Yes they have one and there are several others as well. Kinda like this one. Just make sure you watch your total wattage for what you are running. amzn.to/3kTDDMB
I had this generator and used it to power my camper 24/7 for 6 months straight, my house burnt down and had to move into my camper, it ran great only time i turned it off was to change the oil , it still runs great after a 6 month run and abuse, i just bought the bigger inverter gen harbor freight just came out with and now that's powering my camper , 2 months in and working great , will buy another if they ever break down or stop running due to loose valves .
I don’t know about him but a combination of both is kinda good. But by using solar you could opt for a smaller generator. Obviously depending on your needs if running a ac unit all the time. But when the sun isn’t shining all the time you can go through battery power depending your usage, so you may need a generator as back up. Solar is nice but still not the all answer
Where my camper is , it's parked under huge oak trees and is shaded 24/7 , that's the only reason we did not go solar , if we had a different location that got sun we 100% would have went solar with gen backup , but as of right now generator is our only option
I bought the 3500 and absolutely love it. I wanted a generator that could keep my basic house functions during an outage, and that I could throw in the truck if I had to scat. It's quiet. portable and runs what I need it to. Got it on sale. It's a winner.
@@wireguy123 It will run for 8 hours minimum on a tank of gas. I have run tools, a small air compressor, lights and fans...no problem. It won't run an entire house ,or a main ac unit, and that is not what I bought it for. I wanted a compromise unit - one big enough to run my essentials and yet small enough to grab and run if I had to. It's a great generator. I got it on sale for 650.00
@@wingrider1004 so this would run a router, tv and a streaming device?? And in case of a long outage a fridge in a home that is, i live in the mountains of wnc and outages can range from 1 hrs to 46 hours.. and more in extreme situations. Not interested in the ac, or water heaters etc the big ones, like 220 appliances.. thanks in advance
@sparkygreen6298 should do so with no problems . I hooked up my large stand up freezer and it handled it easily. Always check your amp draw and watts useage from your parasitic devices.
I have 450hrs on one of these. They get a lot of compliments from fellow campers, very quiet and a large gas tank. Last weekend I started mine on Thursday evening 8:00, set ac to 80 and went back home. I got back there Friday at 5 and it was still running. High temp was mid 90's. I have had a few problems. 1) they run rich and fowl spark plugs and the spark arrestor. Change the carb jet to the next smaller size and problem solved. Put in a double platinum plug while your at it and it will start perfectly. 2) if you give it a bath or rain from the wrong direction can get the kill circuit plug wet and it will start and die over and over until you figure it out. Its on the CDI and located on the pull cord side of the generator. 3) also on the kill circuit, the low oil level kill switch will fail fairly quickly, you will have to unplug it and carry on.
Thank you for your time and testing. Was worried about running all that stuff and was wondering if it would trip the generator. Just sold my 4750W/3800 champion box generator (used mostly in the desert drycamping) for this Predator. I haven't unboxed it yet but glad to see the results here.
I have two that work great. Use one for camping in a fifth wheel, runs everything except air conditioning. I installed a remote start and stop switch which works great, can shut off and on with a key fob.
You sold me on this! I went and got a great deal at Harbor Freight. This seems like the best generator for the money. Thank you sir! Big fan of your product reviews.
Great review. My experience is the same with mine. I have a Firman as well and its to loud to take RVing. We have used our Predator Boondocking now 3 times for 3 days. Runs 11 hours on eco pushing a 750 watt heater, refrigerator, batt charger and the AC Fan on High at 30 degees outside temps on only 2.6 gallons of gas. If we want to run the microwave we turn off the fridge or the water heater while it's heating up stuff. It's so quiet compared to the Firman people ask if the generator is on while sitting around the campfire. It's a great RV tool as we love to Boondock. Summer months are soon upon us and I am sure this will keep the camper freezing cold inside as well as run the TV and Fridge! Thanks for taking the time to post your video on youtube. I was going to make a sound baffle for the Firman but after a few reviews on the Predator I bought it.
No problem. Yea unfortunately haven't heard great things from the firman. Its ok but it is the cheapest of the cheap line. Still works but other options are better. And your welcome and thanks for the comment and thanks again for watching 👍😃
@@johnnysweekends I didn't buy the Firman it was a gift. I used it a few times and new I wanted the boondocking feature for RVing but that noise was too much. Predator is way quieter and uses almost half as much gas and is 20 pounds lighter.
Bought a firman 30 days dry camping it's toast .the firman is so loud .I had may be half hour on the clock now it's junk .air cleaner very in adequate. Air filter not oiled joints on the air box leaking..1000 $ down the drain .
Great review! I think the DB’s are higher because they most likely tested DB levels in open environment. I believe the walls refract and add to the levels you tested in. Gotta get me one!
I have a Predator 3500 and it has been reliable. It was jetted too rich from the factory for the altitudes that I camp and that caused the spark arrestor to clog in about 20 hours of use. It was easy to change the jet and I have been impressed with the performance overall.
Awesome, for the price and how well it performs it is a nice deal. I would only change a couple things but other then that its got a reputation for being reliable.
Oh i know.....i just review the stuff. I have a honda and a small champion i got on a really good deal which is the one in the video, its so light i can throw it...😅. Which they still design in usa but manufactured over seas. Yea it says the small line is all imported. Yea unfortunately i dont know of a single gen 4500 and under made in usa unless its a onboard onan..with the green case
I love the heater in the bathroom so does the wife. Now I have a extra for the bed room so hardly need the big one . Plus it dries out your towels and stuff to👍🏼 Thanks for watching 👍🏼😃
@@johnnysweekends I couldn’t pass it up. The battery is fully charged but I can’t figure out how to get the electric start to work. Tried everything the manual says but no luck. Do you know where the fuse is located?
Wow they have really gone up! Crazy they used to be $629 I believe and with a coupon even less. Some reported under $500 on super sale and coupon which they don’t do anymore.
I did not see the link to the programmable plug-in bathroom 350-W space heater shown in your video. I do not promote Amazon, but that's where I found it. However, I was suprised about it's affordability at $31.00. Great video, thanks.
