Even though we had no choice, it was nice to be pleasantly surprised! **Note I mistakenly said it needs it's first at 50 hours (the generac was 50), but it is actually 30 hours. Sorry about that! Rich & Kathie
I let mine run 5 minutes and changed oil. It had specks of metal in the oil. Then I ran for 15 minutes under load, then changed it again. Then uneasy good to go. All HF stuff with oil has this same routine. Specks of metal in almost all knew oil changes.
@@happydogg312 And to think, most of the debris was probably non-magnetic aluminum. Good on you for being diligent getting the aluminum swarf out of the crankcase.
@@happydogg312 I think you've got it nailed on the maintenance. I'm a marine mechanic, so I see everyday what happens as a result of poor maintenance. Have a great day and may your diligence pay off, I believe it will and has.
Here's the good news. I bought one a couple of years ago to run my AC unit on trailer. 2237 hours later, it still starts and runs like a champ. Not quite as quiet as it was when new, but I wouldn't say its noisey either. About the same as my older Honda 2000ei.
We are off grid in central Maine and have been using this generator for our rv, ac and washer and gas dryer. After 3 years, we had 1857 hours on it when a mouse got sucked into the stator. Wasn’t worth rebuilding so got another one. I changed the oil with cheap a Walmart oil (takes very little) every 30 hours and always started and never let us down. So yeas even though I bought 2, still cheaper than the competitors and the electricity produced is the same. Good luck.
Sounds like you had a good run. Interesting about the mouse though! We have a lot of problems with them too. And you're right, electricity from an expensive inverter generator is the same as the electricity from an economical inverter generator!
I've had two Predator generators for the last 15 years. No inverter generators. I had a 4000/3200 since 2005. It stopped working, I bought an 8750/7,000 to replace it. Found out that the smaller generator quit because the low oil sensor failed. I found out how to defeat that on TH-cam. Still works to this day. Keep the maintenance up, exercise them monthly when not in use, you will be very happy!
did you ever overload it with the overload light come on or the generator shut down and you had to restart it to reset it? I left a pretty lengthy comment at the top that explains what happened to my new inverter generator thanks.
@@danielfinney4295 just wondering if you ever overloaded it so much the overload light kept coming on? I left a pretty lengthy comment at the top of the page if you would like to read it thanks.
@@tomtee4442 ok, I looked and looked in the comment section and couldn't find the post you're talking about. I've never overloaded my generator. I just returned it last week, I bought mine for a heavy discount because it was a return with 240 hours on it. Harbor Freight made a mistake and let me put the one year replacement warranty on it. So I took it back last week because it has been almost a year, got the new updated one. The newest one has a gas gauge on it, came with a new battery and has the RV adapter plug with it. I paid for the 2 year replacement. Love it.
@@danielfinney4295 he might be all right if you just use the generator for camping here and there an emergency use. But running the generator I think these inverter generators that is for commercial or off-grid may not last like mine didn't running it off grid. The one thing that killed mine was running an electric blanketless than three total amps out of 15 maximum amps I could have used out of a 2200 watt inverter Chinese generator. I have a 25 plus year old ColemanPowermate 1850 want non inverter generator that's truly bulletproof and indestructible.and I've ran sensitive electronics on it and never burned up anyting even all the way to over-speeding it to get more power out of it in a pinch to start things.with this generator the only thing I've ever blown is a resettable breaker. Just flip it back on once in a blue moon and keep getting it.the bad thing is you cannot buy these generators new anymore and some parts are discontinued.
@@jimmywilkerson9338 Unplug all wires in and out 3x each it cleans off oxidation to make better connection. Do all the normal checks, gas, fuel filter, gas valve on, run switch on (use choke if its there), use starting fluid (or carb cleaner) to minimize pulls on the rope, if it still won't start, you will need to pull the spark plug wire off of it, check for spark by laying the wire on the block of the gen and keep clear this can really shock u, you should see a nice blue spark, it blue spark is there, replace or adjust spark plug gap. if its electric start and the battery is low, try the recoil pull rope, it makes the electric going electric stronger... ask around if anyone know how to make it run. best of luck.
I bought the 9000 watt for the house and the first time I went to use it.... I choked it and it didn’t start after ten pulls. Oh... it was 105 degrees duh... turned choke off and it started right up. Generator runs GREAT. SUPER happy with it
We have had one for 4 years...I have not been very kind to it thinking it would not last anyway. Did not change the oil first time till about 25 hours and have only changed it 3 times after that and we are at about 680 hours now. Darn thing runs like new, uses NO oil! Did have to pull the wad of brillo pad out of end of exhaust pipe as it was about carbon clogged. Best investment i have made...maybe I will go treat it to another oil change!!
@@PaulHigginbothamSr Hey, I'm in that (sometimes dumbass) generation that would never hit a woman (unfortunately). But I've found that when they're beating the hell out of you and you say something like "are you done?" Or, "C'mon, you're gonna' have to do better than that to get my attention," it makes 'em go really berserk and they punch themselves out quicker.
I bought a log splitter from harbor freight . It was missing a wheel 😳 . Other than that it is amazing. It starts every time after one ,two three pulls no matter how long it’s been since I last started it . With gas that contains ethanol to boot . I am on year three . Excellent splitter .
Thanks for the real-life demo. If you want to take your options to the next level, you can get a tri-fuel conversion for the 3500 on Amazon for $179 that will allow you to run it on gas, LP, & NG. On propane it puts out slightly less power but it runs cooler and LP doesn't foul the plugs & oil, so those things can be changed less often. I don't know if it puts out less db's when running on LP but I think it makes the exhaust tone a little bit smoother or mellow sounding.
I live in New England so I have a snowblower and a lawnmower. I put Stabil in my gas can before I fill it up so all the tools are protected all the time. They all start up right away, even if they sat for months. And I am assured that the protected fuel has reached every area of the fuel systems. Cheap insurance!
Love mine! I was told by a contractor to buy one. He kept getting his stolen all the time and loved the price. Mine starts first pull. Don’t need a battery. It doesn’t last long if you don’t use it a lot
@@vivianp5962 The battery has internal leakage and self discharges. This allows the sulfate on the plates to harden and become inert. They need to be exercised. Or put a maintainer on it. But since it is easy to pull start the cheapest way is delete the battery.
I ran my predator generator on my property for 15 months until I was able to afford for the power company to run power lines to my property and the only time the generator was off was for oil change and spark plug change. I changed my oil once every 2 weeks and the spark plug once a month and I bought NGK spark plug cause they are the best for small engines. Now I just start it once a week and run it for 15 minutes and put it away, it's the best generator I've ever owned. Good luck with your generator and enjoy the freedom away from the city
Single most important thing you can do to make these (and most small engines) last forever is before you store them for any length of time drain the gas from the carburetor. If it has a fuel shutoff, close it and run the engine until the carb is dry, if it doesn't have a fuel valve, drain the gas and run it dry. The ethanol in modern gas DESTROYS these small carburetors. I do this every time I put away my Predator generator (and snowblower, lawnmower, go carts, etc, etc, etc) and they always start right back up and run great when you need them. The other thing you can do is make sure to start them and let them run for 20 minutes or so every couple months so the gas in the carb doesn't gum up. It's not as effective as running it dry but it will stave off most carb problems.
