I just ran my predator 9000w generator for 3 days straight, continously. Because of this ice storm all of Texas is getting right now. I must admit, my predator 9000w worked flawlessly.
I bought a generator due to Harvey i was a located a little south of the eye. Our electricity was out for a little over 2 weeks. I researched and built a breaker into my box and now I crank my generator and keep my house going. I also recently lost power during this cold weather. Its been out for the past 4 days with this cold. Thank god I invested in a generator
My 4000 Sportman generator is on its way. Will this be sufficient to provide electricity for my entire home(2,100sqare footage)? Where can I find someone to build a breaker into my box?
@@alfredozertuche4243 - okay. I may have to take it back. What's the least amount I need to power the entire home? And yes, I have central air and heat, electric stove, and microwave.
I have a 6500, used to for 3 days. I live in Houston so I needed it, and that thing worked flawlessly. A refrigerator, deep freezer, tv, space heater and my wifi. Flawless...
⚠️Please don’t forget about Generator safety: please remember not to ever run your generator indoors. Generators should only be used outdoors. Always remember that carbon monoxide fumes are odorless and colorless gas that is a silent killer that you cannot see or smell. Carbon monoxide is dangerous and it can cause death. Carbon monoxide is poisonous. Always keep that in mind when using generators. You need to have a carbon monoxide detector. Make sure your generator is 15-20 feet away from your house and away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open. Some people run their generator indoors during hurricanes which is dangerous and you and your family will die if you use generators indoors. Running a generator indoors increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Please don’t run your generator in wet conditions. Running a generator in wet conditions can electrocute you. You need to keep your generator dry. Don’t let the portable generator get wet. You need to have a generator tent as well to protect your generator from getting wet if you will use your generator during wet weather. We also really need to keep our children safe when we’re using portable generators so they won’t get electrocuted or burned by the generator which is dangerous. Generators can be hot. You have to keep an eye on children making sure that they are not near the portable generator to avoid any risks. We have to be aware with all the hazards and follow all the instructions in the generator’s operating manual. Generators pose electrical risks. Make sure your generator is not overloaded. Overloading your generator can cause damage to the appliances that are plugged into the generator. Please don’t overload your generator. Don’t ever try to plug a generator cord into a wall outlet to avoid back feeding. Back feeding is dangerous. Always turn on your generator first before plugging in appliances. And before you unplug the appliances, please shut off your generator first. Please use a heavy duty cord for your generator and the cord should not be worn out. Please don’t refuel your generator while it’s running. You should shut off your generator and let it cool off before refueling it. Refueling your generator while it’s running can cause fire if gasoline spills on the generator’s engine because it’s hot. Please make sure your generator is properly grounded. Everything that is said on the generator’s operating manual should not be ignored. They all need to be followed. th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping your family safe while using generators. This is for everyone’s safety. This is just a safety reminder for everyone to make sure that you are aware with the warnings. Thank you and hope you stay safe.
Good to know I just bought the same one, wanted to make sure I can run my fridge and deep freezer and sump pump at minimum good to know I can get a few luxuries with it.
I just had a electrician do that to my home. I have a champion generator with 9350 starting and 7500 running and I run my whole house. We did a test and ran it for 8 hrs. Getting that installed by the electrician was the best investment ever!!
Just curious what is cost to have the electrician do the work? I'll attempt just about any project except for anything beyond wiring up an outlet or switch haha!
Start slow...then add as you go. Prepare for 72 hours, then a week and so on and so on. It's easy to do! Here are some ideas from our prepper pantry (food storage) to help get you started! God bless you!
For running your house 9000 and up would be the best also if your single don’t get the pull start it does take some will power to pull start Get the electric start use it outside
Depending on where you are generators can be essential to a nice luxury. We are in north Idaho but live in town. Until recently power outages were very short and infrequent. Lately we are getting more and longer outages. So the generator is now something we see as important. We are wired for a generator, much like the OP: with a 50 AMP circuit 240V. This allows for up to max 12,000 Watts . The largest we can hook up is the Duromax 12,000 starting watts and 9500 running watts. Run about $1300. When you add the plug, make sure it is 50A and 240V like that of the OP. That gives you the greatest flexibility.
I bought the same predator 9,000w Generator a year ago and live in the mountains of California where power outages happen all the time. We are currently going 9 days straight without power due to a massive snow storm and this generator hasnt missed a beat running my whole house and keeping my family warm in below freezing temperatures with 4ft of snow on the ground.
I got mine for $625.00 with a 20% discount about almost 2 years ago I just went in to Harbor Freight last week and it was $865.00 so they’ve gone up in price
i would like to add a tip.....when your through with the generator turn off the fuel and let it run til it quits........that will keep the carb from gumming up...
Great point Fred. Another reason to turn the fuel off and run dry, is to prevent your entire fuel tank from leaking all over the floor in the event the float gets stuck. It happened to me 4 years ago.
@@3qgc Also never let in run out of fuel if connected to a load or the AVR will burn up , If you have access to aviation gas it will last longer and not cause carb problems like gas with ethanol does(ethanol breaks down in approx 9 weeks)I have had poor results with fuel stabilizers and think its snake oil .
@@gloknor Unfortunately, my generator has run out of fuel under a load however, I don't recall anything major happening. I'd refill it and be good to go. AVR?
@@3qgc avr is the automatic voltage regulator, I have lost several generators from guys running them out of fuel under load and it ruins the gen head because the avr is trying to compensate for the load and loss of fuel .
Add Seafoam to the fuel. I run in all my gas lawn equipment and everything starts on first pull even after sitting all winter with gas in the tank and carburetor.
After this emergency in Texas that we have there are no more time to wait we have to install some of these generator in each house no more excuses no more cold days and nights. Thank you for your video that helps a lot.
Yes I’ve been very fortunate to have my electricity here in Dallas during the duration of this crisis....I’ll definitely be investing in a generator now
The cold is way more bearable than living in a power outage when it's 100 degrees outside. I am in Houston, and was without power for 3 days. It reminded me of how bad it gets here when we have hurricanes. So I am shopping for a cheap generator that can power a window unit and not much else.
Running a central heater off one of these little generators probably won't work. 30A just can't power something running on a 70A breaker in your box. May not be able to run A/C either, depending on size of the unit and the type of starting system it uses. Cooling is more often the challenge in Texas power outages. Heat can be accomplished with a simple indoor propane heater. Also keep in mind that you can convert these generators to use propane or natural gas. Propane keeps a lot longer on the shelf than that damned ethanol gasoline that turns into jell-o after just a few months.
@@1wldnczyguy Really!? The mains switch, breaker, and wiring are the easiest. The generator set is the hardest with the most variables to understand. Just as an example, running a generator off off GAS, LP, or NG will loose a significant amount of power in that order. Especially when it comes to restive and inductive loads. Simple math. Any half dimwit would know that first right!? I'm assuming you have the generator topic already figured out for your application!) Call an electrician do the rest of the easy stuff;)
Good video. Couple of things for anyone wanting to do this. First, don’t run the genie in an enclosed area or even in an open garage. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal. Second, if you aren’t an electrician or know exactly what you’re doing, do not pull the cover off the main distribution panel. Even with the Main breaker off there are lethal voltages present behind the panel. Last, never run a generator while the mains are on, even if power is out in your area. If the main breaker is closed you will back-feed current to the transformer feeding your home. With lines de-energized, the transformer steps up your generator voltage from the 120V to 4,000V residential distribution and you can kill a lineman trying to restore your power. Some people have made up a power cord with two male house plugs (15A 120V), plugged one end into the generator and the other into a wall outlet to power the house, leaving the Main breaker closed and back feeding the transformer.
While back feeding is definitely dangerous for any worker handling the line one thing continually gets overlooked. If you're lucky enough to not injure or kill the person working on the line once power is restore you will most likely have an out of phase situation. If that happens something is going to fail and fail in a significant way. If you're lucky only the panel, generator or both will be destroyed. Main breaker may not save your stuff in time.
i have a main cutoff switch coming into my home/ If i loose power , i plan on shutting the main panel switch off and outside switch to off/ then back feeding thru my dryer plug in to run whole house Is this acceptable ? What problems do you see in my idea ?
That is also dangerous, because the wiring isn't designed for more than 15A per outlet, you can catch wires on fire by backfeeding too much current. Your whole house goes up in flames, also you don't have just the linemen to worry about but it's possible you'll be backfeeding a small portion of the grid to include several homes that are all connected to the same circuit that feeds your home... You MIGHT be able to do something with the plug your dryer uses as that tends to be a 30A circuit but you still need to check with a qualified electrician to be sure.
@Travis Hamler IMO, a lockout switch is mission critical. No way I'd connect my gen to the home without one. They're relatively inexpensive, simple to install, foolproof to use and they never wear out or break. Good call on your part here.
The fact that we now need generators for every season proves we need to reconnect to the country's power grid. Needing a generator year round is like living in the 3rd world. This is unacceptable.
We have this set up for our house. My entire town was out for 64 hours but we were fairly comfortable with our generator. In SE Texas with hurricanes it is very necessary to have.
4 months? on gas or have you converted to propane??? gone sola pv & battery pack?? tesla powerwall??? engineer 775 or handeeman; tesla car battery pack & pv panels.... you could do multiple wind turbines..... just a suggestion.... free power
I have the same generator, our power went out a couple weeks ago for two days, we ran that thing 48 hours straight with no problems, the whole house, washer, dryer, fridge, TVs everything, 13 hours per gas tank full, works great
Haven't had any electronics fail early from running on this generator? It's hard to find details on whether or not this generator is ok for use with sensitive electronics (THD value).
I learned a lot about what you have to do to run your whole house on a generator system. Especially when it came to the electric hook up, which I knew nothing about. But I can see how this would be totally worth the investment you had to make. We about froze when the power went off in the winter storm here last year here in Texas and I don't ever want a repeat of that! Many thanks for taking the time and effort that you put into making this video for others to see. I appreciate it.
I purchased the Predator 9000 a few days ago, and installed a Reliance inlet on 10/3 wire, and a breaker panel interlock with dedicated 30 AMP double pole generator breaker. Got it all wired in just in the nick of time as storms ripped though Alabama last night and as I suspected, we lost power overnight. Was able to connect the Predator 9000 to the house and we had full house power. It was awesome!
I recommend keeping a spare spark plug (and make sure you have the proper wrench/socket) and quick start spray. It makes a world of difference to have them before you need them. I discovered this the hard way. (You can take out the old plug and use a little sand paper to gently sand off the oxidization on a plug, but it may not always work.) Also, do not run it too close to your house or inside a garage. In addition to danger of the carbon dioxide, if you don't change oil regularly, you can cause it to catch fire and you don't want that close to your house. Be safe.
1st) Use Synthetic engine oil and you won't have to worry about oil fires due to its higher flash point. I never heard of oil fires except for running out of oil in a bad engine. Check oil level often! #2) The gas tank breather hole should be blocked to prevent fuel tank expanding & contracting with temperature changes (day/night), which will cause fuel to absorb humidity over time, thus you will have water in fuel. Have to remember to take off the blocked hole (toothpick?) on starting. Also, buy non-oxygen fuel (premium) as ethanol base fuel will absorb water and will gel up if it sits too long (stale fuel) Might want to get a 55gal drum of fuel stored in a covered area. #3) Pull the starter rope till you start to feel the compression stroke - which the valves will be closed to the outside air and you won't have to worry about plug/piston/cylinder oxidation. *Best to just start the generator every few months* (I close the fuel valve to run it dry so carburetor won't gum up). On battery start generators, you need to run it to every few months to keep battery charged up and carb clean on gasoline engines. #4) Its carbon monoxide - not dioxide>dioxide is the fizz in soda pop. 10' away from home not a bad idea. Moving farther you will need heavier power cables (not extension cords) to prevent power loss over distant. Windows close by the generator a no-brainer. Actually read the owners manual :-/
I agree with the spare spark plug and quick start spray. We have had old generators that have been dependable for years but none of them started last Summer and my brother had to order spark plugs.
This is a very good vid, and many thanks. I've had a standby gen for nearly ten years and highly recommend one. Some tips respectfully offered from experience-- 1) install solid, not air filled 8 inch wheels. If you forget to keep air filled tires topped off (ask me how I know), moving a generator on flat tires and no air pump because the electricity is off is far more difficult. 2) Get an interlock plate for your fuse panel breakers such that you can run either utility power or gen power. Dirt cheap insurance. 3) Get a chain and padlocks to keep the gen from growing legs while it's outside. 4) If you get a larger gen with an electric start, keep the battery on a smart trickle charger. 5) I keep two 55 gallon drums of gasoline with Sta-bil which is good for a year. No electricity can mean no gas pumps. Hope this is helpful. Good luck and God bless.
I have cans of non-ethanol gas from Home Depot. Because I don't need the generator every year and that keeps for 5 years. When hurricanes or blizzards are coming, I buy gas and stabil. But I am not wanting to get rid of a lot of bad gas at the end.
Totally agree with the solid tires. If you buy the inflatable tires, you will have to blow them up every time you have to use the generator and it can be bitter cold if it is a blizzard or hot as heck in the summer.
I have the 4kW version of this, it's actually an incredible generator for the cost. You don't expect to walk out with much quality from HF but this one has it. I run our entire home on backup with this, natural gas appliances and minimal load shedding when required otherwise I run the entire panel. Starts every time and I run it once every month or two to keep it in shape.