@@johnnysweekends I keep fresh oil in mine so hope I have that outcome, my brother just purchased a 3500 and I was surprised at how quiet it was. If I ever need more power the 3500 is a no brained choice for me. Enjoyed the video 🤙🏽
If you can get ethel for fuel I think it would be a better choice. If you take off the valve cover and set the valves to spec and locktight the adjustment with clean threads and remove the Firestarter screen on the exhaust you will probably have a longer running unit.
Well but the warranty because I honestly think the glory days of the super reliable 3500 may have past with the earlier models. But the new one does have a better engine which is different from the old. So only time will tell. People still love them though Be sure not to over fill it past the red line in the filler cap.
Sorry do not over fill fuel past red line in fuel tank filler neck. But you are removing the charcoal canister which is one reason not to over fill it.
It is a quiet gen for sure and has a good reputation. The price has gone up some and harder to use coupons which makes others seem like a better buy now. Hard to decide sometimes.
Dude totally get what you are saying amd I understand, but 90 percent of people are not gonna spend that kind of money for 25 percent for say emergency back up for a fridge and lights or a Rv unit. And again 90% of people dont even care about the technical we talk about, they just wanna know will it work. And why would they spend say $2500 on a gen to mainly use 50% and less. It wont make sense for the majority. I appreciate the input but dont get to dedicated about the standards and codes when people just wanna know will it work for my basic needs. Remember its just a little informative video....😅😉👍
I’ve had for 3 years of boon-docking camping. For $600 this thing is awesome. Very quiet. I wanted a Honda too. Do yourself a favor and save $1500 and get one of these. 👍🏽 Just went to harbor freight and they still sell them for $599. Online says $850🤷🏻
@@matthewwiechert103 600 with coupon. Also bought 3 years ago. I’m sure price went up ( like everything else) during pandemic. Still a great buy at 800 and harbor freight “ no ?’s asked” return policy makes it an easy decision. 👍🏽
I’ve been looking at this generator for a while... I wish it could run on propane too but otherwise I think it’s pretty much exactly what I need! Thanks for the testing!
Not currently but hopefully someday! I figure there’s gotta be a way to convert to dual fuel but cost of parts + the hassle + warranty issues... dunno if it’s really worth it🤷🏻♂️
Yea easier to buy one already done. Champion makes good ones and has good warranty and customer service according to alot of people. Did you watch my race jetski videos...?
I was going to buy a Honda EU3000 but the price is too high for me.. Predator generators are on sale right now for 20% off which would bring the price of the 3500 down to $639.99 before tax Would you still recommend this generator as an alternative to the Honda or is there something better out now ..??
The predator is still a good unit but before the discount there are better deals and better units that are dual fuel and more power. But one thing is HF is a physical store unlike a couple other models you have to find a store that sells them or buy online. This is a great unit and been a good seller…amzn.to/3Uvdt5O
Does a generator use the same amount of gas no matter how much power you use? so if I buy a 2000 watt generator but only use 200 watt (for a freezer etc) is the rest 1800 watt wasted and so is the gas? or how does it work?
Question, how (in detail) parts and part numbers, did you hook this gauge panel setup in between the generator and the power cord to the trailer?? I need a gauge panel. Because Harbor Freight won’t fix my gauge panel even though I only have 17 hours of break in time. Any and all comments greatly appreciated. Thanks
The box is a standard electrical box from Home Depot or Lowe’s and 10gauge wire. The meter needs to have a hall sensor and then you just drill a couple holes run the wire thru strip the wire in side the box and cut the load wire run thru hall sensor and resplice together and now the meter works. The lid you cut out much the same as my battery monitor for rv. Not much different in that video except one being a dc and the other being a ac meter.
A full tank at that load would be hours almost 11 or so for that set up give or take conditions. It’s not the most fuel efficient but it’s a good unit. And some people run these for days at a time non stop only to change the oil.
@lanacastillo49 brand new… first 30 minutes. Then again after about one more hour. Then normal which is about 50 hrs. You can stretch it out to 60-75 if just doing light loads and lower temps and clean non dusty areas. But under more severe conditions every 50 hrs
Ohhh yea! How many watts does it draw. For the most part swamp coolers draw minimal power. Look on your swamp and see what the amp and watt draw is. I assume it’s a mobile or portable unit?
@@johnnysweekends Thank you. I bought my 3500 4 years ago for backup power for my home appliances in case of power outage. I really hadn’t used it until this week with Ian. It was my first real life experience on gas consumption and power usage.
Ahh nice so now you are experienced and ready ..😀👍🏼 Make sure you watch my other video on generator won’t start and surging. This is a common problem along with spark plugs can work wonders..👍🏼😀
I’m somewhat new at all this So I bought a predator 3500 Do all the break in stuff Watched Dr. TH-cam on the generator So far confused as to what to do a lot of people use a surgeguard or a brand like that and use the floating plug for the ground And I see people plug straight in I see people running 15000 a/c’s So I set everything up using the surgeguard and when I turn on the a/c it trips ( just the a/c) I’m afraid to plug straight in because of the videos I see where the voltage changes And I don’t want to mess anything up
So the bonding plug is really only needed depending on the type of RV you have. If it have a energy management system then yes you’ll probably need one. A power management system maybe not. I have a pms and don’t need. What trailer or AC unit…? How big is it? What year is it?
I'm thinking about getting one of these for charging my battery bank on days when it's too dark for solar charging. I have a 3000 watt charger (60 amps at 54V) that currently is connected to a 13kW Honda V twin powered generator. It consumes far too much fuel. Am hoping I can charge my batteries (it takes about 30 hours to full charge with the 3000W charger) using less fuel with this generator. The big one was originally intended to run whole house, but that was years before I installed solar off grid. Now my system just needs a constant 3000W to run the charger.
You may wanna up the gen to a 4500 like the powerhouse or champion 4500. Running at almost max isn’t always a good idea. 80% constant load you may wanna jump to next size up.
@@johnnysweekends that's what I am thinking, but I don't want a noisy or expensive generator. I have a 13000 watt Northstar but it's a gas guzzler at 1 gph and very noisy. Looking for something whisper quiet that can run for 30 hours to charge my battery bank when it's raining for days on end and no solar input.
