Generator Recommendatons?

[kumpy]

The last track day I did was with Penguin in NJ. NJ has a history of overloading circuit breakers resulting in a cut off of power to my tire warmers. It was quite unsettling going out in cold weather (38 degrees morning, high of 55 degrees afternoon) with race tires without tire warmers. I was so fixated on cold tires that I wasn't able to enjoy the track days as much as I could. We had an all time record of 22 crashes that day alone! I'm proud to say I wasn't one of them. Anyways, anyone recommend a good generator that can power up to 2 sets of tire warmers, relatively quiet, portable and lightweight, and not too heavy on the wallet? For those who don't use tire warmers and take an extra lap to warm up tires, good for you. I also want to use the generator to power my home use as my town is known for loosing power during bad weather.

[csmutty]

The last track day I did was with Penguin in NJ. NJ has a history of overloading circuit breakers resulting in a cut off of power to my tire warmers. It was quite unsettling going out in cold weather (38 degrees morning, high of 55 degrees afternoon) with race tires without tire warmers. I was so fixated on cold tires that I wasn't able to enjoy the track days as much as I could. We had an all time record of 22 crashes that day alone! I'm proud to say I wasn't one of them. Anyways, anyone recommend a good generator that can power up to 2 sets of tire warmers, relatively quiet, portable and lightweight, and not too heavy on the wallet? For those who don't use tire warmers and take an extra lap to warm up tires, good for you. I also want to use the generator to power my home use as my town is known for loosing power during bad weather.

If it is that cold tire warmers aren't going to do anything because the track is going to cool them down anyways. And you are not going to want to lug around a generator to power your home for tire warmers. For a house the minimum I would consider is 5000w. That size is going to be bulky and heavy. It is also going to go through gas much faster and will be much more expensive to purchase.

Again honestly, street tires would have been better suited for the days there at that temp rather than race tires and warmers.

[kumpy]

Yeah, I was thinking of getting an extra set of street tires for that purpose specifically. Then I need to get an extra set of wheels. I already have an extra set of wheels with rain tires mounted on them.

[csmutty]

Yeah, I was thinking of getting an extra set of street tires for that purpose specifically. Then I need to get an extra set of wheels. I already have an extra set of wheels with rain tires mounted on them.

I don't think you need an extra set of wheels. Temperatures are predictable. If it is going to be cold then have them swapped ahead of time or at the track.

[Garandman]

I saw both a Honda EU2000i and a Honda EU3000i down there. We have both of those. They are both inverter generators that use a hell of a lot less gas than standard generators because they don't need to run at full rpm to generate 120V. The EU2000i is about $1,000 and the EU3000i is about $2,000. they are just coming back into dealer stock after the shortage caused by Sandy.

Your home requirements can really vary depending on what kind of heat you have, etc. If you have oil or gas fired heat, you just need enough wattage to run the circulation pump. You probably also want to run the fridge and a few lights. I know folks that are running an EU2000i overnight for the heat and fridge.

But if you have a well pump, for example, you're going to need a bigger generator and big inverter generators are very expensive.

If you buy the EU2000i, consider buying the Companion unit for an extra 100. It has the 30 Amp plug and all you need is some parallel cables to run a second EU2000i in parallel. The reason people do this is that they are portable and use a hell of a lot less gas than most other setups of comparable output.

We just had out house wired with a switch so we can run on generator power. Outages have been rare in Boston but loads are increasing and the grid is getting older, so I expect the situation to get worse, not better.

[Point37]

i got my 5500W for sale...i'm looking to go bigger...
http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/tls/3372205274.html

this is from consumer reports...

[jwm2k3]

100% get the Honda eu2000...

It produces WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY less noise than any other brand. And you might not have considered that, but believe me, you will be hated by everyone if you have a loud one.

I remember selling these for like 900-950 when I worked at the Honda dealer. Its the best one for your needs. Trust me, and I dont know you, but Im sure you will be pleased for years and years with it. Easy tp start, super quiet, very fuel efficient, light and easy to carry/transport....etc etc etc....

[DucDave]

100% get the Honda eu2000...

It produces WAAAAAAAYYYYYYY less noise than any other brand. And you might not have considered that, but believe me, you will be hated by everyone if you have a loud one.