Thanks for your review on this..im a 6 year employee of harbor freight and this helps the newbies stay informed and saves me and others time in training them ..invaluable....again thanks man
I have the predator 9000w generator and it has been running 24/7 a day for the last 6months and it has not missed a beat it still starts flawlessly every time and i have had zero issues 100% a strong beast
⚠️Portable Generator Safety Tips: 1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards. 2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Also please never use your generator in your deck or balcony. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house. 3)FIRE SAFETY: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. It’s also not safe to move your generator while it’s running. 4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords. It is always important to follow the safety rules when using a portable generator. Hope this helps.
I bought a 6000 watt Predator and it works great. I did the hookup just like you did it and everything works including the central air. My house is small and I basically need lights, refrigerator, freezer, and computers to run.
Also. To protect the voltage regulator on your generator, do not allow the unit to run out of gas while it is under heavy electrical load. As the engine runs out of fuel and the rpm's start to drop, the voltage regulator tries to raise the voltage to compensate, and sometimes it burns out. This will cause 0 voltage output when you turn the unit back on.
We just replaced a 22 yo Northern generator with the Predator. We are very happy with it. It runs a lot of stuff and is surprisingly quiet. It will do until we can afford a Generac. But all in all a good buy during an emergency. Things are nearly normal except for the central air. Oh well, can't have every creature comfort. during a crisis. Good purchase. Nice terms with Harbor Freight.
Patricia Heffernan, you can buy a Supco- Hard Start capacitor that connects to the fan unit capacitor that is on the outside fan and it gives it a 600% increase in boost just to start the A/C going and it turns off itself. I have a four bedroom house and it runs a frigid freezer, small freezer in the garage and TV and light's. It's only a Generac GP5500 watt and I only time I use that cheap unleaded fuel with 10% ethanol is only to run it and that's it! When I don't need it anymore I run all that varnishing fuel out even with that sta-bil stuff it's not gonna keep over a year! I alway leave non-ethanol fuel in it when it sits. The fuel that's currently in it is over a year old and when it looked like we might got either Hurricane Laura or the crazy one before it I went to maje sure everything was up to par and the generator started on the first pull! After having to drain that crappy ethanol fuel that will vanish in 30 day's or maybe a few days longer I'll never go through that again! I always have 3 extra spark plugs, extra air-filter, a carburetor/choke spring because I had one break the second time I needed it, but I was able to temporarily fix it and hoped it helped until it was over..I'm building a generator shed currently which is bringing the generator closer to the box and going from a 23 foot cord down to a 10' twist lock..It's awesome having a/c at night and I do give the generator breaks during the day to take strees of the generator and conserve fuel! I've had this setup since Issac! And having the Supco hard start capacitor also is extending the life of this A/C which was installed in 1996 and still working well.." Knocking on wood now" lol. I'm looking into getting a predator for a backup until I move and get a permanent generator hooked to natural gas! I'm thinking about doing that to this house, but I'll lose power if I do that and it only being a GP5500 generac it might not be enough to run my A/C anymore?! But I swear by those hard start capacitors and very simple to connect to the capacitor inside the fan unit and definitely after use run out all fuel with that ethanol even with Sta-bil it will still varnish after time and it's a pain in the ass to drain when your trying to prepare!! I run it in my lawnmower and weed-eater and for sitting up won't have any trouble cranking them up next year! Thank me later.. BB
@Double J it's very simple and you just connect two wires coming from the Supco 6 Hard Start. Make sure it connected right and you can tie wrap it to the capacitor that's already in the outside compressor fan. A little tip, but you might already know! When you turn off the main power coming from the pole/electric company, before you crank up any generator make sure all breakers are in the off position before you start generator and then click one on at a time..And opposite position when you turn in off to fuel up..You don't want a load when you crank the generator on!! A lot of people don't do that and it can wear down the twist lock generator breaker on genny or can wear out or damage your generator! And I built the shed and it's much closer to the breaker box and went from a 25' 30 amp cord to a 12' and it's working pretty good in this heat! I always keep two back up Supco hard Starts and I've seen knock offs! So be careful and just make sure it says it's from New Jersey!! Screw anything Chinese! I also keep a 220 twist lock breaker for backup. The shorter the cord the better your genny will work.. Almost finished generator shed except I didn't add the setup to push the exhaust out shed and got to cut a hole to run the cord through..I barely have enough cord! I'm wore out from doing a pad to hold it with 19"× 19"× 4" thick and thank god I bought this paver gripper from Germany and it works beautifully! Very good investment and easy on the back and can order a piece two people can carry.. I will do the installation later. Two days working on all this and it was time consuming trying to get the exhaust fan installed they way I wanted it...Wish I could share a picture of it. It's working with no exhaust outlet and the fan is removing a lot of heat but I do have the lid open..
@Double J not to shabby for a Generac GP-5500 and it's running with ethanol gas while testing it in the heat, but I don't go below 76° and I put it on 75° but in this heat and humidity I keep it on 76° with fans and ceiling fans. At night I put that bitch on 71' and if the wind is really kicking I think 70° with my two fans blowing on both sides of the bed blows like I'm riding my motorcycle...lol
What I have trying to figure out how to put the cord hookup to power pole. L bracket in need a 2 prong positive line to the pole box to plug in the generator. Alittle confused where to get it.
Hi, I bought the 8500 Watt Predator Generator about 5 Yrs ago. I have it mounted on a Harbor Freight 4’X 4’ Trailer, with my Compressor and an Air Hose Reel. I built a High Rack for the Trailer for a Tool Box, and mounted LED Flood Lights facing the Front, Back and both Sides. It’s really handy because I can also Mount my Titanium Welder and Paint Sprayer on the Trailer. That way I can use it all around the Farm, or take it Camping and Fishing. I am still using the same little Harbor Freight Battery for 5 Yrs and counting. It still fires right up on the First try. It’s been really useful for Powering my House during Power outages. For the Price, you can’t beat these Predator Generators. I bought mine when they were on clearance because they were coming out with the 9000 Watt. It was only $399.00 and no problems whatsoever. I do keep up the Maintenance regularly. Thanks for the Video, Subscribed 👍👍
Hey, love the bread first. I live in St.Thomas and we have 6 -12 hour outages and pay 40.05 per kilowatt-hour. I went without grid power from Sept6, 2017 to January 8, 2018. I finished my off-grid solar system in August 2017 we lived with swollen lead-acid batteries and ryiboi generator for most of that storm. When you are real about this go get a Kohler propane. I am getting one soon, that generator is great in a pinch, but the whole house set up is what you will need, take it from me in hurricane ally. good luck and keep the lights on, once again, love the bread.
Thank you SIr for your "Two cents" concerning a generator. I was on the fence about which one I should purchase. After watching your video I am sold on the 9000 Predator Generator. Thank you again for your insight. I agree with Gary H about how a detailed video on how to add the switch and accessories to the breaker box. Over all an excellent video to study.
If i may, i have almost the same setup. i used my amp probe to measure each circuits draw with the connected load on. and next to the main panel. is a log book listing all the loads. this way during an emergency you can look in the book and know what can run at the same time so you do not overload your generator. we all know during an emergency clarity goes out the window. just a suggestion.
Actually, if you use a transfer switch with watts meters, you will already know what you can and can't use. You have to balance the load on both legs of the generator, so you have to calculate in advance, which items are going to go on what circuits in the transfer switch.
Thanks so much for your video. I just bought the same generator about two weeks ago and haven't used it yet but looking at all the positive comments about it and now your video I know I made the right choice. I also saw that the local fire department uses Predator generators, so bring on the cold weather. Thanks again!
I have the same setup but with the 6500/5500 watt version. Runs my whole house 2100sf including my 2.5 ton ac. I only turn the 4500w water heater off, if needed I’ll run it by itself. Great generators , had a 4000w version for 5 years before upgrading to the 5500w and it started 1st pull every time.
Are you referring to central air in your 2100 sf home? If so I don't see how you would have enough power to run a 2.5 Ton Condensor let alone a few other appliances and lights in your home with a 5500 continuous/6500 surge generator. The initial surge of turning the Condensor on would overpower your generator and has potential to damage equipment. Also I question the "cleanliness" of the power that is produced from this unit. There is a reason why you are only paying $599 for this unit. Like someone else said do you trust that power in sensitive devices like refrigerators and furnaces that have expensive control boards?
Mike Bittel see my video below. I put a hard start kit on the ac and it starts easily. I don’t use the stove or hot water heater with the generator on. Most everything else is led and high efficiency. Ive also tuned the generator to produce a steady 60 hertz so its as clean as i need it to be. I had converted it to propane but that dropped the power enough that i went back to gas.
I am currently using the same generator to power my home after the severe storm here in the Midwest a couple days ago. As long as you only run one 220 circuit at a time you can pretty much run anything else. I am just switching breakers when I need hot water heater, dryer, etc.. It seems to be able handle the well pump periodically as well! Generator has been running non stop for 3 days so far!!🤞🏻
WARNING TO ALL - Do not run your generators in or near any building, garage, carport, etc. where the exhaust fumes can carry the carbon monoxide fumes where they can be inhaled. Carbon monoxide is a silent, odorless killer!
Good advice. Not only carbon monoxide is dangerous when using generators. Generators pose any risks other than just carbon monoxide fumes. Here are the portable generator safety rules: this safety information is only for anyone who use a portable gas generator and for those who are planning on getting a portable gas generator. This is just a reminder for everyone’s safety. All generator safety rules should be followed carefully. This advice is just to make sure that everyone is aware of all the warnings and it’s just to remind people to be careful using portable generators. Generators can be dangerous if not used carefully. Every year, hundreds of people die or get injured when using portable generators due to carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution. Make sure you are using your generator carefully and keeping others safe as well. There is something very serious that everyone should always be aware of when using generators. Some people do run their generator indoors which is not safe and that increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can cause death of family and you. Some people run their generator in wet conditions which can electrocute them. Please remember that you should never run your generator indoors. Remember that carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that you cannot see or smell. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Keep that in mind. Make sure your generator is 15-20 feet away from your house and away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use your generator in your porch too. Having a carbon monoxide detector is very important against generator safety. Some people also allow children to go near the portable generator which could pose risks. We need to keep an eye on our children making sure that they are not near the portable generator so they won’t get electrocuted or burned by the generator which is dangerous. A locking enclosure also keeps kids safe. A generator shed might look like a tempting place to explore, or take cover during a game of hide and seek, but a generator is a dangerous piece of equipment that can cause injury. It says on the manual that we should also keep children away at all times from the portable generator to avoid injuries. Please do not allow a child or unqualified people to operate the portable generator. It is important to keep your children safe especially little ones. The portable generator can be hot during an operation. Just because some manuals missed what should be listed doesn’t mean it’s safe to do. Always follow the generator safety rules when using portable generators. Generators pose electrical risks. If you need to use your generator during wet weather, you need a generator tent to protect your generator from getting wet. Don’t let your generator get wet. Keep your generator dry and before using your generator, please make sure your hands and your generator is dry. Do not wear loose clothing when operating the generator. Everything that is said on the generator’s operating manual should not be ignored. Never smoke cigarettes near the generator. Please keep flammable things away from the generator. Never overload your generator too. Your generator can catch fire. Never ever try to plug a generator cord into a wall outlet to avoid back feeding. Back feeding your generator is dangerous. Always turn on your generator first before plugging in appliances and shut off the appliances before turning your generator off. Use a heavy duty cord for your generator and the cord should not be worn out. All the instructions should be followed carefully. Never refuel your generator while it’s running. It can cause fire if fuel spills while your generator is hot. You should turn off your generator and let it cool off before refueling it. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important. This is only a reminder for everyone’s safety of using generators. Make sure your generator is properly grounded. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the safety rules. th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators and also about our family’s safety. We should keep our children safe especially little ones. Hope this helps. Thank you.
I have the same predator generator, I think its actually the predecessor model 8750 peak watts. I've had it for roughly 5 years and did the tie in to my home with the interlock. Great peace of mind for the money spent! Nice video 👍
I have this, newbie to whole house generators. I am an "upper upper middle aged lady" with back problems. This gem starts first pull, every time. I even change the oil , myself, Easy peasy. It runs our whole house, but we don't use things like vacuum cleaners of the microwave b/c of the amperage. No biggie. It will run our HVAC unit , however you can tell it puts a bit of a strain on it. So we use window a/c's as a substitute, along with fans to circulate. THANK YOU for this video. It is most excellent!
These Predator generators are surprisingly reliable. We have one at my company that has been rode hard and put up wet for several years now and it still runs like a champ. I have had to replace outlets on the panel because they are kinda cheap and break easily.
Hi from the U.K. I have a very similar generator to yours 8500/8000 watt and I was pleasantly surprised how un noisy (not quiet) it was I bought it to replace my 2800 watt generator that had a similar noise level ! I haven’t had a power outage in probably 10 years but I like to play safe lol. 👍🏻🇬🇧🇬🇧
Don’t forget about generator safety as well th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html please keep in mind that carbon monoxide is dangerous. Just reminding everyone to stay safe. Thank you
Glad to hear you have an interlock on it's way. Thank you. I have since being able to by ethanol free gas I no longer use nor need sta bil. Recommend using ethanol free and always shut full off and allow the engine to run until it burns all the fuel out of the carb but adding a propane kit will eliminate fuel/carb issues. Thanks for sharing your set up vid.
rstephe Even though it's ethanol free you should still use sta-bil. Varnish will still form if the gas sits. As always, add the stabile as soon as you buy the gas, not when you think it's going to sit for a while.
