OT - generator advice

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Richard Brookman

Guest
I'm on the lookout for a small generator to operate power tools etc while
away from home. Prefer diesel if possible. Anyone have any
recommendations?

--

Rich


 
On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 16:30:55 +0000 (UTC), "Richard Brookman"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> I'm on the lookout for a small generator to operate power tools etc while
>away from home. Prefer diesel if possible. Anyone have any
>recommendations?

If it's just power tools then why diesel? They tend to be much more
expensive and suit where use is likely to be high so the capital cost
is offset by lower fuel consumption. I find a drill and grinder can be
powered by 70 quid 2t 650w device. In fact there is one packaged with
a 2.7kVA genset for no extra cost atm.

For more regular use I would then look at a Honda powered one running
on lpg before I looked at diesel power.

AJH

 
[email protected] wrote:

>If it's just power tools then why diesel? They tend to be much more
>expensive and suit where use is likely to be high so the capital cost
>is offset by lower fuel consumption. I find a drill and grinder can be
>powered by 70 quid 2t 650w device. In fact there is one packaged with
>a 2.7kVA genset for no extra cost atm.

Deoending what to power and how often to use a dc/ac converter and
eventually a second battery could be a cheap and reliable option. We
have only the converter in one of our cars in the company, but it is
powerful enough for a grinder or something like that up to more than
one 1kw. When the job takes a bit longer it was always enough to let
the engine run not to empty the battery.



regards - Ralph

--

Want to get in touch? http://www.radio-link.net/whereisralph.txt
 
So [email protected] was, like

> On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 16:30:55 +0000 (UTC), "Richard Brookman"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I'm on the lookout for a small generator to operate power tools etc
>> while away from home. Prefer diesel if possible. Anyone have any
>> recommendations?
>
> If it's just power tools then why diesel? They tend to be much more
> expensive and suit where use is likely to be high so the capital cost
> is offset by lower fuel consumption.

OK - diesel's out then. Would have been easier to carry one type of fuel,
that's all.

> I find a drill and grinder can be
> powered by 70 quid 2t 650w device. In fact there is one packaged with
> a 2.7kVA genset for no extra cost atm.

Where would that be from?

> For more regular use I would then look at a Honda powered one running
> on lpg before I looked at diesel power.

Thanks

--

Rich

Pas d'elle yeux Rhone que nous


 
Richard Brookman wrote:
> I'm on the lookout for a small generator to operate power tools etc while
> away from home. Prefer diesel if possible. Anyone have any
> recommendations?
>
If cost is not an issue I'd look at one of the Honda inverter series
generators. With their Eco Throttle setting they only run to the revs
needed to make the output actually being used so they are very quiet and
economical.

--
EMB
 
On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 08:49:46 +1300, EMB <[email protected]> wrote:

>If cost is not an issue I'd look at one of the Honda inverter series
>generators. With their Eco Throttle setting they only run to the revs
>needed to make the output actually being used so they are very quiet and
>economical.

.... and expensive...

I have a Honda EU-10-i and it's the bogs dollocks for weekends away,
shows (field cinema is run off it - chained under the front of
Grumble, you simply can't hear it running), and obviously as a backup
for the office (ergo: legit business expense) ;-)

 
Mother wrote:

> ... and expensive...

But worth every penny.

>
> I have a Honda EU-10-i and it's the bogs dollocks for weekends away,
> shows (field cinema is run off it - chained under the front of
> Grumble, you simply can't hear it running), and obviously as a backup
> for the office (ergo: legit business expense) ;-)

I've got a EU20i for my motorhome and with it mounted in a slightly
soundproofed locker I notice the slight vibration of it running more
than the sound.


--
EMB
 
On Sun, 28 Nov 2004 19:32:25 +0000 (UTC), "Richard Brookman"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>
>> I find a drill and grinder can be
>> powered by 70 quid 2t 650w device. In fact there is one packaged with
>> a 2.7kVA genset for no extra cost atm.
>
>Where would that be from?

Northern Tools Xmas offers, they're a poor firm IMO but it's cheap,
GBP 235 inc VAT for both delivered IIRC, btw I made a mistake and the
bigger one is 2.2KVA. Also I have a horrible suspicion these things
will not meet regulations for site work :-(.

