As other have commented about your use of time most excellent. Short and straight to the point. A huge respect for your viewers. I know for me I only have a limited amount of time I can budget before demands on my time call me away. If I watch a video that does not get right to the point or has a lot of filler I click off. I just don't have that much time to waste. Many thanks for your format and respect of your viewers time.
So let me get this right if this can run for 7 hours on 1 gallon of gas and it takes a Tesla 20 hours to charge off of 110v. I can go 400 miles on less then 3 gallons of gas? Why are hybrids only getting 50ish miles per gallon? Are Hybrids using more gas then necessary or am I nuts?
I live off-grid and use a Predator 2000... Love it! Cost is not just purchase price. I ran 12.5 hours on one tank (1 gal) charging my computer, recharging my drill battery and running my frig and freezer. The 2000 Generac is 1.2 gals and 10.5 hours at 25% load. I average 8 hours of runtime per day. About 240 gallons per year. The Generac would require at least 40 more gallons, a $120 (@ $3.00 per gal.) or more savings. AND! I started my Predator last winter on second pull at -22 Fahrenhite. My brother and nephew have Honda 2200's that won't start at 30 degrees above. I like my Predator, economical, quiet and dependable.
Very helpful. I'm building my business out of a storage unit while being homeless so I need to be able to cook, light up and charge everything. This sounds perfect
I needed a unit ru-vid.comUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y that I could store in my home when I wasn't running, so it being light and running on propane were key requirements. I can store the propane tank/bottle outside yet store the generator in my home when it's not in use as I will never put any gas in the engine. It is so light, and on echo mode, which I expect is how it will be used most of the time, it is pretty darned quiet (certainly compared to all the generators I hear in my neighborhood after each power outage).Many of the previous reviews had me concerned that it would be difficult to start on propane, but I have to say, I had absolutely no problem at all. I primed it first using the choke...3 pulls, heard the engine want to start, flipped it to propane, and one more pull and she started. I ran it for 2 hours the first time and plugged it in my fridge. And when I was done, I put the propane tank away and carried the generator to my basement for next time.I could not be happier.
Have owned a predator for 7 years, 8700 watt max power unit, it has performed flawlessly for several ice and snow storms here in Oklahoma. Highly recommend this brand
Harbor Freight has raised their prices significantly over the last 18 months. I live in TX and got the 2000W predator inverter generator in 2020 for $430
I just used my fairly new GP2200i with synthetic oil for a 39+ hour outage, .. it performed flawlessly and had "just the right balance of frugality and power" for comfort .. it powered fridge, all lighting, laptop charger, fan .. an occasional tiny 600w microwave .. and movie night with popcorn during the outage. I feed one 75ft 10-gauge cord split three ways with a 10-gauge splitter to three 25ft 12-gauge lines through the house. One for appliances, one for electronics and the third for a fan and floor lamps. Perfect for a longer outage.
That's awesome to hear. When I first made the review of that people dumped all over it saying it was fake, I was paid. None of that was true, I just saw a lot of good things, and now a year+ late reviews for it are awesome and I am thrilled to see yoru feedback. It's a great generator, especially for that price its unbeatable.
Hi. Do you mind elaborating more on your feed into the house and consumers. So you mentioned one long cord and three smaller. Do you than just hook it up to some stand alone lights or is it somehow tied into the panel to run “all the lighting” like you mentioned in the beginning of your comment. I am trying to figure out the most economical way to run the basics with just enough power. Probably something in the 2200-3500 watts. The smaller the better obviously because it would be easier to haul around and take camping for example.
One of the few reviewers who does good, data based reviews! Harbor Freight and Northern Tool are making themselves non-competitive with their high pricing. I'm surprised at their prices, I'm finding even Home Depot is beating them in price at times. Vthd....I think it's Volts Total Harmonic Distortion....? THD was something we looked at back in the day of 'stereos'. THD, not THC........