Isaac Kvasager I disagree with you. I have great success with sta bil and have not had any varnish form in gas left in my equipment for the specified duration coverage.
Isaac Kvasager well our experience is different, because I’ve had gas go bad in the past that I forgot to treat while simultaneously having gas that was treated do very well in my equipment.
True. Also, it is a 9kw gen set. They are made to run, at the very minimum, 35-40%. That is like 4kw. What are you going to use in your home that draws a cont. 4kw? I run a 30d36r diesel 3kw and have to hook it to my 240v 4500 watt hot water heater through a 120v outlet (drawing 1250w) just to put a load on it. Otherwise, I'm only drawing about 400 or 500 watts to run my refeidgator and lights.
@@rclouse72882 we went to an on demand propane water heater and mini split hvac units . our elect bill now is around $160 a month running a 2000 sqft. home with either a/c or heat and a well and charge pump and i work from home and have a full machine shop 2. mills 2. lathes drill presses and compressor. i switched my shop to LEDs 16. 4' shop lights and some smaller 3' single strip lights. draws very little wattage. it's quiet and very bright.
I have an 8750 Predator Generator and I can run my entire house on it. I don’t turn anything off intentionally, I just know what appliances I can run and which ones I should not run. For example, 2 refrigerators and one large freezer run fine, my furnace with forced hot air heat and even my central A/C works in the summertime. Things I try to avoid using, obviously, are things that draw the most electricity. I can run our washing machine, but we have an electric dryer which draws a lot of power. I avoid using the microwave and toaster oven. Basically, things that convert electrical energy into heat typically require more power. If there’s an emergency where we lose power, I’m not going to worry about doing the laundry or making hot pockets in the microwave. 😂
love how you guess what your ration is. I have measured my propane inventory combined to the 2x burner coleman stove used 2x a day. How long a generator can and should be run is not often thought about.
I have the same one and I have around 400 hours on it I haven't had any issue with it at all to be honest I was very skeptical at first cause I bought it without doing any research and I was actually happy it turned out really great
⚠️Here’s an important safety announcement for everyone: Please make sure you follow the generator safety tips whenever you use your portable generator. This is just a reminder for everyone’s safety. All generator safety rules need to be followed carefully Here are the generator safety tips: 1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an non qualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Children often get curious about anything so we should keep an eye on them to also make sure they’re not wandering towards the generator. 2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have a carbon monoxide if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Not even at your porch and your deck. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house. 3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. 4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords. Do not touch the generator’s engine when it’s still hot. th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators. All generator safety rules need to be followed carefully. Hope this helps. Please make sure you follow all the generator safety rules.
Man what a great video. I was about to purchase the Predator 6500 but when you showed the chart to see exactly how much everything pulls, I paused the video and grabbed my calculator. Glad I did because the 6500 would have been too small. Hardest thing about setting it up was the battery but that too was easy. Sad to say but Im ready for the power to go out now. Thanks you sharing!
I just bought a new Predator generator. Break in: run it no load about 30 minutes. Dump oil and it will be dirty with maybe a few specks of metal. Refill and repeat. Do this 3 times! The engine will last alot longer. Change oil every 100 hours.
I purchased one of those about 4 years ago, mine came with wheels and handle, it ran everything we needed to run.i love that hook up, I'll be doing that soon. Thank you for sharing 👍
I own this generator. Our entire state of Texas power went off when temperatures went below freezing for an entire week. Millions of people were powerless in the freezing winter cold temperatures at times reaching near 0 degrees.. I already had this generator wired into my mobile home power supply for emergency backup. This generator powerd my entire mobile home. It provided power for my electric water heater, micro wave oven, large refrigerator, small deep freeze, lights, tv and our electric oil heaters, with no problem. Thanks to this generator we were very comfortable and no water pipes busted. The only down fall was we averaged 18 gallons of gas for 24 hours😖. Our trailer is 4 bedroom and not small. We used 3 oil filled heater to heat the entire home. I highly recomend this generator after our experience just be prepared for the daily gas usage when I wasnt.
The Harbor Freight Predator generators are all excellent and get a bad rap. If you look closely....the parts and build architecture are all the same Chinese company whether it is this brand, or Generac, or whatever. As to fuel usage, the 9000W unit is a monster and can often power almost everything in a small home....so in my case, targeting only a few circuits..... I bought a smaller 3500-4000 sized unit...and the fuel consumption was very low for the few things I wanted to be powered-up.
@@TheWilferch 👍This was the first time that we needed our generator for more than a couple of hours. I never dreamed we would be without power for a week as long as we paid our electric bill🤷♀️. It felt awkward just seeing snow here in Texas😆. Then the snow turned into a huge ice skating rink😳. Everywhere I looked people were busting their ass's🤣 including me. Cars were in ditches, or gliding sideways down the ice road. Our brakes didnt help slow our truck down at all😆. My Predictor generator didnt let us done though and I was greatfull for that. My neighbors had no choice but to go stay with family that had a fireplace.
Thanks! I bought one yesterday. Your video pushed me over the top. I have been researching for a long time. Originally wanted a dual fuel generator and still do but for now this one will suffice. Electrician will be here Thursday to install the hardware on the house.
I full-timed in a fifth-wheeler for 2 years while building my house and ran a 3200/4000 Predator pretty much 24/7. It needs rings but still runs and generates. THOUSANDS of hours and the ONLY repair other than maintenance was an exciter brush holder.
Have the same generator, I run my whole house with a 220 well and 2 AC's on eco mode. I do however kill the breakers to the freezers and the second fridge when using it. Been using it for a year now. Changed the oil and cleaned the filters at the proper run time and treat all the gas I put in it with Fuel Tron. So far it's a great generator for the money.
Here are the portable generator safety rules: this safety information is only for anyone who use a portable gas generator and for those who are planning on getting a portable gas generator. This is just a reminder for everyone’s safety. All generator safety rules should be followed carefully. This advice is just to make sure that everyone is aware of all the warnings and it’s just to remind people to be careful using portable generators. Generators can be dangerous if not used carefully. Every year, hundreds of people die or get injured when using portable generators due to carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution. Make sure you are using your generator carefully and keeping others safe as well. There is something very serious that everyone should always be aware of when using generators. Some people do run their generator indoors which is not safe and that increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can cause death of family and you. Some people run their generator in wet conditions which can electrocute them. Please remember that you should never run your generator indoors. Remember that carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that you cannot see or smell. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Keep that in mind. Make sure your generator is 15-20 feet away from your house and away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use your generator in your porch too. Having a carbon monoxide detector is very important against generator safety. Some people also allow children to go near the portable generator which could pose risks. We need to keep an eye on our children making sure that they are not near the portable generator so they won’t get electrocuted or burned by the generator which is dangerous. A locking enclosure also keeps kids safe. A generator shed might look like a tempting place to explore, or take cover during a game of hide and seek, but a generator is a dangerous piece of equipment that can cause injury. It says on the manual that we should also keep children away at all times from the portable generator to avoid injuries. Please do not allow a child or unqualified people to operate the portable generator. It is important to keep your children safe especially little ones. The portable generator can be hot during an operation. Just because some manuals missed what should be listed doesn’t mean it’s safe to do. Always follow the generator safety rules when using portable generators. Generators pose electrical risks. If you need to use your generator during wet weather, you need a generator tent to protect your generator from getting wet. Don’t let your generator get wet. Keep your generator dry and before using your generator, please make sure your hands and your generator is dry. Do not wear loose clothing when operating the generator. Everything that is said on the generator’s operating manual should not be ignored. Never smoke cigarettes near the generator. Please keep flammable things away from the generator. Never overload your generator too. Your generator can catch fire. Never ever try to plug a generator cord into a wall outlet to avoid back feeding. Back feeding your generator is dangerous. Always turn on your generator first before plugging in appliances and shut off the appliances before turning your generator off. Use a heavy duty cord for your generator and the cord should not be worn out. All the instructions should be followed carefully. Never refuel your generator while it’s running. It can cause fire if fuel spills while your generator is hot. You should turn off your generator and let it cool off before refueling it. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important. This is only a reminder for everyone’s safety of using generators. Make sure your generator is properly grounded. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the safety rules. th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators and also about our family’s safety. It’s important to keep your children safe especially your little ones. Hope this helps. Thank you.
I invested in a Generac XT8500EFI it’s a 10,000 starting with 8,500 running electric start and uses a fuel pump. If my 12V battery is low I’m out of business. I leave the NOCO Genius 10 plugged in the garage and it monitors the battery and keeps it charged. Now I have no worries when I need to take it out to the back yard not wondering it it will start.
Same here, winter gonna be rough in north Georgia according to Almanac. Be my luck that I spend the $850 and get setup and it's in the mid 50s til April!
Just bought the 6500 unit for my mother in law this week. She has a 4 bd 2000 sq ft house, but she is the only one living there. Powers everything she needs use with ease.
I have two predator 8750’s and one of them powers my entire house to include my 3.5ton a/c unit. Great little generator for the money. No complaints here. Although I do not have an extensive amount of run time on mine so I cannot speak on overall reliability of the unit. But overall I’m happy and my wife is happy because having air conditioning is a priority down here in south Florida when you lose power. Great video. I’ll do one soon of my setup so you can check it out.
Thanks for watching! I am wondering of the reliability of it as well. I have read a bunch of positive reviews on the reliability but we will see. I told my wife last night I hope we have a major storm and lose power so I can use it for a couple hours! I can't wait to check our your video. Take care.
@Boosted Chris, I have an 8750 and ran some calculations and I believe it will run my 3.5 ton unit (I live in Daytona and like you AC is critical). Did you run your AC for awhile and then shut it down to run everything else? I’m thinking about turning everything off so I have enough startup watts, cool the house, then shut it down and use everything else again. Curious how you’re doing it?
@@DIYJeff Hey Jeff! I ran the unit for about an hour but turned off things that I knew drew a lot of current. I.E. Hot water heater, pool pump, dryer. One generator had enough balls to get my RUUD A/C system started. The generator doesn't even skip a beat when starting up the system. I ran the rest of the house like normal.
I was as excited as you when we finally pulled the trigger. I have a different generator but it too runs everything in our house. If we're selective about what's on it'll even run AC. I no longer fear losing power and that's a great feeling! Great review!
Very helpful video, I bought this same generator 2 years ago and have wondered what it is capable of. I'm going right out to buy that cord and call my son (an electrician) to hook it up to the house. Thank you
I have a similar one and it runs my whole house with A/C, but if I have to use anything extra like a microwave then I turn off the A/C until I'm done. They are loud though, diesel is much quieter and a lot more expensive to buy, but cheaper to operate and quieter. You can run NG or LPG on the gasoline models too, some models are ready to use both. For a GenSet that I needed daily use I'd be going with diesel, but the gasoline or one running LPG even better would be fine for temporary or emergency use. If you have space and need it daily an Off-Grid Solar System might be worth while. Cost to operate is low and it will lower your electric bill. It's good for the environment and quiet too.
Very good video. Hope you get the interlock soon, it's very important. Please remember that the 9000 watts are for surge watts, You can see on the generator it says 7250 running watts. The 7250 watts is the real number to use if you are going to run the generator in a blackout that lasts for a while. All the generator manufacturers advertise the higher number of watts for obvious reasons. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Hope you tagged out.
I just went & got a 9000 for my Dad last night @ HF & it would be great if u could do a video on what u did concerning the breaker box so we can figure out how to do that. We had plans of doing that to my parents house but not sure of the details. That would be great! Thanks alot for doing this!!!
Check with your power co. They might offer a transfer switch that installs behind your electricity meter. They are expensive, but if you can lease it for a bucks a month, it's a cheap/easy way to get the gen running now until you have time to figure out your preferred setup later.
Just an observation, you didn't mention the recommended break in perior for the engine. That generator should have no issue powering all of your homes' needs. It is always a good idea to calculate your home's requirements! I recently acquired a Champion 9375 dusl fuel unit for our home as a backup power supply in addition to our solar system. The local code required inspection of our panel to make sure we were in compliance with the city electrical code. It is important to know that these are not heavy-duty commercial units require proper maintenance to ensure a long service life. I am opting to run mine on propane due to it being easier to maintain than having to store a bunch of gasoline in my garage, and it doesn't degrade over time like gasoline does. I think it's safer overall Good review!
I recommend a 50 amp outlet and a converter cable to interface to a 30 amp cable. That way you are all set to interface to a larger generator. You may then upgrade in the future to as much as 12,000 watt power source which will come with the 50 amp connector
now you almost have it broken in. let it run for an hour or 2 stand alone.....then change that oil....these are full of shavings. i own several predators. you did'nt know. i would have used conventional oil for an hour or 2 . then the synthetic oil. very nice review . i've been wanting to pull the trigger on one of these. you convinced me to do it. thank you...
I found this vid by searching for generators. I am in Houston and was without power for 3 days during this deep freeze. As much as it sucked, I have been reminded of how much worse it is to live with no power when it is 100 degrees plus the heat index during the summers. I am looking for a cheap but reliable generator that can power a 6000 BTU window unit, a WIFI , and laptop. Don't need much more than that. I just don't want to live through another hurricane when I was w/o power for 21 days. Passed out routinely. Could you do a vid on a dependable but inexpensive generator that powers basics? Thanks!
