I wanted to leave a comment on the performance of the tri-fuel conversion kit that I added to my Predator 3500, version 2, generator. I bought the kit a couple of months ago and watched the videos on how to install. The installation was straightforward and simple. A very well designed kit that fits with no need to modify anything to make it work. I set it up for natural gas and yesterday was the first time I needed to use it due to a PG&E power outage. I connected the regulator, plugged in the hose, turned on the gas, and pushed the start button. It took a little while for the gas to reach the carb and then it started right away. The rpm smoothed out quickly and it provided more than enough power to keep the refrigerator and freezer running with no problems. The outage lasted a couple of hours and I was very pleased with how the modified generator worked. I have a 3/8" quick disconnect hose that I use for both the generator and my Weber grill that I converted to natural gas. It is about 15 feet long and works well. No need for a larger hose with 1/2" disconnects. I am happy with the conversion to natural gas since it is much cheaper than propane and there are no trips to the gas station to get my cylinders or gas cans refilled.
I already have the 1st version of the 3500... been working great now for several years.... After watching this... I see nothing wrong with the 5000.... I think it's great and I'm gonna buy one...
I just bought this unit. I also have a double pole 30 amp breaker I added to my main line when I need to run lights and such in the house during a power outage. Just bought 25’ of 10-3 cable and wired up a 30 amp plug that plugs into this unit. Works just fine to get me by without needing to run any large appliances.
This is what I also am looking to do. I have a Reliance 30 amp generator inlet plug and interlock feeding a double pole 30amp breaker. Did you get a tt-30p to l14-30r adapter that bonds both hots to feed the entire panel?
I got one this week for $900 and it is my first generator. I am only needing it for 2 sump pumps and a window AC. The push button and remote start are perfect for my wife and kids.
this generator was clearly made for people with small-medium travel trailers. and needing something a little bigger and better than a 3500. for trailer camping families, this is a home run.
Definitely, harbor freight is slowly realizing brands such as Champion and Duromax are taking away their market share. If they don’t offer more choices to their customers, that customer will spend their money elsewhere. I believe the Predator 5000 was much needed in their lineup.
@@jeffhopper3526 if it has two AC's it most likely 50amp two 115 poles as people would say 230v 50amp. most Rv's i see are 50 amp. but i guess it depends were you go and the wealth of the park guests.
I bought 1 yesterday... let it run a couple hrs to break in. Totally happy with the purchase. There are larger ones for less but this one is more moble and definitely quite.
It's amazing to me how people with no knowledge (ignorant) of how things work, will come in with such loud complaints. In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. Ignorance by choice is called stupidity.
How efficiently will the 9500 run a 50A RV? I realize that true 240V 50A is actually 2 legs of 120V with a min of 6 GA wire. This generator is not a 50A. We have 2 ACs in the unit with a microwave, 2 TVs, ice maker, and air fryer. Since it's not a true 50A gen set, will it pop the breaker if we run 2 ACs and microwave and Air Fryer? We currently use a Hona 3K inverter generator with the 50A adapter in the 30A Gen set outlet and it always pops that circuit. Trying to find an inverter gen set that is not Onan but has a true 50A outlet on the generator.
Definitely made some quite excellent points. A 5,000 Wp generator is really on the borderline to might as well go with a bigger generator if you want to 120/240 loads for whole home backup use. There's quite a lot of non-inverter generators out there that are 120/240 capable and you can get away with it if you really know what you're doing. Worse thing can happen is if you overload it is tripping a breaker or the engine stalls out compared to popping the inverter module. As for the natural gas debate, it really depends on the application. My experience when running on alternate fuels is what is the availability and is it worth the cost of having that feature that you're more than likely not ever use it. In my use case, I live in a tropical cyclone prone area and having a fuel source that is not tied to a specific infrastructure better for me. A couple of years ago we had a "mild" tropical storm that went through our area, not only we lost electricity along natural gas. What I found out later was the natural gas pumping got flooded out during the storm. My neighbors who had natural gas whole house generators were down for the count several hours after the power went out. I myself still had power alternating between gasoline and propane keeping my backup batteries topped off for a week.
Your right about that. There is one other small open frame non inverter genset that has the 220V plug and that would be the Generac GP3300 but that's only 15amps. Good enough to run your well pump. During the 2021 Texas winter storm folks who only invested their genset to run off of NG were really left in the dark. I had a few customers buy my kits and were confident on just being on NG. Problem was, they were not in control of NG as a fuel source. Folks really need to have at least one propane tank as plan B in any given situation or else you'll be in a world of hurt trying to save your family in an emergency situation.
The generator is no designed for homes it was specifically designed for RV folks. Majority of RV's run 30amp circuits. You can run the AC and other electronics with the 3500. However, as soon as you turn the microwave on the 35000 would trip. This 5000 fixes the problem.
I bought this 5k unit for my travel trailer It is replacing dual Ryobi 2300w units. And I am SO happy with the upgrade. I literally bought one 45 minutes after learning about its release
Scott I had exactly the same Ryobi’s in parallel for my tag along. Got tired of lugging around two generators etc so I bought the predator 3500. It’s awesome! Just bought the 5000 and am anxious to see how it works with my soft start
Seems like the addition of a CV carburetor could possibly be very beneficial in this type of application. Harley used them for years and they do quite well at adjusting to altitude.
I have a mobile home and my Harbor Freight Predator 3500 runs the whole house except the A/C, with "everything on", even the microwave. So, I would think the 5000 should do it with ease. Great video. Thanks The problem I have with the Predator 3500 is the fuel tank, fuel tank filter/strainer gets contaminated, even though I've used Sta-bill 360 since new and I run the unit twice a month for 30 mins. to exercise it. Only had to use it twice for 1-2 hrs.
That’s correct. Not all 100% open frame generators are non inverters, I’ve should have made it clearer. I’ll pin this comment to the top. Thanks for your input 👍
We purchased a 50acre ranch with no electric on site, so solar and generators are a must. Until our home is complete we stay in the RV, and this 5000 is perfect. In the Texas summer you need to have the a/c on even at night. I also have the 9000 for running the well pump, arc welder or any large projects, but it is way too loud to run next to the RV at night.
Crap my 2013 duromax 3500 runs all 5 ceiling fans, every single LED in the house, 4 bedroom 2 bath 2000 sq ft. 4 tvs and 4 PlayStations, 2 deep freezers and 1 fridge. It’s been plenty and still runs great. But it will not run our coffee pot even plugged straight into the generator with nothing else hooked up. Or even our shop vac lol. 😅 But when I found out it was dirty electric never again will I run a tv, or gaming console, computer etc on it. This 5000 inverter predator for $1099.00 is a steal in my opinion, and will do all we need to make it through a power outage in certain. You are so right in this video and so direct and straight to the point. Ppl get these and bitch and complain bc it won’t do more than it is suppose too. Common sense is so lacking these days. Good video man.
Enjoyed your video. I did the same thing at my home about a year ago. I selected a Champion generator dual fuel 9350/7500. Didn't want gallons of gasoline sitting in my garage. Prefer propane. The power on propane is a little less but it doesn't require fuel stabilize and is safer overall. We have solar on our roof that provides a surplus each year but if the grid fails solar systems without battery backups have a switch that shuts off the solar power to prevent it sending power down stream that could harm utility workers trying to repair the grid. So our geny like yours powers the entire house! Got a super deal on it, so my investment was very reasonable.
Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your experience! I always tell folks don't just rely on solar power, having both works as a fail safe. Same with LP and NG, use both and have them ready.