Keep in mind, these engines have no oil filter. That said, it's necessary to change the oil more often. It may not be worth using premium oil, since it won't be in there long enough to take advantage of the longer sheer viscosity life of the better oil. Since I change more frequently, I just use "dinosaur soup" with an SN API classification. If you have a centrifugal separator, or are recycling your oil by separating and filtering out the particulate matter, then it makes sense to use the expensive, premium quality oil.
Bought one in February 2020 , all we have done this year IS camp. Dry camp that is. Love this generator ! It is actually more quite than my Honda 1000 generator. Will see how long it last but so far with about 40 hours on it..all good
@@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643 I doubt you will be disappointed. We boon dock on solar as much as possible but sure is nice to run AC sometimes on those hot afternoons.
That's a great generator. Congrats on the purchase. Sometimes we beat ourselves up about a big purchase but you did good and you guys deserve to be comfortable.
I’ve found that as long as you don’t buy the cheapest stuff, harbor freight actually carries some pretty great stuff. Their 150psi dc air compressor is a fantastic deal
Glad most of you have better luck than me. Both of mine quit in under 2 months. I kept up with changes and plugs but both quit regardless. Went to Champion and had considerably better luck.
@Creating A Simpler Life With the full enclosure, the Predator is starved for air, making it run rich. On the service side panel, consider drilling some 3/8" holes into the depressed diamond design. There is foam behind it, anyway. Check the spark arrestor now and then. Clean off the soot with some carb cleaner and a brush. Also, (happened to me), if it cranks and cranks but doesn't fire, you may need to remove the charcoal filter canister and plug the holes to the tank and the air filter housing. The 2019 model has NO vents in the air filter housing at all, other than the fumes pulled from the tank. (California regulation). I drilled about 20 tiny holes in the face, put it back together and it fired up on the first crank. You also get even better run-time. Had mine (for camper trailer) for about 7 months and love it.
I found out when using a pull start (cord) pulling the cord out halfway twice then pulling it a full pull makes it easier to start. Thanks for the video.
These generators have a good reputation. Mine is a 3500 watt champion. I'm shocked there's still people that don't have one. We have record breaking weather every year and everything in a modern day home relies on electricity
@@georgewilliamssr5230 oh okay sorry about that Well I love with parents in Ana apartment and am building my emergency bag and gear and would want to buy this What do you think it should I go bigger or smaller
@@David-qw2iv I got another one. Supper quite. Anything smaller doesn't have enough umph to power much. Things bigger are way too noisy. I like this 3500 one. Runs everything on my RV including the AC. 👍
I had a rattle with mine but it was the plate for wheel lock. I’ve been using for two months, I live in a travel trailer now and very happy withnn by it.
I've had a Honda 2000 for 13 years that sits in my side box on my semi trailer and it's probably got well over 7,000 hours on it. Same spark plug, same air filter (cleaned every oil change), oil changes every 500 hours full synthetic. I converted it to propane on day one. I'd convert to propane if I were you, it makes a huge difference.
I have a dual fuel that I only run on Propane but can still run on gas if there is an emergency situation. It has never had gasoline in it and I have therefore never had bad gas or a need to clean the carb. Propane conversion would be a really nice addition to these.
I have 2 of these for our 5th wheel and emergency power during hurricanes. I absolutely love them. I run synthetic mobile 1 oil in them and always use non-ethanol gas with stabil in it and the storage gas. I run them every 30 days for an hour. Can’t be beat them for the money. Jamb a little stick in between the wheel and wheel lock plate....no more rattle.
Got one last year because of the fires here in CALIFORNIA when they kept shutting our power off. Works great so far. The battery does loose juice if you don’t use it regularly which I just found out. But after starting with the pull start it changes back up. Wow yours has a fuel gauge. Nice. Not mine. Good luck.
I luv mine. it literally saved our lives here in Texas 2 weeks ago when it hit 2.3F and the power failed. It was in the back of my pickup covered in snow and ice and she fired right up. ;-) Like any generator I start mine every 2 weeks. Toss this big boy in the pickemup to go boondocking with our Camper. Especially in the Summer. Runs the overhead AC in RV and microwave with no sweat.
I have the $89 dollar tailgater and I've literally logged hundreds of hours in on it with no issues other than pulling the carburetor on occasion and cleaning it. I used it this summer to run a small AC unit in the window of my shop with no issues.
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid I meant to mention this in my original remark but I originally purchased this to allow me to put it on the tailgate of my truck (no pun intended) and use it with a Black and Decker electric weed eater with a 100 foot cord all around the property for two reasons. Nope make that three reasons... 1. Weed eaters almost never last or in the very least they constantly fall out of tune and require servicing no matter how well you take care of them. 2. Gas powered weed eaters are hot and heavy and loud without earplugs they give you ear fatigue if you're using one for more than an hour at a time. 3. You deal with the smell of exhaust since it's point blank up against your body especially if there is no breeze. My workaround was to use the little tailgater as a portable power source which not only got rid of the heat generated by the motor but the weight and the fumes are a non issue too and the concept worked like a charm. I purchased an extended 3 year warranty with the generator and on the 3rd year it developed carburetor issues so they replaced it. The replacement is well out of it's warranty and I service it myself whenever it needs servicing. As long as you pull the carburetor once or twice a year and clean it along with replacing the spark plug these cheap little generators just jeep going. When I purchased this I expected it to be a DC inverter running a small built in modified 110 volt sine wave inverter because that's where they are going with generators built today because it's cheaper to manufacture them cutting cost because the standard generator heads are full of copper wire and steel. They're also much lighter because the newer designs don't have the the extra weight of the older conventional generator heads. The tailgaters they are still selling at least for now has an actual generator head and the older designs are much much more robust and will normally outlast the engines. I know I wrote a book here but I thought I would share that information with you.
That’s so funny that you’re using it for an electric weed eater! We literally just got a gas one that we can put a brush blade on for help cutting small trees to make atv trails on our land. Never though if going electric, but it makes sense! Wish we would have got the warranty on the geny though. That was a mistake on our part.
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid One more thing that may interest you, I'm part of a group of TH-cam preppers who build wood-gasifiers that produce fuel to run generators. Some of the people in the group are totally off-grid running their generators with a combination of small battery banks and in some cases, some solar and wind power thrown into the mix without the cost for gas or diesel. I'll include a video from my channel so you can see this in action. I don't even have to cut wood for my system. I can walk the property and pick up enough small branches and sticks to produce as much power as I need. I'm not off-grid but I could go off-grid with a few changes. I use my system as an emergency back-up and it has carried me through many power outages that lasted days without a niche. th-cam.com/video/Kv73ggsEDWY/w-d-xo.html
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid I live on 10 acres with 2/3 of it being wooded and I got to the point where I hated weed eaters! Every time I would pull it out in the spring I almost always had to fight with it even though I would store them with stabilized fuel in the lines. Yeah the electric weed eater setup rules.