Ive got one of the predators that I have had for a few years now and its been great. It always starts right up without any trouble. Just make sure you start it up for about 20min once a month and keep the oil changed. Reason for running it once a month is to help keep the magnets and everything in the area the makes the electricity in good shape.
I have same setup. I had everything turned on. Lights, Elec HW heater, refrigerator, small freezer, grow lights, air conditioners (4), well pump, wash machine. But.....I turned on my oven and blew the main fuse on generator (just one leg). So if you need to use oven turn a few things off. Also if run constantly it will last 24hrs. Great vid. A note DO NOT RUN IN GARAGE EVEN WITH DOORS OPEN run outside away from doors or windows with exhaust pointing AWAY from house.
Here in Texas we have power outages when there is a thunderstorm, high winds slapping the wires together or trees into the lines, Wet Snow, Freezing rain builds up on trees and trees fall. We have 4-8 true outages per year. We have been in the house since Feb 2003. We have natural gas for our heating. I looked at the Generators that can be set up to run on natural gas, no running to the gas station, running out of gas in the middle of the night. If you have LPG available, you may look into making your generator a dual fuel to run it. Bigger is better, Hot summer storm and AC is out for hours or days, it gets warm inside. Food spoils too. I have actually looked at the 12,000 Kw Generac from Home Depot. It is set on a concrete pad along side of house. I'm afraid some thief would steal a portable. Exhaust gas has to be vented, so leaving in the garage with the doors down is bad for house occupants. Would need to run a exhaust pipe through the garage door with a flapper cap on the outside. Thanks for your set up and included information. Always great to have 1 available.
Watch what you buy, there are two types of generators, high and low rpm, high rpm are only meant to run for a few hours like what you are looking at and need oil change every 50 hours, low rpm need changes every 500 hours, generac makes a lower rpm it's there ecogen 15k, but expensive. So it all depends on what you need.
Thank you for this. I live in Indiana and we have power outages all the time. I just bought my Predator 9000 and in the process of getting the other equipment.
Good video. I am in the process of converting my Coleman 6200 watt to NG. Gasoline is too expensive here in CA. Edison is doing these power shutoffs when the wind blows so yea CA is going backwards. :)
I converted my very old Generac 6500 watt (same Briggs & Stratton engine I think) to propane a couple years ago. I'm in Florida, and absolutely hate stocking up on gas for hurricane season, and then trying to burn it all when I don't need it. Best thing I've ever done. Now I keep (8) 30# propane tanks and (4) 20# tanks stored in a safe place and forget the gas. In the event of a loss of power, I can run on generator power about 12 days with the propane I have on hand. I run the generator non-stop, but do shut down every 50 hours to change the oil. Propane and NG make less power than gasoline, but my generator still powers my entire home, minus the central A/C and water heater. I have window A/C units that we alternate running and they work fine on generator power. Good luck with the fires and black outs.
I just bought the same generator. I joined their Inside Track club for a year and got 20% off, which more than paid for the membership fee. I bought mine to power my welder and plasma cutter, as they were drawing way too much power from the house electrical. I plan on having a transfer switch and plug installed sometime in the future, so this video answered any question I might have had as far as using it for the house when the power goes out.
Congrats on your Predator 9000. I got one myself A BIG FYI, you would need to install it on the exterior of your home because of the carbon monoxide, GREAT NEWS, it also runs on natural gas (which will be a lot cheaper than petrol gas) and you can get the tri-fuel adapter kit so it may run on propane as well. Also highly recommend you the the hourly timer so you know exactly when it is time to do your oil change and know the life of your generator. And as an added option I am getting a solar battery maintainer so the battery will last longer (it is a AGM battery)..
2:23 - Lucky you bought it when you did. I'm jealous. Same generator is $899 now. I bought an inverter generator there the other day for $649 + tax + cord + wheels, which came out to about $800. I bought mine in the middle of a power outage and just wanted something to power my fridge. I never thought about hooking everything up like you did, but I just didn't want my meat to spoil, so I kind of bought in a panic.
That was a very informative video, thank you for sharing your experience! I was wondering, I didn't see a display of the output, so I'm assuming it doesn't have one? If it doesn't, is there a way to see how much power you're drawing? Thanks!
Harbor freight is out state wide of these generators. Our local Harbor freight got 177 of them delivered on Monday morning at 6 AM and by 9 AM they were sold out. I ordered mine online took one week to arrive but be prepared they don’t give you any estimated delivery date nor can they tell you who is delivering it. Online support is horrible
Here just north east of Sacramento we were out for almost 5 days the second time. First outage we lost everything in the fridge and freezers. Lucky to have scored a brand new super quiet honda from a family member to keep the food. Always have a plan!
Just had a discussion about this yesterday. All the generators running I guarantee they will pass some law that make it easier to regulate usage along with eventually making it impossible to own a gas powered vehicle.
We used a similar emergency setup in Rural NSW Australia, the unit is an 8.800, battery start and runs the 'whole' house when our mains power goes down which is a few times a year. ( we have 3 TV's, 3 A/C units for Heating and Cooling, the usual Fridge and a Freezer units. Desktop computer, Water Pump, garage doors and all lighting etc etc. Our cooktop is gas), All up cost including purchasing the unit from eBay with delivery, paying an electrician for a fully legal hookup and a small flat pack outdoor storage shed was a tad over $1500.00 AuD. We have had the unit for about 2 years now and used it many times without a hicup. Its best to use a qualified electrician to install the unit as your insurance company may not pay up if there is a house fire. Possibly one of the best things we have done!
We easily have 10 + power outages a year, with a lot of them being more than 24 hours. Were finally fed up enough that were making a jenny a priority this year.
I would look into installing an adaptor so that you can run it on propane or gasoline. It is best to run your generator at 50% capacity to keep it from over heating and to be able to handle the spikes when appliances come on.
So when you do this, are you essentially just adding a 2nd/Alternative/Backup source of power into the house ? You connect the generator into the fuse box (with appropriate fuses/breaker/wires) , then work all the other breakers as you normally would ? Want something on, turn the breaker on........want it off......shut it off ???? I had always thought I would just plug certain things into the generator. Never contemplated running a small home from it.....
Excellent video but I went a different route. I also power my whole house with a relative small 8.5kw Champion standby gas generator with a 120 galons propane gas tank which includes a ATS (automatic tranfer switch) so every time there is a power outage in less than 10 seconds everything is back to normal. Although my house has 4,000 square feets I can energize everything including my two fridges, my electric cook top, microwave oven, my washer, my two garage doors, all my lights, my 48” tv, satellite system, wifi router, my cistern 3/4 hp electric water pump and my 18,000 btu inverter a/c. But my water heater is solar and I don’t need a heater in my house because I live in PR and here we have warm weather throughout the year. My total investment after it was installed by a professional technician was only $3,500.00 dollars but it worth every single penny. In my case I chose a gas generator because after being affected by hurricane Maria, both gasoline and diesel fuels were in short supply for several weeks were propane gas was always available and served at home. Also the lines in the garages to buy gasoline or diesel fuels during the emergency sometimes were 24 hours long.....😳.
What about grounding the generator ? Did you have to do that ? Instructions say to drive a copper stake into the ground and run a wire. Does that have to be done ?
I doubt it. I have the same set up and there isn't enough amperage to pull the contacts in to power the compressor. I just put a window ac unit in my living room and it was comfortable.
I bought a 7500w Predator in 2010. I wired a 240v male plug to one end of a 12' length of 10-3 cable. I wired the other end directly to a double 50A breaker in my garage's box. I turned off my main breaker in the house to prevent catastrophe to my house or a lineman. I ran my entire house, including a 2 1/2 ton Central AC unit, for nine days afterwards.
I replaced every light in my home with LED bulbs and my electric bill dropped 35 to 50 dollars a month. With the generator there will be a lot less load with these bulbs.
Currently stuck between this and the generac 8000W since the prices are pretty similar. At least I’ll have plenty of time since I’m sure houston will be sold out of generators til summer
I'm stuck with you between the Generac. Someone mentioned parts may be easier to get for the Generac but I dont know for sure. Something to think about.
I just ran my predator 9000w generator for 3 days straight, continously. Because of this ice storm all of Texas is getting right now. I must admit, my predator 9000w worked flawlessly.
I live in Texas too. Question, did you cut it off any for the 3 days ? Did you have to refuel it or add more oil to it ?
What did you have on?
in houston happen to buy one last month and glad i bought it now need to do this so i wont need all the extension cords
@@kentrelc1 , no, continously for actually 4 days
@@JM-fo1te everything but my central heat and air. Omly because I have a cast iron wood burning fireplace
I bought a generator due to Harvey i was a located a little south of the eye. Our electricity was out for a little over 2 weeks. I researched and built a breaker into my box and now I crank my generator and keep my house going. I also recently lost power during this cold weather. Its been out for the past 4 days with this cold. Thank god I invested in a generator
My 4000 Sportman generator is on its way. Will this be sufficient to provide electricity for my entire home(2,100sqare footage)? Where can I find someone to build a breaker into my box?
@@unityaboriginelove6595 you need a bigger one than that for the entire house!
@@unityaboriginelove6595 4,000 would not be sufficient it varies on how many big items your powering
@@unityaboriginelove6595 if you have central AC, microwave and electric stove you would not have enough power.
@@alfredozertuche4243 - okay. I may have to take it back. What's the least amount I need to power the entire home? And yes, I have central air and heat, electric stove, and microwave.
I have a 6500, used to for 3 days. I live in Houston so I needed it, and that thing worked flawlessly. A refrigerator, deep freezer, tv, space heater and my wifi. Flawless...
⚠️Please don’t forget about Generator safety: please remember not to ever run your generator indoors. Generators should only be used outdoors. Always remember that carbon monoxide fumes are odorless and colorless gas that is a silent killer that you cannot see or smell. Carbon monoxide is dangerous and it can cause death. Carbon monoxide is poisonous. Always keep that in mind when using generators. You need to have a carbon monoxide detector. Make sure your generator is 15-20 feet away from your house and away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open. Some people run their generator indoors during hurricanes which is dangerous and you and your family will die if you use generators indoors. Running a generator indoors increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Please don’t run your generator in wet conditions. Running a generator in wet conditions can electrocute you. You need to keep your generator dry. Don’t let the portable generator get wet. You need to have a generator tent as well to protect your generator from getting wet if you will use your generator during wet weather. We also really need to keep our children safe when we’re using portable generators so they won’t get electrocuted or burned by the generator which is dangerous. Generators can be hot. You have to keep an eye on children making sure that they are not near the portable generator to avoid any risks. We have to be aware with all the hazards and follow all the instructions in the generator’s operating manual. Generators pose electrical risks. Make sure your generator is not overloaded. Overloading your generator can cause damage to the appliances that are plugged into the generator. Please don’t overload your generator. Don’t ever try to plug a generator cord into a wall outlet to avoid back feeding. Back feeding is dangerous. Always turn on your generator first before plugging in appliances. And before you unplug the appliances, please shut off your generator first. Please use a heavy duty cord for your generator and the cord should not be worn out. Please don’t refuel your generator while it’s running. You should shut off your generator and let it cool off before refueling it. Refueling your generator while it’s running can cause fire if gasoline spills on the generator’s engine because it’s hot. Please make sure your generator is properly grounded. Everything that is said on the generator’s operating manual should not be ignored. They all need to be followed. th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping your family safe while using generators. This is for everyone’s safety. This is just a safety reminder for everyone to make sure that you are aware with the warnings. Thank you and hope you stay safe.
@@The_Happy_Aviation_Enthusiast wow thanks
@@The_Happy_Aviation_Enthusiast A no brainer
@theory816 That's sad, even if you were never taught about those dangers it could have been avoided by reading the directions.
Good to know I just bought the same one, wanted to make sure I can run my fridge and deep freezer and sump pump at minimum good to know I can get a few luxuries with it.
I just had a electrician do that to my home. I have a champion generator with 9350 starting and 7500 running and I run my whole house. We did a test and ran it for 8 hrs. Getting that installed by the electrician was the best investment ever!!
Very nice! Gives you a little security!
The Cook Family Homestead Yes it does!
Just curious what is cost to have the electrician do the work? I'll attempt just about any project except for anything beyond wiring up an outlet or switch haha!
How much did it cost you?
Yes I want to know also
I'm watching this preping . I know nothing about a Generator but I do know I have to become knowledgeable so that my family will be ok.
Start slow...then add as you go. Prepare for 72 hours, then a week and so on and so on. It's easy to do! Here are some ideas from our prepper pantry (food storage) to help get you started! God bless you!
For running your house 9000 and up would be the best also if your single don’t get the pull start it does take some will power to pull start
Get the electric start use it outside
Watch the cook family homestead videos I learned a lot from those videos.
Depending on where you are generators can be essential to a nice luxury. We are in north Idaho but live in town. Until recently power outages were very short and infrequent. Lately we are getting more and longer outages. So the generator is now something we see as important.
We are wired for a generator, much like the OP: with a 50 AMP circuit 240V. This allows for up to max 12,000 Watts . The largest we can hook up is the Duromax 12,000 starting watts and 9500 running watts. Run about $1300.
When you add the plug, make sure it is 50A and 240V like that of the OP. That gives you the greatest flexibility.
@@TheCookFamilyHomestead I just started prepping too.
I bought the same predator 9,000w Generator a year ago and live in the mountains of California where power outages happen all the time. We are currently going 9 days straight without power due to a massive snow storm and this generator hasnt missed a beat running my whole house and keeping my family warm in below freezing temperatures with 4ft of snow on the ground.