I worked for Sundstrand Aerospace now part of UTC. The main product is aircraft generators. They make both constant speed generators and wild frequency generators with inverters. Both are required to put out a sine wave power. You said this generator is good for powering electronics and showed an accurate and well filtered sine wave. However; you didn't describe the load used. We had to more then double the filtering and make adaptive sine generating software code to deal with a near 100% electronic load. Rectification only draws power in a narrow portion of that sine wave.
@Zzst Z ZZ dude, dont you know I am a generator specialist? About half dozen of us live out in the az desert and solar wont run an ac unit at the needed level. Generators out here get ran hard...not like for camp out or a jobsite..more like 24/ 7 for months...we dont even shut off to add fuel, everybody siphons fuel for safety...shut down for oil change every 100 hrs. Full syn oil, it's the only thing that will handle the heat. What is heat? Air temp average 110* up to 120* it might cool down to 90* at night. Most people run high efficiency window mounts...around 1200 watts...the 2000 watt predator works ok light duty/part time use....out here it's the one to have if you buy 2 to last the summer. Harbor freight is happy to warranty it...one time...I have no doubt they tear down and inspect...that's why the second time warranty is a tough deal...I been a mechanic all my life. I real one...24 years GM service tech including a full year college electrical theory and application...I can fix anything, if I can get parts...motor sticks a valve and bends it because they us crappy valve springs I have to spend the time to find a replacement valve measuments... there is no replacement parts available....can even find a pull start assembly...the pull start rope is junk, no big deal I know how to rewind one...it takes an hour just to get it apart...if something goes sour in the inverter....and the entire electrical systems runs through it, it all goes in the dumpster. The motors are Chinese, they use garbage rings, if they wear out the motor is junk because the cylinder walls wear out of round. I can get it bored, no problem..cant get an oversized piston. They are fine and dandy for light use...2000 watt honda will eat it for lunch...one guy been running one going on 3 years, I've cleaned the carb twice and cleaned out the muff one time...it uses a little oil but it will still run 100 hrs without hitting the low oil cut off....everybody runs inverters because recharging lit ion batteries without inverter is a good way to blow up and burn shit down. We figure the honda has a little over 20,000 hrs....that's equal to 10 predators...I know my shit, and my shit says you are the stupid one running your mouth about something you dont know jack shit about.
Great video review. But if you are not looking for a suitcase style inverter generator I went with the WEN GN400i RV-Ready 4000-Watt Open Frame Inverter Generator for $395.00 to my door and that is not a sale price. Has been a solid performer for me.
Great job here ! Even though I detest generators ! Every time I go camping some kermudgion has their generator running that you can hear for miles ! I go camping for the quiet and nature. I leave all the noise that I hate at home ! People spoil everything ! Garbage left behind, screaming children , generators , dogs, and constantly talking loud and their crappy choice in so called "music " !
Yet another highly polished, well presented video...But, I'm surprised that you are not recommending the Wen 2,350W/1,900W Inverter Generator (56235i). At $420 to $440, it seems to be an excellent value albeit with very few amenities. But, it seems to be a good value even if I would like a larger engine than 79.9cc's. As long as I'm wishing, a gas gauge, a power meter, an hour meter and a few more plug options would be nice! Low cost, light weight, quiet, robustly built & fuel efficient- I can hardly ask for more for so little?
Wait a minute???? I bought a harbor fright inverter 2500 watt generator almost 20 years ago. It doesn't get much use except occasional run, change fuel and oil. It still works. My wife insisted on a new Honda eu2200i because it was a few lbs lighter and easier for her to start. I'm really happy with my old harbor fright generator.
Own 2 harbor freight generators. The 8750 absolute beast runs my plasma cutter and welder and the 1400 I just bought in an emergency situation for my 2nd property 2 hrs from home. Save my house from freezing ran both my boiler pumps and the oil furnace when a tree took out my power lines. Super quiet no problems and it was -3f ran like a champ.
Thank you. I live in the desert and need something for cooling if the grid goes down in the summer. The Generac is an affordable emergency option until I can get the solar set up I want.
The 1200 Generac has the exact same housing as the Harbor Freight 1400. Different face plate, but it's obviously made by Generac. Great video, great information! Thanks!