I bought a 5000 it does well for my travel trailer, runs my 15000 BTU AC, microwave and several other appliances. One thing I ran into was, when it’s extremely windy run it with the panels off. This will not trigger the carbon monoxide detector.
Hi Don, that would be our drill free Tri-fuel conversion kit. Bolts on without cutting/drilling into your generator. You can check out the link here -----> ua-cam.com/video/JK2-eR4xuUU/v-deo.html
We engineer, build, R&D and manufacture tri-fuel conversion kits for gasoline generators. The rows of generators you see are waiting to be torn apart for development. We have several handful of kits ready for sale but still have a ton of other makes and models to do.
I would have liked an L14-30 connector to be included. I know with One genny it may not make sense, but when you parallel connect them you’ll get almost 8000 watts running. I’d rather have 2 of these for $2000 and get more power than the 1 9000 model for $2400
For 30 amp 240 volt you need 6,600 watts mineral. 5,000 watts would only do a little over 20 amps at 240. Most generators are using surge watts not continuous.
Yessir, the math is correct. 30amp x 220volt = 6600 watts. Meaning the well pump can’t exceed the running watts and has to leave enough room for the generator to keep up with surge wattage. I suspect you can’t use a well pump over 1.5hp, or that’s just pushing it on this unit.
I've been working on custom brackets for mounting the regulator assembly. These custom parts take time to be finished up at the fab shop + paint. They would be ready in 2-3 weeks. We'll keep you posted!
Unfortunately this modification only works for single phase appliances, which restricts usage to most well pumps. Not dryers, stoves, or some furnaces.
I can't get my regulator to push gas through it am I doing something wrong? When I hook it up to the gas tank turn the fuel on and depress the hose end with a key pushing it in it doesn't let any gas through
You will need to press down on the prime button firmly and hold it down longer. This will bleed out any air in the line and add fuel to the engine. You should hear a hissing sound from the propane tank when the button is pressed. If you are having trouble, just give me a call. My phone number is on the business card in the packaging.
Maybe some thoughts if home backup is part of the consideration and you are thinking how this generator can fit in: 1. TT-30 extension cords are easy enough to get. Usually very little voltage drop over 10 gauge wire. Then you can have a multi-plug NEMA 5-20 adapter. 2. A generator like this can handle hard starting motors in fridges, older style "single stage" ACs, etc, but maybe you modify these appliances to use a soft starter for the motor or get upgraded appliances that either have the soft starter built in or are inverter based. Inverter based A/C - heat pump units in particular pay themselves back quickly and are very inverter generator friendly even in their economy mode. Hard starting motors tend to need any economy mode on the inverter generator turned off. 3. There are a variety of inverter based window A/Cs, mini-split A/C - heat pumps, and even dual or hose-in-hose A/C - heat pumps out there that can run on 115V. Even if you can't cool or heat your entire home, having a room or two you can heat or cool is certainly better than nothing. This generator should be able to drive up to 2 of the larger 115V AC - heat pump units. Even when you are not using a generator, the "cool room" concept can save you a lot of energy in that say you make your home 80 F and your cool room 75 F instead of say your whole home 75 F. Or say in the winter, you have a mini-split installed in your "cool room" and use efficient heat-pump action to cost effectively keep that room warm, say you set it up in your bedroom. Or say you get a dual head split A/C and have a home office room regulated in the day and your bedroom regulated at night and let the rest of the house float up and down to whatever you can tolerate in order to save on power. If for some reason it is too cold to run a heat pump, you could drive a couple of small electric heaters off of this generator. Far safer than burning stuff in your home to stay warm. 4. Most light bulbs these days are LED based that use 20W or less. So plenty easy to have lights on with this. 5. If you are running this generator off of propane, it is cheap enough to have a propane stove as well. So you could still be cooking on propane with either a Y-splitter into the tank or better yet, get some refillable 1 lb bottles and fuel back up off of a larger tank from time to time if say you have a propane camping stove. A propane BBQ is going to work just fine in a power outage. A gas stove can still be lit with a lighter, so no electricity needed for that either. If you really want to draw power for cooking, a generator like this should power a microwave oven, toaster, rice cooker, air fryer, induction burner, etc. Just gotta watch your load as a number of these electric cooking appliance can draw up to 1,800W by themselves. Thus why I mention natural gas and propane cooking first. 6. An inverter generator like this is designed to run your electronics. So you can still have Internet access and your TV going to watch these videos as well as your computer running so you can leave comments on these videos. 7. With say hot water, you should have some water stored. As long as you have a pot and something to cook with, you can have hot water. Not super convenient, but perfectly do-able. Consider say you run one 115V air conditioner, a fridge with soft start / inverter based, some lights, and some electronics to surf the web, watch UA-cam, or even play video games or do actual work from home (through a computer), that can all happen at the same time on this generator, no problem. Especially with some propane lying around and bottled water, you can round out the picture to a reasonably comfy "roughing it" in an emergency situation where the power is out for an extended period and there is no water or natural gas available during the emergency. Especially if you are told to "shelter in place" during the emergency, you should be set, granted you do have some food in your home as well. In an emergency situation, you don't actually need running water, you don't need natural gas, you don't need to cool your whole home or even heat your whole home.
Anybody who 'hates' this generator because it isn't big enough to run their whole house has rocks in their head. Figure your consumption/ needs and buy accordingly. They sell different size generators for a reason. What a waste of my time.
why is this generator not under jobsite category? yet the 3500 Watt SUPER QUIET Inverter Generator is? I'm thinking I want to get this for a coffee pop up shop
I looked at the Costco 3 fuel unit and it has a lot of returns. 30-50 amps? You need a bigger unit. I have one (Champion). I'm not running the AC or WH on a generator. Fuel injected? Really? None of the gensets I've owned are FI. Good grief.
We are currently working on a kit for the Predator 9500. Unfortuanly there's been a ton of work at the shop building kits for other generators and getting to the Predator 9500 will take some time. Feel free to check in anytime.
That is correct, these generators are priced as "throw away generators". I've walked through my local scrap yards and would often find a huge pile of off brand generators set aside for recycling. Most of them look to be in good condition but with the gas tank rusted out or bad fuel. It's cheaper to buy a whole new generator than it is to pay a repair shop 100 bucks an hour to fix.
Is it a better idea to run two of these 5000s in parallel to support whole house with ac system? Would it even work? Or should we just go bigger with the 9500? Two 5000s would also offer more flexibility, no? Thanks
The Champion gensets are a bit better in quality compared to Westinghouse but I like them because they have a 3 year warranty and their customer service is very good. From my experience they were very good with both. I wish I had more time to do detailed reviews of all generators in the shop but I'm so swamped with custom building and designing the tri-fuel kits for other generators. I would like to make at least one video every week once work clears up.
I just purchased the Predator 5000 generator to run my 30 amp RV trailer. I was very pleased to see that this unit already has an RV 30 amp plug. I was planning on converting the 30 amp outlet similar to the one on the 3500 to the RV outlet. Now I have time to do my other Honey-Do chores. I also love the remote control unit
Would this Predator 5000 inverter generator run dual air conditioners on an RV trailer? Also, is it quiet enough to run at night with other trailers nearby?
I wish the 9000 was a dual fuel I’m waiting for the 5000 everyday checking their site for when it will be available unfortunately Dec 21 it must be a top seller.