I noticed prices for these have gone up, how much did you pick up yours if you don’t mind me asking
I got mine for $625.00 with a 20% discount about almost 2 years ago I just went in to Harbor Freight last week and it was $865.00 so they’ve gone up in price
How much fuel does it take per day, and do you turning it off, or running 24hours in day?
i would like to add a tip.....when your through with the generator turn off the fuel and let it run til it quits........that will keep the carb from gumming up...
Great point Fred. Another reason to turn the fuel off and run dry, is to prevent your entire fuel tank from leaking all over the floor in the event the float gets stuck. It happened to me 4 years ago.
@@3qgc Also never let in run out of fuel if connected to a load or the AVR will burn up , If you have access to aviation gas it will last longer and not cause carb problems like gas with ethanol does(ethanol breaks down in approx 9 weeks)I have had poor results with fuel stabilizers and think its snake oil .
@@gloknor Unfortunately, my generator has run out of fuel under a load however, I don't recall anything major happening. I'd refill it and be good to go. AVR?
@@3qgc avr is the automatic voltage regulator, I have lost several generators from guys running them out of fuel under load and it ruins the gen head because the avr is trying to compensate for the load and loss of fuel .
Add Seafoam to the fuel. I run in all my gas lawn equipment and everything starts on first pull even after sitting all winter with gas in the tank and carburetor.
After this emergency in Texas that we have there are no more time to wait we have to install some of these generator in each house no more excuses no more cold days and nights. Thank you for your video that helps a lot.
Agreed I’m in Georgetown Texas, after 92 hours just got electricity back
Yes I’ve been very fortunate to have my electricity here in Dallas during the duration of this crisis....I’ll definitely be investing in a generator now
The cold is way more bearable than living in a power outage when it's 100 degrees outside. I am in Houston, and was without power for 3 days. It reminded me of how bad it gets here when we have hurricanes. So I am shopping for a cheap generator that can power a window unit and not much else.
Time to prep before we suffer the same as texas! God bless for these videos!
Running a central heater off one of these little generators probably won't work. 30A just can't power something running on a 70A breaker in your box. May not be able to run A/C either, depending on size of the unit and the type of starting system it uses. Cooling is more often the challenge in Texas power outages. Heat can be accomplished with a simple indoor propane heater. Also keep in mind that you can convert these generators to use propane or natural gas. Propane keeps a lot longer on the shelf than that damned ethanol gasoline that turns into jell-o after just a few months.
Ran my house with a 5kw for years. Gas heat , hot water, and cook stove... never missed a lick when the power went out, which was often!
With a predator ?
@@GBR1111-x2t no, this was twenty + years ago...lol
You should make a detailed video on everything you did to the breaker box. This is what people really need to know.
You’re exactly right! THAT is the most important information! The rest is something that any halfwit could figure out.
@@1wldnczyguy Really!? The mains switch, breaker, and wiring are the easiest. The generator set is the hardest with the most variables to understand. Just as an example, running a generator off off GAS, LP, or NG will loose a significant amount of power in that order. Especially when it comes to restive and inductive loads. Simple math. Any half dimwit would know that first right!? I'm assuming you have the generator topic already figured out for your application!) Call an electrician do the rest of the easy stuff;)
Eh. I prefer the review on the generator mostly. The wiring is pretty easy.
Absolutely, that's the whole reason I watched
i would like that!
Good video. Couple of things for anyone wanting to do this. First, don’t run the genie in an enclosed area or even in an open garage. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal. Second, if you aren’t an electrician or know exactly what you’re doing, do not pull the cover off the main distribution panel. Even with the Main breaker off there are lethal voltages present behind the panel. Last, never run a generator while the mains are on, even if power is out in your area. If the main breaker is closed you will back-feed current to the transformer feeding your home. With lines de-energized, the transformer steps up your generator voltage from the 120V to 4,000V residential distribution and you can kill a lineman trying to restore your power. Some people have made up a power cord with two male house plugs (15A 120V), plugged one end into the generator and the other into a wall outlet to power the house, leaving the Main breaker closed and back feeding the transformer.
While back feeding is definitely dangerous for any worker handling the line one thing continually gets overlooked.
If you're lucky enough to not injure or kill the person working on the line once power is restore you will most likely have an out of phase situation. If that happens something is going to fail and fail in a significant way. If you're lucky only the panel, generator or both will be destroyed. Main breaker may not save your stuff in time.
i have a main cutoff switch coming into my home/ If i loose power , i plan on shutting the main panel switch off and outside switch to off/ then back feeding thru my dryer plug in to run whole house Is this acceptable ? What problems do you see in my idea ?
That is also dangerous, because the wiring isn't designed for more than 15A per outlet, you can catch wires on fire by backfeeding too much current. Your whole house goes up in flames, also you don't have just the linemen to worry about but it's possible you'll be backfeeding a small portion of the grid to include several homes that are all connected to the same circuit that feeds your home... You MIGHT be able to do something with the plug your dryer uses as that tends to be a 30A circuit but you still need to check with a qualified electrician to be sure.
@Travis Hamler IMO, a lockout switch is mission critical. No way I'd connect my gen to the home without one. They're relatively inexpensive, simple to install, foolproof to use and they never wear out or break. Good call on your part here.
@@freespirit7475 .....not a good idea, for many reasons. Do a search using your words, "generator feed through a drier connection"....and see.
We need these type of generators in Houston for hot summers, hurricanes aka HARVEY and winter storms 2021. Thank you for your video.
Exactly...I was on line two days ago n harbor showed some in stock, but their doors were closed...now they are all gone.! Crazy, in east Houston.
The fact that we now need generators for every season proves we need to reconnect to the country's power grid. Needing a generator year round is like living in the 3rd world. This is unacceptable.
Definitely not depending on the grid as much as I used to do. Generator a must then solar panels next
We have this set up for our house. My entire town was out for 64 hours but we were fairly comfortable with our generator. In SE Texas with hurricanes it is very necessary to have.
Can you do a video on the generator breaker
I used this same one for 4 months straight 12hrs a day when I bought my land in El Paso Tx Works like a charm. Best generator ever owned.
Thanks for the input!
Thanks that is good to know. I wondered if the harbor freight units would be good for only short periods.
4 months? on gas or have you converted to propane???
gone sola pv & battery pack?? tesla powerwall???
engineer 775 or handeeman; tesla car battery pack & pv panels.... you could do multiple wind turbines..... just a suggestion.... free power
you need to change the oil,every wk,if run constant..i know you yanks hate changing oil in your vehicles..
Did you upgrade/ change the spark plug? If so with what plug?
I have the same generator, our power went out a couple weeks ago for two days, we ran that thing 48 hours straight with no problems, the whole house, washer, dryer, fridge, TVs everything, 13 hours per gas tank full, works great
Haven't had any electronics fail early from running on this generator? It's hard to find details on whether or not this generator is ok for use with sensitive electronics (THD value).
@Steve Knick no problems yet
@@manbearpig2164 thanks!
I learned a lot about what you have to do to run your whole house on a generator system. Especially when it came to the electric hook up, which I knew nothing about. But I can see how this would be totally worth the investment you had to make. We about froze when the power went off in the winter storm here last year here in Texas and I don't ever want a repeat of that! Many thanks for taking the time and effort that you put into making this video for others to see. I appreciate it.
That wrench you didn't know about is for removing and installing the spark plug for the generator.
I purchased the Predator 9000 a few days ago, and installed a Reliance inlet on 10/3 wire, and a breaker panel interlock with dedicated 30 AMP double pole generator breaker. Got it all wired in just in the nick of time as storms ripped though Alabama last night and as I suspected, we lost power overnight. Was able to connect the Predator 9000 to the house and we had full house power. It was awesome!
Love this generator!
Will this run your heat and air conditioning unit.
@@lephaporter7833 doubt it unless u have 800 sq ft house
I recommend keeping a spare spark plug (and make sure you have the proper wrench/socket) and quick start spray. It makes a world of difference to have them before you need them. I discovered this the hard way. (You can take out the old plug and use a little sand paper to gently sand off the oxidization on a plug, but it may not always work.) Also, do not run it too close to your house or inside a garage. In addition to danger of the carbon dioxide, if you don't change oil regularly, you can cause it to catch fire and you don't want that close to your house. Be safe.
1st) Use Synthetic engine oil and you won't have to worry about oil fires due to its higher flash point. I never heard of oil fires except for running out of oil in a bad engine. Check oil level often!
#2) The gas tank breather hole should be blocked to prevent fuel tank expanding & contracting with temperature changes (day/night), which will cause fuel to absorb humidity over time, thus you will have water in fuel. Have to remember to take off the blocked hole (toothpick?) on starting. Also, buy non-oxygen fuel (premium) as ethanol base fuel will absorb water and will gel up if it sits too long (stale fuel) Might want to get a 55gal drum of fuel stored in a covered area.
#3) Pull the starter rope till you start to feel the compression stroke - which the valves will be closed to the outside air and you won't have to worry about plug/piston/cylinder oxidation. *Best to just start the generator every few months* (I close the fuel valve to run it dry so carburetor won't gum up). On battery start generators, you need to run it to every few months to keep battery charged up and carb clean on gasoline engines.
#4) Its carbon monoxide - not dioxide>dioxide is the fizz in soda pop.
10' away from home not a bad idea. Moving farther you will need heavier power cables (not extension cords) to prevent power loss over distant. Windows close by the generator a no-brainer. Actually read the owners manual :-/
I agree with the spare spark plug and quick start spray. We have had old generators that have been dependable for years but none of them started last Summer and my brother had to order spark plugs.
This is a very good vid, and many thanks. I've had a standby gen for nearly ten years and highly recommend one. Some tips respectfully offered from experience-- 1) install solid, not air filled 8 inch wheels. If you forget to keep air filled tires topped off (ask me how I know), moving a generator on flat tires and no air pump because the electricity is off is far more difficult. 2) Get an interlock plate for your fuse panel breakers such that you can run either utility power or gen power. Dirt cheap insurance. 3) Get a chain and padlocks to keep the gen from growing legs while it's outside. 4) If you get a larger gen with an electric start, keep the battery on a smart trickle charger. 5) I keep two 55 gallon drums of gasoline with Sta-bil which is good for a year. No electricity can mean no gas pumps. Hope this is helpful. Good luck and God bless.
I have cans of non-ethanol gas from Home Depot. Because I don't need the generator every year and that keeps for 5 years. When hurricanes or blizzards are coming, I buy gas and stabil. But I am not wanting to get rid of a lot of bad gas at the end.
Totally agree with the solid tires. If you buy the inflatable tires, you will have to blow them up every time you have to use the generator and it can be bitter cold if it is a blizzard or hot as heck in the summer.
Let me know ur fuel storage information?!
I have the 4kW version of this, it's actually an incredible generator for the cost. You don't expect to walk out with much quality from HF but this one has it. I run our entire home on backup with this, natural gas appliances and minimal load shedding when required otherwise I run the entire panel. Starts every time and I run it once every month or two to keep it in shape.
I just bought a 9,000 return, that is perfect condition. I fired it up yesterday and tested it. Checks out perfectly. I saved $295.
You got your family protected, you're a good man and a great provider.
Thanks for your review on this..im a 6 year employee of harbor freight and this helps the newbies stay informed and saves me and others time in training them ..invaluable....again thanks man
I have the predator 9000w generator and it has been running 24/7 a day for the last 6months and it has not missed a beat it still starts flawlessly every time and i have had zero issues 100% a strong beast
⚠️Portable Generator Safety Tips:
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an unqualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Be aware of all the hazards.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have carbon monoxide detectors if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Also please never use your generator in your deck or balcony. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)FIRE SAFETY: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules. It’s also not safe to move your generator while it’s running.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords.
It is always important to follow the safety rules when using a portable generator.
Hope this helps.
I bought a 6000 watt Predator and it works great. I did the hookup just like you did it and everything works including the central air. My house is small and I basically need lights, refrigerator, freezer, and computers to run.
Also. To protect the voltage regulator on your generator, do not allow the unit to run out of gas while it is under heavy electrical load. As the engine runs out of fuel and the rpm's start to drop, the voltage regulator tries to raise the voltage to compensate, and sometimes it burns out. This will cause 0 voltage output when you turn the unit back on.
thanks for the tip!
So every one of us from tx checking out generators now huh haha
Yes sir lol
Better be safe then sorry, I’m definitely gonna look into this after 40 hrs with no power, thanks to Ercot.
@@Outdoor-Adventures keep you a 55gal drum in your storage building also for gas when needed
Truth...hahahahaha
It’s no coincidence this appears in your suggested videos. 👀
We just replaced a 22 yo Northern generator with the Predator. We are very happy with it. It runs a lot of stuff and is surprisingly quiet. It will do until we can afford a Generac. But all in all a good buy during an emergency. Things are nearly normal except for the central air. Oh well, can't have every creature comfort. during a crisis. Good purchase. Nice terms with Harbor Freight.
