Harbor Freight 800 watt generator reliability 

Brought one of these 3 yrs. ago as a Christmas present for my wife after a 3 day Summer storm power outage, she loves it (have her on video freaking out, laughing & giddy as she opened it too). I, however, got it for $67.77 & never saw them that low again. Works great, gives spec'd power level, starts on 1st or 2nd pull, nice small size (guess you can tell I like it too). Gonna do all what was done in video during Fall maint./season prep so it stays one of my best HFT buys. Thanks.

I got the same one for camping and it does pretty good plus during warm up it does a good job of getting rid of mosquitos as well.

I've had one of these 2 stroke 2 HP generators for going on 6 years. It's been a great little gem until about a year ago. I couldn't get it to start and when it did it would only run a minute and then die. So today I found your video and learned a LOT about this little gen. I just picked up an Autolite 65 plug about an hour ago and installed it. The generator started on the second pull and is running great now. I couldn't believe it. All this headache and pain over a cheap spark plug! I'm running it now with about 400 watts on it and the voltage is stable at 120 volts. I sure wish I had a O'scope to see what the sine wave looks like. I'm sure there has to be a lot of harmonic distortion on the waveform. Another great generator on the market I recently discovered is the Earthquake i800 inverter generator. It has great reviews and can be had for about $265 online delivered. It reminds me of a small Yamaha inverter generator but at a fraction of the cost. Thanks for the great video! Subbed!

Thank you, and thanks for sharing about the fasteners loosening, spark plug, and the break-in; I bet very few do it. I think I have the first generation of these, about 5 or so years old. It's a bit simpler, is less covered up, but probably about the same mechanically. I had plans to use it a lot, I did a break-in, and haven't used it since. Someday I'll put it into service and I'll be checking the hardware and plug before I do.

I have the same generator. Mine worked well out of the box. Broke it in by running it for a hour under no load at first, then moderate load. I was happy. A month later I could not get it started to save my life. Tore apart the carb, cleaned all fuel lines, replaced the plug, ect. Nothing. Dead as a door nail. Now I have a $90 paper weight. Problem is if I take it to a small engine repair shop they'll want $75 to look at it. With cheap prices sometimes comes with a loss.

I love this generator. I also replaced the spark plug with an autolite 65 before I even started it the first time. Didnt use locktite on anything, Ill have to look into that. I broke it in for about 20 hours with a 400w work light. I have been using it for 3 and a half weeks now (about 5 hours a day 4 days a week), and it has not missed a beat yet. Starts easily, and powers everything I need it to. I am going to be using it for the rest of summer like this. If it lasts the entire time, I will be buying another one to put into storage for a rainy day.

Hey, thanks for the reply! Your logic is impeccable! Your explanation makes perfect sense!

I've had mine now for over 2 years and it's seen regular maint and regular duty during bad weather, as well as regular use with a saws-all out in the woods. My electric chainsaw draws a little too much for it, but it's a great little gas powered extension cord :). A lot of these have a bearing in the end of them on the generator coil side that you may wish to grease with lithium. I've heard that it's a point of failure for some. All-in-all, A good little machine that does what it is MEANT to do. I like mine.

I've had one of these for 2 years now and it runs great. I can even run the HF electric chainsaw and 400/800watt HF parabolic heater off it no problem (not at the same time, obviously). I use it as a backup generator in my RV. One thing I would recommend doing is putting a few drops (1/4 of a cap full) of 2 stroke in the cylinder when you are replacing the spark plug and slowly pulling the starter cord to gently lubricate the piston in the cylinder before firing it for the first time. Otherwise, great review and nice work!

Nice video and demo on this generator. You put out some good videos, glad I found your channel bro!

I watched this video and did everything you covered and my little generator works great ! Very helpful.

Ian, that has what I have heard about this little guy! I read a post from a business owner that has 4, and has been using them for four years. Surprising, yes! Mind boggling!

