Old Sears Two Stroke Generator - Does it Still Run? 

James I have the exact same generator. Bought it from Granger in 1987. Mine is labeled as being built by Generac. Your " mystery mox" is the storage box for a mini 12v jumper cable that plugs into the power panel. Fyi the fuel mix 35:1 verses 50:1. I have the orginal manual if needed. "Hope this helps someone"

2-strokes are best for standing, unused. No bore rust, no carb corrosion. That is why I like my Yamaha 30hp outboard motor!!

This had to be the most unique generator I’ve seen you bring back to life. Well done!

I have no confidence that without that manual I would have ever figured out that little screw was access to a separate and IMPORTANT oil reservoir.. I love the engineering of that unit,, it's so unusual..

The compartment on the side is for the D C charge cables .Great for charging 12 volt batterys

Again thanks to you and Stanley for hours of entertainment. That little generator is like my marriage, 40 years and still going strong. 💪🏻😇

That little two stroke sounds really nice, the quality on the whole generator looks pretty good too.

old sears engines are just a whole vibe

Very unusual generator! I like to see the junk they sell today, to look and work this good after 40 years.

I have a off brand version of this generator I got at a swap meet. From what I have found on the internet it is japanese made and was rebranded by several companies. Very cool design.

It would be interesting to see the ad for this in an old Sears catalog.

Nice! You hardly see those old 2 strokes around anymore. Thanks EPA.

Nice little unit, could certainly power some lights, possibly a refrigerator nice job, that primer bulb still being pliable is sort of amazing

As a car detailer for the last forty years, I *really* appreciate the attention to detail you put into cleaning up these treasures of the past.

Cool to see A belt drive and Nice To see a Brushless System this old 🤘👍@James Condon

I need a Stanley in my life... What a cool little generator!

A while back a lawnmower you had did not have spark because a shorting lever was frozen by the carb.. A friend called me over and when it was the same mower we went for the stuck shorting bar and skipped pulling plug to see spark . Now you have another viewer Thanks again for all your educational videos

40 years old and has quality written all over it. I've worked on countless small engines and have never seen anything like it.

Hi Jim, thank you for all your fascinating vidios and descriptions of your efforts on various engines and generators. That old Sears unit is quite something and beautifully made! It reminded me of an ex-Brit forces generator I had in the sixties, made by the Electronic Developments Company. Like the Sears, it was a close coupled belt driven unit, powered by a Villiers Mk10 side valve, air cooled four stroke petrol engine, which drove the 250w/240v EDC slip ring generator by a belt. However it was about four times the size of the Sears unit and probably four times as heavy and built into a cradle frame. At the time a friend and I were avid moth collectors and the generator was used to power a 125w/230v mercury vapour discharge lamp to attract the moths at night in the local woods. My friend had a 300w/230v Johnson Chore Horse direct drive unit, which had a seperate battery and the generator acted as the starter. Unlike the BSA made radio battery chargers, made under licence for Chore Horse. This particular unit was larger, though of similar unitary construction and had a large seperate flywheel, it ran more slowly than my Villiers powered generator, and was able to run two mv light bulbs and chokes which my unit was not able to do. Later our big heavy generators were replaced with the Honda E300 series generators, which like the Sears were beautiful examples on minature engineering! Hope this is of some interest.

I remember a generator like that at Bruckner's in Amarillo, Tx. I went there with my father who owned a few MACK trucks. It was the late 80' or early 90's. I don't remember if this unit had AC output but it darn sure had 12 volt output. It was red & black and 2-cycle, like a small suit case. It had a sign on it saying something like you could charge your batteries out in the middle of no where if your batteries were dead. This way you could get back on the road instead of waiting on someone to come and give you a boost. It wasn't designed to boost you off but get enough charge back into your batteries to get it started again. I remember it being neet and cute which is what this generator made me think of which brought back the memory. I enjoy your videos and have learned a few tricks from you like two clothes pins with popcilcle stick glued between then. The WD-40 emery cloth rapped around crank journal then use rope to sand crank. Rope in cylinder to torque crank bolt. NICE! Thank You!

5:33 you woke somebody up. he ran for the hills when it started. What a cool old generator. Coffee and Condon. another interesting one.

