldn't run your 2 ton a/c. I've ran my 2.5 ton 12 sear with natural gas with ease. Actually turned other items on too at the same time. Great video anyway.
Mine has a big voltage wattage spike at start up. This summer I’m gonna get a soft start installed
Yea i thought that was odd too, my brother in law was able to run his 2 ton ac with a DeWalt 7kW running generator ....
@@ACommenterOnTH-cam I run my 3ton ac fine
I have had a mine for 2 years have only needed it once for 4 hours works great had had previous outages that went on for days even a week with a previous generator and wanted something that I could connect to my NG and not have to make gas runs and wait on long lines for gas. Of course since I bought this one have not had any lengthy outages. I have been looking at the Gen tent for some time I see you posted a link for it. Does it fit well? Did you get the standard, plus or extreme? Standard apron or did you upgrade to the clear on?
I only use gasoline in my generators. I always have a few 5 gallon cans that I employ in a couple of months in my cars the refuse them so gas in never stale nor do I hav not wait in lines when we have power outs.
Greetings. When powering the house, do you ground it or leave it as is?
This is not advice but I don’t ground it personally. However if you aren’t sure check with an electrician :)
Thanks for the great review, i turned on my FIRMAN generator after two year on propane gas, it ran for 2 mins and turned itself off, and wont start. The engine oil level is good. Two yeas back when i brough this generator, i ran for ~2 hour to make sure it works and to run of of any gas before moving to storage. Any tip on resolving this issue ?
Did you make sure no gas was in carburetor?
Is there a way to run the house of a generator ? Like hooking from a panel to generator?
Have you removed the neutral ground bond for backfeeding home via breaker and interlock kit? Have same unit, and need to.
What size NG line does it require, 3/8 or 1/2?
Very reliable company. One of the oldest companies in China that have a “Honda” like story. This isn’t a “Made in China” Walmart product. It has a reliable engine.
Thabks for sharing that
I would have been more concerned about the reliability of the gen head than the engine. The engine won't damage sensitive circuits in your home like a gen head producing dirty power. By the way what is the Chinese company building these engines and generator heads?
Honda generators are NOT made in China. I have 4 HONDA generators. They are the most efficient and the quietest.
I am planning on purchasing this unit to power my entire house . I was planning on installing a 50amp breaker with an interlock. But my concern is that even though the unit has a 50amp plug, it is fused at 31 amps. Thoughts?
The gray version comes with a cover. I got one about 3 weeks ago, also installed the trickle charger, but not the quick connect yet.
Glad to hear.
Tim what is the link for the quick connect natural gas
@@skipscarbrough9558 Natural Gas Quick Connect
amzn.to/33CfpS6
Natural gas hose with quick connect
amzn.to/3JzzkQO
according to firman, the generator charges the battery. so if you are testing it every month and letting it run a bit, the battery should be good... asked specially about the T04073
Thank you. I can be a bit more confident with mine going forward.
I purchased a T8071. I have a question, how many hours can you run the unit non-stop?
If it’s hooked into natural gas you could run it until it’s due for an oil change. First one is 50 hours and and then each one is 100 hours after that. If you are using gasoline really should let it cool off between fill ups
I got firman Tri fuel 10000walt generator last summer. I’ve had big issues with electric start. I’ve been starting it once a month but more not starting than not. I’ve got 19 hrs of running time since new. I’ve only ran propane
I’m to the point of getting a new battery.
How can I connect this to my main power box vs running extension cords?
me i know if he can drive the welding machine 120v/240v? thanks buddy
it doesn't come with a NG hose. you have to buy that separately. Anyhow, I see that you have the quick connect on the generator end. I've seen some people have it on the NG end. I'm assuming it's a personal preference?
I did it that way mainly because how the bbq outlet on the side of ny house was set up save me an extra set of fittings that way.
i think there is a future for cng and there was a recent start up who made semi electric/cng hybrid haulers?