Patricia Heffernan, you can buy a Supco- Hard Start capacitor that connects to the fan unit capacitor that is on the outside fan and it gives it a 600% increase in boost just to start the
A/C going and it turns off itself. I have a four bedroom house and it runs a frigid freezer, small freezer in the garage and TV and light's. It's only a Generac GP5500 watt and I only time I use that cheap unleaded fuel with 10% ethanol is only to run it and that's it! When I don't need it anymore I run all that varnishing fuel out even with that sta-bil stuff it's not gonna keep over a year! I alway leave non-ethanol fuel in it when it sits. The fuel that's currently in it is over a year old and when it looked like we might got either Hurricane Laura or the crazy one before it I went to maje sure everything was up to par and the generator started on the first pull! After having to drain that crappy ethanol fuel that will vanish in 30 day's or maybe a few days longer I'll never go through that again! I always have 3 extra spark plugs, extra air-filter, a carburetor/choke spring because I had one break the second time I needed it, but I was able to temporarily fix it and hoped it helped until it was over..I'm building a generator shed currently which is bringing the generator closer to the box and going from a 23 foot cord down to a 10' twist lock..It's awesome having a/c at night and I do give the generator breaks during the day to take strees of the generator and conserve fuel! I've had this setup since Issac! And having the Supco hard start capacitor also is extending the life of this A/C which was installed in 1996 and still working well.." Knocking on wood now" lol. I'm looking into getting a predator for a backup until I move and get a permanent generator hooked to natural gas! I'm thinking about doing that to this house, but I'll lose power if I do that and it only being a GP5500 generac it might not be enough to run my A/C anymore?! But I swear by those hard start capacitors and very simple to connect to the capacitor inside the fan unit and definitely after use run out all fuel with that ethanol even with Sta-bil it will still varnish after time and it's a pain in the ass to drain when your trying to prepare!! I run it in my lawnmower and weed-eater and for sitting up won't have any trouble cranking them up next year! Thank me later.. BB
@Double J it's very simple and you just connect two wires coming from the Supco 6 Hard Start. Make sure it connected right and you can tie wrap it to the capacitor that's already in the outside compressor fan. A little tip, but you might already know! When you turn off the main power coming from the pole/electric company, before you crank up any generator make sure all breakers are in the off position before you start generator and then click one on at a time..And opposite position when you turn in off to fuel up..You don't want a load when you crank the generator on!! A lot of people don't do that and it can wear down the twist lock generator breaker on genny or can wear out or damage your generator! And I built the shed and it's much closer to the breaker box and went from a 25' 30 amp cord to a 12' and it's working pretty good in this heat! I always keep two back up Supco hard Starts and I've seen knock offs! So be careful and just make sure it says it's from New Jersey!! Screw anything Chinese! I also keep a 220 twist lock breaker for backup.
The shorter the cord the better your genny will work.. Almost finished generator shed except I didn't add the setup to push the exhaust out shed and got to cut a hole to run the cord through..I barely have enough cord! I'm wore out from doing a pad to hold it with 19"× 19"× 4" thick and thank god I bought this paver gripper from Germany and it works beautifully! Very good investment and easy on the back and can order a piece two people can carry.. I will do the installation later.
Two days working on all this and it was time consuming trying to get the exhaust fan installed they way I wanted it...Wish I could share a picture of it. It's working with no exhaust outlet and the fan is removing a lot of heat but I do have the lid open..
@Double J not to shabby for a Generac GP-5500 and it's running with ethanol gas while testing it in the heat, but I don't go below 76° and I put it on 75° but in this heat and humidity I keep it on 76° with fans and ceiling fans. At night I put that bitch on 71' and if the wind is really kicking I think 70° with my two fans blowing on both sides of the bed blows like I'm riding my motorcycle...lol
I've got a Predator 4375 and it runs my home. Very pleased with it. Especially the long run time. Sometimes over 16 hours to a 4 gallon fill up!
Is it loud as hell?
What I have trying to figure out how to put the cord hookup to power pole. L bracket in need a 2 prong positive line to the pole box to plug in the generator. Alittle confused where to get it.
Hi, I bought the 8500 Watt Predator Generator about 5 Yrs ago. I have it mounted on a Harbor Freight 4’X 4’ Trailer, with my Compressor and an Air Hose Reel. I built a High Rack for the Trailer for a Tool Box, and mounted LED Flood Lights facing the Front, Back and both Sides. It’s really handy because I can also Mount my Titanium Welder and Paint Sprayer on the Trailer. That way I can use it all around the Farm, or take it Camping and Fishing. I am still using the same little Harbor Freight Battery for 5 Yrs and counting. It still fires right up on the First try. It’s been really useful for Powering my House during Power outages. For the Price, you can’t beat these Predator Generators. I bought mine when they were on clearance because they were coming out with the 9000 Watt. It was only $399.00 and no problems whatsoever. I do keep up the Maintenance regularly. Thanks for the Video, Subscribed 👍👍
Hey, love the bread first. I live in St.Thomas and we have 6 -12 hour outages and pay 40.05 per kilowatt-hour. I went without grid power from Sept6, 2017 to January 8, 2018. I finished my off-grid solar system in August 2017 we lived with swollen lead-acid batteries and ryiboi generator for most of that storm. When you are real about this go get a Kohler propane. I am getting one soon, that generator is great in a pinch, but the whole house set up is what you will need, take it from me in hurricane ally. good luck and keep the lights on, once again, love the bread.
"THAT IS WAY QUIIETER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE!!!!"
You and I have different expectations, my friend. :)
Lol!
It sounds a lot louder on camera. I have an inverter generator that sounds way louder on TH-cam than in person.
Thank you SIr for your "Two cents" concerning a generator. I was on the fence about which one I should purchase. After watching your video I am sold on the 9000 Predator Generator. Thank you again for your insight. I agree with Gary H about how a detailed video on how to add the switch and accessories to the breaker box. Over all an excellent video to study.
Generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html
Hope you didn't go with predator. It's made in Chiner. Go with a durostar
If i may, i have almost the same setup. i used my amp probe to measure each circuits draw with the connected load on. and next to the main panel. is a log book listing all the loads. this way during an emergency you can look in the book and know what can run at the same time so you do not overload your generator. we all know during an emergency clarity goes out the window. just a suggestion.
Actually, if you use a transfer switch with watts meters, you will already know what you can and can't use. You have to balance the load on both legs of the generator, so you have to calculate in advance, which items are going to go on what circuits in the transfer switch.
You're gonna have to find a way to soundproof that thing. Nothing attracts zombies like generator sounds.
Zombies can see lights and might investigate.
The pricks stoled mines. But it was my fault too for not having it chained down and locked. Got cameras up now
I’ll place mine in our storage shed and vent with open windows. Run the plug to a lockable box.
@@Rocks_vs_Uzis curtains and light discipline should mitigate much of that risk.
Lol, 556 for zombies
Thanks so much for your video. I just bought the same generator about two weeks ago and haven't used it yet but looking at all the positive comments about it and now your video I know I made the right choice. I also saw that the local fire department uses Predator generators, so bring on the cold weather. Thanks again!
I have the same setup but with the 6500/5500 watt version. Runs my whole house 2100sf including my 2.5 ton ac. I only turn the 4500w water heater off, if needed I’ll run it by itself. Great generators , had a 4000w version for 5 years before upgrading to the 5500w and it started 1st pull every time.
Are you referring to central air in your 2100 sf home? If so I don't see how you would have enough power to run a 2.5 Ton Condensor let alone a few other appliances and lights in your home with a 5500 continuous/6500 surge generator. The initial surge of turning the Condensor on would overpower your generator and has potential to damage equipment. Also I question the "cleanliness" of the power that is produced from this unit. There is a reason why you are only paying $599 for this unit. Like someone else said do you trust that power in sensitive devices like refrigerators and furnaces that have expensive control boards?
Mike Bittel
th-cam.com/video/jukb2fympGM/w-d-xo.html&feature=share
Mike Bittel see my video below. I put a hard start kit on the ac and it starts easily. I don’t use the stove or hot water heater with the generator on. Most everything else is led and high efficiency. Ive also tuned the generator to produce a steady 60 hertz so its as clean as i need it to be.
I had converted it to propane but that dropped the power enough that i went back to gas.
@@jlibert0546 did you tune the generator on propane for the load? you have to tune the regulator for the load you intend to put on the generator.
I am currently using the same generator to power my home after the severe storm here in the Midwest a couple days ago. As long as you only run one 220 circuit at a time you can pretty much run anything else. I am just switching breakers when I need hot water heater, dryer, etc..
It seems to be able handle the well pump periodically as well!
Generator has been running non stop for 3 days so far!!🤞🏻
So you ran 220v along with all the 110v. My pump is 220. My question is will it handle 1 -220v with all the 110v?
WARNING TO ALL - Do not run your generators in or near any building, garage, carport, etc. where the exhaust fumes can carry the carbon monoxide fumes where they can be inhaled. Carbon monoxide is a silent, odorless killer!
Good advice. Not only carbon monoxide is dangerous when using generators. Generators pose any risks other than just carbon monoxide fumes. Here are the portable generator safety rules: this safety information is only for anyone who use a portable gas generator and for those who are planning on getting a portable gas generator. This is just a reminder for everyone’s safety. All generator safety rules should be followed carefully. This advice is just to make sure that everyone is aware of all the warnings and it’s just to remind people to be careful using portable generators. Generators can be dangerous if not used carefully. Every year, hundreds of people die or get injured when using portable generators due to carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution. Make sure you are using your generator carefully and keeping others safe as well. There is something very serious that everyone should always be aware of when using generators. Some people do run their generator indoors which is not safe and that increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can cause death of family and you. Some people run their generator in wet conditions which can electrocute them. Please remember that you should never run your generator indoors. Remember that carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that you cannot see or smell. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Keep that in mind. Make sure your generator is 15-20 feet away from your house and away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use your generator in your porch too. Having a carbon monoxide detector is very important against generator safety. Some people also allow children to go near the portable generator which could pose risks. We need to keep an eye on our children making sure that they are not near the portable generator so they won’t get electrocuted or burned by the generator which is dangerous. A locking enclosure also keeps kids safe. A generator shed might look like a tempting place to explore, or take cover during a game of hide and seek, but a generator is a dangerous piece of equipment that can cause injury. It says on the manual that we should also keep children away at all times from the portable generator to avoid injuries. Please do not allow a child or unqualified people to operate the portable generator. It is important to keep your children safe especially little ones. The portable generator can be hot during an operation. Just because some manuals missed what should be listed doesn’t mean it’s safe to do. Always follow the generator safety rules when using portable generators. Generators pose electrical risks. If you need to use your generator during wet weather, you need a generator tent to protect your generator from getting wet. Don’t let your generator get wet. Keep your generator dry and before using your generator, please make sure your hands and your generator is dry. Do not wear loose clothing when operating the generator. Everything that is said on the generator’s operating manual should not be ignored. Never smoke cigarettes near the generator. Please keep flammable things away from the generator. Never overload your generator too. Your generator can catch fire. Never ever try to plug a generator cord into a wall outlet to avoid back feeding. Back feeding your generator is dangerous. Always turn on your generator first before plugging in appliances and shut off the appliances before turning your generator off. Use a heavy duty cord for your generator and the cord should not be worn out. All the instructions should be followed carefully. Never refuel your generator while it’s running. It can cause fire if fuel spills while your generator is hot. You should turn off your generator and let it cool off before refueling it. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important. This is only a reminder for everyone’s safety of using generators. Make sure your generator is properly grounded. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the safety rules. th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators and also about our family’s safety. We should keep our children safe especially little ones. Hope this helps. Thank you.
@@The_Happy_Aviation_Enthusiast How am I supposed to shut off my RV before turning the generator off?
@@The_Happy_Aviation_Enthusiast 😊
I believe code is at least 5ft from window or door opening. But best to check with city!
Excellent point. Thank you
loved the Bible verse on the wall. thank you for the amazing review.
Thank you my friend!
I have the same predator generator, I think its actually the predecessor model 8750 peak watts. I've had it for roughly 5 years and did the tie in to my home with the interlock. Great peace of mind for the money spent! Nice video 👍
Thank you!
I have this, newbie to whole house generators. I am an "upper upper middle aged lady" with back problems. This gem starts first pull, every time. I even change the oil , myself, Easy peasy.
It runs our whole house, but we don't use things like vacuum cleaners of the microwave b/c of the amperage. No biggie. It will run our HVAC unit , however you can tell it puts a bit of a strain on it.
So we use window a/c's as a substitute, along with fans to circulate. THANK YOU for this video. It is most excellent!
Install a Soft Start on your Central AC unit. It cost as much as two window units.
These Predator generators are surprisingly reliable. We have one at my company that has been rode hard and put up wet for several years now and it still runs like a champ. I have had to replace outlets on the panel because they are kinda cheap and break easily.
The reliability has been a common theme so far. Thanks for the comment!
My generators run like a Champ because they are !!! Haha.
Love mine, ran my entire 4 BR house including the AC system without any issues
Make sure you watch this generator safety video th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html hope you stay safe. Thank you
Hi from the U.K. I have a very similar generator to yours 8500/8000 watt and I was pleasantly surprised how un noisy (not quiet) it was I bought it to replace my 2800 watt generator that had a similar noise level !
I haven’t had a power outage in probably 10 years but I like to play safe lol. 👍🏻🇬🇧🇬🇧
Don’t forget about generator safety as well th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html please keep in mind that carbon monoxide is dangerous. Just reminding everyone to stay safe. Thank you
Glad to hear you have an interlock on it's way. Thank you. I have since being able to by ethanol free gas I no longer use nor need sta bil. Recommend using ethanol free and always shut full off and allow the engine to run until it burns all the fuel out of the carb but adding a propane kit will eliminate fuel/carb issues. Thanks for sharing your set up vid.
rstephe Even though it's ethanol free you should still use sta-bil. Varnish will still form if the gas sits. As always, add the stabile as soon as you buy the gas, not when you think it's going to sit for a while.
