Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I am looking at purchasing a natural gas 20k standby generator.The choices are generac,kohler,c ummins onan. Is there one that is truly more reliable than the other?And if so what makes it more reliable.

We have 2 big ( need a crane and a tractor trailer big) Generacs at work. We haven't had to use them but they are tested and maintained on a regular basis. No problems that I've heard of.

Reminds me of a story about an emergency gen set with 5 hours of fuel in the tank. For four years it was tested each year for 1 hour. During the 5th year they had an outage and the thing died after 1 hour. They added a "refuel after test" to the check list.

Main points:

1. Test your setup every so often and include a full load cycle;
2. Make sure fuel is either good for long term storage or changed regularly;
3. Natural gas is good as long as whatever killed the power doesn't kill the gas lines (earthquake);
4. A properly installed cut over switch is mandatory, a 20K unit should have one as part of the package.
   

The problem with winco and gillette is finding someone to service them.generac has plenty of service techs followed by kohler.

The generacs that had problems,were they air cooled?ARe the water cooled generacs more reliable?

I would be more worried about parts and service for the actual generator half of the unit.

It's usually no big thing to service an engine yourself or find a small engine service shop.

Mikiewest, I would check this forum out. lots of chat going on there. http://www.zillerstore.com/forums/

Check out $#%*mins Onan closely.  They're a huge company in the generator business with a very good reputation.  I have a 5.5 KW gasoline driven version purchased from Costco and it has been great.  I run it (excercise it) every few months although they recommend every month.  Change the oil once a year.  They have parts and service in key cities nationwide. I've had this gen for six years and last year I had to use it for the first time and it was great.  We were the only residence in the area with power.  We live on a main street and got a lot of questions when we were the only house with lights at night.  Our "ordeal" lasted for two days yet it seemed like it never happened.  I highly recommend ownership of a generator.  The simple run-and-maintainence requirements are worth the benefits when suddenly you need it!  My family actually forgot that the area was without power.

There are several affluent towns in Massachusetts who rely on well water (electric pumps).  They lose power and their backyards behind bushes become their bathrooms (latrines).  Some people I know rely on local hotel rooms for which the price would pay for a gen set.

mikiewest wrote:

Mikie-They were all the air cooled model. One belonged to my son's in laws, one to a person i worked with and the other two were a fishing buddy of mine and his neighbor. I am most familiar with my son's in laws situation.The unit has failed on them every time they have lost power in the 3 or 4 years they own it. Marc

mikiewest wrote:
When we were taking a look for our home generator we had this same issue. The few top brands are tough to tell apart and there seems to be a wide range opinions. There are lot's of guides and articles out ther ebut Here is one I found specifically helpful when making my decision. I ended up choosing generac due to it's reputation, but hopefully this will help you decide which brand is best for you..

http://www.norwall.com/blog/news-and-updates/20-kilowatt-standby-generators/

My Troybilt, 030477, 7500 watt purchased new in Oct, was dead by Feburary. It worked for the hurricane. I ran it in Nov, & Dec.Loaned it to my stepdaughter and her husband at it was dead When they tried t ouse it after the blizzard. The Rotor, Stator and regulator were fried to a crisp. New parts are on back order. I suggest staying away from Troybilt units.

Do you lose power that often and for long periods of time to justify a big stand-by system? I ask because I had looked at going that route when I finally got tired of constantly losing power for days on end but could not justify the 5 digit price tag. I ended up with a Honda EM6500SX, transfer switch and installation for well under $3K and it serves all my needs - well pump, oil furnace, fridge, stand up freezer and 90% of my other lighter load electrical requirements. I've had no problem going for several days off grid running my gen set for 12 or more hours per day. I could go all day if needed but why bother when you're not home (at work, etc...).