If someone wants fuel injection, they can look at Honda's range, specifically the new 3200 and the 7000. Also, yes, fuel injection is more complex but it has a few advantages: One is fuel economy as it uses less fuel than carbureted systems and two, fewer issues with crappy fuel than with a carbureted system and three, overall emissions are lower. That said, you don't have the option to burn LPG or NG. I guarantee you the Honda system would be more reliable than the clones like the Predator. Reason? Honda has been producing and working with engines more than anyone else on the planet. Yes, the parts can be expensive, but they are also built to a higher grade than others. This is the reason I would buy a Honda over anyone else on the market if I had the CA$5000 to get an EU7000is.
Sorry to be picky but it isn't SA it's CSA which stands for "Canadian Standards Association." I'm Canadian and its our standards body for various things made for the Canadian market (and in this case, with the "us" on the right side also makes it tested to whatever American standards they are as well).
OMG, too much bla bla. You don't have to announce every move you make, "let me put this over there" "so I cut the box open". Don't want to watch you unpackage it. Good info but 22 minute video could be 10 minutes. Plan videos out better. I got real bored real fast and didn't finish watching it. Sorry dude
OMG, funny how everyone else who commented is fine with this video, and you’re here writing me a full paragraph about your first world problems. If you’re impatient to watch a FREE video, that’s a personal problem, not mine. If you’re too slow to realize this, I make videos to educate my existing customers who constantly call me for questions. What seems boring to you is useful to them as most people are not handy with tools or can’t decide what they want. To put in simple terms, I get enough business to care less about what you think. Sorry dude.
I heard they were havimg propane issues 90hrs in on those back in like October-Dec2023. Supposedly they were gonna have them fixed by Jan 2024. There are specific serial #s that are causing issues. Might wanna check it out and make sure they fixed it
240v is pretty important for 5000w class. I need 240v 20a to run my well pump. This would be perfect if it had 240v. Without it, it's kind of pointless.
Actually I can run my entire house on my Honda EU7000is inverter generator. I have a soft start kit for my central air. I can run my entire house including my 2-1/2 ton central air, 2 extra large refrigerators & a extra large freezer. It’s actually rated at 5500 watts. I have had it for 5 years & has started flawlessly every time on the first try. I’m not your typical consumer. I use Star Tron fuel enzyme & marine grade Stabil in my fuel. I use Mobil 1 oil in my genny. I run my generator about once a month. Every other month I use the generator with load. I have about 80 hours on my unit. For me I desired the model I have. I need reliability over price. Like I say you can’t put a price on safety. The safety of my family is paramount. When my genny is running is when I’m at work. If it’s a long duration outage? I come home after working a 24 hour shift to refuel it & take a shower before going to bed. My comfort is important as well. Especially as a lineman for the local power company. Our first day on after a major storm is a 24 hour shift followed by 17 hour shifts until everyone is back on. I usually average about 4 hours sleep between shifts. Last thing I want to hear from my wife is the genny died? Hence why I bought a Honda.
Many people have compared these generators together. Predator generators from I have seen an experience work at the same level as Honda. Plenty of off grid people have 1000's of hours on predator generators with no issues.
@@dustinryan9671 Until Predator makes a fuel injected generator I’m not interested. Plus Honda’s reportedly can be run up to 5000 hours before a rebuild if properly cared for? We use Honda generators at work & they perform flawlessly. I have a Honda 4 stroke engine on a ground rod driver. It starts every time & I’m using old gas that is three years old that’s been treated & it still burns it without a problem. What I have found is folks that gravitate towards the Predator are driven by price. If safety is paramount like in my case? You can’t put a price on safety.
@@johnclyne6350 Fuel injected generators just means another part that can cause problems. I have four predator generators I have never had an issue. But I do understand brand loyalty and sticking with what works. I had a Honda before and I never noticed a difference between the two my equal watt predator. But like you said if I can save $800 between the same generator I will do it.
@@dustinryan9671 Money is no object for me in protecting my wife who is disabled. You might be blown away? I had an electrician & a fabricator design & build out my set up. I covered all the bases. Everyone I show my set up to (fellow power lineman & electricians) are blown away. What’s $800 savings going to shake out in the end? I dropped over $14,000 on my set up so far. I’m constantly improving & acquiring the best of the best. If your of the mind set of saving a few dollars? And you have a few of the same units? Stick with what you know?
I bought one of these Predator 5000 generators and it’s complete crap. It constantly overloads with my single unit A/C travel trailer. I’m glad I bought the warranty hopefully they take the garbage back.
Just ordered 2 generators. FedEx is great at smashing anything they touch. Both generators completely smashed. Drove to harbor freight picked one of these up. Pristine condition. I almost feel like I should drag it behind the truck to get the FedEx love marks on it.
I love your shop! Do you sell generators too? For some reason I'm addicted to generators. I have about 10 now including a Predator. 9500 which I love. I have an old school Winco 9000-watt tri fuel I bought new in 1999 and it has out proved itself. During an ice storm back in 2005 this generator ran on propane for over 5 days. It has the Briggs & Stratton 16 hp Vangard engine which they say are indestructible. Needless to say, I did complete maintenance to the engine after that run time. It's still running today.
Sounds like you got a hobby. I buy these generators mainly to do R&D for the conversion kits. I haven't had time to build them but eventually I'll have a kit built. But I do enjoy working on all the generators I have while building custom parts for them.
OK I can give you a Dam good review on the 3500, Just purchased the 5k today. WHAT are you expecting? I live off grid and.use the hell out of 4 different Gen. YES I have solar. AGAIN What do you want to run on Solar? I don't have 13k $$$ plus for solar. S.fl here it get hot I like AC. These Gen. Work great over 2khrs on the 3500. In 6mo.
By end of year I was told by my local HF store manager prices will increase an additional 100 or 200 dollars. Coupon or not just buy it now before they possibly raise prices again during the holidays.
$962.78 out the door price with Pa taxes included when purchased 2 days ago. Bought the HF membership since HF July 4 deal was 20% off everything with membership.
You can actually run those items you said it couldn't. You have to do so with some manual and selective breaker management. It may not run everything all at the same time but in an emergency situation, you might not need that. Just be a bit more selective on what you operate and for how long.
Thanks for making this video to learnmore aboutthis thing . Just scored a open box that had a coupon for 40 percent off returns for itc members got it for 425 bucks otd and it runs great. Perfect for my 26 toy hauler with no house genset.
I would stick with a non inverter. Air compressors are known to stress out the inverter unit and cause it to prematurely fail. Can’t expect much on a Chinese made generator.
The 240V is only good for single phase appliances which applies to some water pumps but not all. I should edit this video for clarification. Sorry about that.
They are all made from the same 2-3 Chinese factory, just with different colors and panels. I would buy from a brand that has good customer service. Such as Harbor Freight, Champion and Duromax.
We have a 3500 we use for power outages in our rural home. It's wired to a box in one bank of the box. We didn't use the microwave but it did keep the lights, internet, fridge, freezer, etc running. When the freezer kicked on, it would draw too much and knock out the power for a split second. Overall, it ran all the essentials for 3 days during a massive snowstorm in 2022. Thinking about upgrading to the 9500. It might be overkill but I'd rather have it than not.
I love this unit. I run two of the 5000’s on the 50 amp parallel kit as backup power for my 5th wheel. Runs everything I have no problems, and the size is still reasonable to load up and haul 2 around.
