Generators Reviews

If you need a professional powertool but can't afford the price tag then check these out. I was using one of these on a recent job over in Canada building a hardwood decks and other outdoor entertaining areas for a community house.

The double bevel feature saves a lot of time by not having to spin the boards over to do opposite 45deg cuts.

The laser line generator also saved time as it speed up the alignment of blade vs. cutting line.

I was also using mirboo decking boards and found the powertool had plenty of power to handle this hardwood.

I can vouch first hand that this is no toy for anyone looking for some muscle and features of the tradional pro brands

Excellent price and very accurate cutting with this tool, would recommend to anyone.

Its a robust 10Kw continous generator , running with a honda GX motor, electric start, whats not to love. I own this generator myself.

My gripe, as far as using it for powring my house in a blackout, is that I can't find a 50 amp transfer switch that is compatable with the L14-50R recepticle they put on the generator. Northstar speaks of one in their manual but they don't carry that one. Now northstar carries the Reliance brand, but their 50 amp is HARDWIRE ONLY - meaning you need to shell out another 100 bucks or so for an inlet box.
Gentran carries a transfer switch that can connect to a cable, but (BIG BUT) it does not take the L14-50P plug that would connect to a L14-50R recepticle on the generator. So you need to find a cord with two different plugs on different ends , or buy the plugs and have your electrician attach them to the (expensive) 50 amp cord.

Also, make sure you budget some money for extras you probably need: 100 buck for a cord, 100 bucks for a wheel kit , a battery, and a cover and even the motor oil which is not included.

I purchased a B&S Power Products Model #01970 portable generator in Sept. 2003, in response to a local power outage. It is functionally identical to the #30209 genset advertised here.

My machine was purchased at Home Depot, so I'm unable to comment on how well it endures the rigors of the shipping process. I paid $599.00; you should expect to pay more based on inflation, demand, and current climate trends. To date, the engine has started on the first pull every time I've used it.

In the interest of saving space and time, I'll simply condense my review into a brief presentation of this generator's strenghts and weaknesses (both in terms of design and performance).

STRENGTHS
*Attractive price point.
*Reasonably portable.
*Proven B&S engine design: OHV configuration, coupled with 7 gallon fuel tank, offers excellent uninterrupted run time.
*Air shroud designed to pull warmed air into air filter; this reduces possibility of carburetor icing during extended cold weather operation.
*Steel cradle protects expensive engine and generator head.
*Individual circuit breakers easily reset.
*Low oil shutoff protection. Engine will not start if oil level is too low. Engine will shut down if oil reaches a low level during operation. This is cheap, excellent insurance.
*Unit is gas powered, thus allowing engine to deliver its full rated horsepower (not true for multi-fuel engines that use NG or LP.)
*Made in USA by American craftsman. In 2006, this matters.

WEAKNESSES
*Loud engine and generator head (this is true of virtually all air-cooled gas gensets.)
*No part of genset can get wet (also true for all gensets.)
*No cord keepers to prevent plugs from coming loose due to vibration during operation.
*Low oil shutoff device can be triggered when moving genset (even if oil level if full), thus preventing engine from starting. Device may need reset by rocking unit gently.
*8" wheels quite insufficient when pulling genset over gravel or rough ground.
*No hour meter (easily purchased and installed by owner, however.)
*No "Eco throttle", which automatically reduces the engine's running speed where there little or no electric demand placed on the generator head. The engine on this unit will run at ~3,600 rpm all of the time.
*No voltage meter. You must rely on your own math skills and common sense to ensure you do not overload the circuits and trip the breakers.

I am well satisified with my purchase.

Extremely easy to use started on very first pull and a lousy one at that. It is not as quite as I expected or was led to believe, but having said that it isn't terribly loud. Too high of expectation ?? Overall extremely well made and easy to use.

Having bought 3 generators I must remark that the original
model was modified to include additional features and a slightly
more powerful engine. The Only problem I had with the 1st model was that it would shut off at times (on 2 different units) when there was no load. This did not occur in the improved model and in addition the newer model is equipped with a low oil level shut off sensor,2 oil ports,a built in fuel gauge and a better frame/vibration mount design. Also the improved model has different style controls and power sockets. The only problem I observed with the improved model is that the battery charging cable gauge is cheaper in quality and gauge. The new improved model seems to run slightly more quietly. All in All I am pleased with the performance although the peak wattage is less than desirable for heavy starup applications..

BOB

Air cooled engines like this one aren't necessarily designed to last forever, so if it is indeed reconditioned, I would want to know how many running hours the generator had, and what warranty exists or remains.

This generator at Amazon has the prefered Vanguard series engine, while not quite as good as a Honda GX series, there is nothing wrong with the Vanguard series engine. Lowes and Home Depot sell only the lesser model Briggs engines. This might be a good deal but be aware of what it is you are getting.

Also find out if the wheels are included, and understand any potential shipping restrictions as well.

This wheel kit is easy to install. The instructions are clear and simple. The parts are well-made, as is the Generac generator on which I installed the kit. The seller was extremely prompt in shipment, with the kit arriving prior to the promised date. The only recommendation I would make for the product is that the handle be a hinged model, similar to the handle which comes installed on the 3500 Generac generator. As is, the fixed handle takes up an extra 2 feet of storage area. For this reason, I didn't permanently mount the handle. There is a "fancier" wheel kit available, but the extra cost hardly seems worthwhile for the little difference. I would highly recommend this kit to anyone with a Generac generator. It certainly beats carrying it around!!

Got this generator from home depot, and was told by employee there that it was full of gas, and would be fine to run indoors at our office (DO NOT DO THIS.)... anyway, the second part we obviously disregarded, but the first was assumed to be correct. The gas guage was white/blank, so we figured we were in good shape. When the thing started chugging strangely, removed the screen to see the bottom of an almost empty tank.

Red = full, white/blank/no-indicator = ... empty.

This thing was powering a bunch of mission-critical servers. Anyway. Other than this BIZARRE indicator, the thing is a bit loud, but does a great job at a fantastic price.

This is a very good little generator for the price. It runs very smoothly if you give it good gasoline. I've found that adding a little STP gas booster makes it run really great. I recommend this for any generator. I also use Mobile 1 synthetic oil (5-40w)which you can get at Wal-Mart in 5 quart jugs. It is truck/SUV rated oil and will keep your generator running smoothly a long, long time. Great on gas under low load. If running near full load in cold weather you'll need to leave the choke on for awhile with the smart throttle off.

The McCulloch 5700 has a well built frame and an included wheel kit (from Northern Tool). The engine is a near identical Chinese copy of the Honda 340 GX 11-hp engine and runs smoothly and fairly quiet. It is not as quiet as a true Honda but more so than a Briggs. Fuel economy seems to be good too. It starts with one or two pulls though I usually run it several times a month. Workmanship seems to be good. Instructions are understandable but suffer from poor grammer. It carries only a one year warranty where most others have two. I'm not too worried about the engine as I am told that Honda parts are interchangeable. The generator part I'm not too sure about but so far after about 30 hours of operation with fairly heavy loads, there has been no problem. The price was right but I won't know if I had made the right decision until some years down the road. I still haven't checked the AC frequency or voltage under load but will do so the next I use it. I do wish it had automatic voltage regulation but that is only found on more expensive units. Anyway, at this point I feel I got a good deal and the unit has exceeded my expectations.