Nice to see a Old Sears Roebuck Item @James Condon

I used to buy everything from Sears because of their parts support being superb.

Belt looked a little floppy during the test run. A lot of people think belts stretch when in fact it is the sides of the belt wears against the pulley allowing the belt to go further into the v-groove of the pulley and become loose. The belt drive really took me by surprise! I have never seen such a unit. Would a new spark plug improve starting? Also I believe someone may have run 20:1 fuel in it at some time being 40:1 usually doesn't oil up the exaust that bad. Thanks for showing this little jewel!

That generator belongs in a museum. It’s beautiful! With the cover removed, it looks like a 1970s Japanese motorbike engine. Really well engineered and well built. Amazing quality.

Nice little generator and as a bonus the missing parts were found so that adds that finishing touch. But you're right, they don't make them like they used to.

We've got the best of both worlds here. Older equipment that has been well taken care of and a professional to apply plenty of TLC to get it running again. I really enjoyed this video. Thank you Stanley for passing on these little gems to James.

that rare generator is in good hands, it was great that it was donated to channel

I skipped this video 2 days ago..it just didn't grab me. I was wrong! What a neat unit. Built right on the tail end of when "Made in Japan" meant cheaper and less desirable for many things. You could have spent another 30 minutes talking about the great engineering and attention to details on that unit. Nice work!

Stanley is a gold mine and that's what happens to a saw when you lend it out. My pal at his saw shop has my old one and fixed me up with another that had the same thing done to it. And that's the reason I keep my old Coleman 5h with the Briggs I/C and the old Onan 2.5 cast iron 4-pole. And the weak point with the Mantis tiller was the worm drive to the tines stripping out. Thanks, Pal and GBWYall!

Your outtro made me chuckle. I hope this video helps someone, yes the guy with the one other one in existence is saying FINALLY now I know how to take it apart. I'm kidding of course, there is lots of good general maintenance stuff in there applicable to everything. I do think you should change that 40 year old plug though, I bet that helps with the hard start.

Another fun journey, James. Thanks for doing it.

My boss gave me this exact generator today, and I saw that one picture you talked about on google. Then by the grace of God I come across your video, and I am geeking out on it!! I am in love with this generator! It is so cool and so retro, mine is in perfect condition except for an inch of dust. The cap got cracked on the trip home and I looked up parts on the net and there is one guy selling that same gas cap for 35 bucks on ebay! I can fix mine but there is nothing anywhere on the net about this generator! Thanks for the info and the video!

What a nicely designed unit. Very cool! Great work as usual James.

The inlet for the air box, with the 3 holes in it is a muffler for the intake. Leave it out, start the gen and you will hear the huge difference 😊👍🏻🤝🏻🇳🇱

Magic! First of all, Thank-you Stanley! And for his second visit! Second! Hurrah to the Sears Designers and Engine-ers for a true Wok-of-Art! I want one! (Needs one . . . Hmmm.) I wondered if the 12v side worked? Thanks, abundantly again!

I agree 💯 they definitely don't make them like this old girl no more that is for sure

cool video, a real blast from the past, nothing like the smell of a 2 stroke, brings back memories of my childhood ! Great job as always James

When they made that generator, they knew it was literally going places! (Pun intended). If you had to cut open the air box to make a filter element, the Oatey 30892 Black ABS Cement is the hot ticket for gluing it back together. I use the stuff a lot to fix various plastic bits used on equipment and vehicles. Whats the DC output amp rating?

The 40 yr sears generator bring back memories. This generator was well looked after. It only needed servicing. If my memory serves me right Briggs & Stratton came out with a 4 stroke engine in 1954. It was very generous for the gentleman to bring you 3 more tools along with the 2 missing parts for the sears generator. Thank you for another awesome video and sharing your knowledge of small engines. Love your channel and content. ❤

Always excited for new videos. Thanks Mr. James

That's a very interesting old generator, especially the fact that it's belt driven and looks built very well, nice work bringing it back to life James!

Its a lovely🎉 day when mr james uploads new content... Starts my day off right 💯... Thanks sir

Once again, thanks for a brilliant video, I think Stanley deserves a big round of applause for his generosity. Cheers Jim.

