COMMITMENT - Make wood-sweated DIY Engine Fuel for 365

Brian,
I think just mounted in 180* angle. Belt forces will even out. Saves on the crankshaft bearings. Yes, 2-belt pulled on the crank.

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Well I have not been siting still on this project.
Two more woman-packable/operable engine gen-set now been hours trialed for my last intended gifting out.
Both have turned out to be failures. So, thought Iā€™d list the brands, models and whyā€™s of it so other could avoid the $$$ pains.

The Harbor Freight 700/900 watt 2-strokes are fine as is. But these are downrated cloned off of a higher wattage capable Yamaha 2-stroke unit design. Search out and found the higher wattage clone version of this.
AllTrades Trade Pro 1200/850 watt unit. The actual model number will vary just like Harbor Freight units depending on the production lot and the actual factory it was produced at.
Started up and ran O.K. out of the box. Ran a bit ragged. By the second tank full would barely start and was running really rough. Swapped out the chinese ā€œLGā€ branded spark plug for an E-3 spark plug. Started up and ran fine thereafter.
But by the tird tank of gasoline it started to have a running rattle. By the fourth thank of gasoline this ā€œrattleā€ was showing up as flicker in the output noticeable on a voltmeter and in an incandescent light. Sheeee. Be no gifting this one out. Either the gen head rotor shaft has gone loose on the engine shaft taper. Or, one of the out put coils on the generator armature shaft has gone loose getting ready to insulation chafe through and let out the magic smoke.
Shame. this unit at the same weight as the Harbor Freight DID have a true 10 amps solid AC versus 7 amps. This unit had a lead-acid battery charging out put circuit w/DC charging cables. Had a green light AC output light and two AC plugs too.
A spare parts machine now. (and Harbor Freight units hot-rodding up)

The next month I bought a 60 pound packable unit in a PULSAR 98cc 4-stroke. (The Firman 1200ā€™s were 79cc.)
Pulsar model number PG2200. 2200/1600 watts. $200 usd. Same wattage as the super quiet Honda and Yamaha 2000ā€™s, $1,000 usd units.
AGAIN a fails ā€œLGā€ branded spark plug was factory installed that I had to change out by the second gallon of gasoline.
O.K. Now a problem. Takes a usually marine use only, 1/2" medium reach 14mm spark plug. Everything else on the place with 14mm spark plugs are 3/4" long reach types. To verify I did halfway screw in a 3/4 lon reach plug. Carfully crank over. One-more turn-in, repeat. Piston hit the longer reach plug. SO, 53 miles traveling: Wal-Mart, Lowels, Home Depot, then two chainsaw/small engine shops, and then two large auto parts stores to find a proper heat range and reach replacement spark plug.
TIP-OF-THE-DAY: the chinese LG junk plugs use the same numbering system as the works-fine chinese Trorch brand (what is in Harbor Freight products) spark plugs. Champion, NGK, Motocraft catalogs do list TORCH brand numbers to them.
The real breaker, cannot-gift-out problem, with this Pulsar unit is itā€™s horrific operating noise. Noisier than any 3500/6500 watt units that Iā€™ve operated.
I have spent some time and modifications trying to tone it down to accepable.
This is a California emission spec unit. Has an air sucking in reed valved exhaust air injection system. Apparently to make this work they made the muffler without any redirecting internal baffling. Itā€™s just a hollow sound amplifying chamber can. Hollow with a no-spark arrester outlet so I was able to stuffed it with five pulled apart coarse number 3 steel wool pads. Helps a lot. Disconnecting and plugging of the A.I.R. system helped some more too.
Then as a test, I outer wrapped the muffler can and pipe. Not much change. Did help isolate the next loudest source as the actual engine. Huh??
Finally noticed that unlike the use two castings small H.F., Champion, Firman and other units, this one has the engine side plate casting cover as one piece made as the generator head endbell support frame. So . . . internal engine combustion events are ā€œringingā€ out loud and clear from this endbell casting.
As a short test only; I wrapped this casting with tire inner tube rubber.
Ah-ha!. Equal sound now as comparable units.
Impossible to sound dampen ā€œfixā€ this always hot casting without causing engine and gen head overheating.

How loud you may ask? 300 feet running very apparent even plywood sound redirected The other open frame 2 & 4-stroke unit with my 45 degree teepeed plywood trick are within 150 feet woman-complaining ā€œnoisyā€.
The suitcase inverter units with the three piece plywood trick are only apparent running at 25 feet. 50 feet without the plywood.

