Can a $259 generator be any good? Sportsman 4,000/3,500 watt dual fuel generator.
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- Опубліковано 11 лип 2024
- This video runs down the details of the 4,000 peak watts / 3,500 running watts generator by sportsman. I go through set up, show what’s in the box and test it out. Model #803266
4,000/3,500-watt Dual Fuel Powered Portable Generator, Runs on LPG or Regular Gasoline
www.homedepot.com/p/304541553
Hi Rob- I bought one at HomeDepot and it shipped today. I paid $299. The snow storm in Texas has opened my eyes to protect my family and me.
Thank you for the video.
You’re welcome. I hope things are getting better down there. I’ve heard a lot of people had bursts pipes. Hopefully this generator passes the test of time for us. Let me know how you like it.
Is this gen loud or ok?
@@redinstrumental7535 - To be honest, I think all generators are loud. This one is no exception.
Great Show!!! My power just went out today for 3 hours im going to get one day after tomorrow!! I have alot of frozen food!! Thanks for the show brother!!!
You are very welcome! Im glad it was helpful. Mine is still running great. I fire it up and use it every couple weeks to keep fresh fuel running through it. Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate you taking the time to comment with the encouraging words. Let me know how you like the one you get.
You did a great job so I guess I'll make my decision to get one thank you
Thanks! I appreciate you saying that. Let me know how it goes.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 me to I going to buy right now
@@MsJorgiyo cool, I’m glad it was helpful. Thanks for letting me know. Let me know how you like it.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 I'll let you know. I ordered it now online at Walmart. Thank you
I have one that runs just on propane and have been using it flawlessly for 5+ years and for the price it can't be beat!
Nice! Thanks for letting me know. Hopefully mine lasts a long time too.
I wish I had another one right now we had a bad storm here a month ago and I had no power for over a week so I ran it nearly 24/7 most of that time while I replaced the utility pole to my cabin. Had tree's down everywhere big oak tree's too well finally after 6 years the generator stopped putting out voltage. The motor still runs with 1 pull but I figure I burned out the magneto finally
Very informative. Excellent video! Thank you! I would like to know what some longer term use looks like.
That’s a great idea. I should make an update and talk about my use and what my experience has been like. Thanks for the idea, and thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
I just got the same one from Home Depot. You didn't sound interested in the propane option, but that and the price is why I got it. Propane doesn't go bad, but gas does. I'm going to get a few propane canisters. Maybe run it on gas, and have those in reserve.
Yeah, that’s a very good point. My plan has been to get ethanol free gas, put some sta-bil in it, and use it enough to rotate it every so often, but I think that’s definitely worth thinking about doing.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 Good video Go with the propane, For a backup generator the biggest problems are caused by degrading gasoline. Dont fall in the Sta-bil nonsense. Gas stabilizers are snake oil. If you can get ethanol free gas that is better than regular pump gas but use the propane. Whole house standby generators run on LPG or natural gas. There is a reason.
@@TedBishop1 home stand by gens also burn 50-100 gallons of fuel a day not 5 - 10 gal a day lol
@@TedBishop1 ur correct on propain staying good long term - it's good to have propain on hand for interment power outages - but for long outages gasoline or diesel is a better choice if u don't have natural gas - generators Burning on propain burn a lot more fuel than gasoline generators - propain gens burn 30% more fuel than gasoline generators but the fuel can be stored forever and u can use large bulk tanks as used for homes
Thanks for the review....
You’re welcome. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. I appreciate it.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 Because of your review I am going to get one of these Generators....just my way of ensuring that Texas never has another Cold spell or power outages like we had last month. :)
It might be one of the best investments u made - my dad bought his in 1935 he used it thru 15 hurricanes countless tropical storms and freeze outs - in 1983 was the last freeze out in South Louisiana we used it for that also - I gave it to some one in 1998 & they continued using it - they can last a long time
I just purchased one of these in tri fuel 12 days ago. Listed at $799.99 on sale on line at H D for $349.00 and tax. Free delivery to home. I purchased it because I already have a natural gas quick connect weber grill on my deck. I don't intend to ever put gasoline in it. I purchased a 10 foot quick disconnect 3/8 ID hose (rec. in directions) at my H D for $39.00. It connected right on gen. where you can also put the propane hose/regulator. that came with. Other end plugs right into quick disconnect where Weber Grill goes. A PGV and a NGV is also provided. You have to switch that in line valve too but it's just a clamp on both ends and only takes a minute or two to change if switching from N G to Pro. I don't intend to use propane either. No changes are needed for gasoline. Other thing I did was run a ground (8 foot copper coated rod hammered into ground 7 foot 8 inches) with quick disconnect. Put oil in it and tried it out, it started right up and ran great. Today I received the wheel kit made for these 4000/3500 watt tri fuel Generators. I ordered on ebay for $49.00. Wheels/axle goes under motor side , stands go under Gen. with handle going on Gen. side too. Where stands clamp to frame I wrapped with two sided sticky tape first as others said they tended to move. I'll put a set screw in if tape don't work out but I think it will. Today I also received the 10 inch long plug/cord/adaptor ($19.00 Amazon) that adapts the 30 watt plug on Gen. for recreational vehicle to standard 3 receptacle /plugs. That gives me 7 standard receptacles total. Should not be a problem as long as I keep the total drawing watts in line with the Gen, 3500 running output watts less 20% loss for running on Natural gas. Owners guide says it gets full 3500 running watts on gasoline with a 10% loss running on propane, 20% loss on Natural gas.
