Predator 9500 Super Quiet Inverter Generator Review, just how quiet is it? 

So far I really like it!

@@BrightthgirB hi there, my AC is a 4 ton, running watts is 2500watts, LRA 65amps at start up, 11 running. My WH runs at 3700watts 13/14amps running. This Generator is a beast to say the least, it’s no wonder Harbor Freight raised the price.

@@franklin051579Hello Frank, Your LRA is 65amps? Isn't that way over the 9500w the max starting power? I'm getting 43amp on my central AC unit, but not sure if it will work. So I haven't bought one yet. Thanks for any input!

@@gm1300r I honestly don’t know, but I do know it runs it without hesitation. I’m going to make a video sometime soon on my set up :-)

I’m picking my 9500w gen tomorrow, I hope to have the same success. Thanks!

common usage of the term "inverter generator" vs "generator" today is odd to me. Both produce AC. However, the "inverter generator" produces a pure sine wave AC, whereas the "generator" version produces a hybrid or approximation of a sine wave. Your household current is pure sine wave, It goes alternatively at 60 times per second (which is US standard). and it does it smoothly. The hybrid current jumps up and down, not smoothly, but only approximates the sine wave AC. That's why the inverter is better for sensitive electronics, especially medical devices. But the hybrid generator is ok for motors and tools, but I wouldn't use a hybrid (regular generator) if I was peering my CPAP device.

2? Holy Cow, whatre you running, a nuclear reactor?

@@DzHarryNuttz Don't ask! 😂😂

Cann't find the 2400W Version, There are 1400, 2000 and 35000 versions. The Predator 2000 spec sheet shows 66dBA and the Honda EU2200 spec sheet shows 57dBA. Not sure which generators you are comparing but the Honda seems to be considerably quieter.

I've been told they are a little louder than the 3500, so keep that in mind. :D

Powering a house with a gasoline generator is the least environmentally friendly way to power a house. And it will cost significantly more than being connected to the grid.

@@smiller225 dumb idea

@@smiller225 -- You are right about that. On grid is around 12 cents pre KW and I would hazard a guess that running a generator like this for true off grid use would cost you over 10 times that much per KW.

Lmao

If you power it with a wood gasifier that will be a solution

same here. the storm responder should be renamed the gas guzzler or ear buster. but it will do the job.

I did the break in oil changes at 3, 10 and 30.

"deleted the generator" Not following what you mean by this. Can you clarify?

I have a 15500 Generac Portable, it's awesome to turn on every light in the house and put the AC on 70 during a power outage, what isn't nice is the 100 gallons of gas that generator will need to run for less than a week. Trying to invest in a duel fuel system with propane, 100 pound propane tanks are less expensive than gasoline.

I have 700 hours on the smaller 3500 unit and so far 10/10!

Just make sure to remove the spark arrestor if where ever you go doesn’t require it cause the predator run pretty dirty. Or you can clean it once in awhile. I just removed mine. I also have a Honda EU 7000. If you have the money Honda will be better but predator will do just fine. Have my 3500 for 6 years now starts when i need it.

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@@AlaskaWild where you exhaust tip is at there a mesh screen. It stop unwanted spark from coming out. If you clean that regularly than you have nothing to worry about but if your generator start shaking and saying overload that mean it’s clogged. I removed mine and it never have a problem.

I have one of the Hondas and it's a nice generator but way overprices! Also, mine has less than 10 hours on it and always stored inside and the last time I tried to start it the starter locked up!

They have a 10% coupon every now and then

Why is this news

Agreed they need a parts distributor in like 4 different areas in the U.S.

Interesting you mention this! The manual that came with it talks about a digital screen that shows watts / amps. The manual that is posted online does not. I wonder if this was an intended feature that never made it into the final product, or maybe a future thought.

I managed to snag one of these recently. Yes if Harbor Freight can manage to eventually offer one with the multi-function hour meter that shows wattage load for a reasonable price upgrade I'm sure there would be a demand for it.

@@1D10CRACY Strange…I have the 3500 and the hour meter has a button that allows you to toggle through various metrics including wattage, amps, etc. Might want to double check and make sure your not missing something.

@@markashlock9017 Sadly it is just not a feature with this one. Maybe in the future!

Thanks DONATOS and right back at ya!

They just came out a few months ago. They are a bit louder than the 3500s, but still quiet compared to a traditional generator.

Warranties are a scam.

@@athroop1321 They are easy money for the sellers.