These things are for emergencies. So you have to ask yourself what you really need during an emergency? Do you need all of the normal comforts of full house power? Most likely no. If you have a 240 V stove, ground source heat pump, or well pump, then you need 240 and the power to run them because you need them. However, if you can get by without those things, during an emergency, then this size genset can work. Our 3600W inverter will run the current fridge, freezer, and central furnace as well as some lights. If it is an emergency, we need to keep food fresh and keep the house warm in winter. In the summer, we can last a few days without central AC. Also, you have to plan for the amount of fuel to keep on hand. Smaller generator uses less fuel so you dont need 100 gallons of gas for that emergency. Our generator uses 2.5 gal per day of usage so we need ~18 gallons for a week without power. We keep 27 gal of stabilized fuel on hand.
Thanks for adding these tips! A lot of folks too often go for the bigger generators and are unwilling to sacrifice running the bare minimum for survival. Your right, you don't need to run everything. Focus on running your equipment for longer on necessities and rationing your fuel.
Yes, its always good to have plan b and c. I would carry both gasoline and propane but have propane be the main fuel since its easier to keep around than gasoline.
To better understand the regulator does it get sucked through buy some kind of fuel pump from the generator itself? I'm just wondering why the pressure from the tank doesn't push any fuel through the
In your opinion, what be louder running a small portable a/c unit? The predator 5000 or a Honda 2200? I already have the 5000 but am open to a 2200 if it's quiter.
Hi, all generators are going to get louder when they are under full load. The Honda EU2200i is not any quieter than the Predator 5000 when under full load. You're better off building a sound box if you need quiet, or run a solar battery bank system.
All of those generators in your possession, I'm Impressed. Do you own a gas station or how do you ensure a continuing supply of gasoline or propane under all adverse conditions.
I run a tri-fuel conversion kit company. We build kits to convert gasoline generators to LP/NG. Your better off storing propane than having to deal with storage of gasoline.
Well how much is the inverter on the predator generator? See this is what got me all messed up right now converters if you have them in the back of your vehicle or anything that lets it move around, big converter to me would be a very sensitive item with bouncing around. So would it be better to have one with just a powerhead then a converter?
I got the because I can use the propane tanks on my RV to run it if I need to. Also, propane never goes bad, if SHTF I have enough fuel to keep the essentials running for a little.
They are all the same, they all come from the same 2 Chinese factories. Only difference is their customer service and product warranty. Pick the company that takes care of their customers rather than leave them with an expensive paper weight. Harbor Freight has a retail store that allows for immediate replacements if they have them in stock. Champion has very good customer service but they’ll make you send in the generator and wait for a replacement unless you purchased at a retail store with extended warranty.
I can attest to not using open frame gen sets without some sort of regulator to run most modern electronics. The power spikes will absolutely murder smart devices. I lost four sets of non-ballasted LED lights and my smartphone.
There’s another person somewhere on one of my videos who commented about his open frame generator running just fine on the electronics he’s using. The shear ideology this one person’s experience will be the same for everyone else here on planet earth tells me that inverter generators were made as a joke. 🙄
I own 2 different 3500 predator generators and I really like both of them. I will eventually buy the 5000. But I only plan on using the LP part of it just because they burn really clean inside. (I would think the unit would last longer on LP) atleast it would never get gunked up with bad fuel. Thoughts?
My dad worked at a office furniture manufacturing plant for 33 years. He used and drove the same forklift for those 33 years while it ran on propane. If that doesn’t impress you enough I don’t know what else to tell ya.
I wanted to leave a comment on the performance of the tri-fuel conversion kit that I added to my Predator 3500, version 2, generator. I bought the kit a couple of months ago and watched the videos on how to install. The installation was straightforward and simple. A very well designed kit that fits with no need to modify anything to make it work. I set it up for natural gas and yesterday was the first time I needed to use it due to a PG&E power outage. I connected the regulator, plugged in the hose, turned on the gas, and pushed the start button. It took a little while for the gas to reach the carb and then it started right away. The rpm smoothed out quickly and it provided more than enough power to keep the refrigerator and freezer running with no problems. The outage lasted a couple of hours and I was very pleased with how the modified generator worked. I have a 3/8" quick disconnect hose that I use for both the generator and my Weber grill that I converted to natural gas. It is about 15 feet long and works well. No need for a larger hose with 1/2" disconnects. I am happy with the conversion to natural gas since it is much cheaper than propane and there are no trips to the gas station to get my cylinders or gas cans refilled.
Thanks for the support!
This is a game changer for independent truckers looking for a big enough generators to run AC, appliances, block heaters and fuel heaters
Thanks for watching!
As truck driver, you can't imagine how many different generators I've looked up and can't decide which to pick and reliable
I already have the 1st version of the 3500... been working great now for several years.... After watching this... I see nothing wrong with the 5000.... I think it's great and I'm gonna buy one...
Great! Stay tuned for our other videos and soon our natural gas kit for the 5000
I just bought this unit. I also have a double pole 30 amp breaker I added to my main line when I need to run lights and such in the house during a power outage. Just bought 25’ of 10-3 cable and wired up a 30 amp plug that plugs into this unit. Works just fine to get me by without needing to run any large appliances.
Thanks for sharing!
This is what I also am looking to do. I have a Reliance 30 amp generator inlet plug and interlock feeding a double pole 30amp breaker. Did you get a tt-30p to l14-30r adapter that bonds both hots to feed the entire panel?
I got one this week for $900 and it is my first generator. I am only needing it for 2 sump pumps and a window AC. The push button and remote start are perfect for my wife and kids.
Great!
Need to check for leaks every week for sure just to know it’s ready
How are you connecting to your house
Is the one you bought an Inverter gen set?
this generator was clearly made for people with small-medium travel trailers. and needing something a little bigger and better than a 3500. for trailer camping families, this is a home run.
Definitely, harbor freight is slowly realizing brands such as Champion and Duromax are taking away their market share. If they don’t offer more choices to their customers, that customer will spend their money elsewhere. I believe the Predator 5000 was much needed in their lineup.
@@GrenergyTriFuel Except it's gone now
@@joey24698 it was recalled but its back
yes. plus RVs are 115v single pole 30 amp setups. The HVAC, fridge, etc are only 115V! No 230V in RV (with a few exceptions)
@@jeffhopper3526 if it has two AC's it most likely 50amp two 115 poles as people would say 230v 50amp. most Rv's i see are 50 amp. but i guess it depends were you go and the wealth of the park guests.
It may not run a whole house but it'll run my whole travel trailer 😆
Sure will!
@@GrenergyTriFuel I got a 3500 Predator. I wonder if the 5000 will run the AC and the microwave side by side 🤔
I bought 1 yesterday... let it run a couple hrs to break in. Totally happy with the purchase. There are larger ones for less but this one is more moble and definitely quite.
Agreed
Well done review, you answered every question I had, thanks!
Glad I was helpful to you! Thanks for watching!
It's amazing to me how people with no knowledge (ignorant) of how things work, will come in with such loud complaints.
In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. Ignorance by choice is called stupidity.
Common sense is not so common in this day and age.
I have this 5000 generator for almost a month now and it's great.
Agreed!
What you're calling SA on the propane regulator is, in fact, CSA. That is a Canadian certification, which is a higher standard than UL.
Thanks for the correction, learning something new everyday. 👍
The 5000 is only like 10 lbs more than the 3500
Thanks for stopping by our channel.
How efficiently will the 9500 run a 50A RV? I realize that true 240V 50A is actually 2 legs of 120V with a min of 6 GA wire. This generator is not a 50A. We have 2 ACs in the unit with a microwave, 2 TVs, ice maker, and air fryer. Since it's not a true 50A gen set, will it pop the breaker if we run 2 ACs and microwave and Air Fryer? We currently use a Hona 3K inverter generator with the 50A adapter in the 30A Gen set outlet and it always pops that circuit. Trying to find an inverter gen set that is not Onan but has a true 50A outlet on the generator.
