Received this generator in good condition 3 days after ordering! Some assembly required, which created my first concernthe nuts & bolts supplied had very poor threadsI had to screw them together with two wrenches to loosen them up enough to use. Not a good first impression. On my unit, the 240v outlet is installed at an angle with only part of it coming through the mounting hole. Either the outlet was a little too big or the hole in the mounting plate too small, but the fact that they shipped it without correcting this is troubling. The practical result is the insulating cover that should protect the back of the 240v and the 2 120v outlets does not fit properly and bare terminals are exposed behind the panel. Finally, on my unit, starting was hard initially. Upon inspection, I found the plug wire was loose. Snapped it on and it started easily.This unit is fairly loud, but I started my 6.5 hp Craftsman lawnmower next to it for comparison and the mower was noticeably louder. I do recommend getting a funnel with a flexible neck for filling with oil.
It seems capable as rated; I connected a 1500 watt heater to the right hand 120v outlet and the voltage dropped only 1 volt. On the left, however, it sustained the load, but the voltage dropped to 114v. From studying the schematic, it appears on this generator that the load is voltage compensated on the right outlet only, which is connected to one of the two field coils on the alternator. The left outlet is not regulated, so you want to try and balance your load between the two outlets as much as possible, and connect any sensitive devices to the righthand one.
All in all, I'm satisfied with this generator for my purpose, which is emergency power for my refrigerator, gas fireplace fan and some lights.
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I bought this generator for my parents, to keep their fridge and freezer going and allow them run small appliances during a power outage. This unit seems perfect. I like that wheels and a fold away handle are included, and the unit starts easily and is fairly quiet. The only negative comments I have are that the pull start handle is blocked by the front panel, making it necessary to pull the rope partway out and then pull it at about a 30 degree angle to the motor to start it. This isn't a big problem, but over time it might cause the rope to wear faster than if you could pull it straight out. As other other reviewers pointed out, the oil reservoir is nearly impossible to fill without a long, very narrow funnel, but since you may only do this once every few years, again, no big deal.UPDATE 9/21/08: Used it in the aftermath of hurricane ike. Fortunately my power was restored after only 4 days. So I was able to use the generator for a while about 40 hours continuously. It ran flawlessly, powering my 50" plasma TV, DVD player, receiver, refrigerator, and window A/C, plus countless cell phone chargers, several lights and other items. The generator ran continuously (except for a refuel and oil changes changed oil @ 20hrs) and quietly without any problems. This made what could have been a miserable ordeal into merely inconvenient. The generator was also extremely fuel efficient burning about 6 gallons a day running all of the above items (only the fridge continuously). I highly recommend this generator and am very satisfied with my purchase. Refueling was easy, and the gas gauge worked fine. BTW fuel efficiency is nice post disaster as getting gas is hard (I stockpiled 30 gallons)Original:
I purchased this generator (280) before its recent price increase, and thought it was an exceptional value for a backup generator I live in Houston and wanted it for emergency power. It had the most important features I felt for a crisis in the south. Enough power to run a window a/c and fridge + entertainment devices. Plus its fuel efficient as gasoline is hard to come by in a crisis (storing 20 gallons for 72 hours). What really sold me on the generator is the GFCI outlets. A must have safety feature, that you have to add to the cost of other generators (27.50 for an extension cord with it) Also keep in mind that if you need this for emergency power figure how many gallons you'll need + extension cords. For me I spent another $100 for oil funnel, oil, gas tanks, extension cords.
1st the real specs... This generator has a 6.5HP 196cc and it claims to have a 13hr run time at half load for a full tank. The engine is manufactured by Chongqing AM Pride Power & Machines Co LTD. Mine was model #8CPPS 2071GA. It is also rated at 75db at 21ft. I have a sound level meeter, that I used to verify the sound level. I found that at 21 ft the generator with no load is about 70db. Also the sound level varies greatly depending on what side your facing. The exhaust side being the loudest. Bottom line its quiet enough that I can't hear it from inside my house.
Power output... I load tested the generator, but I did note that out of the box the generator was pumping 122V which is fine, but a little hot at 62.5hz frequency. Should be 60hz, but should be acceptable for any item you want to run and as you load the generater the frequency drops to 60hz, and volts stay good and steady (perfect). I also notice the engine tone changes with load. Also the engine seems well isolated with rubber mounts. I hooked it up to my APC XS 1500LCD to measure its output, and it ran my plasma tv and hometheater just fine. In fact I was able to run an 8000BTU airconditioner, Refrigerator, hometheater (50" plasma with surround sound) all at the same time without issue. In fact the generator would only bog slightly when the A/C would kick on.
Out of the box my generator came shipped fine, no damage. The finish was in perfect shape. It was easy to assemble the wheel kit by setting the generator on top of the packing foam to raise it off the ground to attach the wheels. Like the solid never flat tires, and its easy to maneuver.
Adding oil is tricky, I ended up purchasing a funnel from walmart with a silicone tube hose connected to it to pour oil into the generator. You need one trust me, its not possible to add oil without a funnel. This funnel also had a nice feature of measuring oil ounces. BTW the manual isn't clear but you need to fill the oil level just to the point where it begins to run out the oil port when on level ground.
Starting was fairly easy. The engine started on my third try, not too unusual for a new item. The manual is poorly written but even considering its bad English readable enough for the average person to figure out. the manual seems complete with parts lists, and wiring diagrams. However it does not contain adjustment specs so its not good for a maintenance manual. Generator comes with 1 year warranty from eastern tools.
In terms of maintaining the generator through a power outage, this particular model needs frequent oil changes about every 10-50 hours depending on conditions. The spark plug is readily available at any auto parts place (walmart, nappa, homedepot). The air filter is a cleanable element so you don't have to worry about buying replacements. Overall it should be easy to maintain. Any engine work such as valve adjustment who knows....
Overall I think this is a great purchase for a small fuel efficient emergency generator. I should be ready for the next power outage!
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This is just a short video of the generator running less than a minute after its first startup to give people an idea of the sound and frequency of the motor. It started on the first pull and settled into a steady run quickly as the choke was opened over the course of about 20 seconds.
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