What is your budget you could always get to small Honda 2200s in parallel and extension tank. Used are about $800 each and most are like only a few hours.
@@johnnysweekends I don't want to spend more than $850 if possible. Else it doesn't make sense in terms of the payoff on gas savings. Generator would have to be capable of running for 10 hours to get us enough juice in the batteries to last the night. Low noise level and low fuel consumption are the main concerns after budget. The Predator seems like an affordable solution if I can get it on sale.
I did do a full sound test on these. But like most all other generators it’s about 73 db give or take. But that’s on a open concrete pad. Add a little dirt or one board or a bush by it to absorb sound and that will go down.
Yea the new models seem to have more issues the the gen 1 which I think it’s on it’s 3rd Gen now. I honestly prefer other generators now verses the predator.
15k unit…. It will run the ac and microwave at same time but honestly there are better gens with more power for the price now. Check some of my other videos
Oh yes more than enough. Although this video is older now and the newest generation is not as good as the old one. Plus they raised the price a lot which made it such a great deal.
This is still a personal favorite and is on a really good deal right now….this and the 4650 but it’s basically the same and pretty hard to find. amzn.to/3IzYIHo
Im using an older version of this amzn.to/3HDPEkJ but I also like these. They only heat really small rooms or like at a desk. I only use them in my rv. Just used it again from a trip for 7 days. amzn.to/3vPRwEi Do not go looking for these and buy the ones that are like $8…they dont work at all and people complain they are junk. The handy heaters at least have to go through basic safety tests.
The ac needs soft starter . It was probably pulling more than 40amps surge and inverter generators don't like power surge this one did work fine though but my honda would not run a 1.5ton ac , i can run a 2.2ton inverter ac but not a 1.5ton normal ac 😂 as soon as the compressor will start the genrator will go into overload.
thanks. I had enough of the entire solar, lithium and inverters idea. I've tried it. Can only do so much & your batteries are dead in no time. You can just go buy a generator & you're set.
Lol yea it’s true and they run a long time with minimal fuel honestly. The power stations are nice and are actually a good compliment to back up power or Rv usage for the non full time group.
That’s only like 500 watts once running. So a full tank will last hours like a lot of hours lol. 1/4 load run time is 11 hrs and that’s less… so 12-13 hrs maybe? Depending on how hot it is outside.
@@johnnysweekends Well that's what I thought but the videos with generators on youtube are saying it's much harder with an AC and a lot of them are like 2-5 hours max.
Well it depends on how old is the Ac unit. Is it really old and not efficient or newer and doesn’t draw as much energy. Is it 90 degrees or 110 degrees, this also makes a difference as heat robs power so on a 90 degree day you may use 6 amps and on a 110 degree day you may use 7-8 amps on the same application. Hence Solar does not produce as much power when it’s a 105 out but on a bright 60 degree day you could produce 15-20 % more power giving everything is the same.
We live off-grid. We use this little genny to run an 8k btu window unit in the summer on extremely cloudy days or overnight at times. It will Last 10 - 11 hours on full tank. Ours has 5,200+ hrs on it after almost 3 yrs and still going strong!
Could you do me a favor and get a measurement for me? I'm trying to find the OD of the stock exhaust tube coming out of the muffler (where you attached the flex tube at). If you could that would be great, thank you.
so so video. you did not show the lag time from a larger load starting and the generators' ability to pick up the load and settle out or its time needed to return to 120-volt output.
I hear ya. I wish Honda had a more in the middle size like a 3500-4500 inverter. Remote start would also be nice. The 3000 was and is a great unit just heavy. Like super heavy lol.
@@johnnysweekends HF has gotten a bit stingy on their coupons but I did see one recently for 20% off which makes it a super deal. You mentioned the meter with the hall sensor. Do you details on it? I was going to hack a Kilowatt monitor and repackage it with the right connectors (and adaptors). Would like to do one for split phase 220 too.
Yea most the time from what I see the coupons can’t be used for the generators and other products…😒 Yea the meter I’ll make a video some day but I have others I have to complete first.
@@johnnysweekends did you ever test how long it will run with over load light blinking (not solid) I guess that’s the 3000-3400 range? My eu2000 can run 30 or 60 minutes at 2000 watts, I was curious how long it would run in blinking overload.
Honda specifically says the gen will run max rated load for a certain amount of time pending factors such as temp and altitude. Verses predator will not do that but I have ran it at full rated and more for several minutes, oh maybe 10 ish give or take. And it didn’t have a issue. Now it was only about 75-80 degrees maybe. If it was hot out it would probably shut down after a couple mins or so. Heat does rob power.
It works well until it doesn't. And then you have to throw it away. You can't get parts and no one will repair it. In the long run Honda or Yamaha wins.
This is true it’s hard to get parts for them. Champion and Wen are probably your best best for warranty and customer service if not buying Honda and Yamaha…
@@nicolathonathan770 only parts for general maintenance and common failures. If you can’t repair your own or something major happens it becomes a big paperweight.
@@kerplunk38880 people have been getting 2-3000 hours out of this genni and it still going strong. If it would go over 4000 hours. I don’t want a honda.
@@kerplunk38880 BTW, the company who made this genni is called Loncin Holding from China. It also make small engines for Honda. And it has also been making engines for BMW Motorrad since 2007. I didn’t investigate into this, but I wouldn’t be surprised the internal design is the same as a honda and many parts are interchangeable, possibly it’s an unbranded honda engine at a fraction of the cost.
The only reason these Harbor Freight Predator generators are popular is because they are cheap, the price distracts people from looking at the 90 day warranty these have, people also think they are buying a one or two year extended warranty that Harbor Freight offers thinking the they are protected for one or two years. What people don't understand is that one or two year product Harbor Freight is selling you is not a warranty but a one time replacement policy so if your Predator generator fails just four months into ownership you will get a new Predator generator but you just used that one or two year one time replacement policy Harbor Freight sold you, so if in another four months if you did not purchase another one or two year one time replacement policy you are out of luck and on your own. Better to buy a quality Yamaha inverter generator that will last for years and thousands of hours.