I bought the exact generator mine says Grangers and it’s brand new never had gas put in it. But I paid 500 bucks for it. I’ve never saw one before. Thank you for sharing the oil add hole.

Another great master class my friend well done the air filter was a pleasure to watch you revive it .

I've repaired quite a few older generators but never seen one like that. Pretty unique for it's age and still looks good for being 40 years old

Very unique machine. The old ones were built to last. Always great work James.

It always a pleasant surprise when something small we may worry about comes together almost by chance. That the little cover on the side of the generator is a good example. It's just a small thing but still makes you feel good.

As always, very nicely done. I do have to admit that I kept wondering why that old filter stayed on the bench for so long. Did you think it was going to turn to diamonds? 😂

Wish everything built today had the same quality that went into the older stuff!!!

30:00 The most practical and least risky way to install clear PVC hoses is to heat them with water just before connecting☝

I have watched your channel for years and you have great tips !! I got an old craftsman 1989 8000w generator from a relative where the engine ran but didn’t output power. I figured out the voltage regulator module was bad and got a replacement and got it outputting power. It sometimes stalled out because the carb starved too so I added a low pressure fuel pump so I can use floor mounted gas cans for longer run time since the original gas tank is kind of small at 5 gal. The unit is big enough to run my 3.5 ton central air unit including lights and refrigerator. For a manual start it’s so easy to pull the recoil starter and the V twin engine is great. 1 gallon an hour consumption too with the ac running constantly. Sears used to sell really Good relabeled equipment and still can get some parts for it. Since it was based off of a generac design the parts still pretty much available. I was lucky enough to buy a spare float and air filters as backups . That along with my 4K generac , I am good for extended outages 😎

Wow, that little gem should be in someone's collection. Your friend doing the donating is a gem also! So much content and I love seeing some of the ancient tech. More metal than plastic YAY.

James as always your work on saving something old and making it useful for someone who can use it again is very impressive 👏 and help those of us who like to use them.

Hey James, Good video mate, Tip to keep clean, when oiling a filter put it in a plastic bag, add oil smooch it about, remove and fit. Bob UK

Awesome job as always. James! Love and blessings!

Fascinating little machine for sure. Thanks man, I really enjoyed to ride along.

When you were pulling those electrical connectors apart I had flashbacks to working on my 70's dirt bikes. They were always hard to get apart, which indicatied to me a good connection. Most of the imported stuff I work on now have connections that pull apart easily and seem to be making questionable connections. Great video! Keep up the good work.

Neat old generator, you can all ways talk stink about a company, but Sears always had quality stuff and they stood by thier stuff. This is a prime exaple of Sears private labling another awesome piece of hardware. At first this generator reminded me of an old Honda generator by the quality parts in it, but then you turned it around and I saw that it was made by Kokusan Denki Co. and they have been in business in Japan for many years. They we bought by Mahle in 2015, but they make a lot of car parts for the import market. Still a neat and awesome survivor, hope you find a good home for that will appreciate it.

That’s a great video and it is a keeper! Just use it to show folks that it still works. Keep up the great work!

More superb vintage Japanese quality, and congratulations for getting those missing 'unobtainium' parts at the end!

It's cool that there are now 2 kilowatt four stroke units the same size and much quieter.

Some of the small engines I've worked on over the years that have sat for a long time and were hard to start ended up beng because the priming pump diaphragm was broken or cracked, not giving a good prime shot when pumped. It seems to me that as much as you pumped that one, it SHOULD have flodded. Just an observation. Love your videos, James. Keep 'em coming!

Jim, what a great piece of old technology. Things really were built to last!

OLD!!! I graduated HS in 77 LOL,,,, I enjoy all your instructional vids

What a great little generator for camping or use around the house. Seems to be built very well as most older products are. Great find and repairs. You may want to keep this one just for its age and condition. Thanks for the videos.

It almost seems as if the whole airbox assembly should be replaced as a unit. Very strange for that vintage machine.

Great video I love to see the old stuff running again

Nice video, I don't think I've ever seen a 2 stroke generator before! Thanks for sharing. A great piece of history. You should hang on to that one.