Excellent short video my friend! My brother just paid up for a Honda which is a great machine, but your info is going to save me some money on that Generac!
I bought a HF 2000 gen. And when it ran, it did a good job. Getting it started was a bear. Even the manual said to pull the rope 20 times with the gas off, then switch gas on and start pulling again. I counted 82 pulls before it finally cranked. I suggest a better quality gen or one with an electric start.
@@mcapps1 I ended up giving the HF to my stepson. He's young and strong so let him yank the starter, lol. I did buy a Honda 2200i and converted it to tri-fuel but use propane most of the time.
@@plucky2115 definitely the fridge. Usually when I lose power, it's in the winter time. And I need to run my refrigerator and the fan on my fireplace insert for heat. It has no problem running those two together. I guess it would depend on the size of the AC unit. My advice would be to bump up to the 3000 watt unit which is also extremely quiet. Then you wouldn't have to worry at all.
That was a great video! And...it got you a new subscriber. Me!!! I bought two of these last year and a coupler that lets me put the two together for more wattage. I haven't used them yet, but plan to keep one on my smaller (Westerly Centaur) sailboat to run a small air-conditioner or freezer-plate type ice-box. I plan to test one out on video soon, using it to operate the blower for a player-piano that I put on a farm wagon to "serenade" the neighbors and cows.
Have you ever looked into how remarkably similar all these small generators are? Seems like they may be a catalog purchase for these companies, or one manufacturer is licensing these out to the others. The predator and small generac look nearly identical, as do the generac, powermate, wesringhouse, and pulsar 2200-2500 watt inverters.
Nice review generac makes great items. My sister has them for her backup on her house. Been a solid performer for the past 12 years of it used 7 times.
01:13 Not for nothing but regular gasoline is 87 octane in some places. Here in Northern Colorado, it is 85 octane. The CO detector is a real value,. The fact that Harbor Freight is over-priced is amazing and really uncommon but it is what it is. PS: I love your videos and you add enormous value to the DIY outdoor community.
What he don't mention is the warranty. You can beat it to pieces with a hammer and they'll hand you a brand new one. Also you can take it in right before the warranty is up and get a brand new one
Same in Salt Lake City. 85 octane is crap. Costco sells 91 for a lot more money. I bought 89 at a chevron for about 20 cents more, but it gets me about 50 miles farther on a tank of gas. At home i buy maverick 92 octane no alcohol for about a dollar a gallon more. I drain and fill the gas tank when I put it away and every 6 months if i don't use it. . My 20 year old harbor fright inverter generator still runs like new.
I employed a 25% off coupon for this purchase. It"s primary function is to quickly power up my ecoflow solar generators. I have larger gas generators for household appliances.
I start by looking at small generators like this and progress up the scale to 9500 watt big daddies, do a little dreaming about hooking up my house, and then quit. lol.
I always figured having multiple smaller generators was better than one big one. If one fails, you only need to rethink your power usage, if your big expensive one fails, you're SOL.
Build quality is everything with any device like this. the gas engine needs to have a durable cylinder, piston & rod assembly or it will end up like many of the Chinese scooters and motorbikes, with a dead cylinder. and these only have 1. also, the copper windings in the stator are always a concern, that's where a lot of the savings are made as well. same goes with power hand tools. I ended up with a Briggs because of the USA design and the known-for cast iron cylinder sleeve, not aluminum or other alloys which won't last. as long as I want it to anyway. I paid $600 for a 2000W and I know it's a good build. it's been over 10 years, no issues.
I notice some similarities in the case design of the Preditor and the 1200watt Generac (to the right) in your display there.... 'exactly matching' similarities. Can't vouch for the internals, but id be willing to bet thats not just skin deep.
It's more and more common for one factory in China to make multiple 'brands' but are mostly the same thing - give or take some features like that CO detector.
