# portable generators



## Doc (Jun 5, 2003)

Seriously considering a portable generator for our small farm for winter. We've read about them but we need advice before shopping. 

Basic needs:

1. Running well pump for house and barn for at least 1-2 hrs/day (morning/evening).

2. Infrared light for young critters in barn during overnight (easily 12 hrs).

3. Refrigerator and small freezer -- a few hours per 24.

4. A couple of lights (incandescent)

5. Radio - laptop

6. Propane furnance fan

We're not sure about our well pump -- 130' deep and we think it is 1/3 hp (not sure). 

Suggestions for brand and total wattage needed including surge.

Thanks.


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

i use a Honda EU2000. It's essentially a portable outlet. Anything you can plug into a 110v outlet, it will run. It sips fuel AND it's quiet. It's quiet even running on the porch. If you're on the other side of the house, you can't hear it. 

The size you need will depend how many of your needs you need to run at the same time and whether your well pump is 110 or 220V.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

If you want to run all of that at once, that's quite a load.. .

I can run my fridge with a 3500 watt generator.. I can also add a light and a stereo to that, and it starts getting loaded up a little, especially if I really turn up the stereo (well, in all fairness, the stereo has a 1000 watt amp on it)

I have a 5000 watt generator what has a 240 volt output on it that can run my well, but when it kicks on, it does bog it down pretty good.. I've got a 35 foot deep well, and not sure what the pump in it is.. 

What I do is, run the fridge for a bit to get it cold, then turn off the generator.. If I need water, then I plug in the well (made an extension cord for it) and pump up the bladder tank.. 

I don't need to leave the generator running for more than about 20 minutes if all I am doing is rechilling the fridge, and for the well, only a minute or so.. then good for water for a while.. 

You could probably get by with a 5000 watt if you only want to run a thing or two at a time, but to run all of what you mention at one time.. that's a lot.. .I can not run my well and the fridge at the same time on the 5000 watt.


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## Doc (Jun 5, 2003)

Nope, not all at once -- I think I wrote, for example, " well pump 1-2 hrs/day. We know better than to run all that all at once. 

Well pump is at least 220v


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

If your pump is anything like mine, I'd go with a 5000 watt.. I don't have 240 on my 3500 watt, but even if it did, I don't think it would deal well with the kick-on surge. I can barely run my 14" chop saw to cut steel without tripping the breaker on it.. I can't apply tooo much pressure..


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## Doc (Jun 5, 2003)

Now here the next Q: how large is too large? I know they get expensive once above 5-6000.

Also: any particular brands that work better than others?
Of course, I see Honda advertised plenty


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I don't think a guy could ever have too large a generator.. I'd be much happier with a 10K generator.. 

I've been giving thought to see if I could get one of those old tow behind light poles you see work crews use.. they got a heck of a generator in them, and some times you can score them pretty cheap..

My 3500w is a Champion.. It was cheap, but it's nice and quiet and has a decent engine on it. I was afraid of buying it, but I read a lot of reviews, and seems no one had anything bad to say about it... it was about 1/8th the price of a Honda.. 

I used to do warranty work on Honda generators.. Great generators... but you are going to pay for what you're getting.. The only real problems I saw often was breakers going bad, and GFI outlets going bad. Cheap fixes.. only every super blue moon did I see any real serious expensive problem...

My 5000w generator is an old Coleman Powermate.. They were well built generators, but LOUD.. real LOUD... but for $50 I paid for it, I couldn't go wrong..


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## Doc (Jun 5, 2003)

Can't afford the big ones. 

Anyone: recommend certain brands?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Here's one of the Champion 7500w generators.. As you can see, the reviews on them are good... I've seen they are being sold now at our Costco too.. .

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Champion...-25-ft-Cord-CARB-41537/203192320#.UpYwhtLBPmU

Here's one being sold at Tractor Supply.. 158 reviews, and all good.. 

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/champion-power-equipmenttrade;-3500w-4000w-portable-generator

Hard to bet them for the price.. I'm really happy with mine.. Ab out the most quiet brand I've heard next to Honda.. .I don't think anyone will ever beat Honda on quietness..