Isaac Kvasager I disagree with you. I have great success with sta bil and have not had any varnish form in gas left in my equipment for the specified duration coverage.
Isaac Kvasager well our experience is different, because I’ve had gas go bad in the past that I forgot to treat while simultaneously having gas that was treated do very well in my equipment.
switch all of your bulbs and shop lights to LED and save a lots of watts being used.
It also makes you think about turning off the lights more
True. Also, it is a 9kw gen set. They are made to run, at the very minimum, 35-40%. That is like 4kw. What are you going to use in your home that draws a cont. 4kw?
I run a 30d36r diesel 3kw and have to hook it to my 240v 4500 watt hot water heater through a 120v outlet (drawing 1250w) just to put a load on it. Otherwise, I'm only drawing about 400 or 500 watts to run my refeidgator and lights.
Maybe he's a Trump supporter, Trump hates LED
@@rclouse72882 we went to an on demand propane water heater and mini split hvac units . our elect bill now is around $160 a month running a 2000 sqft. home with either a/c or heat and a well and charge pump and i work from home and have a full machine shop 2. mills 2. lathes drill presses and compressor. i switched my shop to LEDs 16. 4' shop lights and some smaller 3' single strip lights. draws very little wattage. it's quiet and very bright.
they dont work without elec.
I have an 8750 Predator Generator and I can run my entire house on it. I don’t turn anything off intentionally, I just know what appliances I can run and which ones I should not run. For example, 2 refrigerators and one large freezer run fine, my furnace with forced hot air heat and even my central A/C works in the summertime. Things I try to avoid using, obviously, are things that draw the most electricity. I can run our washing machine, but we have an electric dryer which draws a lot of power. I avoid using the microwave and toaster oven. Basically, things that convert electrical energy into heat typically require more power. If there’s an emergency where we lose power, I’m not going to worry about doing the laundry or making hot pockets in the microwave. 😂
love how you guess what your ration is. I have measured my propane inventory combined to the 2x burner coleman stove used 2x a day. How long a generator can and should be run is not often thought about.
I have the same one and I have around 400 hours on it I haven't had any issue with it at all to be honest I was very skeptical at first cause I bought it without doing any research and I was actually happy it turned out really great
⚠️Here’s an important safety announcement for everyone:
Please make sure you follow the generator safety tips whenever you use your portable generator. This is just a reminder for everyone’s safety. All generator safety rules need to be followed carefully
Here are the generator safety tips:
1) KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: Please do not allow an non qualified person or your children to operate and service the portable generator. Just because some manuals don’t say that doesn’t mean it’s safe. That is important against the generator safety rules. We also need to be keeping an eye on our children too. You need to make sure that your children are not playing near the portable generator especially when it’s running so they won’t get electrocuted. Generators pose electrical risks and they can be hot during an operation. Please keep your children away from the portable generator at all times. It is important to keep our children safe especially our little ones. Children often get curious about anything so we should keep an eye on them to also make sure they’re not wandering towards the generator.
2) WHERE TO RUN YOUR GENERATOR: Some people use their portable generators indoors which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to have a carbon monoxide if you have a gas generator. Never ever use your generator indoors even if your doors and windows are open and even in the garage is not safe to use a portable generator. Not even at your porch and your deck. It is never safe to use your generator indoors and in enclosed areas of your home. Your generator needs to be 15-20 feet away from your house.
3)🔥FIRE HAZARDS: Never refuel your generator while it’s running. You need to let your generator cool off before refueling it and before storing your generator. Never overload your generator too. Never ever back feed your generator. You should never plug your generator into a wall outlet. Also never store propane tanks indoors. Please keep flammable things away from the generator as well and please don’t smoke cigarettes near the generator. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the generator safety rules.
4) GENERATOR OPERATION: make sure your hands are dry before touching the generator. Never use your generator in wet conditions. Don’t let your generator get wet. You need a generator tent if you need to use your generator during wet weather. Please don’t wear loose clothes when operating the generator. Turn on your generator before plugging in appliances. Use the right cord for your generator. Please do not use worn out cords. Do not touch the generator’s engine when it’s still hot.
th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators. All generator safety rules need to be followed carefully.
Hope this helps.
Please make sure you follow all the generator safety rules.
Man what a great video. I was about to purchase the Predator 6500 but when you showed the chart to see exactly how much everything pulls, I paused the video and grabbed my calculator. Glad I did because the 6500 would have been too small. Hardest thing about setting it up was the battery but that too was easy. Sad to say but Im ready for the power to go out now. Thanks you sharing!
I just bought a new Predator generator. Break in: run it no load about 30 minutes. Dump oil and it will be dirty with maybe a few specks of metal. Refill and repeat. Do this 3 times! The engine will last alot longer.
Change oil every 100 hours.
Thank you!
Generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html ⚠️
also add some LUCAS oil additive ..... prevents dry starts
I purchased one of those about 4 years ago, mine came with wheels and handle, it ran everything we needed to run.i love that hook up, I'll be doing that soon. Thank you for sharing 👍
Don’t forget to watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html just hoping you stay safe
I own this generator. Our entire state of Texas power went off when temperatures went below freezing for an entire week. Millions of people were powerless in the freezing winter cold temperatures at times reaching near 0 degrees.. I already had this generator wired into my mobile home power supply for emergency backup. This generator powerd my entire mobile home. It provided power for my electric water heater, micro wave oven, large refrigerator, small deep freeze, lights, tv and our electric oil heaters, with no problem. Thanks to this generator we were very comfortable and no water pipes busted. The only down fall was we averaged 18 gallons of gas for 24 hours😖. Our trailer is 4 bedroom and not small.
We used 3 oil filled heater to heat the entire home. I highly recomend this generator after our experience just be prepared for the daily gas usage when I wasnt.
The Harbor Freight Predator generators are all excellent and get a bad rap. If you look closely....the parts and build architecture are all the same Chinese company whether it is this brand, or Generac, or whatever. As to fuel usage, the 9000W unit is a monster and can often power almost everything in a small home....so in my case, targeting only a few circuits..... I bought a smaller 3500-4000 sized unit...and the fuel consumption was very low for the few things I wanted to be powered-up.
@@TheWilferch 👍This was the first time that we needed our generator for more than a couple of hours. I never dreamed we would be without power for a week as long as we paid our electric bill🤷♀️. It felt awkward just seeing snow here in Texas😆. Then the snow turned into a huge ice skating rink😳. Everywhere I looked people were busting their ass's🤣 including me. Cars were in ditches, or gliding sideways down the ice road. Our brakes didnt help slow our truck down at all😆. My Predictor generator didnt let us done though and I was greatfull for that. My neighbors had no choice but to go stay with family that had a fireplace.
@@glenchadwick420 ..glad it worked for you.....
Thanks! I bought one yesterday. Your video pushed me over the top. I have been researching for a long time. Originally wanted a dual fuel generator and still do but for now this one will suffice. Electrician will be here Thursday to install the hardware on the house.
I full-timed in a fifth-wheeler for 2 years while building my house and ran a 3200/4000 Predator pretty much 24/7. It needs rings but still runs and generates. THOUSANDS of hours and the ONLY repair other than maintenance was an exciter brush holder.
I wonder if the bad rings could have been avoided?
Have the same generator, I run my whole house with a 220 well and 2 AC's on eco mode. I do however kill the breakers to the freezers and the second fridge when using it. Been using it for a year now. Changed the oil and cleaned the filters at the proper run time and treat all the gas I put in it with Fuel Tron. So far it's a great generator for the money.
Here are the portable generator safety rules: this safety information is only for anyone who use a portable gas generator and for those who are planning on getting a portable gas generator. This is just a reminder for everyone’s safety. All generator safety rules should be followed carefully. This advice is just to make sure that everyone is aware of all the warnings and it’s just to remind people to be careful using portable generators. Generators can be dangerous if not used carefully. Every year, hundreds of people die or get injured when using portable generators due to carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution. Make sure you are using your generator carefully and keeping others safe as well. There is something very serious that everyone should always be aware of when using generators. Some people do run their generator indoors which is not safe and that increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning which can cause death of family and you. Some people run their generator in wet conditions which can electrocute them. Please remember that you should never run your generator indoors. Remember that carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that you cannot see or smell. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Keep that in mind. Make sure your generator is 15-20 feet away from your house and away from doors, windows, and vents. Never use your generator in your porch too. Having a carbon monoxide detector is very important against generator safety. Some people also allow children to go near the portable generator which could pose risks. We need to keep an eye on our children making sure that they are not near the portable generator so they won’t get electrocuted or burned by the generator which is dangerous. A locking enclosure also keeps kids safe. A generator shed might look like a tempting place to explore, or take cover during a game of hide and seek, but a generator is a dangerous piece of equipment that can cause injury. It says on the manual that we should also keep children away at all times from the portable generator to avoid injuries. Please do not allow a child or unqualified people to operate the portable generator. It is important to keep your children safe especially little ones. The portable generator can be hot during an operation. Just because some manuals missed what should be listed doesn’t mean it’s safe to do. Always follow the generator safety rules when using portable generators. Generators pose electrical risks. If you need to use your generator during wet weather, you need a generator tent to protect your generator from getting wet. Don’t let your generator get wet. Keep your generator dry and before using your generator, please make sure your hands and your generator is dry. Do not wear loose clothing when operating the generator. Everything that is said on the generator’s operating manual should not be ignored. Never smoke cigarettes near the generator. Please keep flammable things away from the generator. Never overload your generator too. Your generator can catch fire. Never ever try to plug a generator cord into a wall outlet to avoid back feeding. Back feeding your generator is dangerous. Always turn on your generator first before plugging in appliances and shut off the appliances before turning your generator off. Use a heavy duty cord for your generator and the cord should not be worn out. All the instructions should be followed carefully. Never refuel your generator while it’s running. It can cause fire if fuel spills while your generator is hot. You should turn off your generator and let it cool off before refueling it. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important. This is only a reminder for everyone’s safety of using generators. Make sure your generator is properly grounded. Having a fire extinguisher next to the generator is also important against the safety rules. th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html and here is a video more about keeping others safe when using generators and also about our family’s safety. It’s important to keep your children safe especially your little ones. Hope this helps. Thank you.
I invested in a Generac XT8500EFI it’s a 10,000 starting with 8,500 running electric start and uses a fuel pump. If my 12V battery is low I’m out of business. I leave the NOCO Genius 10 plugged in the garage and it monitors the battery and keeps it charged. Now I have no worries when I need to take it out to the back yard not wondering it it will start.
If you don’t mind me asking what did the generator and rest of the electrical work to get it to work cost you?
Ran across this vid while my power out here in Atlanta after that damn Zeta. Good video. Getting myself ready for winter crap. Thanks for doing video
Same here, been out of of power on the gulf coast for going on 3days now. Fvck Zeta
Same here. ✋🏾👍🏾
Same here, winter gonna be rough in north Georgia according to Almanac. Be my luck that I spend the $850 and get setup and it's in the mid 50s til April!
Just bought the 6500 unit for my mother in law this week. She has a 4 bd 2000 sq ft house, but she is the only one living there. Powers everything she needs use with ease.
I have two predator 8750’s and one of them powers my entire house to include my 3.5ton a/c unit. Great little generator for the money. No complaints here. Although I do not have an extensive amount of run time on mine so I cannot speak on overall reliability of the unit. But overall I’m happy and my wife is happy because having air conditioning is a priority down here in south Florida when you lose power. Great video. I’ll do one soon of my setup so you can check it out.
Thanks for watching! I am wondering of the reliability of it as well. I have read a bunch of positive reviews on the reliability but we will see. I told my wife last night I hope we have a major storm and lose power so I can use it for a couple hours! I can't wait to check our your video. Take care.
@Boosted Chris, I have an 8750 and ran some calculations and I believe it will run my 3.5 ton unit (I live in Daytona and like you AC is critical). Did you run your AC for awhile and then shut it down to run everything else? I’m thinking about turning everything off so I have enough startup watts, cool the house, then shut it down and use everything else again. Curious how you’re doing it?
@@DIYJeff Hey Jeff! I ran the unit for about an hour but turned off things that I knew drew a lot of current. I.E. Hot water heater, pool pump, dryer. One generator had enough balls to get my RUUD A/C system started. The generator doesn't even skip a beat when starting up the system. I ran the rest of the house like normal.
I was as excited as you when we finally pulled the trigger. I have a different generator but it too runs everything in our house. If we're selective about what's on it'll even run AC. I no longer fear losing power and that's a great feeling! Great review!
I was wondering if it could handle running the ac
Very helpful video, I bought this same generator 2 years ago and have wondered what it is capable of. I'm going right out to buy that cord and call my son (an electrician) to hook it up to the house. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
I have a similar one and it runs my whole house with A/C, but if I have to use anything extra like a microwave then I turn off the A/C until I'm done.
They are loud though, diesel is much quieter and a lot more expensive to buy, but cheaper to operate and quieter.
You can run NG or LPG on the gasoline models too, some models are ready to use both.
For a GenSet that I needed daily use I'd be going with diesel, but the gasoline or one running LPG even better would be fine for temporary or emergency use.