I remember selling these for like 900-950 when I worked at the Honda dealer. Its the best one for your needs. Trust me, and I dont know you, but Im sure you will be pleased for years and years with it. Easy tp start, super quiet, very fuel efficient, light and easy to carry/transport....etc etc etc....

This is what I have. Starts easily, easy to carry, and in an outage it will power my furnace, refrigerator, a couple lights, radio, and cell phone chargers,

[mojobreakfast]

The Yamaha 2000 watt inverter unit is just as good as the Honda and might be a little cheaper. I think it's the EU2000i or whatever. I have one and it rocks. Light and whisper quiet.

[Puppet]

I agree. The 2000 Honda or Yamaha inverters are great choices for the track, easy to move around, power two sets of warmers, and are nice to have around the house if you need it.

You'll pay a couple extra $$ for them over the loud, home depot specials, but they hold value great if you ever need to turn it around.

I've used my Honda for 3 years at the track, next to no maintenance other than adding gas, and it fires up every time. Quite enough to have a conversation while standing next it.

If you want to spend the extra money, the Honda EU3000 Handi is an awesome balance of weight and portability for the bigger unit, but you definitely pay for it.

[dontpanic]

this is from consumer reports...

You beat me to it!!

[Garandman]

this is from consumer reports...

You beat me to it!!

They do not test any of the inverter systems. Those are all the so-called "construction" generators that tend to have pretty high output and aren't too expensive, but compared to inverter systems are noisy and use a lot of fuel. Some of them don't have very "clean" power to run electronics, either. But they have tremendous bang for the buck, high outputs, and put out 240V, something most inverter generators don't do.

The Yamaha 2000 watt inverter unit is just as good as the Honda and might be a little cheaper. I think it's the EU2000i or whatever. I have one and it rocks. Light and whisper quiet.

The Yamaha EF2000iS and Honda EU2000i are both quiet inverter generators with 1600W continuous and 2000W max output. They both can be paired to double output and both have low-oil protection.

They aren't the only ones with 2000W inverter systems: Briggs & Stratton Generac, Boliy, and others now have 2000W inverter generators. But the Honda EU2000i remains the best selling of the ilk.

[tropicoz]

I'm with the other guys who say to get either a Yamaha or Honda. I finally broke down and spend the $$$ on a Honda EU3000 this past spring. It's so quiet, it's ridiculoous. It powers my entire trailer (fridge, computer, lights, warmers, and heater if the need be. A good investment.

[Garandman]

I'm with the other guys who say to get either a Yamaha or Honda. I finally broke down and spend the $$$ on a Honda EU3000 this past spring. It's so quiet, it's ridiculoous. It powers my entire trailer (fridge, computer, lights, warmers, and heater if the need be. A good investment.

Not sure if it's a new model or not but Honda now has the EU3000i Handi. It's 78 lbs versus 134 lbs dry for the EU300iS and comes with wheels.

The iS has an electric starter (not required except perhaps for the elderly or something) and a 3.4 gallon internal tank. We bought one for work in part because it doesn't have wheels and is too heavy for most guys to lift alone - nearly 150 lbs fueled. It's also incredibly quiet - even quieter than the EU2000i.

Yamaha has 2400W and 2800W [peak] models as well. I think the Yamaha 2400 is one of the most popular models after the Honda EU2000i.

I've become a bit of a generator nerd lately. We had an electrician in to do some wiring so I had him install an interlock switch and external plug so we can run the house on a generator if the power fails. Boston hasn't had many outages but when we do, I think it's going to be a doozy and if it's winter, the misery quotient starts to mount up.

Here's Honda' explanation of Inverters.

BTW, if any of you own a Prius or other Hybrid, with the addition of an inverter folks are using them as a power source.

[Rada]

This Yami is on my shopping list. It is pretty much made to run RV AC units. So it's quiet and will do warmers easy if that is on your list of things to power.
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/...75/0/home.aspx

[No Quarter]

I've had my Yamaha 2400 for 5 years now. It powers my furnace, fridge, some lights, TV/DVD etc. If I want to use the microwave or toaster oven, I just unplug the fridge temporarily. It has a fuel shutoff valve, I always shut the fuel off and let it run out, and always keep the good Blue colored Stabil in the tank. It has served me very well, never failed to start on second pull, reliable, quiet and easy to move. Love it.