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

has anyone bought and used the generators that Harbor Freight sells? They seem to have good prices on them compared to other brands


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## farmerj (Aug 20, 2011)

yea, you CAN have too big of a generator. They run most efficiently at 70% of rated running load. And not the PEAK load. Peak is for like starting a motor or something.


For sizing a generator.
http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/home_and_workshop/sizing_generator.pdf


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## Darren (May 10, 2002)

Doc, check the breaker for your well pump. Is it 110 or 220? For any brand you consider buying, check parts availability. If parts are only available from the manufacturer/importer that's a red flag. That indicates a Chinese sourced machine that may end up being a boat anchor when you really need it.

Some companies have exploited cheap Chinese stuff to build a business. Parts availability is the clue. If there's no distributor network or if the unit has to be sent back to the "factory" when repairs are needed, don't waste your money.


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## Doc (Jun 5, 2003)

Well pump: 240

Does anyone like their brand? There are a lot to choose from -- and getting parts is a good point, Darren.

Acc: calculator from Consumer Reports, our total would be in the neighborhood of 4300 watts. That's adding in things we don't HAVE to use (Stereo or Laptop) so if need be, we could be far more conservative.

Needs: well pump; freezer (small stand alone); Refrigerator; Gas furnance (apparently, fan uses very little energy); and a light bulb or two. 

AND -- with wheels. Meant to say that.

Recommendations?

Thanks.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

if your a or can weld, consider a welder generator, I know there more expensive, but I sure have been enjoying my gas driven welder the last few years, and I have a real use for it besides emergencies.

my Lincoln welder is 10,000 watts and is a AC DC welder, nice unit,


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

consider some LED camping lanterns for light,
(many will last two weeks of continues lighting on a set of batteries.
and if you need a heater for animals, consider the infrared LP heaters that attach to a BBQ tank or larger, 

and one can consider a LP unvented heater for keeping war with electricity I like the infrared units over the blue flame, units any day (I started out with blue flame and could not warm the room put in the same size of infrared unit and keep the milk room toasty, Northern sells them,

much better use of resources, 

depending on size the generator most likely burn a gallon an Hour, for 24 hrs. that is a lot of money to keep a few chicks warm or some other critter, or to add on to the heat bill of a regular furnace, (not saying don't use it when charging up the refrigerators and pumping the well, but a lot of money for a keeping it going for days on end, if the outage last that long,


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## Doc (Jun 5, 2003)

Have no intention of using it 24 hours, and our "few chicks" are far more than that. Besides, as I've mentioned over and over, the main reason for getting the generator is to provide water from the WELL PUMP. 

We have LED lanterns. Been there, done that.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

for a well pump normally you will need a bout a 5000 watt unit, if it is 240 volt,

I am not saying your critters are not important, we raise chickens and had over 100 few day old chciks when we lost power, and the little heater did a great job of keeping them warm, 

I have three generators a 30KW, a 4 KW, and the 10KW on the welding truck, and yes when you need them there great, but very expensive to operate, and some other back up systems can be more cost effective, 

yes we started out with a generator as the back up unit, as it was the cheapest system to instantly keep thing operational, 

but if I had it to do over again, I most likely would have invested in other ways earlier than later, 

a good number of years ago we were with out power for over 30 days, and have had other times that were much shorter, time periods, 

(during that time 30 days our generator was not ran 24/7 only about 8 hrs a day,
the way I remeber it took over 300 gallons of fuel for that time period it had 8 hp engine on it, in todays dollars that would be close to $1000 for that electricity produced,). 

I raise a good number of animals chickens, goats, cattle, and have had most o the outages in the winter time, 

I am trying to give you some experienced advice, and hope that it may save you some time and money,


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## Dr_Snooz (Dec 28, 2011)

Your well pump is going to be your biggest draw by far, especially when first starting up. At startup, the electric draw can be 6x higher than the running amp draw. You want to size your generator so that it supplies all the power your pump needs to start, otherwise you risk burning it up. Pumps aren't cheap, so don't skimp. Many electricians simply multiply the running amps by 6 to come up with the peak draw but that's just a rough approximation rule of thumb. 