It's a two stroke so always have a spare spark plug handy in case the plug 'whiskers' up. In theory going to a 40-1 premix should help with the lube but the down side is that it weakens the mixture slightly and the engine will run hotter due to this, swings and roundabouts. After all you want to gently break in the engine as you have done in the video. I stuck on 50-1 for all my use. Many of years working with my own and friends & family 2 stroke motorcycles. The use of thread lock on the usual places is a good idea as these things vibrate a lot, some times even vibrating the mains plug out giving intermittent power output ! The parts that can fail other than spark plug are the capacitor & power reset button. The give away on this is either low output voltage for the capacitor failing & no power with a faulty reset. Both are easy fixes though so dont bin them when they stop outputting power.

You know your stuff. Break in like you did at 40 to one ratio sounds very good.

Cool little generator. I like it!

Thank you for taking time to share your knowledge with us.

I bought one of these end of august 2015. I was not happy having to give 10 good yanks to get it to start. When started, it ran great. I loaded it with a big Milwaukee portable band saw and it handled it good. I took it back to Harbor Freight for an even exchange due to the starting problem.The second one took 3 to 5 good cranks to start and then ran great. On the front there is a removable panel to get to the air cleaner. there are 2 half inch holes on the front for air intake. Since there is NO primer ball, I decided to spray starting fluid in the hole before starting. It now will start on 1st of 2nd pull. I am happy with it now and keep it. Very handy to have!

Brave man, working on a glass table like that. Thanks for the video, even years later.

Very nice demo Thanks I'm thinking of buying a little guy like that one since I only need about 300 watts max of power for camping :)

I just bought one of these for $99. Worked great the first time I started it. The second time the thin plastic starter mechanism shattered. I couldn't believe that part was plastic. Going to return it tomorrow. It was worth a shot.

Great video, thanks. Just got one of these lil' gens and will do what you've shown here.

I've had mine for 3 years and it runs great. I changed to a better spark plug and use 3 oz of oil per gallon of gas instead of 2.5 ounces.I use Lubrimatic 2 stroke oil. I used it for 6 hours once to run my refrigerator when the power was off. I does take a lot of pulls to get it started though so I will use starting fluid with top cylinder lubricant in it to see if that helps. Be careful about using starting fluid it can ruin an engine. Use sparingly.

Thanks for the partial dis-assembly. I've seen these gennys reviewed, but never saw one with the covers removed. HF gets a bad rap by a lot of people, but if you know what you are buying, and buy for the intended usage, you can get great deals. Their gennys generally all get good reviews from buyers.

I also replaced the cheap spark plug boot with a NGK waterproof one that screws into the coil wire. Plus I put about 2 tablespoons on 2 stroke oil down the spark plug hole to lubricate the piston before the first start. Also putting a fuel filter on the fuel line is critical because there might be crap in the fuel tank.

Great vid, thank you! I noticed a comment about replacing the muffler. Do you know anything about doing that? Like a replacement for it?

John, thanks for the comment! I also think this would be good for "boondocking" with my new Little Guy, SIlver shadow! Light enough to carry on the front without loading down the tung weight, and I would only have to run it for a little while to charge the battery!

Great instructional video. all of the steps you covered I did when I purchase the one I have. After 30-50hr;s of use a knocking noise appears out of nowhere (sounds like a car rod knock) the pull start system sucks and is just a matter of time before the coil comes apart. HF does not sell replacement parts for this generator how ever the schematics on the instruction book are great and very detailed (if you could only buy spare parts) I now start my generator with an electric 12v impact gun. I purchased the generator for $79.99 + tax. Someone had asked if it was loud. In the beginning it is not too loud, as it gets a little older it starts to get louder... By all means do not run delicate electronics with this unit as the voltage fluctuates and could possibly damage your electronics (buy an inverter generator such as HONDA, GENERAC, HYUNDAI, HONEYWELL) etc. Remember, you get what you pay for!

