OT - generator advice

If it's just power tools then why diesel? They tend to be much more expensive and suit where use is likely to be high so the capital cost is offset by lower fuel consumption. I find a drill and grinder can be powered by 70 quid 2t 650w device. In fact there is one packaged with a 2.7kVA genset for no extra cost atm.

For more regular use I would then look at a Honda powered one running on lpg before I looked at diesel power.

AJH

Deoending what to power and how often to use a dc/ac converter and eventually a second battery could be a cheap and reliable option. We have only the converter in one of our cars in the company, but it is powerful enough for a grinder or something like that up to more than one 1kw. When the job takes a bit longer it was always enough to let the engine run not to empty the battery.

regards - Ralph

So snipped-for-privacy@despammed.com was, like

OK - diesel's out then. Would have been easier to carry one type of fuel, that's all.

Where would that be from?

Thanks

If cost is not an issue I'd look at one of the Honda inverter series generators. With their Eco Throttle setting they only run to the revs needed to make the output actually being used so they are very quiet and economical.

... and expensive...

I have a Honda EU-10-i and it's the bogs dollocks for weekends away, shows (field cinema is run off it - chained under the front of Grumble, you simply can't hear it running), and obviously as a backup for the office (ergo: legit business expense) ;-)

But worth every penny.

I've got a EU20i for my motorhome and with it mounted in a slightly soundproofed locker I notice the slight vibration of it running more than the sound.

Northern Tools Xmas offers, they're a poor firm IMO but it's cheap, GBP 235 inc VAT for both delivered IIRC, btw I made a mistake and the bigger one is 2.2KVA. Also I have a horrible suspicion these things will not meet regulations for site work :-(.

You really need to consider your usage, I tend to use a grinder for emergencies, the little 650W genset stays with me at all times and can be carried easily, it also uses the same fuel as other kit I use. If I need to weld something or pump a tyre then the 4KVA genset is needed, 'cept this needs two fit people to lift it, even then it will not start my 2KW compressor unless the reservoir is nearly discharged.

I really wanted to go down the inverter genset route, one 1KVA and a 3 KVA to have the option of ganging them together but they cost 7 times as much as the cheapies and would need about 5 hours work a week to justify them.

AJH

Absolutely. I've several generators, ranging from 2kva to 16kva* and of all I like the Honda best and certainly feel it to be the best value overall.

I'm going to mount my EU10I on the front of Grumble inside the bush-bar cage. I've been wondering about vibration. I've an idea for thick rubber base (around 2").

Next, the orbiting brain lasers (erm, sorry, wrong group...) :-)

• yeah, like it'll handle any more than 8kva in reality :-(

So Mother"

kVA is roughly equivalent to kilowatts. There's some complicated physics bits about why they're not equivalent but you're fairly safe to subtract 20% from the kVA rating to get the watt rating (ie 1kVA is about 0.8kW or 800 watts).

Much the same as mine then, mine is apparently derived from a Yamaha motor cycle engine.

We used a 5hp Honda to "civilise" a semi permanent caravan on a remote site, it ran a few hours a night for a couple of years, it was still going strong when it was nicked.

It's the maximum rms current times the rms voltage. With ac the current can run out of phase with the Voltage, especially running things like motors, so while a load with 230 Volts across it and 4 Amps flowing through it will draw 4 times 230 Watts instantaneously the current times Volts could be higher. To accommodate this the generator electrics are specified as a maximum Volts (what the insulation in coils can work at) times the maximum current (what the wires in the generator can stand without getting too hot). So the 1kW generator may be rated at 1.5kVA, there's generally no problem with drawing too much power from the system as it simply drags the engine down on these small devices.

AJH

I've got some nice little rubber engine mounts (designed for small stationary engines) that I'll mount mine on when I've got 5 spare minutes and the unseasonal summer rain stops - bloody motorhome won't fit into the shed. From past experience (mounting Honda driven pumps onto diesel tankers) they will eliminate all the vibration. Use the lightest mounts you can - the only critical specification is that they can support the weight of the generator. When I've tried the thick rubber base thing it doesn't seem to have done much.

I'll send you some plans - they had stuff like that in the neurosurgery ward at the hospital when I was visiting a friend yesterday. :-)

.....when driving motor loads ? If you run lamps or heaters, then 800VA = 800 W

Steve

Yes but in this context the 800VA genset may well not be powerful enough to drive an 800W load but the 1kVA one may.

AJH

My view on this is that I never load any generator with more than 60% of its rated power.

This is my 'Plan B' :-)

Hi Martyn.

Why ? Is it because you are running critical loads ?

Steve

Absolutely.

It would never do to lose power to the fridge, leading to run-away beer warming.

David