Wow. Thank you for tearing this one down, even though it wasn't necessary. I have never seen a machine like this before. This was really fascinating. I definitely learned something new. It's an interesting machine.

Many surprises especially the start with a few pulls. Stanley has made himself well equipped over the years he has had it all. For the age of that two stroke I don't think it needs much to keep it running the oil fill was surprising it doesn't seem to take much to run on. The power head and the entire assembly was simplification. James when you tackle something you don't know anything about I am never surprised at the outcome. Thank you for sharing your video with us. Ed

That mighty little machine Cleaned Up super Nicely 👍 @James Condon

I have a 1976, 2150 watt Briggs and stratton generator with a poulan power head, after fixing it, thanks to mr. James, its been working really good. These videos help alot.

Oldie but goodie. Glad to see this running again. Well done as usual. The fuel tank being on the bottom does mean there is a lot of priming to get the fuel to the carburetor. If Stanley had not found the original storage cover, I would have made one from a piece of plywood. Easy to cut to shape. This just shows how well a piece of equipment can hold up if designed and manufactured well. Dave.

Nice little generator! Reminds me of my tiny 500W McCulloch generator I owned ages ago. Kind of the same setup but it was a microscopic 55cc four stroke.

What a nice little genset. Love your program mate.

That is a sweet piece! Good job.

That is one mighty little mini Generator just chugging along even with 580 watts and its being over its limit @James Condon

What a good generator to bring back to life. Thanks for a great video.

That's a quaint little generator, I'm glad that you were able to find the missing parts and it runs!

great lil unit! how ever...you forgot one important factor when it comes to 2 stroke engines....if they are down on power the first thing you always check is the spark arrestor screen! they carbon clog and restrict exaust flow and can cost alot of power! some engines only have one screen on the outlet of the muffler some engines have a screen on the inlet of the muffler and some have screens at both places! i saw that the screen on the outlet of this lil unit was pretty carboned up i bet a good cleaning would help solve the voltage drop at least a lil bit! great video! keep up the good work!!

Thanks for the vid James.

Very unusual design. Thanks again James

At first I thought "What good is a 500 watt generator?" Then your test set up actually shows how useful it can be...🙂@37:37

Interesting design. Great job as usual. I am always looking for your next video.

Availability of parts seems to be an issue with a lot of the old Sears/Craftsman machines. I have a Craftsman air compressor that was manufactured in 1972 (I think), and I ran into similar issues. I found two pictures online, but that was about it. It had not run in over 20 years when I got it, but I was thankfully able to get it going again with stuff that I had laying around. It is my primary compressor now, and runs great.

Excellent James.

Hi James I just bought a NOS Dayton exactly like yours it never had gas put in it. Thank you for the great information on it great video. Terry

Finally a two stroke! Been waiting for that for a long time, I´d love to see more two stroke generators here and/or older models from before 1990.

The crank bearings and seals in that 028 may not be happy to have run dry either. Those were great small saws!

Nice. surprised the primer bulb was still good. Impressive little genny. Solid. Thanks for sharing.

Definitely have never seen a gennie like that! Nicely done to bring it back to life. Of course, it was made in Japan so I guess it's not that surprising :)

Wonderful video as usual from such an interesting and very precise engineer. Your videos are always so interesting and well explained. Thank you very much. Roy in the United Kingdom.

As an old antique generator, I'll bet that's worth some money now.

James takes the carb off, the 40 year 9ld gasket is good to go. I take a carb off, the 1 year old gasket rips in half.

Two things that surprised me, James; first, that you didn't replace the Vee belt (no telling how old it is); and second, that you didn't clean out the silencer (muffler?), which always clog up in time with oily carbon - especially if, at any time, it's been run with ordinary motor oil rather than a proper 2 stroke oil.

Mental note: don’t start a 53 minute video 10 minutes before your bed time 😆 Love your content. I’m addicted.

Nice video, thank you. Made and designed in Japan and still running with some help! Ron PTL USA

Great video. The drive system is cool, and compact. Neat having the engine and stader side by side with belt. Whoever designed was pretty smart. They figured out how to keep it compact. And the gas tank subbing for the base is cool. The design flaw I see is how the low amount of fuel, but it's obvious that the priority was compactness. I didn't see any fins for engine cooling though.