Nice! It sounds like you got a great deal. I thought about putting on wheels, but I’m not sure if I want to do that, or get something lighter if I need to take it somewhere.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 Hi Rob, thank you for the reply. I've been a long time looking and waiting for a manufacturer to make one of these "small" Generators to run on "Natural Gas" and that's why I got it. It's always fresh (as opposed to gasoline) and I'm never out of fuel (as opposed to propane) as long as I pay my bill. LOL. 13 years ago when my last "propane gas" Grill rusted away I bought a "natural gas" Weber Grill at H D. I had plumber friend ($100.00 with materials) run the natural gas quick disconnects to my deck. No more changing propane tanks in the middle of cooking a good steak! As for the wheels I'm 78 ( I don't do any lifting I don't have to) and don't loose electric that often so I store the gen. in my oversized 3 car garage. To wheel it from garage to deck, plug ground to quick disconnect, plug natural gas hose to quick disconnect takes less then 5 minutes or so. Actually the quick connects only take about 30 seconds. Wheel kit is "overpriced" for what you "get" but works well for what it "does". You could use a small inexpensive dolly from harbor freight but not on unpaved surface well.
BTW, I wondered about that grounding situation when using these in the field/picnic/camp/hunting/etc. I guess you read what I did at my home.
If u have natural gas it's the only way to go - it's normally 1/3 the cost or less of propain, gasoline or diesel - also u don't have to concern your self about running out - pipe lines are seldom interrupted
Well done Rob. I just got one. Did you or will you ground it as the manual instructs? It seems the unit would be difficult to always keep dry as per instructions while grounding it at same time.
Thanks. Well, I bought the stuff to do it, but it was getting cold and dark out, so I figured I’ll probably do it in the spring. Yeah, I think it would be hard to keep dry. I put a tarp over top and ordered a cover for when it’s not in use. I considered using some pvc and some plexiglass or something to protect it from rain or snow coming right down on top of it while it’s running, but it won’t stop rain coming from the sides in the wind. I don’t think most people usually ground a generator., but I don’t think it would hurt, so I’ll probably go ahead and do it this spring.
Paul, you can read what I did for ground on my post above. One grounding rod from H D and some quick connect/disconnects. I keep Gen. in my garage when not in use. I don't know how folks ground these when using in the field but I don't intend to do that so.............
@@tomtransport Thanks!
$500 at Home Depot now after Hurricane Nicholas! People are buying them up but I'm used to a 12k plus Watt generator. These won't hardly run a vacuum cleaner without bogging down bad on Propane but it's better than nothing
Yikes! It sucks the price went that high.
Excellent and very detailed video!
New fan, new sub!!
👍🏻🧔🏻
Awesome! Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. I appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 I appreciate the time and effort it took to make this video! Thank you very much it helped me make a good decision on my purchase.
💲✌🏻🧔🏻
Thanks, I’m glad it helped👍🏼.
Thanks for the review! How is generator after all this time? Thinking of buying one as rolling blackouts are being predicted this summer.
You’re welcome. It’s been really good. It still starts up easily. Yeah, it would definitely be good to have something in case you need it. A generator and some cans of gas could really tell out in a blackout.
We are in NC. I'm trying to decide between solar vs fuel. Considering all options and factors of cost and fuel storage we have decided on both. We've decided on solar for at least the fridge/freezer, aka 1 large appliance, and this bio fuel generator as the primary backup. Even though our current administration is discussing banning gas/fuel powered generators. May God Bless all.
That’s probably a good way to go. There is a newer solar generator that can charge in like 45 minutes when plugged into AC. If it weren’t so expensive, I’d get one of those and use it in conjunction with the gas generator. I have a solar generator, but it takes overnight to charge, even on AC. Really, I need a solar system with more panels / wattage for it to be as effective as I’d like in my situation. So for now, until solar is more affordable, my strategy is the same as yours. I’ll use both, and improve on what I have when I can.
You made a statement about some one might say it's not a Honda - they might be right - but on the other hand if your going to buy a Honda u would be better off buying 3 or 4 of those gens instead of one Honda - if the one Honda brakes down u have nothing - but if u have 2 or 3 spare sportsman's u still have plenty lol
lol, very true. My thoughts exactly. I’m willing to pay for quality, but I think this is the better value. Plus, this leaves me more money to get a smaller portable one if I ever want to. I wish this one had a primer, because if it hasn’t been started in a couple weeks it takes more pulls to start it, but it’s not too bad.
I just found your video, Rob -- you did good job!
I have two questions:
1. It's been a few years since you bought your unit; are you still happy with it?
2. Would you trust it to power sensitive electronic devices (PC, laptop, TV, etc.)?
Thanks,
-- Old Matt
I just bought the same one a couple months ago about. I did notice that thing idled way too high so i adjusted it.
Cool. Overall a good experience though?
Im still kinda breaking mine in little by little. First 20 min of run time I changed the oil then at bout 45 min then at 1 1/2 hr run times. There was some nice glitter in there the first couple changes n less on the 3rd one. I didn't put no load on it until after the 3rd oil change. So far so good
With dual fuel engines u can start them on propain then turn on the gasoline when it starts running rough turn off the propain then it will smooth out and run on the gasoline
That’s pretty cool. I could use a small tank for when it first starts.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 if gasolinr is slightly old u will find it very difficult to start a gen engine or a lawn more it's because the propain or down here they use butain evaporated out the gasoline - so the engine is eather very difficult to start or won't start - in that case shut the gasoline off, start it on propain let it warm up then turn on the gasoline at the tank when the engine starts running rough turn off the propain and it will smooth out running on gasoline ( if the gasoline is to old or flat as it's called the engine will run sluggish) but the propain will get it running regardless - it's best to add STA-BLE to any gas that is not used emeditlly - it helps to maintain the desolved propain or butain in the fuel and reject oxidation
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 if u stick your finger in gasoline when you pull your finger put it should feel cool that cold feeling is the propain evaporating off the distalints - if your finger doesn't feel cold the gasoline is flat or the propain has evaporated out the gasoline - in that case it's unlikely the engine will start with out priming the carb with fresh gasoline or starting fluid or using the propain to start it on a Dual Fuel gens - I prefer Dual Fuel gens for that reason
Heck of a deal.