This video is very helpful I am as well a small engene guru and had aquired a similar version of another company who is making the same but with a surge of 1000 and norm 800 mine was given to me by a customer who ran plain gas no oil in it we know what happened there so I sold them another and referbished this one its a nice generator especially if its free although granted I had to hone the cylinder but almost free

I measured a small college dorm fridge at 60 watts. I TV is usually around 300 watts. You can run a very small window ac unit on this. You can run several lights, a small fridge, and a tv on this all together. The voltage regulation isn't the best so I would run your top of the line TV on this. you can run a wood pellet stove on this. Battery chargers, sump pumps, circulation fans for gas HVAC, and gas heaters, low power microwaves.. For stuff with electric motors, double the wattage. :)

Thanks for your comment, and you are of course right! The thing is, most people won't bother to spend the money on something to prepare for the future, so the idea behind this, is you can do some important, although minor things with it. Having this for 89.00 is a lot better than having nothing...

Thanks for the review, hope this works out for you. I may have missed it but I did not know you were moving to the Philippines. Hope all is well. jman

I bought one of these about 9 or 10 years ago. It"s still unused. Occasionally I give it a few pull starts to keep the engine from seizing. Hoping it will work when I decide to give it fire.

Thanks for the info on the Generator. I have one coming in the mail! I am a beekeeper and had no power for my bee vacuum for one of my removals. The guy did not have a long enough power cord to reach all the way out to the hive. There were so many agree bees! My be vacuum uses 750 watts, just under 800 watts.

This little generator saved my butt one time when the power went out for two days due to a storm . It ran my refrigerator with no problems.

I recently purchased a model just like that one, but it reads 1,200w on the sticker. What is the recommended voltage (using the voltmeter on the machine) so that this generator runs effectively? Right now I have it close to the middle of the voltmeter (140v or so).

Endurance, the answer is unfortuntely, just smaller things. You can of course run several lamps on this. A tv, and some lamps, maybe a lower wattage sump pump. Battery chargers, electric yard tools in an emergency, like for example a chainsaw, a mini refridgerator(like in dorm rooms), a ham radio set, a CB set, a radio to listen to the weather and news, etc. Just for reference, 1 horse power equals 746 watts. Hope this helps! Mark :)

I watched your video and bought mine today for $89. I took it apart and tried to undo the 4 screws at the base of the carburetor but they were so tight I just left them as is, and lock tited the others. I used an Autolite 65 plug as you advised from Advance Auto for $2. 11 pulls to start the first time. It works great, 2 hours break in so far. When hot it starts in 1 pull. My air filter (little piece of foam) was much smaller and thinner than the one in your video, and loose with a poor fit so I made another one to fit and close all the gaps. Appreciate your tips!

Good video, you sparked my interest to watch for the next sale, i have noted others like northern tool show a genset appears identical to this but with a 12v battery charging port? They are so similar i wonder if its possible to tap off this set some place to gain access to 12v charge ability?

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment!

Warren, yeah that makes sense, thanks for your comment!

Bakupcpu, It is a decent little generator for the price, but it might be too noisy for a camp ground. Of course if you are "boon docking" it would work well. I am glad you found it informative, thanks for your comment! Mark:)

i have an all power branded generator that looks very close to that and rated the same wattage. one thing i notice was the stock plug was junk and i needed to adjust the idle a bit. i also found out that it doesnt like electric motors connected to it unless theres is another pure electric load on it. everything else is just fine. its been a good little generator. only time ive had trouble using it was when i left gas in the carb like an idoit when i stored it for a couple months. some ether and was running good again.

Thanks for the comment! I did check out your channel, and you have som interesting stuff up! I will have to spend a lot more time checking it out. Thanks for watching, and again commenting!

