Portable Generators

[The Barrowers]

Hello Does anyone have any experience of portable generators i.e Honda I 20 portable, silent, expensive Cheap places to buy / opinions please. May be a present to the wife at Christmas as we will be in the woods again for Xmas and New Year

[SimonFisher]

What do you want to run off it?

We had the use of a Honda EU20i (2 kilowatt output) earlier this year when we took a motorhome upto Mull although we never had to use it for real as we had electric hookup every day. Impressive bit of kit though - small, compact, comparitively quiet and not to heavy to lift and lug around. Pricey though perhaps at ~£1200.

I have a Briggs & Stratton ProMax 3500A Petrol Generator 3.4kVA (see http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/Generators/Petrol_Generators/Briggs_and_Stratton_Pro_Max_3500A_Long_Run_Petrol_Generator_3.4KVA.html which I bought earlier this year so I could use my existing 2200 watt electric log splitter in the woods. I'm very pleased with it. Many of the cheaper ones I saw were rated at 2.7kVa and I think that could have been on the limit for my 2200 watt log splitter. The cheaper ones also tend to have unregulated output which will restrict the type of things you can use with them. The additional wheel and handle kit I don't regard as an 'optional' extra.

As well as the log splitter, it worked well with the espresso machine and microwave for the morning lattes last time we camped

[Bearwood]

I looked seriously at the Honda Portable powet range, but the cost put me off in the end.

Got myself a decent 3.4kva generator by Stephill before I built my living van in the woods earlier this year. Formerly it was kept as a backup genny to power a butty van, so it had seen little use. It's the industrial version, not that it makes much difference:
http://www.justgenerators.co.uk/pages/S ... 3400HM.htm

Nice little unit but louder than the Honda Portable range. Spares aplenty and cheap, much like the one Simon has linked to.

[SimonFisher]

I see Briggs and Stratton have a portable model, more attractively priced than the Honda: -

http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/Generators/Portable_Suitcase_Generators/Briggs_and_Stratton_P2000I_Portable_Inverter_Generator.html

[The Barrowers]

Thank you all It is really the noise level that Is important, some are as loud as a lawn mower. This is about some tool use and my lady's comfort even though she is a very hardy sort with 2 year of winter in the woods

Surely there is a competitor to Honda?

[SimonFisher]

It is really the noise level that Is important

One answer to that one is to put it further away from where you are and use an extension lead - good quality heavy duty cable to help minimise power losses. I use a 40 metre long 2.5mm cable with 16A 'Commando' plug and socket.

Surely there is a competitor to Honda?

Yes - see http://www.thegreenreaper.co.uk/Generators/Portable_Suitcase_Generators for a range of the portable variety. How much power do you need? Do you need a stabilised / pure sine wave output? What tools do you want to use?

[Wendelspanswick]

Do you have a tractor? I picked up 15KVA (63 amps @ 230V) PTO generator for £250 from a farm auction, most dairy farms have a PTO generator as an emergency backup and because of the ridiculous situation where it's cheaper to buy a pint of milk then to produce it lots of dairy farmers are calling it a day.
Mine will run off of my little Fergie TE20 or the larger John Deere.

[Dexter's Shed]

keeping true to form, I have a cheap ALDI (probably a chinese import) one, cheap at around £60, it gets left at the woods, and is enough for what we need, as for noise, make up a wooden box to fit over it, putting an air vent where the genny has it's breather, cuts the noise down brilliantly

[Terry]

my neighbour is currently running off a large generator and to avoid disturbing the peace and quiet has boxed it in except for one side using the sides of a refridgerated truck. Same could be done with some ordinary insulation I guess. Open side is for access and I guess limits heat buildup and is pointing away from other houses

[The Barrowers]

Thanks for everyone's input Eventually forked out for a Honda EU20 Nice and Quiet but will built a straw housing to cut it down further
It was great over Christmas and allowed use to have a 2 minute cup of tea whilst the fire was being started Will also allow me to use some power tools in the woods

Happy New Year