Harbor Freight Generator $99.99

[k1dude]

^This^

I saw one running the computers at a 3-gun match. Not only was it nice and quiet, but the club had been using it for about 4 years to run their scoring tent with zero problems. They had nothing but good things to say about it. I've also seen them go for about $67-$68 when combining a sale with a coupon. At that price you have nothing to lose to try one out. Return it if it doesn't work.

[Jeep67cj5]

I got mine also for $79 on sale but it is loud....

[drunktank]

OP, just be sure to run it a lot when you get it to make sure it's reliable enough for your needs in an emergency type situation.

[TeirHawg]

Dont buy this junk.
You want a generator then go get a genuine Honda.

You mean to say a $1000 Honda is better than a $89 made in China generator?

If I needed a quality generator for use several times a month, or longer, I'd spring for a Honda or Yamaha. But for to use several times a year, or use and don't care if it breaks or gets stolen, the HF unit is fine.

Make sure to break it in for the 25 hours (3 tanks). Also, don't forget to change to oil.

[Kilber]

Is your tankless hot water heater under 700 watts? That is what this generator puts out, regular. If you are lucky it will kick-off when you over load it. If you are unlucky you will burn it out.

700 watts is useful if you want to watch a bit of tv or charge a phone or run a laptop. It's not useful if you want to use it for household appliances because the wattage requirements are generally higher. Also there is the fact that others mentioned, a lot of cheap generators do not put out clean power. They are hard on electronics, control circuitry and to a lesser degree on motors and solenoids. So the question then becomes, is it worth losing a $500 - $800 fridge because you ran it for two days on crappy power? Is it worth losing that $$$$ big-screen TV from crappy power? To save a few hundred on an el Cheapo generator?

I bought two Honda EU2000i generators and I think it's one of the best prepping power investments I've made. I've had them for over five years and used them a good bit, they still work like champs. I hook them together using the "bridge" and can supply 30-amp service to our camping trailer - which will run the on-board AC and charge the battery banks. The generators are 2000w each, so 4000 peak, and they just barely start the AC on a hot day but once you get it all on-line it will run all day. They automatically throttle back when the load is low, to conserve fuel, and then ramp up as load increases. They provide clean power which is safe for high-tech electronics. At home, I can power our washing machine, refrigerator, central furnace (gas) and dryer (gas) all at the same time with the caveat that you start the dryer first because that startup load is pretty big. But once it's started you can bring everything else on line. I test these generators twice a year and run them only on Sta-Bil treated fuel. They have never failed to start. Yes they do cost some money. I really believe that this is a case of getting what you pay for. I will say this, no matter what you get, pay attention to routine maintenance. Anything will suck if neglected badly enough. Test twice a year, minimum, under a bit of load (space heater or some such). Change oil at regular intervals, clean plugs, air filters, etc. If you get a generator it is comforting to have but it is another thing to keep up on... not just something to stash in a dank corner for ten years until the day comes you actually need it, because I guarantee you when that day comes if you haven't done your job it won't do it's. It's a case of getting what you pay for, and also of getting out what you put in.

At home, I have 560 watts of solar panels on the roof (off-grid) tied into a bank of 4 golf cart batteries. That is my primary back-up power. This is sufficient for some emergency refrigeration, charging batteries for cordless devices, and some television for info/entertainment. It's not enough to run the house on, not by a long way. The generators are useful in a prolonged outage to charge up the battery banks if they start getting low, in case power is being consumed faster than the solar panels can replenish them. It's advantageous to do most of the consuming power tasks during daylight because the process of converting electricity into battery power is lossy - probably about 75-80% efficient.

My concerns about your tankless setup are do you know the voltage and the wattage? Many tankless heaters use above normal household current (110-120v) and instead operate in the 220-240v range. This generator is only designed for normal household voltage appliances with standard plugs. Do you have a way to plug-in your tankless, or is it hard-wired into the house circuits? If hard-wired, do you know what it'll cost to get an alternate hookup installed? Figure that into the cost of your plan.

Dude, it's all about purpose and application. People who buy an $89 generator to run their house are in for a rude awakening. However, this generator has plenty of worthy applications...

[sd_shooter]

We've used one almost every week for two years now at our hunting camp. I don't think it particularly noisy, and it works fine. We bought it when it was on sale for 89.99 then used a 25% coupon which brought it down to around $67 plus tax.

Well worth it.

I like mine as well. I've used mine to run various power tools such as an angle grinder, circular saw, flood light etc. It's not that loud since it's tiny. You can probably still find it for $89 on sale and of course even less wit the -20% coupon.

Everyone should have one. Honda is great, but might as well get this one while you're saving up for the Honda and in the end you'll get to keep the HF as a backup!