The predator engines have a lot of machining particles in them. Use cheap Wal Mart 10W 30 oil and change it while still hot after 30 minutes run time, again after 2 hours , then go to the 30 hour regular oil change cycle.After the 30 hours you can change to synthetic.
I used magnetic dip stick and i added some zinc additive to the oil for break in. Has been a great generator for 2 years now and it for sure keeps the oil clean I can't believe the difference
Thanks for the tip. We just fired it up last week after sitting for almost 6 months. It started up quick and is running great. We love it .Oil change coming soon. Thanks for watching.
I purchased two of the 3500 Watt I was real happy with them after the break-in time I used full synthetic oil it'll last a little longer than the regular oil I ran three freezers and a refrigerator off of it my experience is it's the best deal for the money , and yes they are very quiet
We bought a Dewalt dnxr8000 it was 1200 bucks but it works wonderful! We burned up 3 different ones in two years and decided to spend the extra money and buy a contractor generator! Thanks for sharing God bless guys! Tony n Lee Ann
It's not bad we have ours right behind the RV pointed away with windows closed inside hardly hear it! If you build a little hut around it it will cut down on sound! God bless guys! Tony n Lee Ann
It's a great little genny if you take care of it. The Honda propane conversion works on it as well. Also, check on youtube for videos on how to increase the air intake by drilling out that little access panel.
@@markchase5323 did they do away with the warranty? That's a heart breaker. The predator motors really are very dependable. My kids have them on go-karts and they always start right up.
@@MitchellGWhitehead Not to my knowledge. They grant a short "teething" warranty and offer extended period warranties within some period of the original sale.
I have close to five hundred hours on mine never had one problem with it I was hesitant also I'm pleasantly surprised we did drill out the vent holes that are molded in for better air intake
The generator is even quieter than that. Keep in mind, that the air conditioner also produces sound adding to the noise being picked up by the db meter.
I guess you didn’t realize that the predator is s 3500 but we haven’t used that much yet. I say as long as it runs when needed were good to go👍 thanks for watching and commenting. We really appreciate it. Rich
Sometimes the nuts for the battery terminals are in the battery and could have fell out inside the compartment in shipping process. That could be a rattling noise inside when running.
I bought a nailer for hard wood floors at Harbor Freight. It was cheaper than renting one for two days. I intended to use it and take it back if it screwed up at all. Well, I still have it and it has been well used and still has never jammed or missed a nail.
I just bought the Predator 9,000 Watt and the electrician is on his way to install a transfer switch for the house. I'm excited to see how it does. Yours is really quiet.
One mod I made was to remove the panel and unplug the kill switch from the big knob. Now when you turn off the big knob it continues to run until it burns all of the gas in the carb. That should eliminate any carb issues from fuel.
I see you're rockin the HF disposable 6-in-1 screwdriver lol. Does everything a premium version does and you don't get your feelings hurt when it disappears.
When the selector switch is at "start" the choke is on. After it starts it needs to be moved back over to "run". Running with the choke on will use extra gas and foul out the spark plug.
Your going to love this generator i promise. i have one and its been great. also the fuel lasts a very long time i get about 13 hrs running my camper with the A/C. also i niticed you said first oil change is at 50 hrs. its actually first oil change at 8hrs break in cycle and they want you to do 50% load during break in. after broke in i changed the next 2 at 25 hrs and now i change it every 100 hrs. be sure to buy your self a magnetic dip stick from amazon.
Predator is great so far. The generac lasted us since spring 2018. But that was pretty much full time use through end of August and then weekends in fall and spring. We would winterize it for winters. We got a lot of use out if it before the carburetor went. Still plan on fixing it when I have more time
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid It would be much better, if you had a way to cut off the fuel and let the carburetor drain, to shut down the engine, rather than turning off the ignition. Residual fuel in the carburetor tends to evaporate, leaving behind varnish, which can clog the main jet, the emulsifier, and the idle circuit in the carburetor. This is especially important, if the only fuel available has 10% ethanol. I do this with my engines, and do not worry about what kind of fuel I use. I just clear the carburetor after every use, because I never know when I'll need my generator again. It can sit for a year, and be OK. When running the float bowl out of fuel, make sure the generator is NOT loaded. Running the carburetor dry takes long enough, to allow the engine to cool, especially if it's been heavily loaded. It's even good practice, to put on the choke, and pull the cord one more time, just to clear the last little bit of fuel, that's dripped down through the fuel line, after the fuel valve has been shut off. The extra vacuum created by the closed choke valve does a better job of clearing the idle circuit of the carburetor, ensuring there is nothing left behind by the evaporation of fuel.(I'm willing to bet, that's what happened to the carburetor in the Generac)
@@vincentrobinette1507 This novice didn't understand any of your bloviated word salad. The post after yours from @tizzy_life, explained in simplistic terms. "Brevity is the soul of wit."
Mine is going on 4 years now with no problems. Gets used 4 to 6 times a year, from 2 to 6 days each time. After the initial oil change, I change it every march. New plug also. The plug looks good but gets changed anyway. Mine has a rattle, but it comes from the wheel lock. Goes away when locked. Keeps my trailer battery charged and runs the air conditioner. Microwave, electric skillet, and electric griddle work fine also. Just a little louder than my buddies 3000W honda, but mine is a little lighter. All in all this has been a good purchas.
We have a “man lot” (that’s a plot of off grid land where many man cave activities take place). We have been running this generator for over a year now.....at least 16 hours a day. This thing has happily performed like a commercial grade work horse. The starter did die a couple months ago; but give her a pull and she roars, or should I say pers, to life. Previously we had a larger non-inverter gen from harbor freight that took the same beating for about 6 years. I recommend harbor freight generators with 100% confidence. I still have 3 Honda’s, but get equal performance out of th HF units!!!
Crack them open and you would be amazed at how similar they are. I was a small engine mechanic and we sold Generac and Echo generators. I had worked on a few suit case Generacs so when I went to the training for the Echo, I tore it apart in minutes. They have the EXACT same components, just laid out differently. All these manufacturers check a bunch of boxes for features from the Chinese manufacturers and they just build them off the check list and slap whoevers sticker on it. The generac suitcase generators have to be completely blown apart to get to the oil lever sensor. Couple dollar part with a huge labor bill to get it in and put back together. Fairly common failure point to have no access at all. Use recreation fuel to avoid carb issues due to the ethanol. That Ethanol is terrible on small engines. Also, check your spark plug, if it's a Torch or LG, toss it and get a cross-reference NGK or Champion. I used to swap the plug out on every generator sold because the failure rate on the Torch plugs is unacceptably high. Also a battery tender will keep that battery ready to go. I wired the harness off my battery and just plug it into the tender when not in use. Great deal on a great generator.
I agree with you 100% >sounds like you know your stuff. The manufacturing is done that way with many items like cameras, electronics power tools you name it.
3 years with mine. I'd buy another! I actually have two other brand 2200. Thought I'd like them more. Pffff heavier and louder. Even one is louder. 3500 for the RV win! I've only added a SAE connector to the battery to keep a charger on it with a MC maintainer.