Yeah, definitely l. I’ve been pretty happy with it.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521
If you want to make the exhaust quieter see if you can find some flexible steel electrical conduit that will fit over the exhaust outlet and run it into a 5 gallon bucket about half full of water.
During the winter it can be difficult to start a air cooled engine u might have to pull it may times to get it to start - pull start air cooled engines have a automatic compression release built into the engine - it makes it much easier to pull start but it makes it to when the climate is cold u will have to pull it several times till it starts - another problem is gasoline has propain dissolved in it - if u take a bottle of coke and shake it when you shake it the desolved carbon dioxide is freed and it foams up - gasoline has propain or other light hydrocarbons diisolved in it - when gasoline is cold it won't free up the propain - the propain is the catalyst that the spark plugs ignites - once the propain in the gasoline lights it ignites the rest of the distilnts in the gasoline - if u tap the carbarator bowl when it's cold the slight jarring might defuse some of the propain and the engine will start easier - or with a dual fuel u can start it on propain then change it over to gasoline after it warms up some - u can also take a propain torch and just let some propain in the carbarator while starting the engine after it's running it will shake the carbarator and dislodge the propain loose put of the gasoline - . then the engine runs smooth - when u hook up the propain to a dual fuel engine crack the fitting and bleed the air out the gas line also if u shut the gas off at the tank for a while bleed the gas line first at the engine or u will do a lot of pulling to get it started lol ( car engines don't have a compression release the compression is enough to dislodge the gas from the liquid distalints so they start easier when it's cold on gasoline)
Cool, I’ll have to try that tapping trick next time we have a cold day. Thanks.
Just purchased one on sale at Tractor Supply for Hurricaine Season. I was under the impression it would work a few small lights and heater maybe, and a freezer and fridge. Or is that too much of a load?
Hi Brittany, in theory it should handle it. Most space heaters are 1,500 watts on high. The fridge or freezer would depend on things like the size and age, because some of the newer models can take less electricity. Let’s say they each consume 800 watts (they’re probably less). That would mean you could add 400 watts in lights before getting to the rated 3,500 watts. I wouldn’t run it at full capacity constantly outside of those emergency situations though, because it’s harder on the generator to run at full capacity constantly.
Something you could do to know how much you can plug in is get something like the “Kill-a-watt”. You plug it into the outlet, and plug whatever you’re testing into it. It’ll tell you how much that refrigerator and other things you want to run are consuming. I’d use LED bulbs if you can, because they take way less electricity than old incandescent bulbs. You should be able to run those, but make sure you have a good heavy duty extension cord. You don’t want to put too much power through a thin cord. It could overheat and cause a fire. So make sure to not go over the wattage rated for your extension cord. Run 2 cords if you need to to make sure you’re safe. Good luck.
I almost forgot. Here’s the link in case you’re interested. www.amazon.com/P3-P4400-Electricity-Usage-Monitor/dp/B00009MDBU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=killawatt&qid=1625634957&sr=8-3
Rob mentioned that they sell kilowatt hour meters - by now you might have one -
With generators there very handy - I live in the deep South in a rural area and my power can go out for months at a time after hurricanes -
When a generator states 50% load as with those types of generators -
Although it states it is a 4000;watt generator - that means it can handle a surge of 4000 watts for 4 seconds - if you have a 1000 BTU AC window unit -
When it comes on the surge might be 4000 watts then in a few seconds it drops to drawing 1000 watts continuesly -
That generator can handle up to 2800 watts continues - but you really don't want to draw that much continues power -
When it states that a generator will run for 9 hours on a tank of gas at 50% load -
That is not half of 4000 watts or half of 2800 watts -
It is 25% of the continues load - so 50% load would be 700 watts continues load - that might be a fridge and a 5000 BTU AC window unit -
The left over 2100 watts is needed for starting the compressor in the AC unit of fridge -
A watt hour meter will let you know how many watts your drawing continuesly -
As long as your load is 700;watts or less it will use a tank or I think 3 gallons of gas every 9 Hrs or so -
It runs most efficient at 700 watts or less - if you draw more than 700 watts it's going to drink the propane or gasoline real fast -
That's a good generator I have two of them and use them often -
If you run it on propane it might be hard to start - I just start it on gasoline - then turn on the propane then turn the gasoline valve off and it smooths out once its running on gasoline -
At full load of 2800 watts it will burn 3 gallons of gas an hour at 25% load or 700 watts it will burn 3 gallons of gasoline every 9 to 10 hrs -
Down here in the south many have generators like that one during power outages - they will have a small window AC that they use when they go to sleep and they will charge there freezer at the same time - that way there only burning a few gallons of gas a night - after a hurricane gas is hard to get
Yeah, I can imagine. I saw first hand the aftermath of Katrina in New Orleans, and I know there were places hit even worse. It’s hard for me to imagine anything worse than what I saw.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 you mention charging a solar system with that gen -I don't know the size of your solar system, if u have a small portable solar system as used for camping u would do better using something like a LIFAN ESI- 860i inverter gen - it would be ideal for charging a portable power station, as long as the charger doesn't exceed a 350 watt load on the generator - if the charge time is 6 hrs it will burn about 1.5 quarts of gasoline per tank - u can turn off the economy mode on the generator and pull 450 watts continues or so off it - but it's going to burn more gasoline - that LIFAN is the smallest genrators on the market today that I know of - it will deliver 700 - 800 watts per 1.5 quarts of gasoline over 4-7 hours of running time - it would be ideal for charging a portable power station - also although cans of air cooled engine fuel is expencive it will store for a long time it's basically benzine, in the oil industry it's called drip gas , it's a by product of natural gas - it leaves no residue in a fuel system - just let the generator run out of the air cooled engine fuel - then turn the fuel off and close the fuel vent - use 100% synthetic fleet motor oil in the gen and I'm sure the gen can last decades - as for solar panels there grate but in humid areas as in the south central and. South east areas they don't put out much power at all the moistuer defuses the UV so many panels only put out 40% of there out put - when they have cloudless sun days