The correct method for sizing a generator is to look at the electric box sitting right on top of or very near the bore mouth of your well. Inside it are some important numbers including HP, running amps, voltage and a KVA code. Look up the "Approximate Mid-range" KVA value here. Then go here and calculate your startup amps using the "Calculating Ampere (I), given kVA" calculator. Generators are rated by watts, so you'll need to change your resulting amp value into watts. Simply multiply the amp value by the required voltage listed on the box (230 in my case) to get the wattage size generator you need to buy. Brace yourself, because it's going to be a big number. My well required nearly 10k watts, even though it's only 100 ft deep. 

If the generator can comfortably supply the well pump, it can do everything else you want without difficulty. Of course, because smaller generators use less fuel, you might want to buy a second, smaller generator to run all the other stuff, saving the big generator for dedicated well use.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

also if you want to run any thing else besides the well at one time you may need larger yet, 

if your going to shut off every thing but the well, pump water, fill what needs to be filled, shut off the well and turn other things back on that will work as well, 

but if things have been off, it will all want to start at once if you have it tied in to the farmstead distribution system, 

so the well, the furnace, the air compressor if you did not unplug it, the refrigerators and freezers etc., and if you have electric hot water, 

you will need some power management, 

think of it some what like having a huge tractor pulling (the grid) and your generator is the lawn tractor, the lawn tractor may be able to pull some things by it self but never the whole place like the huge tractor, but by taking the loads down to single loads the lawn tractor can pull some one at a time,


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

Do you own a small tractor? if you do, one could consider a PTO driven generator, and the size of the generator is usually in the 10kw size and up, usually the cost is less and if you have a smaller tractor the power unit is there and one usually keep a tractor in running order, where if you have a generator many times there neglected and when you need them there a lot of work to get running, (dead battery if electric start, carburetor needs to be cleaned out because last time ran it was not ran dry, and so on dead gas in the tank or slugged up and plugs the filters, and of course it is a blizzard out so getting to town for parts or help is not possible).


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## flewism (Apr 2, 2007)

I do all you described with an 10 plus year old Generac, 5500 watt continous/8500 surge with an 11HP briggs on it. The generator has (1) 30 amp 220 plug that I now run through a transfer switch, but used to backfeed through the welder plug to run the well OR hot water heater plus whatever. It also has (4) 110 volt/20amp outlets on it that I run the fridge and freezer on as required using 12 gage extension cords. Woodburner fan, furnace, lights etc. don't draw that much. We are pretty confortable when we loose power. It has a (7) gallon fuel tank and will run about 10 hours on a full tank. Gasoline generators that are run infrequently do need their share of PM to insure they will fire when needed. 
I've got no complaints with it and it has not failed us so far, maybe used 30 times. Remember when the Northeast Midwest had the complete blackout a few years back. We were without power for nearly 4 days, That's the longest it has carrieed us, lucky we had 40 gallons of fuel in the boat during that adventure to siphon and have never ran it 24/7. 
Our well pump is on a 20 amp 220 breaker, I believe it is a 1/2hp, The well is 65ft deep, pump set at 56ft


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## Gray Wolf (Jan 25, 2013)

We live off-grid have 3,500, 4,000, 8,000 and 10,000 watt generators. Our well is 560' deep and the starting surge on the 220 motor needs a generator with a min of 8,000.

Harbour Freight sells a Preadator brand that I think is ok. Our 8,000 watt one is HF. It is only used to pump water and rin MIG welder.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

5500W Generac. Three years, no problems...but not a ton of use. Plenty of local parts and support.


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## topofmountain (Nov 1, 2013)

Sounds like you'll need a 5000W min. I have a Coleman 5500/6500 works great, bought it used 5 years ago for $200. I just recently bought a Champion 1600/2000W Inverter Generator $394 FREE SHIPPING new refurb, with full warranty from http://supergenproducts.com/. They do all of Champion's warranty repairs & refurbs. They had it to me in three days & it works great, is very quiet on Econ Mode, I really like it & have used it a fair amount. It ran over 7 hours building a shed using a saw & drill on a gallon of gas. Check them out they carry all Champion Generators. How I found them was I contacted Champion because no one sold Champion within a 400 miles of me. Champion Generators emailed me their website.


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