Next back to the Firman units using high zinked/ZDDP 30 weight hot-rod, offroad ā€œBreak-inā€ oil to see if that will solve the cylinder/ring wear problems.
I ainā€™t in overpopulated, air-inverted So-Kal-life-fornia so no-harm, no-foul with my stationary stuff to get the best performances and service lifeā€™s.
S.U.

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Have you tried the small cheep Champion 1400/ 1800 watt units. I bought one back in June I guess. At first was very disappointed by its performance, still am I guess but found it to be a great value anyway. It really only puts out about half of rated output before voltage drops down in the 106 range with frequency still running in the 62 hertz range. Until about 75 hours when rings were seated and switched to synthetic oil would not start my chest freezer. After 100 hours valves adjusted ,spark arrester cleaned and good general maintenance performance still improving. At this point it has aprox 350 hours and performing better than new still with original spark plug, never even pulled and looked at yet. This is the first small engine I have ever ran on 10% ethanol fuel only because it was run on a daily basis. I am not running it daily now so it has had fuel system completely drained including float bowl and filled with ethanol free fuel. I ran it a few days ago just to keep at the ready and started real hard in the cold [20f] after not running for a week. Time to check that spark plug.
I was very tempted to return this and very disappointed with it at first. It came with a 1year parts and labor and 2 year parts only warranty. For $25 dollars more I purchased a 2 year extended replacement or money back my choice. So I am only into this for a total of $224 with the extended warranty, sales tax and first quart of oil. I never thought it would have lasted this long let alone trouble free and working better than it did new. It will start the freezer now with other small loads already applied and through many feet of wire. I still dont think it will make rated output but I have learned to make it suit my needs very efficiently. I can run the freezer 3 battery chargers tv, lighting and still start and run my 4"grinder for cutting. Add in the two blowers on my shop furnace and it will cut out if I lean in two the grinder . But it runs for about 8 hours on a gallon and a half of gas at 700-800- watts, Again it dose not meet the claims of 10 at half load but still very efficient. I am glad I kept it even though it wonā€™t make rated output, It has paid for itself in fuel savings and wear and tear on my larger units. noise is not bad with plywood deflection. List item

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Thanks Jim, for the review on this unit.

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Thank you Steve, for your reviews, they are great.
Bob

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Hey Jim, you are the other guy grinding out the hours on small units. ā€œFuel burninā€™ is learningā€
Your Champion sounds fine. None here would ever big-box store stock the small unit.Only the medium and large sized units. And even they, have now switched from stocking Champion to Firman. Our local AG Co-Op even switched from Generac to Firman now.
AGAIN on the small Firman unit although I like itā€™s size, weight, features, noise, fuel and consumption: ON THIS UNIT ENGINE ONLY I am seeing far too much metallic shed in the oils to recommend it for long term/long hours, use.
As a give-a-way to one-event user set; O.K.
Show them the functionality of having a bitā€™o-power come the need, first. Then they can unit upgrade for longer term use.

Maybe with your user report, Iā€™ll just bite-the-bullit and mail order in a small Champion for my next 4-stroke gift-out.

Ha! Just picked up another $88. Harbor Freight Predator 2-stroke. Yeah. Yeah. They are weak on power. They are a features stripped down unit. But the assembler DOES run test these before boxing up! The Torch brand spark plugs shows this. The fails in the first four hours AllTrades and PULSAR units had clean white un-ran spark plugs. Fed/EPA and California CARB should be slapping these importers around. Units sold do not match submitted certified test units.
The downside of any of these small 2-strokes is fuel consumption/fuel-use costs. Only 3-4 hours per gallon. Ha! 5-6 hours If I load fudge, and I would big-fish lie.

On stored fuel stabilizers Iā€™ve always used Sta-Bil. Only put it in on over the winter non-used units. So on that first Spring use I never noticed any problem.
DOW member Doc TimH told me to watch for respiratory problems using Sta-Bil on generators. He uses a PRI-?? brand stabilized instead.
He was correct. Sta-Bil will clamp up my bronchial tubes.
I have since swcith to using SeaFoam for the 4-stroke gasoline stabilizer. An on-the-can recommended use. No problem so far trace breathing that. Doesnā€™t say how long good for. By next Spring Iā€™ll know half year.
WalMart had close out sale on a Briggs&Stratton branded fuel stabilizer claimed to be good for 3 years. Committed a couple of old small gasoline cans mixed for testing. Ask me in two years, and three years.