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 I saw u on another clip demonstrate a power station -so I thought u might be talking about one of those set ups and gen charging
Got ya. Was it the Dewalt that you saw? I have a nature power “solar generator” downstairs in the basement. It has an internal battery, and I have two of their external batteries connected. I can’t remember for sure, but I want to say each battery is about 1 kWh if I remember right. The inverter can put out I believe 1,800 watts continuous, and I don’t remember what the peak is. My thought was to run things like the furnace (it’s natural gas, but it has the blower), and the refrigerator, and freezer, and maybe a few LED bulbs off of that. My thought was I’d use the gas generator for intermittent things like microwave, coffee pot, etc. what I had in mind was that even if nothing is plugged in, as gasoline generator will be consuming some gas just to idle. At the same time,, the manual does say to let it idle for 5 minutes before plugging in a load. I also don’t want to spend a ton of money on permanent things, because I’ll be moving probably a few more times to more fixer uppers before I decide to stay at a place. So many variables it’s hard not to know what is the best thing.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 I looked at your video on your power stations - in the late 1800s and early 1900s - many power plants were Hybrids - from then up into the 1960s many farms we're still off grid and used 32 volts DC in there homes for power they had macaniacal inverters that converted 32v DC to 110AC also - kitchen appliances, fridges, freezers, water pumps, fans were all 32VDC - so the technology is well understood - you mentioned that your inverter is a 1800 watt unit - the operation of an inverter is the same as a generator - what I said about generators applies to inverters as well - ( except that after the tempetuer rises above 80° F u start de-rating there out put) - I think u mentioned u have 1 kw batteries - that would be about a 85 amp 12volt AGM lead acid battery - at 80° that battery from 12.65V to 0 Volts is 1 KW - the problem is that when u have used 50% of the batteries capacity or when it gets down to 10 or 10.5 volts at 80° the inverter will cut off on low voltage - if u have three 85 amp 12V batteries then you have 1.5KW of usable power ( just like a inverter it's conditional and very's) - you need to know the actual battery capacity to know the true out put of the inverter - to run a furnace motor, fridge, freezer ect u have exceeded the power of the battery capacity you have & inverter- if u have a 3KW battery it will only deliver 50% of it rated power - at 50% discharged the battery drops to 10.5 volts - at that point the inverter cuts off on low voltage in reality a 1kw battery will only deliver 500 watts at its best when it is new - also that's over a 20 hour period that would be 25 watts over 20 hours for one 80 or 85 amp battery - on a offshore oil platform for the emergency lights or communications - that inverter would be supported by at least 80 to 160, 1kw battery's - battery/inverter technology is very limited in many cases - you might look up Pacific yachting and look up battery cycling and capacity - sail boats use hybrid systems for power - a diesel submarine can circumvent the world on 1/6 of the fuel of a surface ship of the same tonnage, so hybrid systems can be efficient - many of the power plants in the 20s for towns and city's were hybrid - as for the solar panels u would need a large array of panels to keep up with what u mentioned - I'll send more latter
Truth is name is nothing,buy what you can afford. Looks like a decent unit.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’m willing to pay for quality, but if I can get something decent for a cheaper price, that leaves me more money in my pocket to buy other things too. So, I completely agree. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Hello, Sir. I just bought one of these. how has your experience with it been over the past year?
Hi, it’s been pretty good. I sort of wish I had gotten something with an electric start so I don’t have to yank on it. Sometimes I’m lazy. 🤣. It usually starts pretty easily though. I try to start it every couple weeks though to keep the gas in it fresh. I wouldn’t have to worry about that so much if I had went with propane though. Overall, I’m pretty happy with it. Thanks for the question.
Hello, im thinking of purchasing this while its on sale a tractor supply and im trying to do all the research I can. I only need to power two things in my home, a standard size refrigerator and a small window unit. Google says a regular refrigerator is 2200 watts starting and 700 running and my ac says 1,060 watts on the side. Can you please tell me if this generator will get the job done??? Because I'm soo confused
Hi, sorry, it looks like my last response never showed up for some reason. Is that the starting wattage for the AC or running watts. I have a 8,000 BTU window unit which uses less than 600 watts running, so if that’s the starting watts and the running watts are comparable to mine, I’d say it should work. If you have a monster AC that runs at over 1,000 continuously, I wouldn’t try it.
On mine it was bearing in power head
Squeal at first then metal dust out air vents
Guile’s, that’s not cool. I hope I don’t have that problem, or at least not when I need the thing. I plan to run it every couple weeks for a few minutes whether I need to or not. Hopefully if it fails, it will give me signs before it does like the swirling you mentioned. I don’t want it to crap out on me where there is a black out or something. lol. It wouldn’t be a huge deal since I have the solar generator too.
Hi rob, is the frame of the generator steel or aluminium?
Hey Gerard, great question. It seems like I read in the manual that it is Steel. I may have just assumed that, but it seems like I read it. If I find it again, I’ll let you know for sure.
Good question, hope no one minds my butting in but I just tried a magnet to it---it is steel so is wheel kit I bought except plastic wheels.
The rv plug, is that 30 amp and does the generator put out 30 amps at that plug??
Yeah, it’s supposed to, but I don’t have equipment to test it. It’s 120v 30amp, but you’d be pushing the generator to the max. I suggest getting a bigger generator with a higher running wattage to avoid your generator wearing out too quickly if you were going to be using that much power for a long time. Good luck.