I think you are right.
I know you reversed the quick connect on the male 3/8 generator fitting.. can you post which adapters you used. having trouble finding flared quick connect adapters
I ended up picking up the flared fitting at a local heating and plumbing shop
I purchased my today for $699 .
$200 off the price in Costco .
Probably 4 July sale.
4:28. If you're worried about dirty power, just put anything you're worried about behind a UPS (which you really ought to do anyway), and then you'll be golden.
That is not as safe as an inverter generator.
Maybe have a example show of hooking up that trickle charge. Mine is fairly new but was unused for months, and finally got it to start
Hey Scott here’s a link to that video :). Hope it helps th-cam.com/video/_E3bzGA6t28/w-d-xo.html
so this is the first generator i ever bought or used myself we had them in the military but they were old models. Question do i need to run a ground wire for this generator i have the same one you have in the video
No worries this is a question that got me for a long time. This generator is what is called a bonded generator and if you are just power items directly from the outlets via extension cord you don’t need to have a ground wire mounted to a ground rod or plate.
This might help a bit
th-cam.com/video/Q-dIslW_6Pk/w-d-xo.html
Feel free to follow up and ask questions
Glad I read through the Comments I was about to buy one but did not no a bout dirty power I have brand new furnace cost big$ don't want to mess that up. Are there Generators I can purchase that would be clean power ? again never knew there was dirty & Clean.. I'm looking for something that will have min. run power of 7500 or larger? any recommendation I plan to run Gas but like option for LP? Reliably be goal / quality anyway any suggestions Thank you I subscribed leaned a lot both watching and tons reading comments So Thank ALL I know nothing about these at all but trying to get setup so I can run well pump, furnace, frig,two freezers, lights basically my house 2800 SF . Looking forward to some suggested Generators clean power min. 7500 running 8000 better running better ...
So yes, this one I would be careful of running expensive electronics on it has a total harmonic distortion of 11 to 14% which is higher than it should be what you were looking for is an inverter generator if you find any generator that says inverter on it that’s going to give you sinewave power Now the problem is is that they don’t typically come made for natural gas. You can get dual fuel, gasoline and propane, but then you’d have to look for a conversion kit to convert it to natural gas after the fact.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP I don't have NG where I live. so that not an issue I found a Champion but it has under a 5 gallon tank, found another Champion I really liked Gas tank was 7.7 but no invert lot harder find one than i would of thought there some but was in hopes to stay under $1500 thanks for your help
Have you had any communications with FIRMAN about this product. I recently was advised by FIRMAN that extending the exhaust pipe or installing the Generator in an enclosure would VOID my warranty. Any advise on this?
So if an enclosure is built properly with proper ventilation, there’s no way that enclosure is going to harm your generator in any way and there’s no way that anyone is ever going to know that it was in an enclosure so do with that as you will I haven’t heard that that voids the warranty but I haven’t found that in the manual either I can see where an ad on muffler might be more of an issue where it does restrict the airflow and especially if you have to modify the generator to put it on there it’s definitely going to leave its signs that it was there
I bought 4 days ago just like that I had to switch the wires on my start and switch to the other side of it and now I started up and it runs for 5 seconds and it's not the oil oil is full now they're shaved my voltage regulator could be bad so they have any inputs on it I would really like to know cuz I like the generator
Hi, I have the same one. Tested with gas and forgot to leave the gas in. It is won't start so start it with propane let it run then switch over to gas but still won't start
What would be the proper care and use of this generator if I buy it and never need it?
I’m thinking about picking this up as part of my preparation tool kit, but in the past 10 years I’ve never needed one unless would not be one a day camping due to its weight. But they are $200 off right now and was considering it. That discount allows for the purchase of 100 pound propane tank.