You really need to consider your usage, I tend to use a grinder for
emergencies, the little 650W genset stays with me at all times and can
be carried easily, it also uses the same fuel as other kit I use. If I
need to weld something or pump a tyre then the 4KVA genset is needed,
'cept this needs two fit people to lift it, even then it will not
start my 2KW compressor unless the reservoir is nearly discharged.

I really wanted to go down the inverter genset route, one 1KVA and a 3
KVA to have the option of ganging them together but they cost 7 times
as much as the cheapies and would need about 5 hours work a week to
justify them.

AJH
 
On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:34:37 +1300, EMB <[email protected]> wrote:

>> ... and expensive...
>
>But worth every penny.

Absolutely. I've several generators, ranging from 2kva to 16kva* and
of all I like the Honda best and certainly feel it to be the best
value overall.

>> I have a Honda EU-10-i and it's the bogs dollocks for weekends away,
>> shows (field cinema is run off it - chained under the front of
>> Grumble, you simply can't hear it running), and obviously as a backup
>> for the office (ergo: legit business expense) ;-)
>
>I've got a EU20i for my motorhome and with it mounted in a slightly
>soundproofed locker I notice the slight vibration of it running more
>than the sound.

I'm going to mount my EU10I on the front of Grumble inside the
bush-bar cage. I've been wondering about vibration. I've an idea for
thick rubber base (around 2").

Next, the orbiting brain lasers (erm, sorry, wrong group...) :)


* yeah, like it'll handle any more than 8kva in reality :-(
 
So Mother" <"@ {m} @ was, like

> On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:34:37 +1300, EMB <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>> ... and expensive...
>>
>> But worth every penny.
>
> Absolutely. I've several generators, ranging from 2kva to 16kva* and
> of all I like the Honda best and certainly feel it to be the best
> value overall.

Thanks to all for the comments. I've now gone a slightly different route
and bought a SIP 2-stroke jobbie for under a ton including VAT and delivery.
It only delivers 800W continuous, but that's probably all I need. At that
price, I couldn't resist. If in the future I find I need more power, I'll
bit the bullet and go for a Honda, and the SIP won't owe me very much.

I've had it running in the back yard for a couple of hours, and it's
reasonably quiet and doesn't smell. To simulate a load I put a table lamp
into it. The dog thought it was hilarious. Floodlit ball games on the back
lawn.

I understand watts and amps, but what's a kva when it's at home?


--

Rich

Pas d'elle yeux Rhone que nous


 

"Richard Brookman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> So Mother" <"@ {m} @ was, like
>
>> On Mon, 29 Nov 2004 09:34:37 +1300, EMB <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>> ... and expensive...
>>>
>>> But worth every penny.
>>
>> Absolutely. I've several generators, ranging from 2kva to 16kva* and
>> of all I like the Honda best and certainly feel it to be the best
>> value overall.
>
> Thanks to all for the comments. I've now gone a slightly different route
> and bought a SIP 2-stroke jobbie for under a ton including VAT and
> delivery. It only delivers 800W continuous, but that's probably all I
> need. At that price, I couldn't resist. If in the future I find I need
> more power, I'll bit the bullet and go for a Honda, and the SIP won't owe
> me very much.
>
> I've had it running in the back yard for a couple of hours, and it's
> reasonably quiet and doesn't smell. To simulate a load I put a table lamp
> into it. The dog thought it was hilarious. Floodlit ball games on the
> back lawn.
>
> I understand watts and amps, but what's a kva when it's at home?
>
Kilo Volt Amps. Takes into account power factors, roughly the same for
motors as Kw

Peter.


 
Richard Brookman wrote:
>
> I understand watts and amps, but what's a kva when it's at home?

kVA is roughly equivalent to kilowatts. There's some complicated
physics bits about why they're not equivalent but you're fairly safe to
subtract 20% from the kVA rating to get the watt rating (ie 1kVA is
about 0.8kW or 800 watts).


--
EMB
 
On Wed, 1 Dec 2004 19:50:28 +0000 (UTC), "Richard Brookman"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Thanks to all for the comments. I've now gone a slightly different route
>and bought a SIP 2-stroke jobbie for under a ton including VAT and delivery.