Actually several in this playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLmsbph0gu2uwQ7w72rLFatz6eVNl3dghR.html. We just put it away for the first time in 2 years. It was our primary energy source living off grid until recently. Never had a problem 👍
Great video! Even though harbor freight products are iffy from time to time i still do alot of purchases there because their warranty procedures are simple and on the spot replacements.
Those have a small like piece of filter in the carbs ,and steelworkers type materiel in the exhaust. .my brother took his apart ,and nd found these items, and removed them now it runs great.
I built a homemade 1500 watt inverter generator . It cost me $35 and junk I had. One day I was using it and a nuclear engineer retired next to me fell in love with it. It was quite than his Honda inverter generator and sipped gas I used it mostly to power my camper s ac and it used about a quart every 6 hours or so. Oh crap I was wrong $35 for the inverter off Craigslist and $35 for a solid state coil. So $70 to make
@Wwef Wason just used a old Briggs 3 1/2 hp motor a gm alternator from the late 70s and a 1500 watt inverter a jumper cables to the battery and hooked the inverter to the battery.. pretty basic
Like you, I say the same thing about, "always having a problem". I've been around long enough to figure out many people today just don't care, they just want that paycheck.
Hard to tell for sure, but at 1:10, seems what you are holding are 'Michigan Screws'...two that are larger act as 'nuts' if this is the case. If you look in the 'thread end' of the larger bolts, there MAY be threading inside what looks to be 'hollow'. This you would pass up from below the terminal lug, and it would protrude through the terminal, so you can pass the smaller bolts down from above. Can't tell for sure, you didn't get a camera angle on them close enough. Old method of fastening a 'vibrating connection' together...mostly seen with 3-ring type binders and such now, but in the past, was often used (especially with generation equipment).
Even though we had no choice, it was nice to be pleasantly surprised! **Note I mistakenly said it needs it's first at 50 hours (the generac was 50), but it is actually 30 hours. Sorry about that! Rich & Kathie
I let mine run 5 minutes and changed oil. It had specks of metal in the oil. Then I ran for 15 minutes under load, then changed it again. Then uneasy good to go.
All HF stuff with oil has this same routine. Specks of metal in almost all knew oil changes.
Yeah, change the oil 1st time after 10-15 minutes to get the initial junk out of the crankcase, change it while still warm as possible.
@@happydogg312 And to think, most of the debris was probably non-magnetic aluminum. Good on you for being diligent getting the aluminum swarf out of the crankcase.
@@happydogg312 I think you've got it nailed on the maintenance. I'm a marine mechanic, so I see everyday what happens as a result of poor maintenance. Have a great day and may your diligence pay off, I believe it will and has.
Here's the good news. I bought one a couple of years ago to run my AC unit on trailer. 2237 hours later, it still starts and runs like a champ. Not quite as quiet as it was when new, but I wouldn't say its noisey either. About the same as my older Honda 2000ei.
We are off grid in central Maine and have been using this generator for our rv, ac and washer and gas dryer. After 3 years, we had 1857 hours on it when a mouse got sucked into the stator. Wasn’t worth rebuilding so got another one. I changed the oil with cheap a Walmart oil (takes very little) every 30 hours and always started and never let us down. So yeas even though I bought 2, still cheaper than the competitors and the electricity produced is the same. Good luck.
Sounds like you had a good run. Interesting about the mouse though! We have a lot of problems with them too. And you're right, electricity from an expensive inverter generator is the same as the electricity from an economical inverter generator!
I've had two Predator generators for the last 15 years. No inverter generators. I had a 4000/3200 since 2005. It stopped working, I bought an 8750/7,000 to replace it. Found out that the smaller generator quit because the low oil sensor failed. I found out how to defeat that on TH-cam. Still works to this day. Keep the maintenance up, exercise them monthly when not in use, you will be very happy!
Great! Thanks 👍
I've had mine two years.changed oil regularly.we use it for camping an power outage at home.200 hrs no problems!
I've got 340 on mine, works perfectly
did you ever overload it with the overload light come on or the generator shut down and you had to restart it to reset it? I left a pretty lengthy comment at the top that explains what happened to my new inverter generator thanks.
@@danielfinney4295 just wondering if you ever overloaded it so much the overload light kept coming on? I left a pretty lengthy comment at the top of the page if you would like to read it thanks.
@@tomtee4442 ok, I looked and looked in the comment section and couldn't find the post you're talking about. I've never overloaded my generator. I just returned it last week, I bought mine for a heavy discount because it was a return with 240 hours on it. Harbor Freight made a mistake and let me put the one year replacement warranty on it. So I took it back last week because it has been almost a year, got the new updated one. The newest one has a gas gauge on it, came with a new battery and has the RV adapter plug with it. I paid for the 2 year replacement. Love it.
@@danielfinney4295 he might be all right if you just use the generator for camping here and there an emergency use. But running the generator I think these inverter generators that is for commercial or off-grid may not last like mine didn't running it off grid. The one thing that killed mine was running an electric blanketless than three total amps out of 15 maximum amps I could have used out of a 2200 watt inverter Chinese generator. I have a 25 plus year old ColemanPowermate 1850 want non inverter generator that's truly bulletproof and indestructible.and I've ran sensitive electronics on it and never burned up anyting even all the way to over-speeding it to get more power out of it in a pinch to start things.with this generator the only thing I've ever blown is a resettable breaker. Just flip it back on once in a blue moon and keep getting it.the bad thing is you cannot buy these generators new anymore and some parts are discontinued.
Keep up on the oil changes and clean the spark arrester regularly. You will get great service out of the Predator.
Thanks so much!
Trying to get mine started and I tried turning on to quick at killed no It don’t want to try to start now reset stuck any help on it. 200 inverter
@@jimmywilkerson9338 Unplug all wires in and out 3x each it cleans off oxidation to make better connection. Do all the normal checks, gas, fuel filter, gas valve on, run switch on (use choke if its there), use starting fluid (or carb cleaner) to minimize pulls on the rope, if it still won't start, you will need to pull the spark plug wire off of it, check for spark by laying the wire on the block of the gen and keep clear this can really shock u, you should see a nice blue spark, it blue spark is there, replace or adjust spark plug gap. if its electric start and the battery is low, try the recoil pull rope, it makes the electric going electric stronger... ask around if anyone know how to make it run. best of luck.
I bought the 9000 watt for the house and the first time I went to use it.... I choked it and it didn’t start after ten pulls. Oh... it was 105 degrees duh... turned choke off and it started right up. Generator runs GREAT. SUPER happy with it
That’s great! Thanks for sharing 👍
We have had one for 4 years...I have not been very kind to it thinking it would not last anyway. Did not change the oil first time till about 25 hours and have only changed it 3 times after that and we are at about 680 hours now. Darn thing runs like new, uses NO oil! Did have to pull the wad of brillo pad out of end of exhaust pipe as it was about carbon clogged. Best investment i have made...maybe I will go treat it to another oil change!!
That’s awesome!!!
I got over 2000 hours on mine and still run it 12 hours every single day. No complaints.
Cough cough BULLS!@^ cough cough.
@@ramecodiesel8271 I can prove it.
Your math is off, lol.
We've had one for a few years. Love it! With yearly maint it will last a long time....DO NOT forget to clean the spark arrester!