Mine after 5200+ hrs is still going strong! These are no where close to junk! Have friends who bought more expensive name brands died after 1500 - 2000 hrs.
Wow interesting s so many have used it for a long time with over thousands of hours. You must attract bad gens lol 🤷♂️😂 In all seriousness what happened to them?
Well.....i figured this one out shortly after this post.....if you fill these generators to the point of overflow, which i did because it was raining and i couldn’t see the level, they start to bog out. Its happened every time. FINALLY figured out how to solve the issue.....if the fuel is filled to the point where its touching the cap, there must be a breather or something under the cap that shouldnt be taking in fuel......it was bogging and shutting off on me for an hour, so while troubleshooting i dumped some gas out, and its working fine......theres no way im the only one whos had this issue, who knows how many of these have been returned for this reason. Spread the word!
But the first had a faulty starter out of the box, returned it immediately and when I unboxed the second, one of the handles was broken off(obviously shipping issue) so i returned it....and the third just didnt start one day after about 300 hours and could never get it running so i returned it as well. So yea man, i got bad luck. Change the oil religiously, run premium, treat it like a newborn baby and these things just keep giving me shit.......and apparently im the only one because everyone else loves em. Bad luck!
So in the manual it will say do not fill past the red fuel level indicator that’s in the fuel screen that sits in the fuel filter neck. It’s a plastic screen with a full mark. This prevents it from being able to vent correctly and can over fill into the charcoal canister and cause hard starting issues.. Check the manual it should have a pic and everything explaining it. Hope this helps…👍🏼
The only thing better than a Predator 3500, is two Predator 3500's running in parallel.
Is the kit available through HF ?
Yes they have one and there are several others as well. Kinda like this one. Just make sure you watch your total wattage for what you are running.
amzn.to/3kTDDMB
I had this generator and used it to power my camper 24/7 for 6 months straight, my house burnt down and had to move into my camper, it ran great only time i turned it off was to change the oil , it still runs great after a 6 month run and abuse, i just bought the bigger inverter gen harbor freight just came out with and now that's powering my camper , 2 months in and working great , will buy another if they ever break down or stop running due to loose valves .
Awesome, thanks for the feedback. Always good to hear real world long tests…
Thanks for watching as well 😀
Going to be full timing in my rv soon, what made you pick a inverter generator vs solar power ?
I don’t know about him but a combination of both is kinda good. But by using solar you could opt for a smaller generator. Obviously depending on your needs if running a ac unit all the time.
But when the sun isn’t shining all the time you can go through battery power depending your usage, so you may need a generator as back up.
Solar is nice but still not the all answer
Where my camper is , it's parked under huge oak trees and is shaded 24/7 , that's the only reason we did not go solar , if we had a different location that got sun we 100% would have went solar with gen backup , but as of right now generator is our only option
How did it go with the AC use?
I bought the 3500 and absolutely love it. I wanted a generator that could keep my basic house functions during an outage, and that I could throw in the truck if I had to scat. It's quiet. portable and runs what I need it to. Got it on sale. It's a winner.
How long will it run a typical fridge and maybe a modem?
@@wireguy123 It will run for 8 hours minimum on a tank of gas. I have run tools, a small air compressor, lights and fans...no problem. It won't run an entire house ,or a main ac unit, and that is not what I bought it for. I wanted a compromise unit - one big enough to run my essentials and yet small enough to grab and run if I had to. It's a great generator. I got it on sale for 650.00
@@wingrider1004 so this would run a router, tv and a streaming device?? And in case of a long outage a fridge in a home that is, i live in the mountains of wnc and outages can range from 1 hrs to 46 hours.. and more in extreme situations. Not interested in the ac, or water heaters etc the big ones, like 220 appliances.. thanks in advance
@sparkygreen6298 should do so with no problems . I hooked up my large stand up freezer and it handled it easily. Always check your amp draw and watts useage from your parasitic devices.
@@wingrider1004 ok I'm not an electric person at all, so if you don't mind explaining for a second lol what does all that mean?? Draw? And parasitic??
I have 450hrs on one of these. They get a lot of compliments from fellow campers, very quiet and a large gas tank. Last weekend I started mine on Thursday evening 8:00, set ac to 80 and went back home. I got back there Friday at 5 and it was still running. High temp was mid 90's. I have had a few problems. 1) they run rich and fowl spark plugs and the spark arrestor. Change the carb jet to the next smaller size and problem solved. Put in a double platinum plug while your at it and it will start perfectly. 2) if you give it a bath or rain from the wrong direction can get the kill circuit plug wet and it will start and die over and over until you figure it out. Its on the CDI and located on the pull cord side of the generator. 3) also on the kill circuit, the low oil level kill switch will fail fairly quickly, you will have to unplug it and carry on.
Wow good info.
I to have heard these run rich especially with low loads.
Thanks for the comment and thanks again for watching 👍🏼😀
Where do you get the spark plug and jet you’re talking about?
Thank for taking the time to detail the operation and performance of the PREDATOR
You’re welcome and thanks for watching👍🏼😃
Thank you for your time and testing. Was worried about running all that stuff and was wondering if it would trip the generator. Just sold my 4750W/3800 champion box generator (used mostly in the desert drycamping) for this Predator. I haven't unboxed it yet but glad to see the results here.
Did you get the newest one with the co2 monitor/detector..?
I have two that work great. Use one for camping in a fifth wheel, runs everything except air conditioning. I installed a remote start and stop switch which works great, can shut off and on with a key fob.
Funny as it should run the A/C
Thank you for the video. Just bought a 9000 generator and will be returning to get this for my rv.
You sold me on this! I went and got a great deal at Harbor Freight. This seems like the best generator for the money. Thank you sir! Big fan of your product reviews.
Thank you so much appreciate it. Still a good gen to.
And thanks again for watching 👍🏼😀🤜🏻
How much at harbor freight, if you don’t mind me asking? Thank you.
I believe the normal price is $850 now…
But sales will get $799 and even $749 I guess.
