Good Cheap Generators: Harbor Freight & Ramsond Sinemate
Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 8:05 pm
I've been pretty happy nursing along my fumey sputtery little Harbor Freight 2-stroker 900 watt Storm Cat generator that some lumbering jamoke, in a surge of testosterone and frustration, had chucked into the parking lot when they wouldn't let him return or exchange it without a receipt. Having rolled to a stop not far from my tow beast, I just tossed it into the back for later examination. A few shots of carb cleaner, some fresh fuel and an old garden gate handle screwed on to replace the broken plastic original, and it's been happily sputtering along ever since. I just adore it: it's light and compact and really portable...just the thing in the boat yard for powering the odd tool or topping off the batteries. In fact, I've appreciated it so much, a few weeks ago I bought a spare just for the hull of it while it was on sale for the princely sum of just $88. I am sure this one is getting a far more conscientious breaking-in than its predecessor. The trick with these rigs is to replace that Chinese Bongodongo (or whatever it's called) spark plug with a name brand NGK (BP6ES), Autolite (64) or Champion (RN11YC). You'll hear the difference almost immediately as it smooths right out, especially under any kind of load. Sure, it'll run with the Bongodongo...but it'll run better with a better plug. Thing is though, 900 watts won't make the nut for my little power washer, or lots of other gear we might want to use on the boat. And while its loudmouth sputtery ways may be inoffensive in a boat yard, maybe even a little charming, I'd have to guess it would be less so in a quiet anchorage or marina first thing in the morning putting its shoulder into running a coffeemaker.
So, I'd been sort of eyeing the newer far quieter and more powerful Harbor Freight 4-stroke Predator 2500 Peak/2200 Running Watts Inverter Generator, a reasonable enough knockoff of the comparable but far more expensive Honda and Yamaha units popular with cruisers. I'd been just biding my time until the thing went on special again for under $400, when I just happened to notice something on eBay called a Ramsond Sinemate 2500. What struck me about it was the fact that it offered not only a regular 120V 15 Amp wall socket style outlet, but also a proper 30 Amp shore power style twist-on outlet, as well as a " \ / " style 12V DC outlet with a set of matching jumper cables...And, get this: electric start! So, I set up a lowball snipe bid to only post in the last 7 seconds of the auction and got it for just $405 with free shipping no less. From that price I'd have to guess not many folks have heard of Ramsond generators yet. I hadn't, and there are few reviews online. Still, if mine is any indication...You will. Everything works tip-top so far. Having spent a couple of evenings breaking her in properly, last weekend in the boat yard her shore power tested dead steady on the meter at 120 volts, charged my dual batteries even as can be while the stereo pumped, then ran my 1600 watt power washer several hours without so much as a hiccup. Just out of curiosity I downloaded a decibel meter to my Android phone, and the thing apparently consistently puts out less than 60 dB at 10 feet (not 10 paces) in Eco mode with a light load (an oscillating fan), even from the exhaust end--much less, like down into the mid 50s, from the other side. Not too shabby for four bills. The Harbor Freight Predator unit claims a sound rating of 64 dB...But that would likely be on its best day: overcast, with no load and surrounded by shredded egg cartons, and huge genetically modified hyper-furry bunnies, I'm sure. The Honda 2000i genset claims 53 to 59 dB, but then it also costs about $1,100 bucks. Oh, I'll still be using the little sputterbox, for sure. It's just too handy...but for quiet tasteful and polite shore power away from shore or beefier requirements, well...
Why all this damned power washing all the damned time, you ask? Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems I now have a "fleet." You see, as well as the Mac 26X and the Amphicar, I seem to have acquired a pretty little Com-Pac 16 sailboat for a dollar. Details and photos here.
But fear not, you'll always be my first love...
So, I'd been sort of eyeing the newer far quieter and more powerful Harbor Freight 4-stroke Predator 2500 Peak/2200 Running Watts Inverter Generator, a reasonable enough knockoff of the comparable but far more expensive Honda and Yamaha units popular with cruisers. I'd been just biding my time until the thing went on special again for under $400, when I just happened to notice something on eBay called a Ramsond Sinemate 2500. What struck me about it was the fact that it offered not only a regular 120V 15 Amp wall socket style outlet, but also a proper 30 Amp shore power style twist-on outlet, as well as a " \ / " style 12V DC outlet with a set of matching jumper cables...And, get this: electric start! So, I set up a lowball snipe bid to only post in the last 7 seconds of the auction and got it for just $405 with free shipping no less. From that price I'd have to guess not many folks have heard of Ramsond generators yet. I hadn't, and there are few reviews online. Still, if mine is any indication...You will. Everything works tip-top so far. Having spent a couple of evenings breaking her in properly, last weekend in the boat yard her shore power tested dead steady on the meter at 120 volts, charged my dual batteries even as can be while the stereo pumped, then ran my 1600 watt power washer several hours without so much as a hiccup. Just out of curiosity I downloaded a decibel meter to my Android phone, and the thing apparently consistently puts out less than 60 dB at 10 feet (not 10 paces) in Eco mode with a light load (an oscillating fan), even from the exhaust end--much less, like down into the mid 50s, from the other side. Not too shabby for four bills. The Harbor Freight Predator unit claims a sound rating of 64 dB...But that would likely be on its best day: overcast, with no load and surrounded by shredded egg cartons, and huge genetically modified hyper-furry bunnies, I'm sure. The Honda 2000i genset claims 53 to 59 dB, but then it also costs about $1,100 bucks. Oh, I'll still be using the little sputterbox, for sure. It's just too handy...but for quiet tasteful and polite shore power away from shore or beefier requirements, well...
Why all this damned power washing all the damned time, you ask? Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems I now have a "fleet." You see, as well as the Mac 26X and the Amphicar, I seem to have acquired a pretty little Com-Pac 16 sailboat for a dollar. Details and photos here.
But fear not, you'll always be my first love...
