The "previously reviewed" link doesn't go where you want, I suspect.

Advocating a throw-away tool ("You could wear out and throw away a lot of these generators for the price of one of the Honda inverter generators.") is not very cool.

I have the 1200 watt version bought from Checker Auto Parts, but it is the same manufacturer. I use it camping to recharge the battery on my trailer, and I use it to power my pellet stove when there is a power outage so I have heat. I have only had it about a year, but it still works perfectly. It even starts at 20 below zero, which is when it really matters.

the Harbor Freight link shows 129 when i visit it.

2-stroke. Ew.

However, I think that the OP was pointing out that the generator here does the same thing as the Honda for a lot cheaper if it's just light duty. But still, 2-stroke. Ick.

I dislike gas generators overall. The best option IMHO is to get a gasoline generator and convert it to propane. Propane stores much better than gasoline - gasoline you can't store for more than a few months without it degrading.

Jonathan, I don't think he was advocating throw away tools. He stated a fact about the price. I don't know if the Honda generator is repairable, but sadly sometimes even the expensive gear is throw away.

I have seen propane generators at Harbor Freight. They cost a little more than this one, but may be a good option for some. They were designed to run off the little 1lb bottles, which is not ideal, but you can get an adapter to hook it to a big tank for $20 or so.

I looked on their web site and could not find any, but have seen them in store.

Thanks for posting this. A good option.

There's a 1200-watt one that looks a whole lot like the above at Northern Tool for $129: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200313480_200313480

Harbor Freight link shows it for sale at $129 (reduced from $149). Still a good deal though. I may pick one up.

About propane: if about how much propane is equal to 1 gallon of gas?

It's a dirty two-stroke. Even discounting the pollution, it takes THREE times the gas that the Honda or Kipor inverter generator does to put out the same power. In the time it takes to wear out three or four of these things, you've paid for it in gas, not to mention all that extra hauling!

I don't know. That thing seems pretty noisy - but I guess it's okay for a construction site.

I have one. My dad has the Honda. Mine is 1200 watt max, his is 1000, so it is close. His takes a little more than twice the fuel with a 300 watt load. Mine has a 1 gallon tank, his a .6. Mine will run 9 hours on a gallon, his makes it about 2.5 hours.

His is a lot quieter with a light load, but loaded, they are similar, with the Honda being only slightly quieter.

I figure 5 years from now, his will work better than mine, but at each a year old of occasional use, they difference is not big enough to justify the extra expense.

" A momentary surge from a power tool will trip the Honda's breakers even if the nominal power of the load is within spec."

This is crazy talk. I've run 4000 RMS watts of speakers off a 2K EU honda. That means peaks near 8k. Never tripped a breaker. The cheap no-name 5k running next to it was sputtering from the same load.

Don't ask me, I was baffled. But you pay for serious quality on those EU gennies.

@Erik:
You may not be pulling that much. It has a lot to do with the power supply in the amplifier and its capacitors. In addition, just because your speakers are rated at 4000W RMS, that has little to do with what the amplifier is actually drawing. Remember also that the rating is based on a solid sine at 1Khz up to a certain percentage of THD (total harmonic distortion). It does not rate TIM (transient inter-modular distortion) or the slew rate where you have voltage drops and lose control of the cone, which are the two things you actually hear, which prompt you to turn it down. That means that even if the amp is also rated at 4000 watts, you are highly unlikely to push that much, especially full program rather than continuous tone. Add to the inefficiencies of the amplifier and power supply which cause it to draw more than it puts out (all of the heat comes from something) and it gets even more confusing.

A good amplifier will draw the continuous usage, while still being able to output the peaks.

The short answer is: Without something like a Kill-A-Watt, you don't know how much you are really pulling off the wall.

It would be interesting to make a go-cart or ultralight car or trike using one of these and some batteries.

I have one of these little generators from Harbor Freight. If you watch the sales, you can get it for $89.95. I don't think I'd want to rely on it for a primary or heavy-duty generator (it's only 800 watts). However, I bought it as a companion of sorts to my 7500 watt generator. The big boy burns nearly a gallon an hour - pretty expensive electricity. When we have power outages, I use the small one - burning less than a pint an hour - to keep the sump pump and bare essentials going during the day. When I need more at night or to boost the freezers, etc. then I crank up the big one. Overall, I'm saving gas and money. It's also handy for those small jobs where running an extra long extension cord would be a pain.

Grant,

Yeah, I'm familar with most of that stuff. I wasn't so much shocked that a 2K gennie could power "4K" of amp to clip as much as I was surprised the 4K sitting next to it was crapping out under the same load (sputtering, speaker volume fading).

" " A momentary surge from a power tool will trip the Honda's breakers even if the nominal power of the load is within spec." "

" This is crazy talk. I've run 4000 RMS watts of speakers off a 2K EU honda. "

A "momentary" overload from an electronic device, often buffered by capacitors, is in the millisecond range. "Momentary" for a power tool or electric motor, is in the 1 second range, i.e. sixty whole turns of the rotor. Context is everything.

Modern 2-strokes with the latest synthetic oils, are a lot cleaner than in the old days. Their chief advantage is they have twice the power for the same weight, a big advantage if you need to lug it around.

Re: the 800W vs 1000W ratings. The 800W versions are the CARB (CA Air Resourses Board) approved versions.

The google ads on this page helpfully link to:
http://www.generatordepot.us/gentron-pro2-3500p-propane-generator.aspx
which seems like a very neat relatively small and cheap Propane generator

That is a very good generator, I got one myself. Its a Sportsman Portable Generator. It is a bit more expensive than yours but has lasted me years and it gets the job done.

Something else to keep in mind 2-strokes tend to be louder.

So if you want to use this for an RV at a controlled site you might not be allowed to, or even in "the wilds" it may be louder then you want.

For RV use many of the Honda gennys are designed to be ganged and two of them will power your AC. They are also relatively quiet. A pair will also cost you more like $1000 vs. the $100ish for this guy (and weigh more), so depending on your needs either could be the better choice.