@@johnnysweekends
hi from Texas! A good video and
Thank you. I’m a new subscriber and I hit the 👍🏼
Take care and God bless you.
Thank you so much and god bless as well..👍🏼😀🙌🏼
Great review. My experience is the same with mine. I have a Firman as well and its to loud to take RVing. We have used our Predator Boondocking now 3 times for 3 days. Runs 11 hours on eco pushing a 750 watt heater, refrigerator, batt charger and the AC Fan on High at 30 degees outside temps on only 2.6 gallons of gas. If we want to run the microwave we turn off the fridge or the water heater while it's heating up stuff. It's so quiet compared to the Firman people ask if the generator is on while sitting around the campfire. It's a great RV tool as we love to Boondock. Summer months are soon upon us and I am sure this will keep the camper freezing cold inside as well as run the TV and Fridge! Thanks for taking the time to post your video on youtube. I was going to make a sound baffle for the Firman but after a few reviews on the Predator I bought it.
No problem. Yea unfortunately haven't heard great things from the firman. Its ok but it is the cheapest of the cheap line.
Still works but other options are better.
And your welcome and thanks for the comment and thanks again for watching
👍😃
@@johnnysweekends I didn't buy the Firman it was a gift. I used it a few times and new I wanted the boondocking feature for RVing but that noise was too much. Predator is way quieter and uses almost half as much gas and is 20 pounds lighter.
Truly is hard to beat the predator. Pretty good buy for what ya get.
Bought a firman 30 days dry camping it's toast .the firman is so loud .I had may be half hour on the clock now it's junk .air cleaner very in adequate. Air filter not oiled joints on the air box leaking..1000 $ down the drain .
I have looked at them briefly and did not like the design. Only reason they would be good is if Costco Carrie’s them for the warranty.
Great review! I think the DB’s are higher because they most likely tested DB levels in open environment. I believe the walls refract and add to the levels you tested in. Gotta get me one!
Yea im gonna do a test to see i assume its minimal about 1 db. But i will find out soon.
Thanks for the comment and thanks again for watching 👍😃
I have a Predator 3500 and it has been reliable. It was jetted too rich from the factory for the altitudes that I camp and that caused the spark arrestor to clog in about 20 hours of use. It was easy to change the jet and I have been impressed with the performance overall.
Awesome, for the price and how well it performs it is a nice deal.
I would only change a couple things but other then that its got a reputation for being reliable.
Only problem is they dont have a small gen line. Remember its just a informative video...👍
Are you sure they are genuine usa? They look actually like ducar....whats the engine family number on the gp2500i?
Oh i know.....i just review the stuff. I have a honda and a small champion i got on a really good deal which is the one in the video, its so light i can throw it...😅. Which they still design in usa but manufactured over seas.
Yea it says the small line is all imported.
Yea unfortunately i dont know of a single gen 4500 and under made in usa unless its a onboard onan..with the green case
How do you change the jet (do you have to buy the next size or is it just an adjustment of the existing jet)?
Bought one after seeing a bud that has one with 4700 hours yes 4700
I have seen a few hit over 10k hours… those were the original die hard ones.
Great review! I was wondering what all it could run before tripping out. That plug in heater in the bathroom is awesome!
I love the heater in the bathroom so does the wife. Now I have a extra for the bed room so hardly need the big one .
Plus it dries out your towels and stuff to👍🏼
Thanks for watching 👍🏼😃
Just picked one of these up for $559 at HF. It was a refurbished but had never been used.
Ohh nice find 👍🏼
@@johnnysweekends I couldn’t pass it up. The battery is fully charged but I can’t figure out how to get the electric start to work. Tried everything the manual says but no luck. Do you know where the fuse is located?
@grainofsalt4934 look down the positive cable from the battery
That is insane! 30+ Amps😲Thanks!!
I know right. Kinda thought it would shut off way sooner
@@johnnysweekends Just purchased mine this evening after watching your video. Thanks much!
No problem, enjoy. What is harbor freight charging at the moment ? $849?
Or online buy?
@@johnnysweekends $929.99 at Harbor Freight.
Wow they have really gone up! Crazy they used to be $629 I believe and with a coupon even less. Some reported under $500 on super sale and coupon which they don’t do anymore.
I did not see the link to the programmable plug-in bathroom 350-W space heater shown in your video. I do not promote Amazon, but that's where I found it. However, I was suprised about it's affordability at $31.00. Great video, thanks.
Thank you for watching 😀👍🏼
I’ve got the little 2000 and love it, plenty for me
That’s a good unit. Seems several have reported over a couple thousand hrs easy..👍🏼
@@johnnysweekends I keep fresh oil in mine so hope I have that outcome, my brother just purchased a 3500 and I was surprised at how quiet it was. If I ever need more power the 3500 is a no brained choice for me. Enjoyed the video 🤙🏽
Yea the 3500 is still a good unit.
And thanks for watching 👍🏼😀
If you can get ethel for fuel I think it would be a better choice. If you take off the valve cover and set the valves to spec and locktight the adjustment with clean threads and remove the Firestarter screen on the exhaust you will probably have a longer running unit.
I wonder if removing the screen has a significant increase in fuel economy?
Thanks for helping us make these comparisons
There is something better coming in a day or two…👍🏼
And your welcome..😊👍🏼
HF was out of the 2000 model and forced my hand on this more expensive model. I hope I'm not disappointed
Well but the warranty because I honestly think the glory days of the super reliable 3500 may have past with the earlier models. But the new one does have a better engine which is different from the old.
So only time will tell.
People still love them though
Be sure not to over fill it past the red line in the filler cap.
@@johnnysweekends I plan to bypass the carbon sensor. Don't fill the oil past the red line?
Sorry do not over fill fuel past red line in fuel tank filler neck.
But you are removing the charcoal canister which is one reason not to over fill it.
@@johnnysweekends just swapped it for a non carbon model
Oh nice..👍🏼
I’m Considering buying it due to hurricane season.I live 4 floor apartment it’s Quiet👍
It is a quiet gen for sure and has a good reputation. The price has gone up some and harder to use coupons which makes others seem like a better buy now.