Thanks!
My wife hits at least 120 decibels so that unit is fairly quiet.
dAaaaammmnnnn
😂
My wife is only 65 decibels when beating me with her hair brush ewwww.
@@PaulHigginbothamSr Hey, I'm in that (sometimes dumbass) generation that would never hit a woman (unfortunately). But I've found that when they're beating the hell out of you and you say something like "are you done?" Or, "C'mon, you're gonna' have to do better than that to get my attention," it makes 'em go really berserk and they punch themselves out quicker.
Turn her around and she can hut 500 easily
I bought a log splitter from harbor freight . It was missing a wheel 😳 . Other than that it is amazing. It starts every time after one ,two three pulls no matter how long it’s been since I last started it . With gas that contains ethanol to boot . I am on year three . Excellent splitter .
Thanks for sharing that as we’ve been looking at log splitters lately!
Thanks for the real-life demo. If you want to take your options to the next level, you can get a tri-fuel conversion for the 3500 on Amazon for $179 that will allow you to run it on gas, LP, & NG. On propane it puts out slightly less power but it runs cooler and LP doesn't foul the plugs & oil, so those things can be changed less often. I don't know if it puts out less db's when running on LP but I think it makes the exhaust tone a little bit smoother or mellow sounding.
I will have to look into that! Thanks 👍
I live in New England so I have a snowblower and a lawnmower. I put Stabil in my gas can before I fill it up so all the tools are protected all the time. They all start up right away, even if they sat for months. And I am assured that the protected fuel has reached every area of the fuel systems. Cheap insurance!
I do the same. Works like charm👍
Same here.
Love mine! I was told by a contractor to buy one. He kept getting his stolen all the time and loved the price. Mine starts first pull. Don’t need a battery. It doesn’t last long if you don’t use it a lot
Price point is key!
I had to ditch the battery on mine, Even using it once every couple months it still craps out, I dont mind pull starting it.
Batteries are easy to maintain, if you're willing to do it.
Why does it crap out if you dont use it tbat often?
@@vivianp5962 The battery has internal leakage and self discharges. This allows the sulfate on the plates to harden and become inert.
They need to be exercised. Or put a maintainer on it.
But since it is easy to pull start the cheapest way is delete the battery.
Nice . . . we have a Harbor Freight Predator 2000, and we love it too . . . thanks for sharing your experience. Bob
Good to know! Thanks so much
I ran my predator generator on my property for 15 months until I was able to afford for the power company to run power lines to my property and the only time the generator was off was for oil change and spark plug change. I changed my oil once every 2 weeks and the spark plug once a month and I bought NGK spark plug cause they are the best for small engines. Now I just start it once a week and run it for 15 minutes and put it away, it's the best generator I've ever owned. Good luck with your generator and enjoy the freedom away from the city
Wow! That’s really great! Hope ours does as well👍
Single most important thing you can do to make these (and most small engines) last forever is before you store them for any length of time drain the gas from the carburetor. If it has a fuel shutoff, close it and run the engine until the carb is dry, if it doesn't have a fuel valve, drain the gas and run it dry. The ethanol in modern gas DESTROYS these small carburetors. I do this every time I put away my Predator generator (and snowblower, lawnmower, go carts, etc, etc, etc) and they always start right back up and run great when you need them. The other thing you can do is make sure to start them and let them run for 20 minutes or so every couple months so the gas in the carb doesn't gum up. It's not as effective as running it dry but it will stave off most carb problems.
Thanks
On a Honda 2000 you can’t turn the fuel off and run the carb bowl out of gas . The run and fuel in switch are one in the same.
Mixing your fuel with stabil gas stabilizer will help with the fuel system longevity, especially with ethanol blended fuels.
@@mikemiller2933 The genset SPECIFICALLY said no E85 on top.
They don't sell NO ethanol gas where you live? It is all over here. It's all I use all the time in my mower or my 2 cycle engines.
Inverters are a lot nicer for your electronics as well. Thank you for showing us your new generator, Rich and Kathie. Stay safe and stay cool
Absolutely! We need to keep making these videos 😁 thanks so much for watching and supporting us! Have a great day 👍
I have a Honda eu2000i but we definitely supplement with this when I need more power, thanks for the great review.
Thanks! Appreciate that very much 👍
After first oil change I run amzoil in mine 2000 hours so far going to buy a new one next week giving old one to my son for ice fishing
So you’re buying a second one! That’s great!
Keep in mind, these engines have no oil filter. That said, it's necessary to change the oil more often. It may not be worth using premium oil, since it won't be in there long enough to take advantage of the longer sheer viscosity life of the better oil. Since I change more frequently, I just use "dinosaur soup" with an SN API classification. If you have a centrifugal separator, or are recycling your oil by separating and filtering out the particulate matter, then it makes sense to use the expensive, premium quality oil.
I love your honesty it's refreshing
Bought one in February 2020 , all we have done this year IS camp. Dry camp that is. Love this generator ! It is actually more quite than my Honda 1000 generator. Will see how long it last but so far with about 40 hours on it..all good
That’s great! We are a little over 100 nd still awesome too!
Glad to hear that. I'm ready to pull the trigger on one for some off grid RV camping.
@@mathewdavis-adventuresandd6643 I doubt you will be disappointed. We boon dock on solar as much as possible but sure is nice to run AC sometimes on those hot afternoons.
@@coopart1 I just started RV camping last year so I'm still a newbie. I haven't even come close to thinking about solar power yet. Lol
Awesome video. I just bought mine today. Thanks for the rundown
We are using every single day and it’s running great! Wife does all the oil changes by the book!
That's a great generator. Congrats on the purchase. Sometimes we beat ourselves up about a big purchase but you did good and you guys deserve to be comfortable.
That’s so true! We do beat ourselves up over big purchases. Definitely worth it though 👍
I've been very happy with my 3500 Predator I have over 850 hrs and still going strong.
That’s great! Thanks 👍
I’ve found that as long as you don’t buy the cheapest stuff, harbor freight actually carries some pretty great stuff. Their 150psi dc air compressor is a fantastic deal
Agree!
Glad most of you have better luck than me.
Both of mine quit in under 2 months.
I kept up with changes and plugs but both quit regardless.
Went to Champion and had considerably better luck.
@Creating A Simpler Life With the full enclosure, the Predator is starved for air, making it run rich. On the service side panel, consider drilling some 3/8" holes into the depressed diamond design. There is foam behind it, anyway. Check the spark arrestor now and then. Clean off the soot with some carb cleaner and a brush. Also, (happened to me), if it cranks and cranks but doesn't fire, you may need to remove the charcoal filter canister and plug the holes to the tank and the air filter housing. The 2019 model has NO vents in the air filter housing at all, other than the fumes pulled from the tank. (California regulation). I drilled about 20 tiny holes in the face, put it back together and it fired up on the first crank. You also get even better run-time. Had mine (for camper trailer) for about 7 months and love it.
Appreciate the info!
I've had mine now for 6 months. Runs like a champ. Quite. Great generator
That’s great! Thanks 👍
That thing runs smooth as a sewing machine. This came up on my recommended cause I been looking at these. Crazy how quiet it is
I have mine for 2 years and it still running great
Great!