You're welcome ^.^ the one I got is the ETQ 1000W 2Stroke Gas IN1000I Portable Digital Inverter Quiet Generator it was the cheapest I found on eBay and it look reasonable for the price but I'll make sure to change the spark plug and probably check for those bolt to put locktite on. Got it for running a little 15000 btu kero/diesel heater that I found and I restore it but it work on 24 volts hurray for power supply.

I have a couple of these little guys and I use them a lot and I use them hard. They still both have the stock plugs in them, and I have never needed to begin to take either one apart. I not only use these hard electrically but I also used them hard physically. These poor things have been toted around more times than I can count over the years to run halogen light sets at night. I also have sone a lt of off grid building with these, going back and forth between powering a small compressor and a saw. IMHO if you want them to run reliably you need to do the following: 1) Always use ethanol free high test gas. Get the best stuff they have at the pumps. 2) Always use high end 2 cycle oil. I like the Stihl HP Ultra in the 2 gallon premix jugs. 3) When you are done using the generator for power, remove your loads and turn the petcock off but leave the engine running so it uses up the fuel in the carb bowl. 4) When first getting it started, get it off the choke as soon as you can. 5) Once it has started let it warm up. It should spit and sputter a bit with no load. It is designed to work, not idle. 6) If possible, apply the load slowly. If you are using a tool like a saw, give it a few seconds to spin up. I have been working like this for many years now and never changed a stock plug, never pulled the lid off, in fact never screwed with the gust of these at all. They are great little workhorses and my favorite thing about them is there is literally no maintenance,

Thanks for the tips , myself I`d be looking into adding a extra muffler , its very loud for my liking ,,

Dude thanks for the info. Always check spark plug gap before installing though...

John, I completely missed all of your comments! Sorry about that, and thank you! I am glad you found this helpful to you! Thanks for the tips on the 1500 watt generators!

Those generators were meant to run at 50Hz but they are pushed up to 60Hz by revving them faster by 20%.

Great Demo Fantastic Product I surly enjoy that

Could you run a power conditioner in between the generator and final output to clean up the wave form? Will it work with the desired effect..with say a furman or similar? Looking into ways of making this more versatile. Thank you.

Shepd3, that is a cool rule that you get two years! I bet it really cuts down on waste! Here, we have so much land that we can just dig huge pits and throw it in! It's great!

I just got the newer StormCat 'red version' of the HF 63cc gennie. I added a NGK plug and the Briggs&Straton red pancake fuel filter with new clear 1/4" poly hose. I didn't use Loctite, but I'll check things for looseness going forward. I've now got 7hr, 20min at 40:1 mixture for my first gallon, with a 300w fan running. I warm up for 3min, then add the load. Manual states 25 hrs @

Thanks for the reviews

Will the locktite cause issue when removing the carb. for maintenance

Someone tell me if you can put (adapt) a muffler in one of these small generators, please.

i have over 300 hrs on mine. still hums along. i did have to adjust the voltage output as it was too low...95 volts.theres a screw to bring that up to 115-120v.picked up a non running 2nd one today at yard sale for $10. all it needed was a spark plug!

I am guessing that is not a true alternator. Is the generator inside DC that goes through an inverter? If so, what voltage is the DC? I am looking for a 12VDC 15A generator and was wondering if I could connect directly off of the DC side.

Excellent video!

Mine works wonderfully I use amsoil saber 100/1. I run it continuously for days on in. And it has gotten real quite

hi can you tell me if you know about the exaust box just been striping mine to do a clean and respray and found the exaust has oil in it is that supposed to be there