Definitely made some quite excellent points. A 5,000 Wp generator is really on the borderline to might as well go with a bigger generator if you want to 120/240 loads for whole home backup use. There's quite a lot of non-inverter generators out there that are 120/240 capable and you can get away with it if you really know what you're doing. Worse thing can happen is if you overload it is tripping a breaker or the engine stalls out compared to popping the inverter module.
As for the natural gas debate, it really depends on the application. My experience when running on alternate fuels is what is the availability and is it worth the cost of having that feature that you're more than likely not ever use it.
In my use case, I live in a tropical cyclone prone area and having a fuel source that is not tied to a specific infrastructure better for me. A couple of years ago we had a "mild" tropical storm that went through our area, not only we lost electricity along natural gas. What I found out later was the natural gas pumping got flooded out during the storm. My neighbors who had natural gas whole house generators were down for the count several hours after the power went out. I myself still had power alternating between gasoline and propane keeping my backup batteries topped off for a week.
Your right about that. There is one other small open frame non inverter genset that has the 220V plug and that would be the Generac GP3300 but that's only 15amps. Good enough to run your well pump.
During the 2021 Texas winter storm folks who only invested their genset to run off of NG were really left in the dark. I had a few customers buy my kits and were confident on just being on NG. Problem was, they were not in control of NG as a fuel source. Folks really need to have at least one propane tank as plan B in any given situation or else you'll be in a world of hurt trying to save your family in an emergency situation.
The generator is no designed for homes it was specifically designed for RV folks. Majority of RV's run 30amp circuits. You can run the AC and other electronics with the 3500. However, as soon as you turn the microwave on the 35000 would trip. This 5000 fixes the problem.
I bought this 5k unit for my travel trailer
It is replacing dual Ryobi 2300w units. And I am SO happy with the upgrade. I literally bought one 45 minutes after learning about its release
It's good to see Predator step up in providing a 5000 watt unit. Especially for folks with larger RV's
Scott I had exactly the same Ryobi’s in parallel for my tag along. Got tired of lugging around two generators etc so I bought the predator 3500. It’s awesome! Just bought the 5000 and am anxious to see how it works with my soft start
Seems like the addition of a CV carburetor could possibly be very beneficial in this type of application. Harley used them for years and they do quite well at adjusting to altitude.
Would be nice, but genset manufactures don't want to spend the extra money to include one.
I have a mobile home and my Harbor Freight Predator 3500 runs the whole house except the A/C, with "everything on", even the microwave. So, I would think the 5000 should do it with ease. Great video. Thanks
The problem I have with the Predator 3500 is the fuel tank, fuel tank filter/strainer gets contaminated, even though I've used Sta-bill 360 since new and I run the unit twice a month for 30 mins. to exercise it. Only had to use it twice for 1-2 hrs.
Thanks for sharing!
What size home
@@Ewood1388 Square footage: 720
They also have open frame inverter generators. Maybe only one now.
That’s correct. Not all 100% open frame generators are non inverters, I’ve should have made it clearer. I’ll pin this comment to the top. Thanks for your input 👍
i was going to say just this. my inverter open frame predator 4550 is wonderful!!! wish it was dual fuel but i can make it so i think
Heard nothing but good from those I know who have one….may get one myself.
So far so good with mine, I hope to run it on NG soon.
So if I wanted to run a window unit, fridge, deep freezer, some fans, and a few lights could the 5000 do it or would I need to go with the 9500?
To know exactly you will need to measure everything with a watt meter and add up your usage.
We purchased a 50acre ranch with no electric on site, so solar and generators are a must. Until our home is complete we stay in the RV, and this 5000 is perfect. In the Texas summer you need to have the a/c on even at night. I also have the 9000 for running the well pump, arc welder or any large projects, but it is way too loud to run next to the RV at night.
Thanks for your input!
Crap my 2013 duromax 3500 runs all 5 ceiling fans, every single LED in the house, 4 bedroom 2 bath 2000 sq ft. 4 tvs and 4 PlayStations, 2 deep freezers and 1 fridge. It’s been plenty and still runs great. But it will not run our coffee pot even plugged straight into the generator with nothing else hooked up. Or even our shop vac lol. 😅 But when I found out it was dirty electric never again will I run a tv, or gaming console, computer etc on it. This 5000 inverter predator for $1099.00 is a steal in my opinion, and will do all we need to make it through a power outage in certain. You are so right in this video and so direct and straight to the point. Ppl get these and bitch and complain bc it won’t do more than it is suppose too. Common sense is so lacking these days. Good video man.
Thanks for your feedback and for taking the time to write your comments!
Enjoyed your video. I did the same thing at my home about a year ago. I selected a Champion generator dual fuel 9350/7500. Didn't want gallons of gasoline sitting in my garage. Prefer propane. The power on propane is a little less but it doesn't require fuel stabilize and is safer overall. We have solar on our roof that provides a surplus each year but if the grid fails solar systems without battery backups have a switch that shuts off the solar power to prevent it sending power down stream that could harm utility workers trying to repair the grid. So our geny like yours powers the entire house! Got a super deal on it, so my investment was very reasonable.
Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your experience! I always tell folks don't just rely on solar power, having both works as a fail safe. Same with LP and NG, use both and have them ready.
Hilarious to have solar and then it TURNS OFF when you need it.
I heard that they might be coming out with the 7000 W unit also
Yes, I'm thinking late next year.
I bought a 5000 it does well for my travel trailer, runs my 15000 BTU AC, microwave and several other appliances. One thing I ran into was, when it’s extremely windy run it with the panels off. This will not trigger the carbon monoxide detector.
Or you can fab up an exhaust extension. I'll probably make these at the end of the year.
What was the mod you made on the 3500 to the oil drain? Is there a video on that? First time viewing one of your videos. Thx
Hi Don, that would be our drill free Tri-fuel conversion kit. Bolts on without cutting/drilling into your generator. You can check out the link here -----> ua-cam.com/video/JK2-eR4xuUU/v-deo.html
@@GrenergyTriFuel your shop looks like you service/sell strictly generators?
We engineer, build, R&D and manufacture tri-fuel conversion kits for gasoline generators. The rows of generators you see are waiting to be torn apart for development. We have several handful of kits ready for sale but still have a ton of other makes and models to do.
If I could find one in Minnesota I'd be driving to get one
You can order it online, shipping was only 20 bucks for me.
My well pump is 240vac, 20 amp breaker in my house panel. This is pretty common for a well pump.
Yes, that is correct
I would have liked an L14-30 connector to be included.
I know with One genny it may not make sense, but when you parallel connect them you’ll get almost 8000 watts running.
I’d rather have 2 of these for $2000 and get more power than the 1 9000 model for $2400
This would be ideal until Harbor Freight raises their price on the 5000 model like they did with their 9500.
you can aways buy a plugin adapter
For 30 amp 240 volt you need 6,600 watts mineral. 5,000 watts would only do a little over 20 amps at 240.
Most generators are using surge watts not continuous.
Yessir, the math is correct. 30amp x 220volt = 6600 watts. Meaning the well pump can’t exceed the running watts and has to leave enough room for the generator to keep up with surge wattage. I suspect you can’t use a well pump over 1.5hp, or that’s just pushing it on this unit.
