harbor freight 900/700w generator

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harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby Dschroeder83 » Sat Sep 06, 2014 2:26 am

has anyone used this generator for running the battery charger and small appliances? have a coupon to pick one up and its fairly cheap. I know its not a huge output basically just wondering how its worked out for people

http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-ge ... 60338.html
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby lrrowe » Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:08 am

I have no personal experience with these generators.
But a HF salesman told me they were "loud". Yes, I know that is vague; i.e. how loud is loud?
I am sure someone on the forum can be more credible and I believe it may have been discussed before. You might try to search for topics on it the forum.
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby MtnDon » Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:14 pm

from the users manual

24.
Wear ANSI-approved safety glasses
and hearing protection during use

Operational Volume
82 dB


and it's a 2 stroke.
Our 6x12 deep vee nose cargo trailer camper conversion... viewtopic.php?f=42&t=58336

We have a small off grid cabin we built ourselves in the NM mountains; small PV solar system; 624 watts PV, Outback CC & inverter/charger ... http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2335.0
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby lrrowe » Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:39 pm

MtnDon, I knew I could count on someone like you to be more specific then I was. :thumbsup:
Bob

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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby working on it » Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:51 pm

Loud and having to mix gas/oil to run it, all for 700 watts? If you need it as an emergency use only, to power some lights, OK. But I'd go bigger if I were you. Just my $.02. Here's the HF user guide for choosing a generator. It shows 700 watts (running) will power 6 lights or a mini fridge or a small microwave...I'm not sure if it is enough for a hot plate or a Mr.Coffee ( whoops, showing my age... I meant a Keurig).
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby Toyotamike » Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:29 am

I use this one dry camping. I wouldn't use it at night as you might aggravate your neighbors in camp. But it is great for the cost. We got the 1 year warrenty so I may take it back near the end of the warrenty just because 2 cycle motors aren't the best for longevity. It is not whisper quiet but 40 feet away it is just a background hum.
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby booyah » Wed Sep 24, 2014 2:53 pm

I have one of these for power outages.
runs 6-8 hours on a gallon of gas, and can power the fridge and furnace at my house. What more can I ask for for under $100?

I plan on using it camping as well, I've seen it run a 6000btu window shaker without issues, so taht might be nice for when I am boondocking and want to cool things down before bedtime in the summer
My build, 5x8 modified benroy "Smiles to go". Started April 2nd 2015, first trip August 2nd 2015.

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harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby GerryS » Thu Sep 25, 2014 5:03 am

I've got one that was probably built by the same political prisoners sold under the Meijer brand.

We ran a concession business and ran fans and lights with it, but with flickering and buzzing not heard when running on other power sources. 6 hour run time is about right, maybe longer. Load has a lot to do with that. It worked fine, but I wouldn't put sensitive electronics on it unless it were truly an emergency. It started easy when we got it, but less so now that it has a hundred or so hours on it...it usually takes started fluid now. But once it's warmed up, it starts without much fuss.

Just for giggles, I tried to run a 5000 BTUS window shaker on ours....no dice. Once the compressor kicked in, the unit bogged down and died. Even my 2400 watt yamaha has to work a little for that.

My though is why would I trust a $100 generator to charge a $600 phone. I haven't got an oscilloscope to see how clean the sine wave is but harbor freights track record on things that have moving parts isn't the highest. Screwdrivers and wrenches are another discussion.

As far as noise, it's a 50cc 2 cycle, so it's sounds like a chainsaw, maybe a little quieter but not a lot. For us, we used to put up a sound shield (a couple boxes or boards) between us and the generator, keeping it about 50 feet away from us, and it was tolerable but it certainly could be heard.

Something not discussed, is that it does produce that beautiful 2 cycle oil smell. Seriously, I like it. Reminds me of an old lawn boy mower my gramps used to have, But take heed a fellow camper might feel a little differently.
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby absolutsnwbrdr » Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:54 am

I had the little blue beast for about a year. Used it a few times boondocking to recharge batteries during the day. Sold it when I got my solar panels.

I didn't have any complaints about the generator. I have no real praises for it either. For the price, it did exactly what it was supposed to do - it made electricity. It also makes some noise, but you don't have to go running for ear plugs. Don't expect it to be as quiet as the Honda's that literally cost more than 10 times as much.
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby ctg1129 » Fri Oct 17, 2014 6:54 pm

I used one for about a year. I would use it to run a power supply to charge batteries for my RC helis and planes. it worked fine. Finally broke down and bought a Yamaha EU2000 from Wise Sales( got a better deal than the honda) and I do NOT regret spending the extra money. I place the genny about 5 feet from my table at the flying field and hold a normal conversation with it running. And it will run forever on a full tank of fuel.

Spend the extra now on a good generator and it will pay for it self.
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Re: harbor freight 900/700w generator

Postby Gold5one » Mon Feb 09, 2015 11:00 pm

My generator arrived today- it's another Chinese clone of the Yamaha ET950 2 stroke, that the HF one is based on. I looked high and low for this one- it has a 71cc engine, HF is 63cc. It is rated 800/1000 watts , HF is 700/900 and it has an 12vdc 8.3 amp battery charging outlet, which the HF do not ( that's a big extra). In addition the gas tank is 1.2 gallons, which is bigger than the HF one. The extra engine power and generator output might be just enough to get by. The goal is to run a 5000 btu A/C and run a 700 watt microwave. Obviously, not at the same time.
The generator is an All-Power APG-3004A 1000 watt model- $89.95.(ebay) I wanted a cheap generator to deter theft and it's also fairly lightweight, which is an all important consideration. I'll post the results later on my Weekender-XL build topic.
added: yes, it does run my Haier 5000 btu A/C with no engine strain.
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