At first glance, I thought you were Guillermo del Toro.
lol, I wasn’t familiar with him. I had to Google him. I can see what you’re saying. Although he’s got some decades on me. lol. I had someone call me Chumlee in a comment once. 😂
Great genny just super loud
Yeah, I totally agree. I don’t know where Home Depot got their decimal rating from. It sure seems louder than what they claim. So far I’m pretty happy, but it does seem like it takes multiple pulls to get it started if you haven’t run it in a couple weeks. It would’ve been cool if they had put a primer button on it.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 I agree. It runs my husbands' power tools no problem. Very happy with it.
Awesome. So you’ve heard first hand how loud it gets when you run something like a circular saw then. Just curious, did you find the video after buying the generator?
How do I get mine running again. I haven’t used or ran it in over two years. It’s still brand new. Cranked up when I purchased it-and I have not touched it since. We have power outages everywhere bad storms last night.
Oh wow, sorry to hear that. We had storms here too, but nothing like a lot of places had. There are a lot of possibilities. Are you using it with gasoline or propane? If gas, did you happen to leave the old gas in it when you started it a couple years ago? Hopefully you’ve already gotten it started. Stay safe.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 yep gas was in it since the snow storms came through Texas.. my power came back on when my brother was trying to get it cranked and he took it to his house and the carb was clogged and needle. He drained it and got it running. He had propane as well. Some places here won’t have power until next Friday the 23rd. 😬
@@bellamichelle6248 that sucks. It’s a hassle to be without power, even if you have a generator l, it’s no fun, because you still have to deal with refilling, and making sure you don’t run more than it can handle at once and all that. I was afraid it might be the carburetor needing to be cleaned. The ethanol in modern fuel can gum things up when it gets old. You can get ethanol free gas, but it’s more expensive. Either way, I run mine every few weeks to keep the gas in it fresh. Some people let their small engines run completely dry for long term storage. Downsides to that are you could risk sediment from the bottom of the tank going into the carb and clogging a jet, and it might take more pulling to start it, because of no fuel being in the carburetor. I guess my method of running it every once in a while has its downsides too, because I’m just diluting whatever old fuel is let in there when I add to it, and if I don’t have a specific need to power something at that time, it can seem like a bit of a waste. I’d say there’s pros and cons no matter which way you go. I’m glad he got it going for you.
What if you use one for eight hours a day as waiting for your temp electric pole from the electric company?
We purchased one, first one was damaged during shipping, but the comment promptly sent another.
It ran very smooth at first, somewhat louder than claimed, yet better than the seventeen year old garage kept generator we bought from a neighbor.
On the sportsman we ran three fans, two computers, and a modem. After a while the brushes gave out. Super interesting design too. The tech support lady, who was awesome, said we had to much of a load as running it in propane. Likely we didn't consider reduction as compared to gas. I later noticed the rocker arm was loose. Likely due to the initial problem with the brushes
The brushes are super easy to replace. I don't believe you can blame design flaws, so we are going to try another one.
The only possible issue I see is when you have to replace the brushes, you can only get one at a time, them after a few times replacing you have to buy the brushes, however, they are relatively inexpensive.
I'm looking forward to trying again as to compare to the much louder gen, which is actually still running great, even when used eight hours a day, five days a week.
Reminds me of a carnival, as often you see and hear loud generators. Using a long extension chord helps
Comment = company. Auto correct. Grr
Oops. Forgot to mention. The rocker arm bar likely became lose due to initial overload.. then the brushes rapidly gave out.twice. as I said, will likely give it another chance. Great video, thanks
Hi Earnie, wow, was it the same size / wattage generator? I wouldn’t have guessed those things would have overloaded it. Were the computers gaming desktops? We’re they big fans? When you get it all situated, let me know how it works out. Maybe it was just a fluke. Thanks for taking the time to comment, I appreciate it.
Yeah those few items shouldn't have put you anywhere near overload.
how does it do with a small air compressor ( 6gallon pancake style)
If I bought one I would run it on propane. Gas has a tendency to clog things up when it sits up for a while.
That’s very true, and I didn’t think about that aspect when I made the video. That is definitely a huge perk for propane. I might try it with propane sometime. I bought some ethanol free gas, but it could still gum up the works if it gets old, so I run it for a few minutes every couple weeks to keep the fuel moving through the carburetor, but it would be nice to not have to worry about that.
Can this run 1 hP sump pump? I want to keep one handy for bad rainy season. I got one 0.5, one 0.75 and one 1HP sump pump. Can it run all three together?
Hi, it should run any of those with no problem, but I wouldn’t try running more than one at a time. Even if it worked, I would think you would be putting a lot of stress in the generator’s inverter if you tried to do 2 of them at the same time. Thanks for the question.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 how about Costco”s Firman 7500W Running / 9400W Peak Tri Fuel Generator?