Yeah. Iā€™m the same as you. When in daily use I will use the more common 10% ethanol gasoline too.
Regards, JIC
Steve Unruh

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Well this marks 9 months that Iā€™ve been on this project.
Be a true 270+ gallons of different gasoline blend-mixes burned trough with at least 1620 engine generator running hours done on 9 different units.
Now I am back full circle to the same daily weather conditions as when I started.
Many lessons learned.

Ha! What is noise acceptable to my harshest noise critic, my Wife, for cold/wet windows closed is different from warm weather windows open time of year.
She drove off and left this morning without a word-one about the latest Harbor Freight 2-stroke buzzing away in the background finishing up 25 hours running, breaking in. I am also doing ā€œbrandsā€ oil-mix tests and providing the chicken house with 250 watts of incandescent heat& lighting.

I know know for each of these six different 2&4 stroke engines all of the proofed/useable spark plugs brand and model numbers in Torch, Autolite, Champion, Motocraft, NGK, Denso and 3E. As a preference Iā€™ll be using the 3Eā€™s as primary.

I am gifting out the give-a-way units with either a 1, and 1 1/2 gallon gasoline can, depending. With one 35-50 foot 16ga power cord with a triple outlet end. Ha! And three pieces of plywood sound deflectors.
Amazing the functional/usability differences in these new style ā€œapprovedā€, ā€œcompliantā€ gasoline can systems.
Grrr. None as usable simple and clean to use as my older Blitz brand of cans. Seems after years in business redesigning for ASTM, UL, and fire codes. Then complying with the first round of EPA/CARB non-ventilation regulations that the now required child-proof safety lock regulations has put them out of business.
ā€œProgressiveā€ ā€œimprovedā€ put out of interest in playing the regulations carrot-on-a-stick game anymore.

J-I-T Steve Unruh

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Steve in the running of these generators have you noted the wattage outputs in comparison to there rated output before either frequency or voltage dropping to unacceptable levels? For example my 1800 watt 1400 watt rated continues Champion manufactured for Tractor Supply , unloaded frequency at 64 hertz by 900 watts was down to 101 volts still with a frequency of 62 hertz. This was at about 50-60 hours when switched to synthetic motor oil. I believe it may have improved some yet after this point but have not rechecked , At the same time it was down to 106 volts at 750 watts
My 1970 something 4000 watt Kolhor 1800 rpm 120 volt rv unit holds steady up beyond ratted 4000 watts.

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Hey JimLaP
I have not been checking voltages and frequencies anymore.
The two inverter units proven able to pruduce thier contious use rated outputs. Able to surge a bit after that. Then they self-sence and turn off the AC outputs quick if unable to maintain.
The smaller 3600 rpm synchronous unit do vary a lot in capabilities, alright. I use ā€œearā€ for RPM which would equal frequency. Sight with an incandescent bulb for voltage.
This may seem sloppy. But ALL of these units are continuously powering different brands bought LED A19 screw in light bulbs too. Havenā€™t burn out a bulb yet. And I DO NOT load disconnect these or the incandescent/heating element loads before engine shutting off as all of the manufacturers recommend.
I always let the engine/gen-set run out of fuel under electrical loads and quit. This is reailty use testing.
I am intentionally stressing systems. Weak sisters will get scrapped out for parts. Never bought/recommended again.
Just like cows, chickens, pigs on the farm. Weak; not bred forward.

Varing voltages and frequencies are safe if through most all newer small black box ā€œwall-wortā€ transformers. Read them and they are universal rated for 50-60 hz, and 115-220 vac inputs. They are filtering for computers, cameraā€™s, phones ans such.
Even most all newer consumer appliances anymore are varying AC hz/voltage not-so-sensitive, converting with internal transformer/rectifiers.
Our first generation electronic controlled front loader Maytag from 1994 still going strong after all of these years of Grid downs stuttering outages and unclean Grid restores.

Try changing over now to a recommend interchange 3E brand of spark plug. These actually do give easier starting and a bit more engine power smoothness.
All I use anymore on all my outdoor equipment. $88. to $4,000. engine systems
These proven to me to work superior on woodgas fueled systems.

REgards
J-I-T Steve Unruh

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Ha! Ha! I can hear the moaning and groaning, ā€œBut Steve what does any of this have to do about woodgassing?!!ā€

Quite a bit actually.
Woodgasing small engine you really want to use 3E brand of sparkplugs.