I own an AiPower 2300/1800 inverter Gen(Red Case) purchased for $380 before taxes. It powered two refrigerators, 2 t.v.s, 2 pcs, gateway and modem, It we needed to use the coffemaker or microwave, temporarily, I just unplugged the refrigerators, just to play safe and plugged them back in when done making coffee or warming food. Because it is gear driven, not belt driven, it is about 4 to 8 pounds heavier than comparable Hondas and other inverter gens. With the telescopic handle, it is as balanced and easy to move about as airport luggage with wheels. Doing a dead lift into the back of the pick up truck, uuuuh, a slightly different matter. At 50lbs, It may take a two person life, if you have strength or back issues. As mentioned below, the parallel cables will Connect it to another AiPower or easily to any other brand, inverter gen. Unless things have changed it came with a 3 year warranty. AiPower also sells a Yamaha powered inverter gen(Blue Case) which comes with a 2 year warranty. This is not to talk against the Predator brand. The 1400 would be inadequate for my needs. I know of a few people who have the 7500 and larger versions and are happy with them. It would be recommended to get the extended warranty. The cost will save a lot of headaches on the back end. Customers who had to use it, found Harbor Freight easy to work with for exchanges.
Nice video SC! Harbor Freight now has 9500 w Predator available and they compare it against the Honda 7,000, and it is a whole bunch cheaper. There is a lot of attractive value when saving a pile of money, but, for me, I’ll wait and will buy the most reliable and serviceable.
The 100 dollar one my company uses every day for 8-12 hrs for over a year two strokes the only problem with them is it starts to leak gas but we change all that before using them have two never have any problems
Most likely. Everybody has such brand snobbery but when it comes down to it, the inverter generators all come from one of two factories. And about 80% of them that are 2000watts to 3500 watts are made at the senci factory with the same Yamaha mz80 engine. So go with the cheapest, highest wattage.
4th - I'm shocked (pun intended) at the price. There will likely be deals and coupons at various times. That's the HF way. Despite the price, it appears to be a solid unit.
That's the tricky part for shoppers. Maybe with a coupon it will be better, but until then we don't know for sure. I really wish they just sold at a regular price all the time.
The price is because of the CO detector - a requirement to get a Consumer Reports recommendation. The "better value" generators mentioned in the video do not have the CO detector. Predator makes the 2000W without a CO detector for about $500.
Good information, because I am in the market for a Generator. But I don't want to spend a arm & a leg, I think I'll take a look at the video you posted for that other generator you talked about on this video.
Nobody pays full price for HF generators. They sell most on their 20% off days or the many special deals throughout the year. The 2k and 3.5k generators also compare very beneficially to other brands (cost) and definitely features, quality and sound level. The claim that HF is new to inverter generators is untrue. The 3.5k model has been a best-seller for many years. The 2k model with its connector cable approach, allowing you to combine 2x 2k depending on your needs is pretty unique.
I appreciate it. I had to do the same test on their big generator, had to improvise that one! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-TfnMW1jwQEs.html
I have a 2000 I bought 4 years ago for an off grid cabin. It just passed 6000 hours of trouble free running. Change oil ever 100 hours. It will run over 12 hours on a tank of gas. Had 2 Generacs before. One ran only 800 hours the second 1200 hours before the engine swamped. I will never buy another Gererac, but will highly recommend the Predator 2000. Just understand it limits and service every 100 hours.
Any chance you’ll be reviewing their new 9500 watt inverter generator it’s supposed to be the Honda eu7000is rival but at only $1799. Not sure if I should go cheap or ball out and pay almost $5000 for the Honda.
depends on your use case. if your planning to use it for more than 5 years then buy the honda. replacement parts will most likely always be available for the honda.