So the most important thing to do even if you never plan on needing it is to run it every 2 - 3 months it serves three things, you learn it’s starting procedure, you make sure it starts and runs, you can test it for any malfunctions like a an outlet that aren’t working etc. if your running propane you have not concern of old gas sitting in it. If you use gas then make sure you add stabilizer and make sure you run it dry once or twice a year and add fresh gas.
Change the oil once a year and get a trickle charger that you can install on it to make sure the battery stays topped up. That’s really it. If you have any questions regarding it feel free to follow up with me.
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP perfect, thanks
What part is needed for the conversion to natural gas?
Do you use a step up pump to run it when you power it with natural gas? I was told that the natural gas line doesn’t have enough pressure to run without a step up pump.
I don’t I have a 20 ish foot long hose and didn’t have any issues with mine
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP okay. Thanks for responding.
I got the whole house firman generator in 2018. It was great and powerfull . But when the power went out last week . The generator would not start. The fuel tank was filled with rust and it will only run on propane. Returned it to costco and got the new grey one . Its better then the yellow one.
If you end up having any more problems try either running your tank totally dry each time or added some sea foam to it that stuff gets rid of all kinds of gunk
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP its condemnation form sitting for long time in the shed .
I never see a tank rust like this . I have many generators for work and the only one that rusted was the firman .
You cannot leave gas in a generator for months and expect it not to cause problems. Run the gas out after using it. I have portable generators that are over 20 years that continue to run great but I never leave as in them longer than a month. I also only use non-ethanal gas.
@@crispychicken2743 All my portable Honda generators have plastic tanks, NO rust problems. However, I never leave gas in them more than a month. I also only use non-ethanol gas.
Tim, I have the same generator. The fuel selector switch is stuck in gasoline mode. Why would the fuel selector switch be stuck in that position?
That is really strange. If it’s brand new, I would try just giving a little more force to her to see if it moves. It may just need a little more force on the first go, but if it doesn’t want to, but I would take it back but if it’s old or maybe it’s got some gunk built behind it I will try to pull the switch off and see if you can clean behind those are my best suggestions
can you tell us what your NG meter size is? how many BTU's? and do you have a NG furnace to heat your home? was your gas meter large enough to run both the generator and the furnace.
I want to buy a tri fuel but i feel my 250,000 btu unit wont be enough to handle the generator and the 120000 btu furnace .can you supply more info on gas supply requirements.
And add the water heater if it runs on NG. You can use another power source if it becomes an issue (Gas/Propane). I currently have a 2200/2500 portable inverter generator that powers the most important things, but want to upgrade to a larger Generator to power the AC. Powering the furnace is fairly low since you are only powering the blower.
@@jerrybell6786 yes its low voltage, but its the NG demand im concerned with.if the meter cant handle the generator and furnace and sometimes the water heater, its pointless. yes i can use propane to run the furnace and hot water, but id have to have too many tanks around if god forbid we had another Sandy..
How far should it be from my house outside. I have a small yard
Minimum 15 feet some people say 20 the main thing is just to make sure that the exhaust isn’t pointing toward the window and the wind is blowing it in an open window also keep down the risk of fire
How many total hours do you have on it
It’s about 2.5 years later and I’d have to check but no more than 20 hrs so far had two significant outages of 4-6 hours and the running of it every couple of months
Just picked up the gray one at Costco for $699.95
Does it ship with the oil pre installed ?
It comes with the oil but you have to add it yourself
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP Thanks
Do you think this unit would run a LG mini split ? 240v
I’m pretty sure it would. Don’t know the exact wattage draw but it should
I believe it's 1700 for cooling and 1800 for heating, so there should be plenty for that a couple led lights tv refrigerator and freezer, I'm thinking
Did you have a issues with it bogging down in the run position running on natural gas?
I can’t say that I have I’ve put quite a few hours on in the natural gas and started the thing up many many times on L & G and had no problem with it yet
It runs on LP fine, the furnace was running maybe it is not getting enough gas, maybe…… I will keep you up to date
Your right my hose is a 3/8 ID on Tim's video he said to use a 1/2 ID which I just ordered
Thanks to both of you for your help, Merry Christmas
What size unit are you reviewing. Watts etc.