Your genset is going to need plug in power distribution cords. Whatā€™s in a cord so important, you say.
The Harbor Frieght 2-stroke only has one power outlet. One Honda inverter unit and other gen-set models only have one turn-lock outlet.
Actually multi season, and multi-purpose useing you will find the need to branch out even low wattage units at least three ways. Even a two plug duplex unit will leave you one short.
At first I was using an available 6" corded adapter with a three-way end. Engine unit vibrations of this hanging was loosening up the unit plug receptacle contacts.
So. Extension cord with this splitter off of the long end.
Sheeez. Just buy a cord set up this way.
Then. Found that the plywood sound covered units summer freezer powering, and even on the two inverter units I was unable to SEE the unit output status lights if the circuit breaker was popped, or into overload AC output shut off. Running, but not freezers powering. Danger on hot days
So, those cords upgraded into clear-ended three outlet types with an internal glowing power status light. Harbor Freight and others do have these. What I PERSONALLY USE now. Pay a bit more, to get more.
I gift out the earlier non-indicator cords.

The best new current gascan system, and whyā€™s; tomorrow. (not woodgas)

J-I-C Steve Unruh

teaser:
www.gad.net/blog/2012/11/22/one-mans-quest-for-gas-cans-that-dont-suck/

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Might I humbly suggest Steve the lighted end one prong extention cord with a three way t splitter added on and taped in place when needed. My 3 way split cords always have one outlet that seems to go bad. If the add on t goes bad itā€™s 3 dollars. Also if you are using it in the rain those open other 2 outlets WILL make a ground fault plug pop. Of course I abuse my cords horribly on construction sites.
Best regards David Baillie

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Yes DavidB. Excellent suggestion. I have worn out some of my good 12 ga single end indicator light cord ends now. Hurts to cut them off for a dumb plain replacement end. Let the replaceable three-way block take the wear. Generator use, this end SHOULD be inside out of the weather. I give also plastic child-proofing outlet blockers. Some of these tight enough they may actually be moisture proof.
I tape seal my outside cord to cord connections.

O.K.
As promised GAS CANS THAT I USE
The ā€œBESTā€ that Iā€™ve ever used were the Blitz plastic systems era early 2000-to ~2012.
These have a rigid black ~10 degree kinked nozzle with a snap on yellow end seal cap.
Nozzle number set of 900302.
Most are un-number marked.
1 gallon 4 oz/3.9L can number is 50805
2 gallon 8 oz/7.8L can number is 50810
5 gallon/18.9L can number is 50833 for non-vented; generation earlier vented is 11833
6 gallon 6oz/23.3L can number is 50841
These are all RED fully marked for gasoline can with the 5&6 gallons having two handles.
Blue and yellow kerosene and diesel cans using exactly the same spout/venting/cap systems. #50877 & #50854.
The two smaller cans have perfectly placed top handles with a narrowed rear edge ā€œEasy-Gripā€ three finger and thumb second hand assist section.
I can fuel up ANY of the small engines I use from these with total control, without spilling a drop.

These Blitz, or any Blitz, have not been available new since their lawsuits shut down time of 2012-13. NOT the fault of the can system, but a function of them being the biggest/deepest can making pocket.
I buy up any I can find, any color for the nozzles system.
This nozzle HAS NO rubber rings to wear, split, shift out of place, get lost. Seals plastic onto plastic with a molded taper on the nozzle down into the can neck.
Iā€™ve found that I can use this nozzle on most other manufactures 5 gallon cans using the screw ring from that can with just a wee bit of pocket knife plastics nut/or can neck shaving.

I DO only use small cans for portable engines refilling for the pour-safe control.
I only use the 5&6 gallon can for direct filling into the waist high large tanks filling on the rider lawn mower, the Miller/Kohler welder-generator, or the vehicles.
NO MATTER what 5 gallon can/nozzle system, the vehicles around here anymore I just use a long rigid transmission funnel to can pour in to the vehicle to not burble/spill and get ALL of that can contents out. Paint scratched the wifeā€™s vehicle once with my last metal jerry can. No end of hell there.