The Homier version I bought in 2006 puts out a sine wave as long as one does not over load it. It cost 89 bucks from the weekend circus tent show that visited after a year after Katrina. Mine has the same original spark plug. The Homier of mine is labeled 1250 watts which is BS but the manual says 800 watts steady continuous. The only issue I have had with mine is I lost the needle in the carb after a few years and could never find another. Thus I bought a new carb from Harbor Freight parts dept and the carb fit perfectly. The Harbor Freight float and needle are slightly different than the Homier thus I just placed the 9 buck HF carb on the the Homier. Shipping back in 2009 was 7 bucks thus I bought 2 carbs for 9 bucks. Here is the kicker; I searched endlessly for the original needle and never found it in a great work area; but found it when I was replacing the carb. The original lost Homier float needle had jumped into a black hole of the front panel and was stuck in a tiny hidden back panel molded area. With the found needle I now have 2 spare working carbs. The Homier here has a 12V DC output too. A test on mine trying to start my 5200, 5500 and 6000 BTUH airconditioners was marginal. It would start the 5200 BTU and 5500 units sometimes and not others. These units draw 5.5 and 6 amps when running but the surge starting is 3 to 5 times more thus the generator often fails to start them. This is with a best case 25ft 12 awg cord through a short run directly to the unit . Even when the AC unit did run and cool well when it cycled the generator often would not restart the AC again in a few minutes. The LRA (locked rotor amps) on the 5200 BTUH unit is 25 amps thus no margin. If one had to run a tiny ac unit once (if) it starts the generator was happy

What were you testing with the multimeter amps, volts or watts

Hey Mark, what would you typically use this generator for? I've thought about picking one up myself but since its only an 800watt gen, I can't think of what I'd even use it for!

I'm guessing the long studs that hold the carburetor and exterior trim panel can be unscrewed from the engine. They should have thread locker on that end also. Tygon fuel line will last longer and does not require the spring clamps.

Perhaps becuase a two stroke generally puts out more power per size? Lightness?

I have had several these generators. first to developed stress cracks in the gas tank. the last one I had needle bearings come out for the wrist pain and lodged in the Piston locking up the engine. they're not bad but don't last long.

I was just testing the voltage dip when you plug in loads. So volts. :) Mark

Noriceburners, you're right about that, but what do you expect for 90.00? It wil run lights, charge batteries and stuff. I think that is all you can ask from such a cheap appliance. Thanks for your comment!

I bought one of these ( early 2016) hard to start at times but other than that it gets used and abused and keeps in kicking.

Nice watch, Nice tutorial.

would be nice to know the proper torque for these

Thanks for the info Jonathan!

Is an equivalent of the spark plug of the video. I dont think i ever seen auto light brand/ thank you fornthe video i learned a lot.

Thanks for the tip!

at what point did you check the gap on the new spark plug before installing??

You're welcome! luckily if it does happen, HF sells aluminum brazing rods with a low enough melting point to be used with mapp gas. The repair is easy unless it's one of the threaded tabs on the engine side. Then the rotor and stator need to come out to avoid heat damage. Maybe I just got bad castings but I'll be using a short 1/4" drive ratchet for anything threaded into aluminum on this thing from now on.

did you say a autolight 65? can you get that at any autozone and i cant find anything on locktight grease

John, I can do the hours long test. I need to think about something useful to do with it.

we got a chineese(we thought it was a snap-on at the time,but not under clser inspection( pressure washer, and the first thing i was gonna do is remove the spark plug to re-gap it but it was in there so tight(yes i was turning left) i broke the rubber engine mounts before the spark plug came loose. so we returned it for the very last one in stock anywhere in the country,and we decided we would be better off leaving that spark plug alone. it runs fine,but i am wondering why it was discontinued...

This little genset is great for working out of service truck, for operating power tools in remote locations.

57Lvnative, Thanks very much for your comment! There isn't much we can do about that, which is sad. No way I am going to have a steel pulley machined for this little cheapo! I wonder if in the cold weather, that pulley is prone to getting brittle and braking?

I think I'll pass on anything that has an engine from HF but this was a nicely done video and you have a really interesting channel. I will check out your others. Thanks

The Harbor Freight people claim that they test their equipment before placing them for sale and surprised they didn't catch that problem. I have two larger generators which was never used and one will be taken to the shop and the last one I tried to start after taking out of the box. The manual don't tell me much about starting it and it was made in China also. The pull cord hung when I first tried to start it so I took it to the shop for repair, but the people there didn't tell me if they started the generator after correcting that cord problem. I was wondering if the fuel lever is suppose to be down for fuel to flow into the carb or should it be turned to the side?