Much the same as mine then, mine is apparently derived from a Yamaha
motor cycle engine.

>It only delivers 800W continuous, but that's probably all I need. At that
>price, I couldn't resist. If in the future I find I need more power, I'll
>bit the bullet and go for a Honda, and the SIP won't owe me very much.

We used a 5hp Honda to "civilise" a semi permanent caravan on a remote
site, it ran a few hours a night for a couple of years, it was still
going strong when it was nicked.

>
>I understand watts and amps, but what's a kva when it's at home?

It's the maximum rms current times the rms voltage. With ac the
current can run out of phase with the Voltage, especially running
things like motors, so while a load with 230 Volts across it and 4
Amps flowing through it will draw 4 times 230 Watts instantaneously
the current times Volts could be higher. To accommodate this the
generator electrics are specified as a maximum Volts (what the
insulation in coils can work at) times the maximum current (what the
wires in the generator can stand without getting too hot). So the 1kW
generator may be rated at 1.5kVA, there's generally no problem with
drawing too much power from the system as it simply drags the engine
down on these small devices.

AJH

 
Mother wrote:

> I'm going to mount my EU10I on the front of Grumble inside the
> bush-bar cage. I've been wondering about vibration. I've an idea for
> thick rubber base (around 2").

I've got some nice little rubber engine mounts (designed for small
stationary engines) that I'll mount mine on when I've got 5 spare
minutes and the unseasonal summer rain stops - bloody motorhome won't
fit into the shed. From past experience (mounting Honda driven pumps
onto diesel tankers) they will eliminate all the vibration. Use the
lightest mounts you can - the only critical specification is that they
can support the weight of the generator. When I've tried the thick
rubber base thing it doesn't seem to have done much.

>
> Next, the orbiting brain lasers (erm, sorry, wrong group...) :)

I'll send you some plans - they had stuff like that in the neurosurgery
ward at the hospital when I was visiting a friend yesterday. :)


--
EMB
 
EMB wrote:
> Richard Brookman wrote:
>
>>
>> I understand watts and amps, but what's a kva when it's at home?
>
>
> kVA is roughly equivalent to kilowatts. There's some complicated
> physics bits about why they're not equivalent but you're fairly safe to
> subtract 20% from the kVA rating to get the watt rating (ie 1kVA is
> about 0.8kW or 800 watts).

......when driving motor loads ?
If you run lamps or heaters, then 800VA = 800 W

Steve
 
On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 10:49:03 +0000, Steve Tayior
<[email protected]> wrote:

>> kVA is roughly equivalent to kilowatts. There's some complicated
>> physics bits about why they're not equivalent but you're fairly safe to
>> subtract 20% from the kVA rating to get the watt rating (ie 1kVA is
>> about 0.8kW or 800 watts).
>
>.....when driving motor loads ?
>If you run lamps or heaters, then 800VA = 800 W

Yes but in this context the 800VA genset may well not be powerful
enough to drive an 800W load but the 1kVA one may.

AJH
 
On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:07:25 +0000, [email protected] wrote:

>Yes but in this context the 800VA genset may well not be powerful
>enough to drive an 800W load but the 1kVA one may.

My view on this is that I never load any generator with more than 60%
of its rated power.

 
On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 09:29:23 +1300, EMB <[email protected]> wrote:

>I've got some nice little rubber engine mounts (designed for small
>stationary engines)

This is my 'Plan B' :)

 
Mother wrote:

> On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 11:07:25 +0000, [email protected] wrote:
>
>
>>Yes but in this context the 800VA genset may well not be powerful
>>enough to drive an 800W load but the 1kVA one may.
>
>
> My view on this is that I never load any generator with more than 60%
> of its rated power.

Hi Martyn.

Why ? Is it because you are running critical loads ?

Steve
 
On Thu, 02 Dec 2004 13:46:09 +0000, Steve Taylor
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Mother wrote:

>> My view on this is that I never load any generator with more than 60%
>> of its rated power.
>
>Hi Martyn.
>
>Why ? Is it because you are running critical loads ?
>
>Steve

Absolutely.

It would never do to lose power to the fridge, leading to run-away
beer warming.

David
 
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