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 Thank You for your reply.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521inverter?? This is a regular generator I believe
A 1hp pump is really pushing it - they will run a 3/4 HP - at 1hp it's better to go to a 5 kw -
This might help - when they say a generator will run for 10 hour at half load - that's not half of 4000 watts - 4000 is the VA or KVA rating - look in the Manuel and see what the continues out put is - that gen has a 7 HP engine so it about 2900 watts running on gasoline - so the load range were it will produce steady 120v/60HZ would be half of 2900 watts - that would be 1450 watts continues load on that sportsman it's a 4kva gen set - u can exceed it but it might burn out electronics, fridges, ECT - half load of the operating range of that generator is 725 watts - at that wattage or less it will run 10 hours on 3 gallons of gasoline - if u put a 1450 watt load on it u might only get 5 hours out of a tank of gas or less - at a 2800 watt if it's running a motor it might burn it out because there is a voltage and Hz drop at that point - but if anything you will be burning a gallon of gasoline an hour - air cooled single cylinder generators burn about a gallon of gas for every 2.4 kw of electricity they produce - ( they burn a lot of gasoline) lol - if u have natural gas a tri fuel engine it is your best bet - as for that sportsman's generator its a good generator for the price - all generators burn a lot of fuel inverter generators work well under vearing loads or light loads - but if its a constant heavy load they burn the same amount of fuel as a regular generator - the Philips screw driver, - right next to the carbarator there is a Philips head screw - that increases or decreases the speed of the engine if u have a HZ meter you might set it at 62 HZ with no load on the engine - then you can plug a 1500 watt heater if it settles at 60 Hz ur on target at 2500 watts you want at least 59Hz - u can go by the out put voltage of the gen also - that's one of the uses of the screw driver lol
Wow, that’s a lot of info. I appreciate all that. I’d probably run it conservatively, but I’ve been running it every couple weeks for a few minutes. I was thinking of how long it would take to charge up my battery bank connected to my solar “generator”. I know there would be efficiency losses, but I’m curious how it would work out. I’ll probably try it sometime. Thanks again for the info.
Not so sure about a gallon an hour. I have a generac 5250 starting watt 4200 continues watt with a Honda GX 8 HP engine. Running at 2000 watts give or take a couple of hundred I was burning a gallon every 3 hours. Had it running for 5 days when hurricane sandy hit.
@@richt8297 I made another comet on this sight I mentioned u - each generator is going to burn more or less fuel - loads kick on and off - if u use an Instant pot pressuer cooker as it pre heats u can hear the load on a generator - but once it reaches full steam u can hear it cycle on and off to maintain the heat level - if u were burning a gallon of gas every 3 hours your average load would be 7-800 watts - FEMA took statistics on how much gasoline the average person used daily over a yr period after Katrina to run there generator - i had a 5500 kw Generac with a Brigs 13 HP engine after Katrina - I burned an average of 18- 24 gallons of gasoline a day - FEMA listed the lower number on the net at 18 gallons a day for a 5 kw - it was the same for Honda generators and others - I went down there after the water was pumped out - there were many 5kw sets on security lighting on 250 gallon bulk fuel tanks - most burned 125-150 gallons a WK - a small Tug in the gulf of Mexico will burn 35-50 gallons of fuel a day for the living quarters alone - ( gens burn a lot of fuel)
@@able880 Thanks for the reply but I don’t quite follow you. I’ll read you’re post a couple of more times to wrap my head around it. I can tell you I was burning one gallon every 3 hours and my watt meter was telling me A 2000 watt average. The reason I know it was a gallon was because my 5 gallon cans leak when you poor them so I was filling up a 1 gallon can to fill the generator tank and after 3 hours I would shut it down and top it off and it took the whole gallon every time to get the tank to the top. Interesting reading thanks again for the reply.
@@richt8297 this might further help u ( my grandfather and a high percent of my family were all machanic/electricians) so I'm third generation - I can get deep in this area - the meter u were using would have had to been a True certified RMS meter to have given u a correct reading off the generator - watt hour meters are set up for grid power - it's refered to syinchronus AC power - that's what inverter generators come close to producing - it's refered to as Pure Sign Wave - Watt Hour Meters work well on "True Sine Wave" ( grid power) on less Certified as a True RMS Watt Hour Meter - if it's not a True RMS Meter your not going to get an accurate reading - the generator head on a portable generator are primarily refered to as an R, S, T, U, or X frame generator head - the sportsman 4000 watt generator has a S frame generator head as we term it - it produces a sharp narrow sine wave sort of like a steep mountain - an X frame generator head has a gradual incline it produces synchronized AC - a 2800 watt X frame 2 pole might weigh 250 pound or more so there not very portable also there expencive - the generator head on a Generac 4 kw it a T frame it might weigh 40 pounds it still puts out 2800 watts and will run most appliances but not effcently as a generator with an X frame generator head - in eather case on less I have a True RMS meter I cannot get an accurate KW Hour out put on a generator on less it has an X frame generator head and it is at 60HZ at any load constantly - portable conventional generators vary from 59-62 Hz and generate a dirty sine wave - so in that case u would have to go by fuel consumption to know how many KW u are generating - the sportsman 4000 has a 7 HP engine 1 HP will generate 416 watts so 7 HP will generate 2912 watts of resistive power that mean it will run twenty nine 100 watt incindesent light bulbs - half load of a genarator is 25% load so that would be 728 watts - sportsman says it will run 10 hrs at half load or at 728 watts for 10 hours - 3 gallons of gas will deliver7280 watts over 10 hrs - if u devide 3 into 7280 that is 2426 watts per gallon of gasoline - if the generator runs 3 hours on one gallon of gas u divide it by 3 that equals 808 watts an hour for 3 hours or one gallon of gasoline - so we know by how much fuel was burned how many kw were consumed - that's why I had said ur average load was 7-800 watts - u simply said your fuel consumption was 1 gal in 3 hours - if u were burning natural gas per volume1 gal of LNG is around 80k BTUs so it takes more fuel by volume to produce the same power
Sounds better under a load.
Yeah, it runs a bit smoother under load. It’s never anywhere close to as quiet as they claim, but overall, I’m pretty happy with it.
The decibel rating is usually from 23 feet away not right next to it.
Your just going to keep it outside?? If using it daily I’d understand but for power outages I’d keep it put up.
Just ordered one (Free! Safety points at work 😊) have you tested it using household appliances? Freezer, fridge etc?
works great for such items. currently using mine right now in Michigan, just had some nasty storms roll through. i’m currently running fridge, freezer, sump pump, 10,000 BTU window AC unit. she runs great.