@@athroop1321 Not on Predator gens they're not. YT and forums are full of accounts of having to get 2 and 3 Pred 9500s before getting a good one.

I’ve had one for a few years now and I couldn’t be happier. Well, maybe I could be happier if Honda made their comparable offering in the same price range as the Predator 2000 but oh well. We’ve used it for our camper mostly while boondocking. It runs our AC unit and the rest of the camper except for the microwave. It’s a small 18BH camper. We also have used it for extended power outages for tv, cable router, WiFi, some lights, and fridge freezer. It’s surpassed my expectations.

@@tomahawk5118 Wow! I didn't think it would run an A/C unit on the RV.. That might make the 2000 the way to go.

I bought one in January, it can run my fridge and a 5000btu window unit to get by. My dad has a 25 years old Honda still runs great!

i Think you can buy the converter carb off ebay? Saw one for my older non inverter one there.

I kind of am in a similar situation. I use to run my older generator for a few hours every 3 months and kept the gas cycled. But you are very correct, it's difficult with today's gas that goes bad in less than a year. I did find this video showing a conversion kit to propane and natural gas. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wXk7vBQSzXo.html

@@1D10CRACY Oh Wow !! That's stunning and a game changer. Someone at Harbor Freight should be fired for not making this a selling point. I think a lot more people will buy this for emergency total power loss that regular running for camping or outside working. And gas for fuel is useless for that purpose. Thanks ...

There is an aftermarket natural gas conversion kit available for this generator. I haven't bought this generator yet, so I can't comment on the actual conversation. But you can find instruction video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wXk7vBQSzXo.html

You. An convert and gas motor to natural gas or propane. Don’t be so stupid!!!!

@@1D10CRACY What about 100% gas. I use that in small engines and I don't have a problem.

Wow that is horrible! Mine is still running good and I have a friend who has the same model with no issues either. I'll remember this, if mine has this issue I'll disconnect the carbon monoxide sensor.

@@1D10CRACY that’s what we ended up doing. We picked the first on a Sunday, Monday my husband was driving the 1.5 hours back to the closest HF that had one to exchange it. It has ran the 0.3 hours and now the same issue. We bypassed it and now it seems to be doing great!

You are very correct on the economics! BTW, do you know of any similar size inverter based generators that are cheaper?

Mine’s conventional, so louder, but I only run it when an emergency power out condition. It’s saved me some expensive hotel bills on several occasions. I also converted the generator to run on Propane or Nat gas, with a kit I found on line. I’ve never actually run on either of these fuels because of their lower energy content. NOTE: Should you not have a main disconnect breaker in your power panel, I do not recommend this approach at all! I also have a gas dryer, thus a 30a electrical receptacle, for which the breaker is always locked off. I ran a large cable into my laundry room, and put a matching 30a plug on it. I keep it out of sight, but when needed I can pull it through the hole in the garage wall to the receptacle by the dryer and plug it in. When the power goes off (rarely), I take the battery out of the lawn mower, install it on the generator, and roll it outside. Fuel and Start the generator to verify it’s operational. Then shut it off. Procedure to power up: 1. Assure the main incoming breaker at the power panel is off. (You would never do this if commercial,power is available anyway!) 2. Assure the 30a Power Panel breaker for the dryer Receptacle (inside) is off. 3. Plug in the cable at the dryer receptacle. 4. Double check that the power panel dryer breaker is off. 5. Plug in the Cable at the generator end. 6. Start the generator. LAST: Turn on the Dryer breaker. This feeds 30a of power into both sides of the power panel, which feeds the entire house. NEVER TURN THE INCOMING MAIN POWER BREAKER BACK ON until the generator is completely disconnected! I never know when utility power is restored without calling a neighbor. At that point, I kill the generator and connected feeds at both ends. Turn on the Main disconnect breaker LAST. Now if this sounds like a lot of effort, it is! And it’s for emergency use only!! Setup takes an hour or more depending on outside temperature. Breakdown takes about an hour. I don’t ever do it unless I expect the power to be off for some time, and it only works in the wintertime. If you are uncomfortable with any part of this procedure, have a commercial Back-up Unit professionally installed by a licensed contractor.

@@edb6783 A ham radio friend who lives in Port Lavaca, Texas bought this one. He paid about $ 950 from Amazon. I don't know what the prices are now. Here is the model number: Wen 1100T model Check it out and see what you think. I know you already have one.

I own one. It’s 194 pounds dry and yes, it’s from China.

uh... it's what is NOT made in China. every generator on the market minus only one or two, are made in China. when are the Japanese gonna make one? I'm talking to you toyota...subaru... kawasaki.