*My personal consolation is that, that Dark Cloud, doesn't just hover over me.*
Lol. Nice to know we’re not alone sometimes!
I found out when using a pull start (cord) pulling the cord out halfway twice then pulling it a full pull makes it easier to start. Thanks for the video.
These generators have a good reputation. Mine is a 3500 watt champion. I'm shocked there's still people that don't have one. We have record breaking weather every year and everything in a modern day home relies on electricity
Agree!
Thanks, I am thinking on getting one just to keep the refrigerator and few lights on during power outage.
It’s a good idea!!
I had one of those. It was a great little generator.
Was? What happened to it
@@David-qw2iv I work in the woods as a professional Timberfaller. Last September it along with my RV went up in flames in the North Complex Fire.
@@georgewilliamssr5230 oh okay sorry about that
Well I love with parents in Ana apartment and am building my emergency bag and gear and would want to buy this
What do you think it should I go bigger or smaller
@@David-qw2iv
I got another one. Supper quite. Anything smaller doesn't have enough umph to power much. Things bigger are way too noisy. I like this 3500 one. Runs everything on my RV including the AC. 👍
I had a rattle with mine but it was the plate for wheel lock. I’ve been using for two months, I live in a travel trailer now and very happy withnn by it.
Yes. Wheel locks rattled. We did finally figure that out. Glad to know it’s working good for you too👍
I've had a Honda 2000 for 13 years that sits in my side box on my semi trailer and it's probably got well over 7,000 hours on it. Same spark plug, same air filter (cleaned every oil change), oil changes every 500 hours full synthetic. I converted it to propane on day one. I'd convert to propane if I were you, it makes a huge difference.
Heard a lot of good things about converting to propane. Definitely worth looking into more. Thanks 👍
I have a dual fuel that I only run on Propane but can still run on gas if there is an emergency situation. It has never had gasoline in it and I have therefore never had bad gas or a need to clean the carb. Propane conversion would be a really nice addition to these.
@@thanatoslrsd It sure does work nice,..and the bonus,...put on a full tank at night, and it won't run dry when your sleeping.
I recently bought a Honda 2000 in excellent condition for $325. I want to buy another one and run them parallel to power my camper
I have 2 of these for our 5th wheel and emergency power during hurricanes. I absolutely love them. I run synthetic mobile 1 oil in them and always use non-ethanol gas with stabil in it and the storage gas. I run them every 30 days for an hour. Can’t be beat them for the money.
Jamb a little stick in between the wheel and wheel lock plate....no more rattle.
Thanks for the tip! We have been using ours a lot and we are very happy with it!
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid Take the spark plug that came in it out and put an NGK plug in it runs cleaner and smoother.
Will check that! Thanks 👍
Got one last year because of the fires here in CALIFORNIA when they kept shutting our power off. Works great so far. The battery does loose juice if you don’t use it regularly which I just found out. But after starting with the pull start it changes back up. Wow yours has a fuel gauge. Nice. Not mine. Good luck.
I think the fuel gauge is a new thing. Hope all is well in California!!!
I luv mine. it literally saved our lives here in Texas 2 weeks ago when it hit 2.3F and the power failed. It was in the back of my pickup covered in snow and ice and she fired right up. ;-) Like any generator I start mine every 2 weeks. Toss this big boy in the pickemup to go boondocking with our Camper. Especially in the Summer. Runs the overhead AC in RV and microwave with no sweat.
Glad you had it! That was a bad time 👍
I have the $89 dollar tailgater and I've literally logged hundreds of hours in on it with no issues other than pulling the carburetor on occasion and cleaning it. I used it this summer to run a small AC unit in the window of my shop with no issues.
That is great to know! Thanks 👍
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid I meant to mention this in my original remark but I originally purchased this to allow me to put it on the tailgate of my truck (no pun intended) and use it with a Black and Decker electric weed eater with a 100 foot cord all around the property for two reasons. Nope make that three reasons... 1. Weed eaters almost never last or in the very least they constantly fall out of tune and require servicing no matter how well you take care of them. 2. Gas powered weed eaters are hot and heavy and loud without earplugs they give you ear fatigue if you're using one for more than an hour at a time. 3. You deal with the smell of exhaust since it's point blank up against your body especially if there is no breeze. My workaround was to use the little tailgater as a portable power source which not only got rid of the heat generated by the motor but the weight and the fumes are a non issue too and the concept worked like a charm. I purchased an extended 3 year warranty with the generator and on the 3rd year it developed carburetor issues so they replaced it. The replacement is well out of it's warranty and I service it myself whenever it needs servicing. As long as you pull the carburetor once or twice a year and clean it along with replacing the spark plug these cheap little generators just jeep going. When I purchased this I expected it to be a DC inverter running a small built in modified 110 volt sine wave inverter because that's where they are going with generators built today because it's cheaper to manufacture them cutting cost because the standard generator heads are full of copper wire and steel. They're also much lighter because the newer designs don't have the the extra weight of the older conventional generator heads. The tailgaters they are still selling at least for now has an actual generator head and the older designs are much much more robust and will normally outlast the engines. I know I wrote a book here but I thought I would share that information with you.
That’s so funny that you’re using it for an electric weed eater! We literally just got a gas one that we can put a brush blade on for help cutting small trees to make atv trails on our land. Never though if going electric, but it makes sense! Wish we would have got the warranty on the geny though. That was a mistake on our part.
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid One more thing that may interest you, I'm part of a group of TH-cam preppers who build wood-gasifiers that produce fuel to run generators. Some of the people in the group are totally off-grid running their generators with a combination of small battery banks and in some cases, some solar and wind power thrown into the mix without the cost for gas or diesel. I'll include a video from my channel so you can see this in action. I don't even have to cut wood for my system. I can walk the property and pick up enough small branches and sticks to produce as much power as I need. I'm not off-grid but I could go off-grid with a few changes. I use my system as an emergency back-up and it has carried me through many power outages that lasted days without a niche. th-cam.com/video/Kv73ggsEDWY/w-d-xo.html
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid I live on 10 acres with 2/3 of it being wooded and I got to the point where I hated weed eaters! Every time I would pull it out in the spring I almost always had to fight with it even though I would store them with stabilized fuel in the lines. Yeah the electric weed eater setup rules.
The predator engines have a lot of machining particles in them. Use cheap Wal Mart 10W 30 oil and change it while still hot after 30 minutes run time, again after 2 hours , then go to the 30 hour regular oil change cycle.After the 30 hours you can change to synthetic.
Thanks for the tips!
I used magnetic dip stick and i added some zinc additive to the oil for break in. Has been a great generator for 2 years now and it for sure keeps the oil clean I can't believe the difference
Thanks for the tip. We just fired it up last week after sitting for almost 6 months. It started up quick and is running great. We love it .Oil change coming soon.
Thanks for watching.
