# Suggestions on new generator. Mine seized



## jasburrito (Jul 9, 2014)

My power was out out 72 hrs over Christmas. My husky 6450 Max watt gen seized while the family was opening presents. Had bought new about 6 yrs ago. Only used a hand full of times. Still looks brand new. Trying to figure out what to get.some options I have been thinking about. I can get a HF predator 5000 new for 500. Going to look at a 1 owner honda em 5000s tomorrow. He wants 800 firm. About 15 years old. Any options on what I should look at or get. I have it setup with double pull 30 amp breaker to box 220. Huge thanks. Super bummed about dead geny


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Generac-...ctric-Start-Portable-Generator-5943/202851447

I have this for my deck business. I've used it 8+ hrs a day for over 4 years now. They make a smaller one also, but I've never used it and don't know if it's the same quality.


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## iceyman (Mar 1, 2007)

Honestly if you want quality get a honda. They cost money but are one of the best gennys out there


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## ScubaSteve728 (Jan 17, 2012)

boss has a 5500 generic which has been good and problem free. I have a harbor freight predator one which always starts up for me for the past two years I have had it. with very minimal use. Mine just sits in the garage does not go in trucks or get used every day. I would buy a better quality one if I needed it for work or if it was going out every day. Cant beat a honda motor but the newer machines have some good safeguards on them that the older ones may not. Such as low circuit breakers and gfi's.


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## BossPlow2010 (Sep 29, 2010)

jasburrito;2084697 said:


> My power was out out 72 hrs over Christmas. My husky 6450 Max watt gen seized while the family was opening presents. Had bought new about 6 yrs ago. Only used a hand full of times. Still looks brand new. Trying to figure out what to get.some options I have been thinking about. I can get a HF predator 5000 new for 500. Going to look at a 1 owner honda em 5000s tomorrow. He wants 800 firm. About 15 years old. Any options on what I should look at or get. I have it setup with double pull 30 amp breaker to box 220. Huge thanks. Super bummed about dead geny


Have you looked into a backup generator, such as one the is powered by Natural gas, they're not cheap, but have come down in price over the years. 
They sure are nice and power everything as well


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

Onan. I have an old one built I think in the late 70s. It is a 7.5kw model. Only revs up to 1800RPMs not like the screaming 3600 RPM models. Runs my whole house and not too bad on fuel either.

A vid of it running.


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## jasburrito (Jul 9, 2014)

Thanks for the advice guys. I also have heard good about generac. I like the idea of whole house stand alone genys. Ya prices have come way down. About 2k. Seems they use to be 4k. Have done some more research. Seems the honda generators are hard to beat and not as loud. New would be nice. Gonna go check out this em 5000s in a bit. He said he only used it as back up. So it should have low hrs. The guy said he upgraded to a Honda 6500 so he could run his well and elevator at the same time! That big green geny is dreamy. Huge thanks guys


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## olscout99 (Dec 25, 2007)

I have the Harbor Freight Predator 7000W. I've used it some, it ran 21 hours straight Monday until Tuesday after the ice storm went through. It runs everything in my house (2 refrigerators, chest type freezer, 4" well, sump pump, lights, and 220V mini split heat pump) without a problem. The only things I can't use (or don't, might be able to use some judiciously) are the electric range, and the electric water heater. Water heater is huge, so we have 3-4 days of water anyway, so that's not a big deal. I had a Generac 5000W that worked fine and kept us lit and warm on many a day, but that sucker with the Briggs engine was hard to start. The HF generator with the Honda clone is larger, but fires on the second pull, always, and seems to use less fuel. I'm a fan of the HF Honda clone engines anyway, I put an $89 6.5 hp one on an old Trac Vac I had and it just keeps working.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

olscout99;2085829 said:


> I have the Harbor Freight Predator 7000W. I've used it some, it ran 21 hours straight Monday until Tuesday after the ice storm went through. It runs everything in my house (2 refrigerators, chest type freezer, 4" well, sump pump, lights, and 220V mini split heat pump) without a problem. The only things I can't use (or don't, might be able to use some judiciously) are the electric range, and the electric water heater. Water heater is huge, so we have 3-4 days of water anyway, so that's not a big deal. I had a Generac 5000W that worked fine and kept us lit and warm on many a day, but that sucker with the Briggs engine was hard to start. The HF generator with the Honda clone is larger, but fires on the second pull, always, and seems to use less fuel. I'm a fan of the HF Honda clone engines anyway, I put an $89 6.5 hp one on an old Trac Vac I had and it just keeps working.


I was thinking about putting one of those motors on a back up craftsman blower I have. I have a HF 6.5HP powerwasher to wash our decks off with after we build in rainy muddy conditions and the guys get the decks all muddy. Used it all last year without a problem. Only thing is I always worry about HF stuff. If I was counting on it for warmth I'd be nervous it wouldn't start, even though my powerwasher starts on either one or two pulls every time.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

For the life of me, I've never heard anyone say that their generator seized up unless all the oil ran out of it, or it was previously submerged in water.

I bought a 8000 / 13500 unit years ago by troy built. Not my first choice, but lasted all 11 days through sandy. I ran it, broke it in, and then switched to synthetic oil Keep it drained of fuel, and so far, never skipped a beat. Runs everything in my house except the A/C in summer.

Heat, Washer/dryer, Micro, TV's, Cable, computers, all of the lighting, stove, oven, fridge, DWasher.