I want a conversion kit please! I'm old and don't think I can do that! It's nice to know it can be done!👍
I've been working on custom brackets for mounting the regulator assembly. These custom parts take time to be finished up at the fab shop + paint. They would be ready in 2-3 weeks. We'll keep you posted!
At the 12 min mark you mention making a cord to supply 240 volt from a 120 volt gen.Could you elaborate on that?
Unfortunately this modification only works for single phase appliances, which restricts usage to most well pumps. Not dryers, stoves, or some furnaces.
I can't get my regulator to push gas through it am I doing something wrong? When I hook it up to the gas tank turn the fuel on and depress the hose end with a key pushing it in it doesn't let any gas through
You will need to press down on the prime button firmly and hold it down longer. This will bleed out any air in the line and add fuel to the engine. You should hear a hissing sound from the propane tank when the button is pressed. If you are having trouble, just give me a call. My phone number is on the business card in the packaging.
where is your video on how to convert a 5000 to 240?
"Looks to be in "FAIRLY" good condition?" (while NEW and still in the box?). And.... "Today's video is about the Predator 3500?" (spot 3:45)
Oops, I said it wrong. Thanks for pointing that out.
@@GrenergyTriFuel Caught my attention is all.....
Hey brother what’s the bracket and buttons that were installed on the front of the 3500’s I’ve never seen that before and I have a 3500
That is our fuel run down switch and LED light bar. It’s been extremely popular with our customers who purchase our tri-fuel kit for this generator.
Maybe some thoughts if home backup is part of the consideration and you are thinking how this generator can fit in:
1. TT-30 extension cords are easy enough to get. Usually very little voltage drop over 10 gauge wire. Then you can have a multi-plug NEMA 5-20 adapter.
2. A generator like this can handle hard starting motors in fridges, older style "single stage" ACs, etc, but maybe you modify these appliances to use a soft starter for the motor or get upgraded appliances that either have the soft starter built in or are inverter based. Inverter based A/C - heat pump units in particular pay themselves back quickly and are very inverter generator friendly even in their economy mode. Hard starting motors tend to need any economy mode on the inverter generator turned off.
3. There are a variety of inverter based window A/Cs, mini-split A/C - heat pumps, and even dual or hose-in-hose A/C - heat pumps out there that can run on 115V. Even if you can't cool or heat your entire home, having a room or two you can heat or cool is certainly better than nothing. This generator should be able to drive up to 2 of the larger 115V AC - heat pump units. Even when you are not using a generator, the "cool room" concept can save you a lot of energy in that say you make your home 80 F and your cool room 75 F instead of say your whole home 75 F. Or say in the winter, you have a mini-split installed in your "cool room" and use efficient heat-pump action to cost effectively keep that room warm, say you set it up in your bedroom. Or say you get a dual head split A/C and have a home office room regulated in the day and your bedroom regulated at night and let the rest of the house float up and down to whatever you can tolerate in order to save on power. If for some reason it is too cold to run a heat pump, you could drive a couple of small electric heaters off of this generator. Far safer than burning stuff in your home to stay warm.
4. Most light bulbs these days are LED based that use 20W or less. So plenty easy to have lights on with this.
5. If you are running this generator off of propane, it is cheap enough to have a propane stove as well. So you could still be cooking on propane with either a Y-splitter into the tank or better yet, get some refillable 1 lb bottles and fuel back up off of a larger tank from time to time if say you have a propane camping stove. A propane BBQ is going to work just fine in a power outage. A gas stove can still be lit with a lighter, so no electricity needed for that either. If you really want to draw power for cooking, a generator like this should power a microwave oven, toaster, rice cooker, air fryer, induction burner, etc. Just gotta watch your load as a number of these electric cooking appliance can draw up to 1,800W by themselves. Thus why I mention natural gas and propane cooking first.
6. An inverter generator like this is designed to run your electronics. So you can still have Internet access and your TV going to watch these videos as well as your computer running so you can leave comments on these videos.
7. With say hot water, you should have some water stored. As long as you have a pot and something to cook with, you can have hot water. Not super convenient, but perfectly do-able.
Consider say you run one 115V air conditioner, a fridge with soft start / inverter based, some lights, and some electronics to surf the web, watch UA-cam, or even play video games or do actual work from home (through a computer), that can all happen at the same time on this generator, no problem. Especially with some propane lying around and bottled water, you can round out the picture to a reasonably comfy "roughing it" in an emergency situation where the power is out for an extended period and there is no water or natural gas available during the emergency. Especially if you are told to "shelter in place" during the emergency, you should be set, granted you do have some food in your home as well. In an emergency situation, you don't actually need running water, you don't need natural gas, you don't need to cool your whole home or even heat your whole home.
Wow! Thank you for taking the time to do a long write up. This will help a lot of folks who are unknown about generators.
@ Grenergy on the box the last 3 digits of the long UPC # is it 544 or 077? Thank you
Sorry, I no longer have the box
Anybody who 'hates' this generator because it isn't big enough to run their whole house has rocks in their head. Figure your consumption/ needs and buy accordingly. They sell different size generators for a reason. What a waste of my time.
Thanks for your feedback
why is this generator not under jobsite category?
yet the 3500 Watt SUPER QUIET Inverter Generator is?
I'm thinking I want to get this for a coffee pop up shop
Not sure either.
I looked at the Costco 3 fuel unit and it has a lot of returns.
30-50 amps? You need a bigger unit. I have one (Champion). I'm not running the AC or WH on a generator.
Fuel injected? Really? None of the gensets I've owned are FI.
Good grief.
Thanks for sharing feedback.
Please do a 120/240 conversion cord and how to all natural gas to the 3500… thanks
Does your tri-fuel kit work for the Predator 9500 investor generator?
We are currently working on a kit for the Predator 9500. Unfortuanly there's been a ton of work at the shop building kits for other generators and getting to the Predator 9500 will take some time. Feel free to check in anytime.
Many Chinese engines replacement parts are only available as a full assembly if you can get them.
That is correct, these generators are priced as "throw away generators". I've walked through my local scrap yards and would often find a huge pile of off brand generators set aside for recycling. Most of them look to be in good condition but with the gas tank rusted out or bad fuel. It's cheaper to buy a whole new generator than it is to pay a repair shop 100 bucks an hour to fix.
Is it a better idea to run two of these 5000s in parallel to support whole house with ac system? Would it even work? Or should we just go bigger with the 9500? Two 5000s would also offer more flexibility, no? Thanks
The 9500 has 240v which can do your AC system, the 5000 can not.
Can we use a Ethanol free for 4 cycle. I like no ethanol, keeps everything clean
Yes, that would be called rec fuel. Or just run propane to save the headache.
👍🏼 thank you
You're welcome!
I notice you have two Champions in your shop but no reviews. Are Champion generators any good? How about Westinghouse?
The Champion gensets are a bit better in quality compared to Westinghouse but I like them because they have a 3 year warranty and their customer service is very good. From my experience they were very good with both. I wish I had more time to do detailed reviews of all generators in the shop but I'm so swamped with custom building and designing the tri-fuel kits for other generators. I would like to make at least one video every week once work clears up.
I just purchased the Predator 5000 generator to run my 30 amp RV trailer. I was very pleased to see that this unit already has an RV 30 amp plug. I was planning on converting the 30 amp outlet similar to the one on the 3500 to the RV outlet. Now I have time to do my other Honey-Do chores. I also love the remote control unit
Thanks for your comment!
Would this Predator 5000 inverter generator run dual air conditioners on an RV trailer?
Also, is it quiet enough to run at night with other trailers nearby?