Hard to decide sometimes.
What do you guys think? Is this the best generator for the price....?
Dude totally get what you are saying amd I understand, but 90 percent of people are not gonna spend that kind of money for 25 percent for say emergency back up for a fridge and lights or a Rv unit. And again 90% of people dont even care about the technical we talk about, they just wanna know will it work. And why would they spend say $2500 on a gen to mainly use 50% and less. It wont make sense for the majority. I appreciate the input but dont get to dedicated about the standards and codes when people just wanna know will it work for my basic needs. Remember its just a little informative video....😅😉👍
I’ve had for 3 years of boon-docking camping. For $600 this thing is awesome. Very quiet. I wanted a Honda too. Do yourself a favor and save $1500 and get one of these. 👍🏽
Just went to harbor freight and they still sell them for $599. Online says $850🤷🏻
Awesome always good to hear them holding up…👍🏼
600 lol over 800
@@matthewwiechert103 600 with coupon. Also bought 3 years ago. I’m sure price went up ( like everything else) during pandemic. Still a great buy at 800 and harbor freight “ no ?’s asked” return policy makes it an easy decision. 👍🏽
Great review! We will be watching for new videos. Thinking about getting this generator for our camper.
Thank you....
I have several more during my generator series coming soon..😁
Thanks for the comment and thanks again for watching 👍😃
How did you make your meter reader and how did you connect it to get the readings? Thanks 🙏
It’s just a ac meter with a hall sensor and ebox .
I’ve been looking at this generator for a while... I wish it could run on propane too but otherwise I think it’s pretty much exactly what I need! Thanks for the testing!
Yea would be nice for a dual fuel option.
No jetting issues as well at altitude.
You a racer?
Not currently but hopefully someday! I figure there’s gotta be a way to convert to dual fuel but cost of parts + the hassle + warranty issues... dunno if it’s really worth it🤷🏻♂️
Yea easier to buy one already done. Champion makes good ones and has good warranty and customer service according to alot of people.
Did you watch my race jetski videos...?
I've seen a replacement carb for these for dual fuel.
There's a propane conversion kit 150$ or so
I was going to buy a Honda EU3000 but the price is too high for me..
Predator generators are on sale right now for 20% off which would bring the price of the 3500 down to $639.99 before tax
Would you still recommend this generator as an alternative to the Honda or is there something better out now ..??
The predator is still a good unit but before the discount there are better deals and better units that are dual fuel and more power. But one thing is HF is a physical store unlike a couple other models you have to find a store that sells them or buy online.
This is a great unit and been a good seller…amzn.to/3Uvdt5O
What type at miter you got
Where can I find the plugs for the DC 12V (8A MAX)? Is there an adapter for a cigarette lighter?
eBay has what you need..😀👍🏼
Can you use it to run a window AC?
Yes!! 👍🏼
Does a generator use the same amount of gas no matter how much power you use? so if I buy a 2000 watt generator but only use 200 watt (for a freezer etc) is the rest 1800 watt wasted and so is the gas? or how does it work?
No, if engine rpm is less than less fuel used. Like your car, if you drive 35-45mph you get much better gas mileage than if you drive 75mph+
No 1800 wasted 😁🤷♂️🥴
Question, how (in detail) parts and part numbers, did you hook this gauge panel setup in between the generator and the power cord to the trailer?? I need a gauge panel. Because Harbor Freight won’t fix my gauge panel even though I only have 17 hours of break in time. Any and all comments greatly appreciated. Thanks
It’s a ac gauge by drox. I will make a video at some point just busy.
They actually make a surge protector that shows all this as well.
@@johnnysweekends I would greatly appreciate it. Also which box to make it nice looking, to use on my Predator 3500 generator application? Thanks
The box is a standard electrical box from Home Depot or Lowe’s and 10gauge wire. The meter needs to have a hall sensor and then you just drill a couple holes run the wire thru strip the wire in side the box and cut the load wire run thru hall sensor and resplice together and now the meter works.
The lid you cut out much the same as my battery monitor for rv. Not much different in that video except one being a dc and the other being a ac meter.
@@johnnysweekends Great instructions but I'm a layman. Would love to see a detailed video on this. Thanks again
Will it run a pellet stove
Yes, pellet stoves typically do not require a lot of power.
How long will this puppy run my A/C window unit for? It’s a 5000 BTU And how long can you run the generator for before giving it a break?
A full tank at that load would be hours almost 11 or so for that set up give or take conditions. It’s not the most fuel efficient but it’s a good unit.
And some people run these for days at a time non stop only to change the oil.
@@johnnysweekends how long before u change the oil?
@lanacastillo49 brand new… first 30 minutes.
Then again after about one more hour. Then normal which is about 50 hrs. You can stretch it out to 60-75 if just doing light loads and lower temps and clean non dusty areas. But under more severe conditions every 50 hrs
Would this run a swamp cooler for my garage.
Ohhh yea! How many watts does it draw. For the most part swamp coolers draw minimal power. Look on your swamp and see what the amp and watt draw is. I assume it’s a mobile or portable unit?
are you running a soft start on your AC unit?
No, the trailer ac unit is stock from the factory and no soft start is any where in the literature. 15k unit.
What is the meter that your are using to measure volts and amps? It's hard for me to see the generator screen and that meter would help. Thank you.
It was a meter that I built to just help with testing and keep track of info.
I made a video about building it.
Here Volts Amps Watts Meter RV Generator Load Meter Build
th-cam.com/video/k_KuVj0XsE8/w-d-xo.html
@@johnnysweekends Thank you. I bought my 3500 4 years ago for backup power for my home appliances in case of power outage. I really hadn’t used it until this week with Ian. It was my first real life experience on gas consumption and power usage.
