Portable Generator

[MattL]

Hello all, I'm getting ready to purchase a portable generator for the boat, I've narrowed it down to three manufacturers, Honda, Generac, and Yamaha, all being the 2000 watt models, looking for suggestions on which to buy.

Thanks,
Matt

[biggerseagar]

Hi Mattl...you have picked the 3 most go with in the portable genny category. OK each have their good and bads. First...if money is no object go with honda and it is the quietest and very well built. On the cheap are generac's. Good warranty save some money. And last.....Yamaha well save a little money , reliable , like a Honda but not.

If it was my choice...the honda would be it..

Now your choice....

Roger

[shrew]

I use a Honda 2K generator. In full disclosure, I've had a few Honda motorcycles and at least 4 Honda vehicles. The newer Generac 2K claim to be quieter than a Honda, however I strongly suspect that is at low rpm's. One can play tricks like lowering the idle RPM to make that claim. Honda's are bullet proof.

[mrt214]

The Honda is a great choice because of reliability, quiet and easy on gas. The 2000w is great for everything while off shore power, except air conditioner. Air needs a good 3500w and above to get started.

[shrew]

Originally Posted by mrt214

The Honda is a great choice because of reliability, quiet and easy on gas. The 2000w is great for everything while off shore power, except air conditioner. Air needs a good 3500w and above to get started.

That really depends on the size and number of A/C units. I can run my A/C just fine on a Honda 2K. It's worth noting that I can't run other high amperage consuming devices with the A/C, like the water heater or an electric stove at the same time.

[biggerseagar]

I'm glad you clarified that Shrew! I have read that numerous times that you couldn't and also you could. What is the truth? Glad to know!

Roger

[Chillaxintoo]

Those of you that are running the portable generators, where are you locating them. I have thought it would be nice to add one but not sure I really want it topside taking up valuable deck space. Would love to see where you are putting them and how it has worked out.

[Phillbo]

Be mindful of the exhaust. If running a generator while on the hook place it on the rear swim platform. If beached place it on shore and run a long cord.

[mrt214]

Honestly I have never tried a 2k on my air. I will have to try one to see if it works. I do not use the stove and if I need hot water I have a 4550w gen that I bring if I stay over where there is no shore power. Swim platform is best place to transport in my opinion. A Honda 2k would be ideal since they are lite and don't take much space. My air is 16,000BTUs so I'll let you know if it does the trick.

Thanks Shrew for the info.

[shrew]

I anchor with a single anchor, so the bow is almost always into the wind. I place mine right in front of the port side windshield. I aim the exhaust outboard and back at a 45 degree angle. When the generator is running, the front and side isinglass is completely closed. This pushes exhaust out and backwards, away from the boat. The wind takes care of the rest. I also close the galley port hole which is sitting just below the generator along with the after deck hatch which is sitting right behind it.

Note I have a CO detector in the cabin and it never goes off.

It's too loud and in the way on the swimplatform.

[ertyqway]

I have a Honda eu2000i and friends with the Generac and Yamaha gennies, so a good basis for comparison.

The Honda and Yamaha are comparable units. The Generac is not in the same class and should not be considered equal to the other two. It's a LOT louder (remember that 3dB is twice as loud because sound pressure is measured on a logarithmic scale) and seems to make more exhaust fumes.

I usually run my Honda on the swim step when at anchor. That's because the bow will almost always be pointed into the wind when on the hook, so the exhaust will blow away behind. We have never had the CO alarm set off by this setup. However, I still would not leave it running while somebody was sleeping in the cabin below.

If I need the gennie while tied up in such a way that I was not rotating with the wind (on a dock with no shore power, or rafted up with a bunch of other boats), I'll usually put it up on the bow pulpit. This locates it far away from people, but does mean that there is a larger risk of getting CO in the cabin. When we do it like this, it usually means all the cabin ports must be closed while the gennie is running. If the weather is hot, that's a no-go. So back on the swim step it goes.

At one particular raft-up, we did try putting the gennie in the dingy and standing it off with a long extendable boat hook to keep it a little ways away. The boat hook also serves as a cable-carrier for the shore power cable, so it doesn't fall in the water. This setup works very well but is a pain to rig and take down. It also takes the dinghy out of service. So we haven't done it again simply to avoid the inconvenience.

The Honda eu2000i is a great generator all around and I have no complaints about it at all. It's by far the quietest generator I've ever experienced (though it's still not QUIET-quiet....it's a gas-power motor still). It also does well with covering peak loads while also being very fuel efficient. I can run it continuously for more than 8 hours on 1 gallon of gas. But we aren't ever running A/C on the gennie either. Mainly, we use it to power electronics, water heaters, or the microwave while at anchor. Also for charging the batteries if we've been out for awhile.

The next step for us is also installing a 2000w inverter-charger with a dedicated house bank. Then we'll be able to have AC power all the time when away from the dock and still only run the generator at more convenient times just to charge the batteries. I've already got the inverter (KISAE Abso 2000). Just need to find a place to put it and wire it up.

[Tzmanyndvl]

Originally Posted by shrew

That really depends on the size and number of A/C units. I can run my A/C just fine on a Honda 2K. It's worth noting that I can't run other high amperage consuming devices with the A/C, like the water heater or an electric stove at the same time.

Looking at getting a 2k generator, what’s the largest a/c unit you can run with a 2k generator? Once the a/c is up and running can you run anything else?(hot water heater? Receptacle? Etc)

Mike

[shrew]

Originally Posted by Tzmanyndvl

Looking at getting a 2k generator, what’s the largest a/c unit you can run with a 2k generator? Once the a/c is up and running can you run anything else?(hot water heater? Receptacle? Etc)

Mike

Use can install an EasyStart to help with the initial load on larger generators.

[MoonRiver]

Will the new Honda eu2200i handle the load.

[yahoo82]

I run my 12000 BTU AC with my Honda 2000i. It's a stretch but works with a trick. I start up the generator with eco-mode off, then I will turn on the AC.
Usually the relays just click due to the voltage drop when the compressor turns on. My workaround is to turn on either the HW heater or my Stove for just a few seconds to get the Generator to throttle up, then kill those breakers as soon as the compressor starts to wind up. This won't work using the AC thermostat obviously but usually we're just cooling the boat down in preparation for the little one's nap so I set it to 60 and let it run constantly until happy.

One note: look into making a "grounding plug" which bonds the neutral and ground together and avoids any floating voltage on the ground.

[mrt214]

I tried a 2k gennie on my air and, no go. My air is 16,000btu so I have in the meantime purchased a 3500w inverter from Harbor Freight and it runs everything on my boat, air and water heater at the same time. This thing is very quiet and it ran for over 14 hrs on one tank of gas. ( 4gal) I think. Price was around $650 on sale. So far there are 8 of us who have these and 4 are houseboats.

[Phillbo]

Please think about the exhaust from a portable.