Hi i have 950w looking for a recoil pullstart you know where i can fine one. Thanks

88s, your welcome on the tips, and this guy is pretty loud. It isn't that loud if it is running outside of your house, and you are in doors with the windows shut, but I wouldn't want to use it in a camp ground. Believe it or not, it seems more quiet than my Champion 4000 watt generator, but I do not have a good sound meter to comfirm. Mark :)

Mine recently started leaking what appears to be oil from the muffler box. Should I be worried? This started up during the last few hours of the break in period. I thought maybe it was paint that was burning off since it had been running for so long.

Can you help me guys, i hav the same generator, storm cat 63cc engine two stroke. My generator doesn't start, i stored it for a couple of months,. I dont know why but, when i try to start it it doesnt start. I decided to change spark plug and capacitor inside. But still it doesnt work. I clean the carburator. Still nothing happens... I start getting stocked with this problem for a week. I will be a big help for me, if you give me advice with my problem... Thanks!!!

did you have any trouble starting it im having problems with the cord not wanting to pull but just jerk back way to hard

Excellent video

Thanks for the info...I'm going to get one of these. Would you happen to know to know about how long it will run on a gal. of gas ? Also, I was watching one of Jay Leno's Garage Episodes and I caught a point he made about Gasoline not keeping well these days. Not sure why but maybe they have fooled with it like everything else 'tel it's not as good as it used to be. Anyway, If you are going to keep it for Emergencies be sure the Gas isn't years old. Just sayin'

How chik engine oil for this little r 2 strokes genrator

I just grabbed one of these on coupon. Two pulls stone cold brand new. They now sell them under the "TailGator" brand name in a green fuel tank trim, with a slightly higher build quality. They still have the absolute crap "Torch" Chinese-made spark plugs, but mine roared right to life with one in it no problem. Think I'll do your break-in method on it.

I don't like to bash videos so please don't think I am putting anyone down.... I just noticed a few things that I would not personally do... I would never put loctite on anything that goes into the head or intake of a motor. This is is because you risk twisting the head of the bolt off if you ever have to replace the carb. An easy-out will never get a broken bolt with loctite out. I would also recommend putting anti-seize on the the threads of the spark plug. It is almost guaranteed to get stuck in the block without it. It would be beneficial to put some dielectric grease on the outside conductor of the spark plug (that means the part that is on the outside of the motor). This will prevent moisture from being able to enter the spark plug cap. Moisture + Carbon based metals + Electricity = Corrosion. The last thing is that you should always check the gap on the sparkplug with a gap tool. An improper gap could cause the motor to detonate fuel inefficiently or detonate too much of the fuel. If too little of the fuel is detonated it can cause the motor to build up with carbon and seize the piston. If too much of the fuel is detonated it can potentially overheat. Some fuel is intended to be unburnt to help with the lubrication process. Thank you for posting the video! I am only trying to put what I would do... Everyone sees things from different perspectives. Keep Life Amazing everyone!

didn't read the comments, but first thing i notice was that you did not gap the new plug.

how long can it run for 1 litter fuel at 100%(800 watt) load

Thanks for all the good info. But, since I'm not an electrician, and you seem to know you're stuff, here's my question: how many appliances are you able to power up with this generator, roughly?

No problem man getting the word out

thanks for the tutorials, i have one of this that is sitting in my garage here in the philippines, just wondering if this needs an oil change or not?? 40T oil for the machine

my use will only be in a camp ground , that's why I would extend the muffler system ,here in Canada most camp grounds will only let us use them between 10 Am - 2 Pm and then 5 Pm - 7 Pm again ,was curious cause peole hear buy them and then they all end up on Craigslist for about $ 75 - $ 90 ...