@pmorin313 I’ve mostly used it with tools, and have used it with a refrigerator and chest freezer. It was only for a few days, but it came in clutch so the food didn’t spoil.
@lukedonaldson1 thanks for the info. So far just rain here in Port Huron this time. Last week I lost power for several days over the weekend. The street was blocked off because of a few huge limbs (more like half a tree) falling. I’m hoping DTE comes back to get my neighbor’s tree that fell in the backyard cut up. They got it off the lines and repaired the lines, but it’s still in large chunks.
@lukedonaldson1 We loose power over here in Grosse Pointe quite often as well....coming down pretty good as I speak.
@@pmorin313 yeah we’re still down over here in royal oak… lord knows when DTE will get us back on the grid
He had shown the 12 volt receptaclel and plug to charge. A automotive or RV/marine deep cycle battery - many will use that accessory to charge a battery that they will use to run 12 volt lights and inverters or appliances when the generator is shut down so there not completely In the dark when the generator is not running - I'm guessing it puts out about 100 watts or 8 amps 12 volts DC - u might think that u can just plug a regular battery charger into the generator - the problem is many battery chargers don't charge well at all off of genrerator's so the 12voltt charger accessory outlet is used instead of a AC battery charger - it's to be used on flooded or wet cell battery's - Not VR or AGM sealed batterys those need chargers that regulate the voltage or cut out at 14-15 volts or so
Yeah, a 12 volt cigarette lighter style connection would have been a cool feature, especially if it were regulated, but maybe that was a cost saving measure to keep the generator so cheap.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 the 12 volt out put on generators like that are intended for charging battery's more so deep cycle battery - the voltage can rise up to 18 volts on light loads on some generators - on many inverter generators when there in the economy mode the 12 volt option will be 13.8 volts to 14.1 volts - when a car engine is running that's the operating voltage of most 12 volt systems - on inverter generators the 12 volts is regulated when there in the economy mode ( but again there designed to be connected to a battery your drawing power off of continuely as with a camper - also when there in the inverter mode they can safely charge an AGM or Gel cell battery on the majority of inverter generators - to charge a wet cell or flooded battery u can turn the economy mode off and the.enginne RPMs will rise then the battery charge voltage will rise to a optimum 15 volts or higher - I guess on a standard generator they could have a 12 volt charging port and a regulated 12 volt port with a cigarette lighter plug as u mentioned - but as u said that would add cost to it - ( many generators no longer have the charging port ) - were I live at power outages were often up to 2000 - many had a boat or camper deep cycle battery that was hooked up to a lamp with a 12 volt 15 watt light bulb in each room also a small camper 12 volt fan - they would run the generator in the morning for a while and in the evening for a while when the power lines were down - they used the 12 volt charge port to charge the 12 volt battery that provided the lights when the generator wasn't running - even in my place in every room there was an extra lamp that was 12 bolt that was only used during power failures when the gen was shut down - it's hard to get fuel after a storm so we have to use the gens sparingly after most storms - that's what the original purpose of the 12volt DC port was, from what the old timers said -;
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 I had a friend that worked & lived down in Mexico for several yrs - in the areas he worked there was no grid - he said that the charge port was a very important feature of a generator - that was 20 or 30 yrs ago he was a oil field geologist's and would pack a Honda 650 watt camping generator on donkeys in mountain areas- they would need 115 v AC but also used the 12 volt port to charge a battery when they needed the generator for 115 volts AC - in third world countries were those gens are in constant use the 12 volt port is essential to them - for us it an accessory
Yeah, I’ve thought about being able to charge my tool batteries and use my work lights when the power is out. That little Ryobi light goes a long time on low, which was good enough to do a lot of stuff.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 that power station u have would be perfect for charging devices like that Flood light also running low draw devices like computers and monitors - in reality with out knowing it, u set ur self up right - between having a power station and having that dual fuel generator - they complement each other, when the grid is down for a while is when your really going to know u made the right choices getting that support equipment
Did you say can be converted to ng?
No, unfortunately, this one can only do gasoline or propane. I did have someone tell me they bought a version of this that can use natural gas, I think they said they got it at tractor supply, but I don’t remember how much they paid for it.
which brand of oil should I use?
Hi Robin, my dad always use to like Quaker State and Valvoline, so I usually go with one of those. Thanks for the question.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 your welcome I appreciate it
You’re welcome, I’m glad I could help.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 I lost part of the question I sent you is it Quaker state 10W30?
It's better to use 100% synthetic oil in generators - air cooled engines cylinders run hotter than water cooled engines - also in many cases u don't know what the weather will be when u need them - 5-30 W should be good thru the states - always use fleet oil as for trucks - if the need arises and your running out of oil you can pour the synthetic oil thru a funnel stuffed with toilet paper to filter it - 100% synthetic fleet or industrial oil is never changed as with mineral oil or automotive oil - we only change the oil filters - with air cooled engines with out oil filters we poured it thru toilet paper in a funnel every 3-7 days then put the oil back in the engine if it was synthetic oil - some times we didn't filter the oil on portable generators for long periods but they ran fine - shell, moble, Delo ECT all sell 100 present synthetic oil, - it's in all automotive stores
Didn't come with oil? 10w30?
Yeah, it’s 10w30. If I remember right, mine didn’t have any oil in the box. That could have been a fluke, but I’m pretty sure I remember having to run and grab some at the store because I didn’t have any in the garage.
😂😂😂love the bad takes at the end
Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to let me know!
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 😂 it caught me off guard. I thought video was ending. Needed the laugh yesterday.
@@bellamichelle6248 awesome! I’m glad you liked it. I enjoy seeing those on UA-cam channels and an TV, sometimes it’s the best part. 😂
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 😂 yes definitely should be included with every show/ episode / movie. Hope you have a great weekend.