I wish the 9000 was a dual fuel
I’m waiting for the 5000 everyday checking their site for when it will be available unfortunately Dec 21 it must be a top seller.
Believe me the 5000 is crazy popular and its always out of stock.
Two of these and a 50 A parallel kit like a firman you could run everything including 2 ACs on your rv at the same price as 1 Honda 3000.
I'll look into this, thanks.
Honda 3000 not running 2 15k ac units sorry
where can I buy just a replacement for the original regulator, as the original has failed
You would need to call Harbor Freight
If someone wants fuel injection, they can look at Honda's range, specifically the new 3200 and the 7000. Also, yes, fuel injection is more complex but it has a few advantages: One is fuel economy as it uses less fuel than carbureted systems and two, fewer issues with crappy fuel than with a carbureted system and three, overall emissions are lower. That said, you don't have the option to burn LPG or NG. I guarantee you the Honda system would be more reliable than the clones like the Predator. Reason? Honda has been producing and working with engines more than anyone else on the planet. Yes, the parts can be expensive, but they are also built to a higher grade than others. This is the reason I would buy a Honda over anyone else on the market if I had the CA$5000 to get an EU7000is.
Thanks for your input/
Shoot for what it cost to repair that Honda you can buy a whole nother Predator 5000 15:06
Exactly
I've had many Yamaha generators but the predator has been a far better unit.
Thanks for your feedback!
Sorry to be picky but it isn't SA it's CSA which stands for "Canadian Standards Association." I'm Canadian and its our standards body for various things made for the Canadian market (and in this case, with the "us" on the right side also makes it tested to whatever American standards they are as well).
Yes that is correct. Thanks for the heads up.
Good video and was straight forward. I like a person who speaks from experience and uses logic.
#subbed
Glad you've enjoyed the video and thanks for your support. I come from an automotive background and went to technical school for it.
he knows nothing
OMG, too much bla bla. You don't have to announce every move you make, "let me put this over there" "so I cut the box open". Don't want to watch you unpackage it. Good info but 22 minute video could be 10 minutes. Plan videos out better. I got real bored real fast and didn't finish watching it. Sorry dude
OMG, funny how everyone else who commented is fine with this video, and you’re here writing me a full paragraph about your first world problems.
If you’re impatient to watch a FREE video, that’s a personal problem, not mine.
If you’re too slow to realize this, I make videos to educate my existing customers who constantly call me for questions.
What seems boring to you is useful to them as most people are not handy with tools or can’t decide what they want.
To put in simple terms, I get enough business to care less about what you think. Sorry dude.
I heard they were havimg propane issues 90hrs in on those back in like October-Dec2023. Supposedly they were gonna have them fixed by Jan 2024. There are specific serial #s that are causing issues. Might wanna check it out and make sure they fixed it
Yup, they fixed it and did a big recall. So far the new replacements don't have issues that I know of.
240v is pretty important for 5000w class. I need 240v 20a to run my well pump. This would be perfect if it had 240v. Without it, it's kind of pointless.
The Generac GP3300 open frame generator has the 240V, unfortunately not many inverter units this size will offer 240V.
Actually I can run my entire house on my Honda EU7000is inverter generator. I have a soft start kit for my central air. I can run my entire house including my 2-1/2 ton central air, 2 extra large refrigerators & a extra large freezer. It’s actually rated at 5500 watts. I have had it for 5 years & has started flawlessly every time on the first try. I’m not your typical consumer. I use Star Tron fuel enzyme & marine grade Stabil in my fuel. I use Mobil 1 oil in my genny. I run my generator about once a month. Every other month I use the generator with load. I have about 80 hours on my unit.
For me I desired the model I have. I need reliability over price. Like I say you can’t put a price on safety. The safety of my family is paramount. When my genny is running is when I’m at work. If it’s a long duration outage? I come home after working a 24 hour shift to refuel it & take a shower before going to bed. My comfort is important as well. Especially as a lineman for the local power company. Our first day on after a major storm is a 24 hour shift followed by 17 hour shifts until everyone is back on. I usually average about 4 hours sleep between shifts. Last thing I want to hear from my wife is the genny died? Hence why I bought a Honda.
Thanks for watching our video and giving feedback!
Many people have compared these generators together. Predator generators from I have seen an experience work at the same level as Honda. Plenty of off grid people have 1000's of hours on predator generators with no issues.
@@dustinryan9671 Until Predator makes a fuel injected generator I’m not interested. Plus Honda’s reportedly can be run up to 5000 hours before a rebuild if properly cared for? We use Honda generators at work & they perform flawlessly. I have a Honda 4 stroke engine on a ground rod driver. It starts every time & I’m using old gas that is three years old that’s been treated & it still burns it without a problem.
What I have found is folks that gravitate towards the Predator are driven by price. If safety is paramount like in my case? You can’t put a price on safety.
@@johnclyne6350 Fuel injected generators just means another part that can cause problems. I have four predator generators I have never had an issue. But I do understand brand loyalty and sticking with what works. I had a Honda before and I never noticed a difference between the two my equal watt predator. But like you said if I can save $800 between the same generator I will do it.
@@dustinryan9671 Money is no object for me in protecting my wife who is disabled. You might be blown away? I had an electrician & a fabricator design & build out my set up. I covered all the bases. Everyone I show my set up to (fellow power lineman & electricians) are blown away. What’s $800 savings going to shake out in the end? I dropped over $14,000 on my set up so far. I’m constantly improving & acquiring the best of the best.
If your of the mind set of saving a few dollars? And you have a few of the same units? Stick with what you know?
Waiting for the next video.
Working on it!
I bought one of these Predator 5000 generators and it’s complete crap. It constantly overloads with my single unit A/C travel trailer. I’m glad I bought the warranty hopefully they take the garbage back.
Yes good thing you did. These are China made generators, they are cheap and cheap for a reason.
Just ordered 2 generators. FedEx is great at smashing anything they touch. Both generators completely smashed. Drove to harbor freight picked one of these up. Pristine condition. I almost feel like I should drag it behind the truck to get the FedEx love marks on it.
Lucky these are sold in stores so you can grab a replacement. There’s tons of people saying their generators got smashed from Amazon as well.
I love your shop! Do you sell generators too? For some reason I'm addicted to generators. I have about 10 now including a Predator. 9500 which I love. I have an old school Winco 9000-watt tri fuel I bought new in 1999 and it has out proved itself. During an ice storm back in 2005 this generator ran on propane for over 5 days. It has the Briggs & Stratton 16 hp Vangard engine which they say are indestructible. Needless to say, I did complete maintenance to the engine after that run time. It's still running today.
Sounds like you got a hobby. I buy these generators mainly to do R&D for the conversion kits. I haven't had time to build them but eventually I'll have a kit built. But I do enjoy working on all the generators I have while building custom parts for them.
Bought mine today on sale for 899.00 5000 duel fuel ⛽. I do wish the retractable handle was better.
Great deal
OK I can give you a Dam good review on the 3500, Just purchased the 5k today. WHAT are you expecting? I live off grid and.use the hell out of 4 different Gen. YES I have solar. AGAIN What do you want to run on Solar? I don't have 13k $$$ plus for solar. S.fl here it get hot I like AC. These
Gen. Work great over 2khrs on the 3500. In 6mo.
Thanks for sharing!
Did you make the video about hiw to get 240 volts out of the Predator 5000?
Now from the 5000 when it came out HF had it at $999 now at harbor freight has them at $1099. And they only been out a few months
By end of year I was told by my local HF store manager prices will increase an additional 100 or 200 dollars. Coupon or not just buy it now before they possibly raise prices again during the holidays.
