Good Cheap Generators: Harbor Freight & Ramsond Sinemate

[Bilgemaster]

Just a quick followup for Fathers Day weekend 2016 (June 17th-19th): If you were mulling over one of those little Harbor Freight 2-stroke gensets, they're currently on sale this weekend only for just $87.99, which is just about as cheap as they get. You'll find the coupon here. There's also a 20% off coupon (can't be applied to the generator, sadly) and a coupon for a freebie 27 LED flashlight/worklight. These hang rather nicely--I mean, like they were made for it--from that forward hatch screw and also have a little magnetic mount doodad on the back.

While you're there, the big handy bungee cord packs, just-the-right-amount-of-weak electric power washer for boat and car cleaning and other needful crap are also on sale.

Disclaimer: By now some folks may think I must be an assistant manager at Harbor Freight or something, as much as I plug their goodies, but I am not affiliated with them in any way. Just a fan of cheap gear.

[Bayou]

I would still try to use the 20% off coupon as I was able to use it at mine with the generator on sale for $89.00

[Ixneigh]

Well if you like to puzzle over engines that don't run right then those generators will be great for you. Neither I nor anyone I personally know could keep them operational for more then a few months.
Ix

[Bilgemaster]

Well if you like to puzzle over engines that don't run right then those generators will be great for you. Neither I nor anyone I personally know could keep them operational for more then a few months.
Ix

Both of my little 900W Harbor Freight fussbuckets, the parking lot "foundling" and the spare I bought for the hull of it 'cause it was on sale for less than I've ever seen them, are still running just fine, and I use them a lot. Maybe that's why they're still running so well...or just lucky, I guess. Of course, I pamper them a bit: fresh ethanol-free fuel with Stabil 360 stabilizer and a dash of Marvel Mystery Oil along with decent 2-stroke oil to the proper ratio, and I always turn off the fuel petcock to run the carb dry whenever I use them. I also fire each up at least once a month to let them stretch their legs. Crappy old gummy ethanol fuel is the killer. I'm happy to say that bigger Ramsond Sinemate 2500 4-stroke unit's also hanging in there.

Just as an addendum, that Northern Tools Powerhorse genset looks pretty decent on paper, though I've never seen one in the flesh. It claims to run at just 52 dB, and it's about 15 lbs. lighter than the Ramsond. I'd miss the Ramsond's electric start, and while it's not quite as powerful, it's pretty close and does have the (for me crucial) 30 Amp outlet and two regular 120 outlets. No 12V outlet, but I expect I may never use that anyhow. I'd be interested to hear from any folks here who've got one how it's working out for them.

[sailboatmike]

5 years ago I bought a cheapo chinese 4 stroke lawn mower, everyone jumped up and down that it was justs rubbish,

5 years on and after total neglect I can honestly say I have never owned a easier to start and run mower, I leave it out in the weather for 6 months of the year, yet wack some fuel in give it a prime and Im disappointed if I have to give it more than 3 pulls to get it running and Im not often disappointed, the damn thing is a marvel , Im thinking its time for Mercury etc to learn from the Chinese about making a good easy to own motor

The mower only cost $199 bucks, you gotta be happy with that

[Bilgemaster]

The electrical engineer In me cringes at the thought of running an internal combustion engine to power a resistive heat load, even a coffe maker.

Gotta go scram the reactor to charge my IPod......

Well, any nuclear engineer will tell you that "SCRAM" means an emergency shutdown of the reactor:



Cream and sugar?