Ahh nice so now you are experienced and ready ..😀👍🏼
Make sure you watch my other video on generator won’t start and surging. This is a common problem along with spark plugs can work wonders..👍🏼😀
I’m somewhat new at all this So I bought a predator 3500
Do all the break in stuff
Watched Dr. TH-cam on the generator
So far confused as to what to do a lot of people use a surgeguard or a brand like that and use the floating plug for the ground
And I see people plug straight in
I see people running 15000 a/c’s
So I set everything up using the surgeguard and when I turn on the a/c it trips ( just the a/c)
I’m afraid to plug straight in because of the videos I see where the voltage changes
And I don’t want to mess anything up
So the bonding plug is really only needed depending on the type of RV you have. If it have a energy management system then yes you’ll probably need one. A power management system maybe not. I have a pms and don’t need.
What trailer or AC unit…? How big is it? What year is it?
@@johnnysweekends 2018 rockwood 34’ Coleman 15,000
I'm thinking about getting one of these for charging my battery bank on days when it's too dark for solar charging. I have a 3000 watt charger (60 amps at 54V) that currently is connected to a 13kW Honda V twin powered generator. It consumes far too much fuel. Am hoping I can charge my batteries (it takes about 30 hours to full charge with the 3000W charger) using less fuel with this generator. The big one was originally intended to run whole house, but that was years before I installed solar off grid. Now my system just needs a constant 3000W to run the charger.
You may wanna up the gen to a 4500 like the powerhouse or champion 4500. Running at almost max isn’t always a good idea. 80% constant load you may wanna jump to next size up.
@@johnnysweekends that's what I am thinking, but I don't want a noisy or expensive generator. I have a 13000 watt Northstar but it's a gas guzzler at 1 gph and very noisy. Looking for something whisper quiet that can run for 30 hours to charge my battery bank when it's raining for days on end and no solar input.
What is your budget you could always get to small Honda 2200s in parallel and extension tank. Used are about $800 each and most are like only a few hours.
@@johnnysweekends I don't want to spend more than $850 if possible. Else it doesn't make sense in terms of the payoff on gas savings. Generator would have to be capable of running for 10 hours to get us enough juice in the batteries to last the night. Low noise level and low fuel consumption are the main concerns after budget. The Predator seems like an affordable solution if I can get it on sale.
Yea may be best option, look for coupons
How much DB does that thing create on full load? It’s not 60db is it?
I did do a full sound test on these. But like most all other generators it’s about 73 db give or take. But that’s on a open concrete pad. Add a little dirt or one board or a bush by it to absorb sound and that will go down.
Worst thing is the wheels. Everything else is great. About the only thing I've bought at Horror Fright worth buying.
Yea the new models seem to have more issues the the gen 1 which I think it’s on it’s 3rd Gen now.
I honestly prefer other generators now verses the predator.
How many 1100w speakers can this baby run at the same time?
No clue
Could you please tell me what BTU your AC is. I have a 15000BTU I need to run in my mobile grooming van.
15k unit…. It will run the ac and microwave at same time but honestly there are better gens with more power for the price now.
Check some of my other videos
So this generator would run my basic house fridge a flat screen TV and my Internet router, correct?
Oh yes more than enough. Although this video is older now and the newest generation is not as good as the old one. Plus they raised the price a lot which made it such a great deal.
This is still a personal favorite and is on a really good deal right now….this and the 4650 but it’s basically the same and pretty hard to find.
amzn.to/3IzYIHo
@@johnnysweekends right now the 3500 is 799.00$, seems reasonable
@@johnnysweekends thank you, I appreciate your time, take care and have a good day
Yea it’s not bad but when you could use a coupon and get it under $600 was nice. But alot has changed in about two years so.
So would this generator run a 10k btu portable air conditioner
Easy… mine is 15k and could run a 10k as well. So you are good
Didn't see what kind of heater that was plugged into the outlet in the bathroom
Im using an older version of this amzn.to/3HDPEkJ but I also like these. They only heat really small rooms or like at a desk. I only use them in my rv. Just used it again from a trip for 7 days. amzn.to/3vPRwEi
Do not go looking for these and buy the ones that are like $8…they dont work at all and people complain they are junk. The handy heaters at least have to go through basic safety tests.
The ac needs soft starter . It was probably pulling more than 40amps surge and inverter generators don't like power surge this one did work fine though but my honda would not run a 1.5ton ac , i can run a 2.2ton inverter ac but not a 1.5ton normal ac 😂 as soon as the compressor will start the genrator will go into overload.
thanks. I had enough of the entire solar, lithium and inverters idea. I've tried it. Can only do so much & your batteries are dead in no time. You can just go buy a generator & you're set.
Lol yea it’s true and they run a long time with minimal fuel honestly. The power stations are nice and are actually a good compliment to back up power or Rv usage for the non full time group.
Thanks!
Thank you 😀👍🏼 and you’re welcome 👊🏼
I just want to use this for a 5k btu ac while camping with a tent. Do you know how many hours roughly it will last?
That’s only like 500 watts once running. So a full tank will last hours like a lot of hours lol. 1/4 load run time is 11 hrs and that’s less… so 12-13 hrs maybe? Depending on how hot it is outside.
@@johnnysweekends Well that's what I thought but the videos with generators on youtube are saying it's much harder with an AC and a lot of them are like 2-5 hours max.
Well it depends on how old is the Ac unit. Is it really old and not efficient or newer and doesn’t draw as much energy.
Is it 90 degrees or 110 degrees, this also makes a difference as heat robs power so on a 90 degree day you may use 6 amps and on a 110 degree day you may use 7-8 amps on the same application.
Hence Solar does not produce as much power when it’s a 105 out but on a bright 60 degree day you could produce 15-20 % more power giving everything is the same.
We live off-grid. We use this little genny to run an 8k btu window unit in the summer on extremely cloudy days or overnight at times. It will Last 10 - 11 hours on full tank. Ours has 5,200+ hrs on it after almost 3 yrs and still going strong!
Wow..!
Could you do me a favor and get a measurement for me? I'm trying to find the OD of the stock exhaust tube coming out of the muffler (where you attached the flex tube at). If you could that would be great, thank you.
I don't get it. Do you use gas and a battery? how does this work?
Not sure I understand…???
trying to see if the black Friday deal they have on this is actually a deal what is the price point you all have seen on this?
Idk I would buy a champion or wen dual fuel
More power and options
so so video. you did not show the lag time from a larger load starting and the generators' ability to pick up the load and settle out or its time needed to return to 120-volt output.