It’s the firman Trifuel it’s a gas/propane/ng unit
Max wattage for each is 9200/8450/6900
Also this is my original review that has some more in-depth details
How long will it run on gasoline?
12.5 hours on 50% load with a full tank of 8.5 gallons
Seems the starter has gone out on ours. It has only bee run maybe a total of 4-5 hours over the 2 years that we have had it. I can pull rope start it and runs fine I tried another battery and still starter will not engage.
Wheres the link to the trickle charger?
www.toolmantim.co/todays-tool-1-5-amp-trickle-charger/
Bought one after watching your video. Mine works great with LPG out of the box I'm having trouble getting it to run on gasoline. Gas is probably 5 months old. Could it be the gas or should I return to Costco?
So triple check the starting procedure as there are a couple of knobs that have to be turned ti get it on gas. Also does it run at all on gas and then shut down or does it not start at all
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP runs for few seconds the dies off. I can start it on propane then switch to gasoline and it also dies after a few seconds
5 months old gas could be stale. If the 5 months old gas in the generator it could have gummed up the carburetor.
does this generator have a remote starter (kind of keyfob) ?
No this one doesn’t I belive some of the champion ones do and the new 5000 dual fuel harbour freight does
Does it have a fuel shutoff??
Yes it does
😎🛠️😎🛠️😎
Can't tell you how many times I've flip flopped on this model. Every time I head back to Costco I start considering it again until watching a video and realize it's not an inverter. Lol.
if its not an inverter, I would avoid it.
You can't claim that you had no problems with THD when it ran for only a few hours at a time. There are a lot of variables to consider, one of which is time.
Value 1:00
Grey version differences 1:28
Decibel check 2:00
Wattage different fuels 2:15
What's included 2:39
Three upgrades he did 3:05
It's heavy/use on flat surface 3:38
Gasoline hard start 3:58
RUNNING ELECTRONICS/HARMONIC DISTORTION 4:12
Use during 2 significant power outages 4:43
Run time on propane 5:10
Keeping it clean and covered 5:20
Only issue he's had 5:40
Plans for next year usage 5:54
Thank you Dave that’s awesome :)
12 hours on dirty power(11-14% THD) and no noticeable effect on sensitive electronics? Good luck on the same results with long term usage. I wouldn't risk my $800 motherboard on my furnace/AC air handler with that THD rating.
That's why I didn't buy it. The inverter welder I have requires
I recently had a transfer switch installed in my home and bought the Firman T04073 Tri fuel generator. I plugged it into the house outlet and started it. I went to the basement and only cut over the basement lights so I could see. Right away I noticed they were constantly flickering. It was annoying but I decided to start up other items like my lights upstairs, the fridge, furnace, and TV upstairs. The flickering was still happening in the basement. I came upstairs and noticed the lights were not flickering. I checked and the upstairs lights were on the same leg of the 240 line as the basement lights. True the bulbs are made by different manufacturers so that could be why. I turned in the TV and PVR and they worked fine. After running this for 10 minutes I checked the fridge and it was on. The furnace was not on. The furnace is on the opposite leg of the fridge since I felt it would be too much draw putting the furnace and fridge on the same leg. I started the furnace and saw a slight decrease in the upstairs lights but then it went back to to regular brightness. I heard the motor in the generator rev louder. After about 3 or 4 minutes I noticed the UPS boxes on my PVR and TV were clicking on and off repeatedly. I shut down the TV and PVR. The UPS continued to click. It was constantly cutting over to battery. I shut off the furnace thinking it would correct this. Nope. The clicking continued. I went to the basement and turned off all of the circuit breakers except for the the TV and PVR. The UPS continued to click on and off and the load was next to nothing on the generator. To me that seems like a broken voltage regulator in the generator. Just wondering if you have experienced this with yours?