At the time of the video, it was $1799. Looks like they raised the price a bit to $1999.

It is over 200lbs. My table is actually a lift, so I lowered it all the way down, put the generator on it and raised the table back up.

No.

True but it wouldn't have clean inverter generator power, have the same fuel efficiency, and require LP tank installation. Not really a couple thousand when all taken into account but I definitely get the gist of watt output. BTW, I love my Predator 9500 and it can run my entire house including my 4 ton AC.

Depends where you live. In Florida that’s not the case; it’s easily $10,000 for permitting for one of those generac generators

You also have to remember not everyone has LP or natural gas nor is everyone only buying this for a home backup generator.

PNG Technologies makes a natural gas/propane gas kit for the 9500. pngtec.com/predator/predator_15.htm

I agree that its overpriced. I have the 3500 inverter. This runs almost everything in my house except heat pump and furnace. The 9500 wont push those either.

It's still holding up! I gave it to a family member who has been using it during power outages. They seem to really like it.

A lot of people are just disconnecting it. Mine hasn't failed yet, but if it does, I'll do the same.

The 3500 is rated 25 amps at 120 volts. The 9500 is rated at 31 amps at 240 volts. Technically 31 amps, per leg of the 240 circuit, so each 120 volt circuit can handle 31 amps. This generator wasn't designed with the 50 amp RV requirements in mind. That being said, most RVs or Campers do not require the full 50 amps, they just have a 50 amp cord. Something as simple as this adapter may be a good answer. amzn.to/3CZZWrQ

Hopefully this summer!

I am glad you're thinking about neighborhood noise! Add a baffling system with fans to draw in oxygen and vent out the exhaust gases while keeping leaked noise to a minimum. Without venting, you could be running the generator too rich which wastes fuel, increases carbon fouling, risks unexpected shutoff, and all that.

I use to be a firm believer in the very same concept that you get what you pay for, but today things have changed a bit. I'd like to think for the most part it is true, but there are very good examples where it simply isn't. A good example is the Harbor Freight Daytona Jacks VS SnapOn's. The 3 tons were identical except for paint color and SnapOn tried to sue Harbor Freight. It was quickly dropped when SnapOn found out HF Jacks were being made in the same factory as theirs, in China. The issue wasn't the copy, it was the simple fact SnapOn was charging $650 dollars for a red version made in China with a falsely stamped "Made in USA" on the box. HF's was yellow, at the time they were charging $200 but were stamping "Made in China" on their boxes. The whole point of the story is I am sure there were people who paid the extra $450 because of two main reasons, you get what you pay for and SnapOn is assumed a better brand. :D I really have no idea if these generators are going to be good in the long term though! I know Honda's are tried and true and with a few exceptions are pretty dang reliable. The Predator 9500 has not been out long enough to deserve a badge of honor yet, but the Predator 3500 has been out a while now and seems to have a pretty solid following! Most food trucks are either using the predator 3500 or a Honda EU4000. I suspect they are using them because they are reliable and quiet. So I guess at this point, time will tell and we really have nothing else to go by. :D

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CMTJtt9y7IE.html In the comments, there is a fellow that talks about doing it with the 9000.

@@1D10CRACY Appreciate it. I’ll check it out in the morning.

27% less.

This is going to depend on the heater size and how much current it's pulling.

The workbench is a scissor lift, so I am able to lower the top almost all the way to the floor. ;)

Yes, as long as you don't let the gas go bad.

At 220 volts, this generator is only capable of ~31 amps.

Easy just get an adapter to go from the 30amp 240 volt outlet to 50 amp. I am running my 50 amp RV with 2 AC units running as I type this. Generator handles it with ease .

It's rated for 7600 continuous watts. You will have to learn the wattage requirements of the devices you are plugging into it.

​@@1D10CRACYhows your holding up?

Convert a small shed with some soundproofing. There's videos on YT showing how

You could try to bypass the oil sensor. On most generators the sensor just grounds out a wire when it senses oil.

How many amps does the pump pull and what is the starting current?

Typically, the longer the run the bigger the wire needs to be. Look online, there are calculators that will figure that out for you if you know the max amps, volts, and/or watts. The transfer switch needs to be next to your breaker box.

@@Ringele5574 -- You would probable need 4 runs of 10 or better yet 8 gauge wire.

@@rpsmith 8 gauge definitely. I know it is not in a wall but better safe.

It does not, the exhaust, exhausts out the side.