FYI- Picked one up today for $899 with a membership deal. Promo running through the 4/11
$962.78 out the door price with Pa taxes included when purchased 2 days ago. Bought the HF membership since HF July 4 deal was 20% off everything with membership.
You can actually run those items you said it couldn't. You have to do so with some manual and selective breaker management. It may not run everything all at the same time but in an emergency situation, you might not need that. Just be a bit more selective on what you operate and for how long.
Thanks for your input.
The inverter is expensive. It blows out pretty easily too. Pretty much junk.
You can't rely on these cheap chinese generators, only the Honda and Yamaha have lasted the longest.
Thanks for making this video to learnmore aboutthis thing . Just scored a open box that had a coupon for 40 percent off returns for itc members got it for 425 bucks otd and it runs great. Perfect for my 26 toy hauler with no house genset.
Hey you got lucky, good find. Thanks for watching and please subscribe to my channel.
Yo, still waiting on that 240v conversion video. Lol
Sorry, I've been super swamped at the shop. I haven't made videos in over a month.
Anyone know if this is a good job site generator? Like powerful enough to power an air compressor and some corded power tools?
I would stick with a non inverter. Air compressors are known to stress out the inverter unit and cause it to prematurely fail. Can’t expect much on a Chinese made generator.
Rule #1 Don't talk about stuff you don't understand
How do you get 240v out of the 5000? I heard you say there was a way to do this.
The 240V is only good for single phase appliances which applies to some water pumps but not all. I should edit this video for clarification. Sorry about that.
Rv
Yes it’s popular with RV’ers
What do you think about the 4500 watt, open frame inverter generator? In the market?
They are all made from the same 2-3 Chinese factory, just with different colors and panels. I would buy from a brand that has good customer service. Such as Harbor Freight, Champion and Duromax.
We have a 3500 we use for power outages in our rural home. It's wired to a box in one bank of the box. We didn't use the microwave but it did keep the lights, internet, fridge, freezer, etc running. When the freezer kicked on, it would draw too much and knock out the power for a split second. Overall, it ran all the essentials for 3 days during a massive snowstorm in 2022. Thinking about upgrading to the 9500. It might be overkill but I'd rather have it than not.
Thanks for your feedback!
I love this unit. I run two of the 5000’s on the 50 amp parallel kit as backup power for my 5th wheel. Runs everything I have no problems, and the size is still reasonable to load up and haul 2 around.
Thanks for your feedback!
These things are for emergencies. So you have to ask yourself what you really need during an emergency? Do you need all of the normal comforts of full house power? Most likely no. If you have a 240 V stove, ground source heat pump, or well pump, then you need 240 and the power to run them because you need them. However, if you can get by without those things, during an emergency, then this size genset can work. Our 3600W inverter will run the current fridge, freezer, and central furnace as well as some lights. If it is an emergency, we need to keep food fresh and keep the house warm in winter. In the summer, we can last a few days without central AC. Also, you have to plan for the amount of fuel to keep on hand. Smaller generator uses less fuel so you dont need 100 gallons of gas for that emergency. Our generator uses 2.5 gal per day of usage so we need ~18 gallons for a week without power. We keep 27 gal of stabilized fuel on hand.
Thanks for adding these tips! A lot of folks too often go for the bigger generators and are unwilling to sacrifice running the bare minimum for survival. Your right, you don't need to run everything. Focus on running your equipment for longer on necessities and rationing your fuel.
would this be good for an RV back up system. or if propane low and wanting to conserve? thanks bud for sharing info
Yes, its always good to have plan b and c. I would carry both gasoline and propane but have propane be the main fuel since its easier to keep around than gasoline.
To better understand the regulator does it get sucked through buy some kind of fuel pump from the generator itself? I'm just wondering why the pressure from the tank doesn't push any fuel through the
The tank should have pressure, but the demand regulator meters fuel into the engine. If you are having trouble please give me a call.
746 watts= 1 horse power = go do the math..746÷ 120 V = 6.26 amps. Yes keep it simple.
Yes
In your opinion, what be louder running a small portable a/c unit? The predator 5000 or a Honda 2200? I already have the 5000 but am open to a 2200 if it's quiter.
Hi, all generators are going to get louder when they are under full load. The Honda EU2200i is not any quieter than the Predator 5000 when under full load. You're better off building a sound box if you need quiet, or run a solar battery bank system.
Can I run that 5000 on DJ systems
I would rather you use a solar generator and do pass through charging with a inverter generator.
If you use the propane instead of fuel will it work at 7000 ft above sea level ok?
Yes, there is a fuel adjustment on the regulator assembly to easily adjust for altitude.
All of those generators in your possession, I'm Impressed. Do you own a gas station or how do you ensure a continuing supply of gasoline or propane under all adverse conditions.
I run a tri-fuel conversion kit company. We build kits to convert gasoline generators to LP/NG. Your better off storing propane than having to deal with storage of gasoline.
Well how much is the inverter on the predator generator? See this is what got me all messed up right now converters if you have them in the back of your vehicle or anything that lets it move around, big converter to me would be a very sensitive item with bouncing around. So would it be better to have one with just a powerhead then a converter?
This generator is a inverter type built all into one unit. For pricing please head to Harbor Freight's website.
so what are the 3 things?
1.) Not Tri-Fuel
2.) No 220V outlet
3.) Not Fuel Injected
To solve the AC issue, just simply install a soft start on your unit, which is better for the AC unit even when not on a generator.
Thanks for your input
3500 Dry Weight = 102 lbs
5000 Dry Weight = 110 lbs
The weight difference is not noticeable empty.
Thanks for watching!
I’m going to get one.👍
Great!
I have been looking at the 9500, but I am very much thinking about two of these because of the LPG capabilities
Thanks for your feedback!
I got the because I can use the propane tanks on my RV to run it if I need to. Also, propane never goes bad, if SHTF I have enough fuel to keep the essentials running for a little.
Need help. Would you pick predator over westingthouse and champion dual inverters.
They are all the same, they all come from the same 2 Chinese factories. Only difference is their customer service and product warranty. Pick the company that takes care of their customers rather than leave them with an expensive paper weight.
Harbor Freight has a retail store that allows for immediate replacements if they have them in stock. Champion has very good customer service but they’ll make you send in the generator and wait for a replacement unless you purchased at a retail store with extended warranty.
Natural gas is VERY COMMON in "new construction" so....
Not in California, go look up their laws before commenting.
Anybody have a link to this generator? Can't find it anywhere on Harbor Freight website
At the moment harbor freight has this generator on a stop sale due to some sort of recall. They should be back on sale in November.
I can attest to not using open frame gen sets without some sort of regulator to run most modern electronics. The power spikes will absolutely murder smart devices. I lost four sets of non-ballasted LED lights and my smartphone.
There’s another person somewhere on one of my videos who commented about his open frame generator running just fine on the electronics he’s using. The shear ideology this one person’s experience will be the same for everyone else here on planet earth tells me that inverter generators were made as a joke. 🙄
I own 2 different 3500 predator generators and I really like both of them. I will eventually buy the 5000. But I only plan on using the LP part of it just because they burn really clean inside. (I would think the unit would last longer on LP) atleast it would never get gunked up with bad fuel. Thoughts?
My dad worked at a office furniture manufacturing plant for 33 years. He used and drove the same forklift for those 33 years while it ran on propane. If that doesn’t impress you enough I don’t know what else to tell ya.
i bought a kit to convert my 3500 to LP works great for $200