@@bellamichelle6248 thanks you too!
who makes the motor?
I have this one and its leaking fuel help please :(
That sucks. Mine might drip once when I turn the fuel valve on and off. The first thing I’d do is try to figure out where it’s leaking. Put a little fuel in and see if you can see it.I’d check where the fuel line meets the gas tank, where it meets the on / off valve, and where it goes onto the motor. If you don’t see it or feel it, you can try using paper towel, because it can sometimes help, because you can see where the paper towel turns darker when it’s wet. Good luck.
doesnt honda make those champion sportsman?
As far as I can tell, they are made in China by a company called Buffalo Corp. it’s possible they’re connected in some way, but if they are I don’t know about it. Thanks for the question.
So, can it be any good? Did I miss the answer? I'm guessing "yes"?
Overall, yeah, I’d say I’m pretty happy with mine. It always starts up pretty early and does the job.
I have the same generator that I use for detailing for 5 years starts right up just burns oil
Cool, it sounds like this one should last me a while. Mine seems to still be good. I don’t use it everyday. I mostly bought it for emergencies, but I run it every so often to keep the fuel fresh. Thanks for commenting and letting me know. Sounds like you use yours a lot?
You right have one fairly new with the propane only use the gas an it does burn a lot of oil have to keep checking it mine blows out the air filter practically brand new
It burns a lot of oil while running one fuel type?
I had received a email from a Rich T - he stated he wasn't sure about my statement about how much fuel I said a generator burns - technically it takes 33000 BTUs to produce 2.5 HP That's 1000 watts of power - the problem is there many vereables with engines - technicly gasoline is 116000 BTUs per gallon when burned at 98% - power plants shoot for 33k BTUs of fuel per 1 KW at the Buss - piston driven stationary engines that run at 800 RPMs can be 33% fuel effecent - engine that run at 3600 don't have time to burn all the fuel, there not as effecent as a stationary engine but there lightweight and very inexpencive - if u have the resources to spend 15000 on a 3ton stationary engine do so - Arrow makes excelent oil field stationary generators that will run up to 5 yrs with out an overhaul that run on propain or natural gas - I've worked on many over 45 yrs there very reliable - the air cooled generators are excellent also - no matter what kind of generator u buy - they all burn a lot of fuel - power plants burn such high volumes of fuel they get it dirt cheap so grid power is inexpencive
Sorry for the delay. I don’t know what happened, but all of a sudden, I’m seeing a bunch of comments I don’t remember seeing before. It’s really weird. Anyway, thanks for sharing the info.
Is this loud from 10 feet?
Yeah, it was louder than I expected from their specs that were listed on Home Depot’s app. I don’t have a decimal meter, but it seemed loud. Maybe it seems worse for me because of it being in that corner, but that’s how it seemed to me. I still like it for the money, but it sure seems louder that 85 do or whatever their rating was.
Generator
Did I win? I need gas for my generator....
Yes, you are the first one to catch the hidden message in this one. Good catch. If you have Instagram or Twitter you can send me a private message with the info to send you a gift card. Do you have a preference? Home Depot, Amazon, etc?
U got it fo cheap man, thrs no way i cam carry dat thing i am freakin 110lbs so its a back breaker.
Hi Julio, sorry, I thought I responded to you already, but I must’ve pulled out my phone real quick on break at work and forgot to hit send or something. Yeah, you’re right, it’s heavy. I don’t think they should call it portable. I guess they call it that because it’s not bolted down and permanently installed, but no one is going to want to drag this too far, lol
Still working?
Sure is. So far, so good. Let’s hope it stays that way. lol
10:43 10:47
69 dbs @ 0 Load
It seems WAY louder than that, even with nothing plugged in. When I first started it up, I was thinking “69db? Maybe if you test sound level from 150 yards away”. 😂
Be careful I went through 2 and gave up on sportsman
Oh wow, is there a specific part or parts I should have on hand? What failed on them? Thanks for letting me know.
@@rob-toolsandtech2521 you said you wanted to know what spare parts u should have for them - In my case I would keep a spare rear bearing for the generator ( if u repack it with grease once every 5:yrs they will normally hold up ok) they also hold up if u don't regressed them in many cases - I keep a spare carbrators, pull starter assembly, rear bearing and a few spark plugs - ur better off if u just get another generator to back up the one u have - its difficult to repair things in the middle of a power outage or storm
It's junk bro....
Why do you say that? What has been your experience with it? Maybe you got a bad one?
Mine brand new right out of the box will not and still will not start.
That sucks. What is it doing? Does it make any noise at all?
No spark at all. Literally right out of the box. Had a power outage 2 weeks ago and energy company quoted 45 minutes so I wasn’t going to get into but after and hour they quoted 24 hours. I put oil in it fresh gas opened fuel pulled several times and never sparked. Messed with it last few days just still no spark. Plug is obviously also brand new.
@2020klwiet wow, just the kind of thing you want to have to deal with in a situation like that, right? The only other thing I’d check other than what you’ve already checked is that the switch switch on the side with the electric receptacles is on. That switch kills the motor too. Since you’ve checked the other stuff and pulled on it enough to make sure it’s got gas flowing to the carburetor, I’d say take it back if none of that works. It’s probably not worth your time to tear it apart if something is physically wrong with it. Good luck.
Thank you sir. Yeah I have another smaller generator that worked enough to power my fridge and a few lights. I have solar light outdoors I brought inside. 2 weeks ago in Michigan it was not necessary to turn on heat and I actually to a dip in the lake to shower up for work that morning. My buddies brother is a small engine guy so he’s gonna look at it. Thank for the info and the kind words brother!
I’m going to play with the feature UA-cam added to let us replay to comments with shorts. Im just going to show a few basics, but hopefully if anyone else is having some issues it’ll help.