Can it be transported in the trunk of a car?
I guess but I wouldn’t have fuel it is but people do all kinds of stuff.
Guess it’s no different than a gas can.
@@johnnysweekends What I was asking is whether the generator can fit into the back of a saloon car not an SUV or station wagon.
Hot water heater and air conditioner in the middle of summer, trips it every time. Three different trailers same result
Turn off the battery charger
Put the Water heater and refer on gas.
You should have showed us the battery compartment
Dohhh I didn’t. Typically on my setup videos on I do verses this was more of a test and over view. Apologies for that.
well done!
Thank you so much...😊
Thanks for the comment and thanks again for watching 😃👍
#Bring back the negative review number
Sending this everywhere
What do you mean?
These things are really good...but for my family it has to be Honda. Nothing other then I want replacement parts when I need em for the next 20 yrs
I hear ya. I wish Honda had a more in the middle size like a 3500-4500 inverter.
Remote start would also be nice.
The 3000 was and is a great unit just heavy. Like super heavy lol.
I wish they would add a remote.
Yea would be nice but for the price now I would rather just get the champion 4500/4650 dual fuel and remote start…
👍🏼
Im confused by your test because the overload light was on
With the light on it just warns you it will shut off soon if you don’t correct the high load
How come you kept talking when we were trying to listen how quiet it was. We could only hear your loud voice.
Because I don’t know how to shut up…….🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
But it’s quiet 😂😁👍🏼
Dude my peice of shit can’t even run a coffee maker by itself
Something wrong with that’s unit. Definitely needs to be looked at unless it’s the coffee maker …😅👍🏼
Not for $850 tho!
You used to be able to use the coupons for a smoking deal not so much anymore though 🤷♂️
@@johnnysweekends HF has gotten a bit stingy on their coupons but I did see one recently for 20% off which makes it a super deal. You mentioned the meter with the hall sensor. Do you details on it? I was going to hack a Kilowatt monitor and repackage it with the right connectors (and adaptors). Would like to do one for split phase 220 too.
Yea most the time from what I see the coupons can’t be used for the generators and other products…😒
Yea the meter I’ll make a video some day but I have others I have to complete first.
Bro, it’s flashing overload the whole time.... 🤦♂️
Yup.....😁😁
@@johnnysweekends did you ever test how long it will run with over load light blinking (not solid) I guess that’s the 3000-3400 range?
My eu2000 can run 30 or 60 minutes at 2000 watts, I was curious how long it would run in blinking overload.
Honda specifically says the gen will run max rated load for a certain amount of time pending factors such as temp and altitude.
Verses predator will not do that but I have ran it at full rated and more for several minutes, oh maybe 10 ish give or take. And it didn’t have a issue. Now it was only about 75-80 degrees maybe. If it was hot out it would probably shut down after a couple mins or so. Heat does rob power.
It works well until it doesn't. And then you have to throw it away. You can't get parts and no one will repair it. In the long run Honda or Yamaha wins.
This is true it’s hard to get parts for them.
Champion and Wen are probably your best best for warranty and customer service if not buying Honda and Yamaha…
Harbor freight has a lot parts for this genny.
@@nicolathonathan770 only parts for general maintenance and common failures. If you can’t repair your own or something major happens it becomes a big paperweight.
@@kerplunk38880 people have been getting 2-3000 hours out of this genni and it still going strong. If it would go over 4000 hours. I don’t want a honda.
@@kerplunk38880 BTW, the company who made this genni is called Loncin Holding from China. It also make small engines for Honda. And it has also been making engines for BMW Motorrad since 2007. I didn’t investigate into this, but I wouldn’t be surprised the internal design is the same as a honda and many parts are interchangeable, possibly it’s an unbranded honda engine at a fraction of the cost.
The only reason these Harbor Freight Predator generators are popular is because they are cheap, the price distracts people from looking at the 90 day warranty these have, people also think they are buying a one or two year extended warranty that Harbor Freight offers thinking the they are protected for one or two years. What people don't understand is that one or two year product Harbor Freight is selling you is not a warranty but a one time replacement policy so if your Predator generator fails just four months into ownership you will get a new Predator generator but you just used that one or two year one time replacement policy Harbor Freight sold you, so if in another four months if you did not purchase another one or two year one time replacement policy you are out of luck and on your own.
Better to buy a quality Yamaha inverter generator that will last for years and thousands of hours.
I think the warranty it was still what drives this model. The reliability seems to not be what it was when the original models came out.
Mine after 5200+ hrs is still going strong! These are no where close to junk! Have friends who bought more expensive name brands died after 1500 - 2000 hrs.
This generator is absolute junk.
I can give 4 reasons why, as in my 4th predator just took a shit
Wow interesting s so many have used it for a long time with over thousands of hours.
You must attract bad gens lol 🤷♂️😂
In all seriousness what happened to them?
Well.....i figured this one out shortly after this post.....if you fill these generators to the point of overflow, which i did because it was raining and i couldn’t see the level, they start to bog out. Its happened every time. FINALLY figured out how to solve the issue.....if the fuel is filled to the point where its touching the cap, there must be a breather or something under the cap that shouldnt be taking in fuel......it was bogging and shutting off on me for an hour, so while troubleshooting i dumped some gas out, and its working fine......theres no way im the only one whos had this issue, who knows how many of these have been returned for this reason. Spread the word!
But the first had a faulty starter out of the box, returned it immediately and when I unboxed the second, one of the handles was broken off(obviously shipping issue) so i returned it....and the third just didnt start one day after about 300 hours and could never get it running so i returned it as well. So yea man, i got bad luck. Change the oil religiously, run premium, treat it like a newborn baby and these things just keep giving me shit.......and apparently im the only one because everyone else loves em. Bad luck!
So in the manual it will say do not fill past the red fuel level indicator that’s in the fuel screen that sits in the fuel filter neck.
It’s a plastic screen with a full mark. This prevents it from being able to vent correctly and can over fill into the charcoal canister and cause hard starting issues..
Check the manual it should have a pic and everything explaining it.
Hope this helps…👍🏼