Hmm... You real life experience with the 'dirty power' is my main concern about getting this unit. Thanks for your detailed comments.
Yeah I haven’t pushed my luck with the electronics yet but for the very limited time I’ve ran it they have worked good so far
@@utrutr6013 The power is dirty. I’ve done some more reading and apparently many generators cause issues for UPS units. Even the inverter generators cause issues with UPS units. I tested it again last week and I removed my electronics from the UPS and ran them from a plain surge protector instead for 45 minutes. Everything worked ok. I was able to watch a TV show. The UPS was still clicking so I shut it off since nothing was plugged into it. The power is definitely not clean but whether it’s dirty enough to break electronics I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense because most people buy generators for their RV for home backup and they watch TV and use the microwave, etc. The generator is worthless if it’s going to break everything including the circuit board in the furnace and fridge. I would hope that the threshold of dirty power is acceptable. Just note it’s not clean like power coming in off the street. Not sure if there is a solution to this.
@@ds99 Thanks for your followup reply. Yes, having never owned a generator before, this was my only real concern. This unit appears to be very capable and flexible, but I wouldn't call it portable. Do you actually move this around your property and use it for different things?...or is it mainly just used as backup for whole-house power? I haven't been able to find a website that shows historical outages for an address or area...only if there is an outage right 'now' so I don't know how often this may even be needed for us.
@@utrutr6013 I’ve had two big power outages here in Ottawa over the past 4 years. Both times I lost $400 to $450 worth of food because I have a fridge and chest freezer. That’s a loss of $800 to $900. Both times the weather was warm. Both outages were long - One was 2 days and the other was 3 days. My worry is this happening in winter and the only source of heat I have is a forced air furnace that runs on natural gas with the fan working off of electricity. Losing power for long periods sucks and is costly. The price I paid on the generator I may get back if power failures continue to happen. I also lose internet and phone service with no power so it’s not good. The T04073 weighs about 120 pounds but it moves easily on wheels. I’ve never picked it up. It was delivered to my house. I keep it in my garage and to run it I wheel it into the back yard and plug it into my natural gas line and then plug in the 30 amp power cord into my transfer switch inlet. I’ve picked up the back of it to swivel it and it wasn’t hard to do. I’m not a weight lifter so if I can do it you should be able to. I think women could also easily pull it. I only use it as a home backup. I have 10 x 15 amp circuit breakers in my transfer switch. It gives me power to all of the important areas of my house. The biggest issue I have with it is I find it loud. I worry it’s annoying my neighbors. My electronics don’t show any signs of suffering while on generator. I run it once per month to keep it lubricated and working.
Mr Tim, will your generator, using Natural Gas, start up with the pull cord starter. I’m using your valuable videos to learn about this Firman generator.
in theory yes i have heard from a few that say it doesn't want to but it is built to do that
Can I run a 5,000 BTU window air conditioner with one of these without hurting the electronics?
How many watts is this generator? I'm more than 1/2 way through this video and you haven't mentioned it.
Is this the T07571 or T07573?
It’s the T07571
Can you weld with it?
if you mean can you run a welder from it well you could run something like 150 -160 amp welder but that would be it I do'nt think I would use this genrator for any long term amount of welding
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP hey, thankyou. thats a big help !
2:25
Interesting, my brother in law has a DeWalt 7kW running generator and he was able to run his 2 Ton ac unit with ease.
That’s crazy as the Dewalt tops out at 8750 watts and the firman has 9400 watts your friend s2 ton must have a significantly lower top power spike or maybe it has a soft start on it
@@TOOLMANTIMSWORKSHOP i seriously doubt he has a soft start. He knows his electrical and plumbing so if he had one, i am sure he would remember and would have told me ....
@@ACommenterOnTH-cam Some a/c units come standard with a soft start. Mine did!
@@Asidebar i dont think his did