If you have space and need it daily an Off-Grid Solar System might be worth while. Cost to operate is low and it will lower your electric bill. It's good for the environment and quiet too.
Very good video. Hope you get the interlock soon, it's very important. Please remember that the 9000 watts are for surge watts, You can see on the generator it says 7250 running watts. The 7250 watts is the real number to use if you are going to run the generator in a blackout that lasts for a while. All the generator manufacturers advertise the higher number of watts for obvious reasons. Thanks for taking the time to make this video. Hope you tagged out.
@THE NOMAD POWER SYSTEM
Thanks for the info.
Don’t forget to watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html hope you all stay safe. Thank you
I'm looking at this generator as well. As far as load it will run everything I need. Thanks for the video.
I just went & got a 9000 for my Dad last night @ HF & it would be great if u could do a video on what u did concerning the breaker box so we can figure out how to do that. We had plans of doing that to my parents house but not sure of the details. That would be great! Thanks alot for doing this!!!
Check with your power co. They might offer a transfer switch that installs behind your electricity meter. They are expensive, but if you can lease it for a bucks a month, it's a cheap/easy way to get the gen running now until you have time to figure out your preferred setup later.
@@TheCdubbleyoo THANK YOU SO MUCH! I appreciate you taking the time to reply.
Just an observation, you didn't mention the recommended break in perior for the engine. That generator should have no issue powering all of your homes' needs. It is always a good idea to calculate your home's requirements! I recently acquired a Champion 9375 dusl fuel unit for our home as a backup power supply in addition to our solar system. The local code required inspection of our panel to make sure we were in compliance with the city electrical code.
It is important to know that these are not heavy-duty commercial units
require proper maintenance to ensure a long service life.
I am opting to run mine on propane due to it being easier to maintain than having to store a bunch of gasoline in my garage, and it doesn't degrade over time like gasoline does. I think it's safer overall
Good review!
Who in the hell would even tell a local authority that they planned to install a transfer switch for back up power
Got mine last week, a couple days before a huge blizzard. It’s really not as loud as I expected. I love mine so far. 5/5 so far!
I recommend a 50 amp outlet and a converter cable to interface to a 30 amp cable. That way you are all set to interface to a larger generator. You may then upgrade in the future to as much as 12,000 watt power source which will come with the 50 amp connector
Don’t forget to watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html just hoping you stay safe. Thank you
@@The_Happy_Aviation_Enthusiast Are you referring to something I said or is this just a general best wishes kind of statement?
@@kf3en just hoping that people are aware with carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution while operating generators
now you almost have it broken in. let it run for an hour or 2 stand alone.....then change that oil....these are full of shavings. i own several predators. you did'nt know. i would have used conventional oil for an hour or 2 . then the synthetic oil. very nice review . i've been wanting to pull the trigger on one of these. you convinced me to do it. thank you...
What I don’t understand is how a 30 amp cord can feed the house. Furnace, fridge and a pump alone would draw more. I’m just confused
Purchased the same one. I live in a rural area in Alabama. Most storms kill our power. This works great
I found this vid by searching for generators. I am in Houston and was without power for 3 days during this deep freeze. As much as it sucked, I have been reminded of how much worse it is to live with no power when it is 100 degrees plus the heat index during the summers. I am looking for a cheap but reliable generator that can power a 6000 BTU window unit, a WIFI , and laptop. Don't need much more than that. I just don't want to live through another hurricane when I was w/o power for 21 days. Passed out routinely. Could you do a vid on a dependable but inexpensive generator that powers basics? Thanks!
Ive got one of the predators that I have had for a few years now and its been great. It always starts right up without any trouble. Just make sure you start it up for about 20min once a month and keep the oil changed. Reason for running it once a month is to help keep the magnets and everything in the area the makes the electricity in good shape.
I have same setup. I had everything turned on. Lights, Elec HW heater, refrigerator, small freezer, grow lights, air conditioners (4), well pump, wash machine. But.....I turned on my oven and blew the main fuse on generator (just one leg). So if you need to use oven turn a few things off. Also if run constantly it will last 24hrs. Great vid. A note DO NOT RUN IN GARAGE EVEN WITH DOORS OPEN run outside away from doors or windows with exhaust pointing AWAY from house.
I would love to see a step by step process of the breaker box set up I’m wanting to do it bad
Don’t forget about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html stay safe. Thank you
Here in Texas we have power outages when there is a thunderstorm, high winds slapping the wires together or trees into the lines, Wet Snow, Freezing rain builds up on trees and trees fall. We have 4-8 true outages per year. We have been in the house since Feb 2003. We have natural gas for our heating. I looked at the Generators that can be set up to run on natural gas, no running to the gas station, running out of gas in the middle of the night.
If you have LPG available, you may look into making your generator a dual fuel to run it. Bigger is better, Hot summer storm and AC is out for hours or days, it gets warm inside. Food spoils too.
I have actually looked at the 12,000 Kw Generac from Home Depot. It is set on a concrete pad along side of house. I'm afraid some thief would steal a portable. Exhaust gas has to be vented, so leaving in the garage with the doors down is bad for house occupants. Would need to run a exhaust pipe through the garage door with a flapper cap on the outside.
Thanks for your set up and included information. Always great to have 1 available.
Watch what you buy, there are two types of generators, high and low rpm, high rpm are only meant to run for a few hours like what you are looking at and need oil change every 50 hours, low rpm need changes every 500 hours, generac makes a lower rpm it's there ecogen 15k, but expensive. So it all depends on what you need.
@@starrvalley12 thanks for the info, I did not know this.
Thank you for this. I live in Indiana and we have power outages all the time. I just bought my Predator 9000 and in the process of getting the other equipment.
Good video. I am in the process of converting my Coleman 6200 watt to NG. Gasoline is too expensive here in CA. Edison is doing these power shutoffs when the wind blows so yea CA is going backwards. :)
You know what communist used before candles??
Electricity
Ed Fletcher NG or propane? If NG, can you share a link for more info?
It is easier to make a still and run it on alcohol.
Same here. I’m using a 55 gallon can burning coal in the living room to keep warm. It keeps the place warm if I keep the windows shut.
I converted my very old Generac 6500 watt (same Briggs & Stratton engine I think) to propane a couple years ago. I'm in Florida, and absolutely hate stocking up on gas for hurricane season, and then trying to burn it all when I don't need it. Best thing I've ever done. Now I keep (8) 30# propane tanks and (4) 20# tanks stored in a safe place and forget the gas. In the event of a loss of power, I can run on generator power about 12 days with the propane I have on hand. I run the generator non-stop, but do shut down every 50 hours to change the oil. Propane and NG make less power than gasoline, but my generator still powers my entire home, minus the central A/C and water heater. I have window A/C units that we alternate running and they work fine on generator power. Good luck with the fires and black outs.
Got mine last year and love it. I think the neighbors get jealous when there’s an outage.
How long does it run on a tank of gas, especially If running the central heat/ air ?
I just bought the same generator. I joined their Inside Track club for a year and got 20% off, which more than paid for the membership fee. I bought mine to power my welder and plasma cutter, as they were drawing way too much power from the house electrical. I plan on having a transfer switch and plug installed sometime in the future, so this video answered any question I might have had as far as using it for the house when the power goes out.
Thanks for watching! Appreciate the comment.
BTW only run up top 160 amps on your welder If you stick welding with this generator because it wants to shutdown after that.
This is in the near future for me. Thanks for the educational video.
Any time!
Congrats on your Predator 9000. I got one myself
A BIG FYI, you would need to install it on the exterior of your home because of the carbon monoxide, GREAT NEWS, it also runs on natural gas (which will be a lot cheaper than petrol gas) and you can get the tri-fuel adapter kit so it may run on propane as well. Also highly recommend you the the hourly timer so you know exactly when it is time to do your oil change and know the life of your generator. And as an added option I am getting a solar battery maintainer so the battery will last longer (it is a AGM battery)..
or run a longer exhaust pipe
can you run home A/C
2:23 - Lucky you bought it when you did. I'm jealous. Same generator is $899 now. I bought an inverter generator there the other day for $649 + tax + cord + wheels, which came out to about $800. I bought mine in the middle of a power outage and just wanted something to power my fridge. I never thought about hooking everything up like you did, but I just didn't want my meat to spoil, so I kind of bought in a panic.
That was a very informative video, thank you for sharing your experience! I was wondering, I didn't see a display of the output, so I'm assuming it doesn't have one? If it doesn't, is there a way to see how much power you're drawing? Thanks!
Nice... grabbing one today! Out here in CA they’ve been shutting off our power statewide for days at a time because the wild fires.
I read about that. This would be a great investment to have if you didn't have power.
Just bought mine for Vacaville Ca
Harbor freight is out state wide of these generators. Our local Harbor freight got 177 of them delivered on Monday morning at 6 AM and by 9 AM they were sold out. I ordered mine online took one week to arrive but be prepared they don’t give you any estimated delivery date nor can they tell you who is delivering it. Online support is horrible
Here just north east of Sacramento we were out for almost 5 days the second time. First outage we lost everything in the fridge and freezers. Lucky to have scored a brand new super quiet honda from a family member to keep the food. Always have a plan!
Just had a discussion about this yesterday. All the generators running I guarantee they will pass some law that make it easier to regulate usage along with eventually making it impossible to own a gas powered vehicle.
We used a similar emergency setup in Rural NSW Australia, the unit is an 8.800, battery start and runs the 'whole' house when our mains power goes down which is a few times a year.
( we have 3 TV's, 3 A/C units for Heating and Cooling, the usual Fridge and a Freezer units. Desktop computer, Water Pump, garage doors and all lighting etc etc. Our cooktop is gas),
All up cost including purchasing the unit from eBay with delivery, paying an electrician for a fully legal hookup and a small flat pack outdoor storage shed was a tad over $1500.00 AuD. We have had the unit for about 2 years now and used it many times without a hicup. Its best to use a qualified electrician to install the unit as your insurance company may not pay up if there is a house fire.
Possibly one of the best things we have done!
We easily have 10 + power outages a year, with a lot of them being more than 24 hours. Were finally fed up enough that were making a jenny a priority this year.
I would look into installing an adaptor so that you can run it on propane or gasoline. It is best to run your generator at 50% capacity to keep it from over heating and to be able to handle the spikes when appliances come on.
So when you do this, are you essentially just adding a 2nd/Alternative/Backup source of power into the house ? You connect the generator into the fuse box (with appropriate fuses/breaker/wires) , then work all the other breakers as you normally would ? Want something on, turn the breaker on........want it off......shut it off ???? I had always thought I would just plug certain things into the generator. Never contemplated running a small home from it.....
Excellent video but I went a different route. I also power my whole house with a relative small 8.5kw Champion standby gas generator with a 120 galons propane gas tank which includes a ATS (automatic tranfer switch) so every time there is a power outage in less than 10 seconds everything is back to normal. Although my house has 4,000 square feets I can energize everything including my two fridges, my electric cook top, microwave oven, my washer, my two garage doors, all my lights, my 48” tv, satellite system, wifi router, my cistern 3/4 hp electric water pump and my 18,000 btu inverter a/c. But my water heater is solar and I don’t need a heater in my house because I live in PR and here we have warm weather throughout the year. My total investment after it was installed by a professional technician was only $3,500.00 dollars but it worth every single penny. In my case I chose a gas generator because after being affected by hurricane Maria, both gasoline and diesel fuels were in short supply for several weeks were propane gas was always available and served at home. Also the lines in the garages to buy gasoline or diesel fuels during the emergency sometimes were 24 hours long.....😳.
Which champion generator did you buy? Will this power entire house including 2 big fridges?
Don’t forget to watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html stay safe
You are a blessing and thank you so much for this information. God bless you and your family.
Thank you! God bless my friend.
What about grounding the generator ? Did you have to do that ? Instructions say to drive a copper stake into the ground and run a wire. Does that have to be done ?
Will this run a central AC unit with everything else.
And for how long ?
Depends. How many Watts you HVAC requires
I doubt it. I have the same set up and there isn't enough amperage to pull the contacts in to power the compressor. I just put a window ac unit in my living room and it was comfortable.
Beautiful video gives me hope this is far by the best video I've seen on TH-cam thanks for the review☺️
I bought a 7500w Predator in 2010. I wired a 240v male plug to one end of a 12' length of 10-3 cable. I wired the other end directly to a double 50A breaker in my garage's box. I turned off my main breaker in the house to prevent catastrophe to my house or a lineman. I ran my entire house, including a 2 1/2 ton Central AC unit, for nine days afterwards.
I replaced every light in my home with LED bulbs and my electric bill dropped 35 to 50 dollars a month. With the generator there will be a lot less load with these bulbs.
Great tip. Thank you.
@stuart markman - same. Definitely a good upgrade. Reduces demand on the gen as well.
Currently stuck between this and the generac 8000W since the prices are pretty similar. At least I’ll have plenty of time since I’m sure houston will be sold out of generators til summer
We live in Vidor and bought a 22k generac generator. It powers the entire home plus garage, workshop, well pump. Best investment we made.
I'm stuck with you between the Generac. Someone mentioned parts may be easier to get for the Generac but I dont know for sure. Something to think about.
Thanks. I've been wanting to get a generator for hurricane season. Your video helped me make that decision.
Great video! You answered all my questions with your detailed walk through. Very specific and informative. Well done! 😁👍
Don’t forget to watch this video about generator safety th-cam.com/video/I1jT3ANENvI/w-d-xo.html hope you stay safe. Thank you