I have a Honda 25 years I just to buy a part it wus a switch Uther than filter or gas hose that's it I used it for 10 days AFTER hurricane it payed for it self time after time buy one's n cry one's If buy a new one i think it be a Honda
The 2000 watt predator will push a 1100 watt window mount ac and a couple led lights around 4 hrs running the ac on medium and the compressor engaged all the time...I believe spec is .26 gal per hour at 50% load..so it runs a bit better than spec. Running basic low volt lights in my mo ho with the refer running on propane and the batteries fully charged it will run over 10 hrs on a tank..full to the top is 1.2 gal. Like I replied to another poster...its an Ok gen for light duty use..just understand that when it breaks nobody has parts. If you buy one remove that stupid screen they put on the end of the exhaust..it will use a little oil while the motor is breaking in and the residue will plug the screen up and unless you know what you are looking at you wont have any fun figuring it out...ya, it will make a little more noise, generators do that and always will until someone figures out how to build one with an electric motor :)
I bought my AiPower 2000watt/1600 watt Inverter generator about 3 years ago for $389.00...they're still about that price....as good as the Honda that costs $1000.00 or more... and mine came with the "Connect 2 together" already built in...just use the provided cord. I bought a second one because the first one was so Great !
I use three of these predators on a food truck. Running for 6 hours, 4 or 5 times a week. Year and a half later they’re still crushing it. I DO think this is a case of paying for build quality. It’s worth it. Edit: just thought I’d add my “2 cents” because I see a lot of people about to make the mistake of buying a cheap generator.
I have the predator 3000w inverter generator and I love it. But it’s almost 100 lbs and a pain to lift to the truck bed. I’m getting this little thing.
Great video!! I wasn't looking for a generator but what kinds of appliances could these run? They are fairly cheap so maybe I would purchase one for an emergency!
Great review but I do have to take issue with the claim that you need a pure sine wave generator to run electronics. That may have been true 10 or 15 years ago but it's the furthest thing from the truth nowadays. Almost all modern electronics including computers and TV sets today utilize high frequency switching power supplies with a wide voltage input range. Just about all electronics today are supplied with switching power supplies that have an input voltage range of between 90 volts and 250 volts and will accept anything from 50 hertz to 60 hertz. You can pretty much feed modern electronics the crappiest dirtiest electricity available and they won't even care. Of course this wasn't always true when electronics utilize transformer style power supplies. Transformers are wound for a specific voltage and anything outside that range can cause problems. Modern electronics use high frequency switching power supplies convert AC to DC and they are very efficient filters so in reality it doesn't matter if you feed them a modified shine wave or a pure sine wave. Now there are devices that modified sine waves can cause problems with for example refrigerator compressors or electric motors with windings in them. The good news is that pure sine wave inverters have become very reasonably priced which wasn't always the case because when they first came out they were extremely expensive. The other problem with inverter generators is that they have an extra stage meaning that they aren't actually as efficient as constant speed generators that use an alternator to generate electricity. Inverter generators are only really practical if you have varying loads and never really need to run them much above 50% load for any extended period of time. Unfortunately if you need to run your inverter generator at 70% of load the majority of time then it will actually burn more gasoline or fuel than a alternator style traditional generator. Again this is because there is an additional stage in the generator known as the inverter and there is significant loss in the inverter sometimes as much as 20% So in general if you have a 2000 w inverter generator and a 2000 watt alternator style generator and you're constantly running them at about 1500 watts the inverter generator will burn about 20% more fuel than the alternator style generator. What that means is that inverter style generators aren't necessarily the best choice if you're planning on using your generator to power your home if the power goes out unless you're very careful on how much you load it down. That explains why generators designed for household backup use are of the alternator style and not inverter generators. With that said the gentleman in the video is correct, generac and Onan pretty much set the standard for generators. I also own the little Onan suitcase generator and it is a very nice generator
I've got a question for you. I have a inverter 2200 w cheap Chinese 80cc generator that was running around 3 amps maximum for six months about eight hours a day. I was running a small appliance & a electric blanket on low. The instruction booklet for the electric blanket come to find out later said do not run with a generator. The generator puts out around 15 amps Max. the generator died the engine Rand and overload like just kept coming on it wouldn't make any power. luckily they replaced my generator at the store but I'm a little skeptical of using another inverter generator. I could hear the generator when it was running on echo idle surging up and down which is hard on it for long periods running the electric blanket and small appliance. I heard that the inverter board burned up in the inverter generator. What do you think?