I purchased two of the 3500 Watt I was real happy with them after the break-in time I used full synthetic oil it'll last a little longer than the regular oil I ran three freezers and a refrigerator off of it my experience is it's the best deal for the money , and yes they are very quiet
Thanks 👍
Very good choice i will.buy f my 18 wheeler truck ac mini.split very good.video
We bought a Dewalt dnxr8000 it was 1200 bucks but it works wonderful! We burned up 3 different ones in two years and decided to spend the extra money and buy a contractor generator! Thanks for sharing God bless guys!
Tony n Lee Ann
That is probably what we will need to do eventually! How loud is it?
It's not bad we have ours right behind the RV pointed away with windows closed inside hardly hear it! If you build a little hut around it it will cut down on sound! God bless guys!
Tony n Lee Ann
Thank you!
It's a great little genny if you take care of it. The Honda propane conversion works on it as well. Also, check on youtube for videos on how to increase the air intake by drilling out that little access panel.
Yes. A few people have mentioned that. Will definitely check it out!
A few yrs ago I bought the predator 8500. Love it. But a spare plug. And IN Time A Fuel Filter added
I guess that is to be expected when it is being used. Glad to hear you love it!
Always get the extended warranty. It seriously is a no questions asked full replacement.
It was a lot of money and I really thought we would be returning the unit. Good advice for future though. Thanks 👍
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid You might want to call HF and inquire about whether you can still purchase the extended warranty.
@@markchase5323 did they do away with the warranty? That's a heart breaker. The predator motors really are very dependable. My kids have them on go-karts and they always start right up.
@@MitchellGWhitehead Not to my knowledge. They grant a short "teething" warranty and offer extended period warranties within some period of the original sale.
I BOUGHT ONE OF THOSE ,,,love it quiet ,powerful .dependable
Thanks!
I have close to five hundred hours on mine never had one problem with it I was hesitant also I'm pleasantly surprised we did drill out the vent holes that are molded in for better air intake
Good idea. Glad it’s working good for you!
Fantastic real world review 👏. I have the 200 and 3500 and never went back to Honda.
Thanks!
If you buy a second 3500, you can parallel link(parallel kit sold seperately) them together so that you could have up to 7k continuous watts.
That would be a lot of power for sure!
Great Choice. I have a Honda 2000 but I will be purchasing the Predictor 3500 as soon as they run a sale!
Excellent! We continue to be quite happy with it!
The generator is even quieter than that. Keep in mind, that the air conditioner also produces sound adding to the noise being picked up by the db meter.
Good point👍
Predator is much louder than Honda, that has been proven many times. Output is much better with Honda.
For us it works great and we don’t even hear it inside at all. Worth every penny including what we saved not buying a honda👍
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid Glad you like it. I needed more power so we have a Honda 3000is
I guess you didn’t realize that the predator is s 3500 but we haven’t used that much yet. I say as long as it runs when needed were good to go👍 thanks for watching and commenting. We really appreciate it. Rich
Good buy at a decent price !
Sometimes the nuts for the battery terminals are in the battery and could have fell out inside the compartment in shipping process. That could be a rattling noise inside when running.
I’ll have to check. Thanks 👍
Very good material generator, power source correct and the quality video, very good moment with you, tank you very much.
Thank you 👍
Nice generator
It's working good! Thanks :-)
I bought a nailer for hard wood floors at Harbor Freight. It was cheaper than renting one for two days. I intended to use it and take it back if it screwed up at all. Well, I still have it and it has been well used and still has never jammed or missed a nail.
Good to know ! Thanks 👍
FYI the spark arrest screen in the exhaust will clog up and stop it from starting eventually.
Thanks 👍
I just bought the Predator 9,000 Watt and the electrician is on his way to install a transfer switch for the house. I'm excited to see how it does. Yours is really quiet.
Hope yours is quiet too! Good luck 👍
Yours will be as loud as the average generator. The 3500 is sold as "Super Quiet" inverter generator. They are MUCH quieter than an average generator.
@@scjohnk Yeah I fired it up for the first time today. It's loud haha Oh well, better than losing power again. #Texas
One mod I made was to remove the panel and unplug the kill switch from the big knob. Now when you turn off the big knob it continues to run until it burns all of the gas in the carb. That should eliminate any carb issues from fuel.
Thanks!
Good idea!
I have a 2200 predator . Thing is Awesome. I run it everyday for 8-14 hours a day for the last 2 1/2 years . Still starts first pull .
That’s great!
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid Yes .That did it . Thank you for the info and help. So happy .
We have several of those generators and they just keep going.
That’s great! Thanks for sharing 👍
Great vid. Real situation.
Thanks! Appreciate that very much 👍
Nice video, great job
Thank you very much!
Great video. Thanks for all
The information.
Thanks for watching and commenting 👍
You left it on start, never turned the knob to run!😂
It actually has some play. I explain it in this video here th-cam.com/video/OzS0-y29j5I/w-d-xo.html
Bought me a new travel trailer and picking up one of those generators
Good luck! It’s still the perfect generator for it as far as we are concerned! Using it every day living off grid in ours.
I see you're rockin the HF disposable 6-in-1 screwdriver lol.
Does everything a premium version does and you don't get your feelings hurt when it disappears.
And we’ve misplaced quite a few😂
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid Haha me too, as a professional electrician I love-em-n-leave-em by the half dozen.
Disposable screwdriver lol. I miss the days when you could get it for free with the coupon. That was a deal lol.
I was looking into a Champion hybrid generator, but this has the same wattage and is much quieter. Thanks for reviewing this.
Thanks so much for watching and commenting! Good luck with it
I have a champion and i regret it..only because of the noise..its LOUD
Just woundering if your still happy with this I'm needing to buy one and had seriously looked at same one
So far we are still very happy 👍
Have over 800 hrs on ours and it still runs like a top! We do alot of boondocking and it will take anything our 30ft Terry Resort will throw at it
That’s great👍
Kathy's noises meter I'm so jealous you guys have all the big boy toys.
LOL. She does love that little meter! But then again, she is a science teacher so......
When the selector switch is at "start" the choke is on. After it starts it needs to be moved back over to "run". Running with the choke on will use extra gas and foul out the spark plug.
I hear what your saying but this one has a lot of play. I explain it in this video here th-cam.com/video/OzS0-y29j5I/w-d-xo.html
Your going to love this generator i promise. i have one and its been great. also the fuel lasts a very long time i get about 13 hrs running my camper with the A/C. also i niticed you said first oil change is at 50 hrs. its actually first oil change at 8hrs break in cycle and they want you to do 50% load during break in. after broke in i changed the next 2 at 25 hrs and now i change it every 100 hrs. be sure to buy your self a magnetic dip stick from amazon.
Thanks! Appreciate the tips too👍
Might be that the general breakdown was an early blessing so you’d have a good generator for construction and after? Hope so anyway!!
We hope so too!
Harbor freight believe it or not has excellent generator by far exceeded my expectation
Same here!
The rattling is the little brake on the right front wheel. It’s metal and it rattles.
Yup. Finally figured that out. Thanks 👍
Harbor Freight is awesome. Great price on mechanics hand tools. Always coupons available
Curious how long the Generac lasted? The Predator looks great!