I even run a secondary line to the MIL's house ( lives next door ) to run her fridge and furnace for heat. Runs great... A bit noisy, uses about $50 worth of fuel a day, but otherwise no real issues with it.


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## jasburrito (Jul 9, 2014)

I ended up buying the Honda em5000s. I paid 800. He would not budge on price. I sold the seized generator for 100. Honda starts in 1 pull and is not super loud. The husky with Briggs was full of oil. Had ran for 24hrs straight. Thanks again. Plow site rules. Happy 2016


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

^nice choice.

The type of oil (conventional or synthetic) makes no difference. As there is no prof your engine will last longer using one over the other.

shutting off the fuel, to stop fuel dilution, is a good tip.
and only run non-oxygenated fuel.


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## jhall22guitar (Dec 11, 2011)

Doesn't husky have a lifetime warranty? Not sure what it covers but check that out first too.

My father bought a husky compressor and the air filter broke off, so he called once a week for like 3 months and now has a stockpile for the next time it breaks


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

Honda, I have a 500 watt honda made in 1980. All I have ever done is change the oil every year and run Av Gas in it. 35 years still going.............................


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

keep in mind the duty cycle, i have one that require oil changes every 50 hours, that every other day when running steady....the better hondas have an oil filter on them and i believe 500 hr or yearly oil change cycle


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## olscout99 (Dec 25, 2007)

JMHConstruction;2085836 said:


> I was thinking about putting one of those motors on a back up craftsman blower I have. I have a HF 6.5HP powerwasher to wash our decks off with after we build in rainy muddy conditions and the guys get the decks all muddy. Used it all last year without a problem. Only thing is I always worry about HF stuff. If I was counting on it for warmth I'd be nervous it wouldn't start, even though my powerwasher starts on either one or two pulls every time.


The generator is the same for me. When I shut it down I turn off the gas and run it dry, and when I top off the tank I use StaBil for ethanol gas (all we can get around here). Mine has an electric start, but since it only takes one or two pulls, I've never used it- for what it takes to start, it's not worth buying a battery. I have plans to put it in a Rubbermaid plastic shed out back by the shop; then I'll wire the electric start in to the shop, to a battery on a float charger I'll keep inside. I have a propane line two feet from the Rubbermaid shed, so I plan to get a propane kit and not have to worry about which gas stations have power in an emergency. I have 150 gallons of propane, so it should go a while on that.


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## NHCraigT (Oct 21, 2008)

I used to have a 6-circuit transfer switch, and then just recently got around to changing everything over to an interlock kit.

When I had the 6-circuit TS set-up, I could run about half the house + well pump + powered septic unit + a few appliances.
We wired up the important things like the kitchen, home-office, stove, fridge, etc. with the 6 -circuit set up. That was all run off of a 5000 Peak Watt genset purchased in 1999, and I have had to switch over to an extra jobsite 6800 Peak Watt genset a few times, when the old one acted up. 
Even with the 6-circuit set up, both gensets would strain a bit when the well pump kicked on, and other things were also running.

When I went to the interlock kit, that was to run the whole house off the genset, so I needed something more powerful. I ended up going with a Harbor Freight 13,500 Peak Watts. Electric start (battery has to be purchased & installed separately). There is a store nearby….

With work being so busy, and only having time to finally do the upgrade just last month, I had to set up something to house it = asap. 
So this is not a 100% completed and finished project. There is more that will be done. The point was to get it set up to be able to store it at-the-ready + be able to use = now.

-	I am planning on adding a sound deadening matt to the interior. 
-	1 or 2 electric fans that will run off the genset to move air on the interior. 
- Add a wire cover to the exhaust (which is double-wall pellet stove piping).
- Lower vents on the doors to line-up with the air intake on the genset.
-	(Also, the roof of this shed does slide back).
-	I will eventually create a slightly raised concrete slab underneath, that everything will bolt directly (and securely) onto.
- BTW - I do have multiple CCTV cameras all over the property, with one also pointing directly at the generator shed + multiple Dakota Alert driveway alarms (we are in the sticks and have no neighbors).

Last, bear in mind that after market fuel conversion kits can also be purchased, to allow the genset to run off alternatives, like propane and/or natural gas.

Hope this info. helps.

Pics:


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## PLOWMAN45 (Jul 2, 2003)

buy a new honda gen


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## Ramitt (Mar 12, 2013)

Glad to hear you got a honda.. They do make some awesome genny's. We have a 1,000 watt one from the 90's not pretty and heavy as crap but gets the job done for camping.. 

For future reference if anyone is looking for a decently priced genny that is good.. Id look into powermate 5,500 watt genny with the subaru engine on it.. Its a few years old.. We use it at our cabin for our main power source(in use for 4 years at our cabin).. Runs for hours on end and is pretty good on gas.. There has been times where it would run from sun down to sun up.. Gets an oil change 2 times a year.. In a year we run prob 30-40 tank fulls through it.. So far noticeable problems... Muffler has wore out and gotten louder(in a box now anyway) Gas tank screws have backed out and pull stater finally broke last winter.... It could die tomorrow and I wouldnt be that mad it has gone through at lot of use with a little maintenance... Got a back up multiquip genny with a 10hp honda on it but hate using it.. Even with little load it will suck up 5 gal in 3 or 4 hours.. It is a tank tho!!


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