Predator is great so far. The generac lasted us since spring 2018. But that was pretty much full time use through end of August and then weekends in fall and spring. We would winterize it for winters. We got a lot of use out if it before the carburetor went. Still plan on fixing it when I have more time
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid It would be much better, if you had a way to cut off the fuel and let the carburetor drain, to shut down the engine, rather than turning off the ignition. Residual fuel in the carburetor tends to evaporate, leaving behind varnish, which can clog the main jet, the emulsifier, and the idle circuit in the carburetor. This is especially important, if the only fuel available has 10% ethanol. I do this with my engines, and do not worry about what kind of fuel I use. I just clear the carburetor after every use, because I never know when I'll need my generator again. It can sit for a year, and be OK.
When running the float bowl out of fuel, make sure the generator is NOT loaded. Running the carburetor dry takes long enough, to allow the engine to cool, especially if it's been heavily loaded. It's even good practice, to put on the choke, and pull the cord one more time, just to clear the last little bit of fuel, that's dripped down through the fuel line, after the fuel valve has been shut off. The extra vacuum created by the closed choke valve does a better job of clearing the idle circuit of the carburetor, ensuring there is nothing left behind by the evaporation of fuel.(I'm willing to bet, that's what happened to the carburetor in the Generac)
Vincent Robinette that what I do with my pressure washer, turn the fuel off when done and let it run itself out. No gummed you’re carbs then
@@vincentrobinette1507 This novice didn't understand any of your bloviated word salad. The post after yours from @tizzy_life, explained in simplistic terms.
"Brevity is the soul of wit."
@@CC_Marauder You just proudly bragged about being too dense to follow what the man said. Weird, but okay.
Mine is going on 4 years now with no problems. Gets used 4 to 6 times a year, from 2 to 6 days each time. After the initial oil change, I change it every march. New plug also. The plug looks good but gets changed anyway. Mine has a rattle, but it comes from the wheel lock. Goes away when locked. Keeps my trailer battery charged and runs the air conditioner. Microwave, electric skillet, and electric griddle work fine also. Just a little louder than my buddies 3000W honda, but mine is a little lighter. All in all this has been a good purchas.
Good to know! Thanks 👍
Will you eventually be looking into renewables? I've seen a number of homesteaders coming up with nice solar power systems.
Absolutely. We are building an earth sheltered house next year and it will be off grid solar with a backup generator
Tip for future use when faced with battery fastners missing screws or nuts . Local motorcycle shops with have them available.
Good idea! Thanks 👍
We have a “man lot” (that’s a plot of off grid land where many man cave activities take place). We have been running this generator for over a year now.....at least 16 hours a day. This thing has happily performed like a commercial grade work horse. The starter did die a couple months ago; but give her a pull and she roars, or should I say pers, to life. Previously we had a larger non-inverter gen from harbor freight that took the same beating for about 6 years. I recommend harbor freight generators with 100% confidence. I still have 3 Honda’s, but get equal performance out of th HF units!!!
Thanks. Thats great! I hope we get great use out of it too! Love the idea of a man lot!!!!
Crack them open and you would be amazed at how similar they are. I was a small engine mechanic and we sold Generac and Echo generators. I had worked on a few suit case Generacs so when I went to the training for the Echo, I tore it apart in minutes. They have the EXACT same components, just laid out differently. All these manufacturers check a bunch of boxes for features from the Chinese manufacturers and they just build them off the check list and slap whoevers sticker on it. The generac suitcase generators have to be completely blown apart to get to the oil lever sensor. Couple dollar part with a huge labor bill to get it in and put back together. Fairly common failure point to have no access at all. Use recreation fuel to avoid carb issues due to the ethanol. That Ethanol is terrible on small engines. Also, check your spark plug, if it's a Torch or LG, toss it and get a cross-reference NGK or Champion. I used to swap the plug out on every generator sold because the failure rate on the Torch plugs is unacceptably high. Also a battery tender will keep that battery ready to go. I wired the harness off my battery and just plug it into the tender when not in use. Great deal on a great generator.
I agree with you 100% >sounds like you know your stuff. The manufacturing is done that way with many items like cameras, electronics power tools you name it.
The generator looks amazing
Thanks!
VERY happy with mine!
That’s great!
This isn’t the case for the other models but the 3500 Generac and the 3500 Predator actually share the same internals.
Interesting. Thanks 👍
3 years with mine. I'd buy another! I actually have two other brand 2200. Thought I'd like them more. Pffff heavier and louder. Even one is louder. 3500 for the RV win! I've only added a SAE connector to the battery to keep a charger on it with a MC maintainer.
Very good to know! Thanks so much for sharing 👍
Every time you sit on the stump, it looks like your pants are down ready to go! Thanks for the review! 🤠👍🏻🍺
😂thanks
I see this video was posted 2yr ago. Do you have a updated video on the generator?
Actually several in this playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLmsbph0gu2uwQ7w72rLFatz6eVNl3dghR.html. We just put it away for the first time in 2 years. It was our primary energy source living off grid until recently. Never had a problem 👍
Great video! Even though harbor freight products are iffy from time to time i still do alot of purchases there because their warranty procedures are simple and on the spot replacements.
Those have a small like piece of filter in the carbs ,and steelworkers type materiel in the exhaust. .my brother took his apart ,and nd found these items, and removed them now it runs great.
Interesting! Thanks 👍
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid your welcome god bless.
I built a homemade 1500 watt inverter generator . It cost me $35 and junk I had. One day I was using it and a nuclear engineer retired next to me fell in love with it. It was quite than his Honda inverter generator and sipped gas I used it mostly to power my camper s ac and it used about a quart every 6 hours or so. Oh crap I was wrong $35 for the inverter off Craigslist and $35 for a solid state coil. So $70 to make
That sounds like a great little geny you made! Awesome deal👍
@Wwef Wason just used a old Briggs 3 1/2 hp motor a gm alternator from the late 70s and a 1500 watt inverter a jumper cables to the battery and hooked the inverter to the battery.. pretty basic
Just bought the same one thanks for the video and tips going camping 🏕 1/26/21👍👍🍻🍻
Hope you have a great time!
Thanks weather is a bit cold 🥶 but that's why we have 🔥. P.s did yu add stabilizer additive to gas? Or just straight up gas?
I added stabilizer.
I'd put money on the notion that a lot of parts and components for generators all come from the same factories.
Agree.
Best generator I've ever owned
That’s great! Thanks 👍
Like you, I say the same thing about, "always having a problem". I've been around long enough to figure out many people today just don't care, they just want that paycheck.
Hard to tell for sure, but at 1:10, seems what you are holding are 'Michigan Screws'...two that are larger act as 'nuts' if this is the case. If you look in the 'thread end' of the larger bolts, there MAY be threading inside what looks to be 'hollow'. This you would pass up from below the terminal lug, and it would protrude through the terminal, so you can pass the smaller bolts down from above. Can't tell for sure, you didn't get a camera angle on them close enough. Old method of fastening a 'vibrating connection' together...mostly seen with 3-ring type binders and such now, but in the past, was often used (especially with generation equipment).
No. They definitely gave me four of the same normal screws and no nuts.
@@CreatingASimplerLifeOffGrid Screws?
Yup. Screws.