Trying out SAFE, make no-spills, generator new production gasoline cans with my gifted out generators has been a trial. One system has an out the side end of the nozzle tip fuel stream. Would Not fill without bubbling out, the Honda 2000. Another two systems are absolutely dependent on edge of the tank nozzle hook depressing, resulted in a slipped-in nozzle end tearing the nylon screen basket on one of the Harbor Freight 2-strokes. These have no raised tank opening edges to nozzle hook catch with.
ALL of the new ā€œMobile Source Air Toxicā€ prevention; and ā€œChildrenā€™s Gasoline Burn Prevention Actā€ complaint can systems ALL have, someday-will-leak rubber rings; multiple sliding piece plastic nozzle valves (that again are rubber O-ring dependent). These nozzles plastic slides require two hands to ā€œsetā€. Temperature changes to the movable plastic and they have now stuck shut, or stuck open on me. All brands except one, the top handles are poorly located for one-hand balancing. Three brands, even the can shape it too tall, narrow and too easy to bump-kick over. Two of the can systems did not even have maximum safe fill markings.

O.K. Based on the recommendation of the LAD fellow I put the link up on, I tried the more costly NO-SPILL cans.
They work well.
These are what I will be buying and gifting out now.
I will be ā€œrecallingā€ and taking back the junk ā€œcompliantā€ systems I had previously given out. Cut up, destroying them. Disposing them.

Gasoline is the most dangerous stuff we play around with.
Iā€™ve know two fellowā€™s personally in my lifetime very badly burnt to limb loss from gasoline. They both had very scared faces with weeping dripping eyes and mouth corners. One a limb-pile fire from a coffee can of gasoline. The other a vehicle tank drop for fuel sensor change where his plug-in drop cord light, dropped.
Iā€™ve been on-fire twice myself from fuel tank drops for fuel pumps done in service shops. I used sealed battery lighting. Copper and brass tools. One service guy decided to fire up the torch-set. Other time it was a guy across the shop took to metals grinding. Put those out, and two others with my always hand-on Halon extinguisher. Very quick. Very clean. Just do not breath!
Iā€™ve had three downdraft carburetor cough-up-spit out engine fires. Ha! Powdered fire extinguishers do the job, but make and hours cleaning up mess.

Youā€™all be super conscientious, responsible, and safe with gasoline.
Remember. Fueling that generator will be your wife, daughter, son when you are gone, sick, injured.

J-I-C Steve Unruh

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Thanks for this Steve. We have the old Blitz 5 gal can, and they are as wonderful as you say. I didnā€™t realize they were out of production. I just ordered another spout as a backup, they are still available on Ebayā€¦

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After a year of being off grid and totally dependent on going outside to fill and start the generator on a daily basis in all kinds of weather, I am ready to try and understand this thread.
I have burnt up 2 Ryobi 1800 Watt generators last January. I though it was the fault of the manufacture until last Spring reading this thread about oil change frequencies. Now I believe I hold the responsibility. Since January, I have sold one one the Ryobiā€™s and have been running solo until this week.
My review on the Ryobi 1800 inverter generator isā€¦excellent, especially considering I actually abused mine. Extremely dependable on a twice daily useā€¦1 to 3 pulls. With that said, they suck when the temperature falls below 0 degrees. When itā€™s -25F they need to be placed at room temperature until warm. Start them immediately and it will run for 20-30 minutes. My conclusion is that the ccā€™s are so small, itā€™s not enough to keep the engine warm. I always use non-Oxy gasoline on my small engines to avoid condensation.
I bought a 10K Perkins diesel for this winter. A friend came over to help get it running. I nervously rewired my inverter to accept 240 Volt input Saturday with the help of a video conversation with a friend 200 miles away. What took 6-7 hours with the Ryobi to charge my battery bank, now takes 2- 2 1/2 hours. I left the 120 Volt input hook up intact because I want to charge the battery bank on wood gas next year.
What does all this mean? I donā€™t know because I have been a robot feeding a generator with gasoline. I give myself some credit because Iā€™m not just flipping switches and paying a bill at the end of the month as I did my whole adult life prior. This last year taught us, any electricity wasted directly results in the frequency of filling up gas cans, then filling up the generator and getting the generator to start no matter what weather at least twice a day with no sun. I do have a 1K solar system and I smile every time the sun shines. I feel guilty because I still canā€™t tell you how much electricity I use. I can tell you how much energy it takes to go through the motions. That energy has been reduced to just pushing a button and now the generator starts itself.
I think itā€™s now important for me to have an understanding of what it exactly means with real Wattage numbers. I have 8- 6 Volt batteries that are marked 232 Amp hours (20 hr rate).<----I donā€™t know what that means. If I am charging these twice a day and the inverter shuts the system down at 50%, how does that tell me what I use? Sorry for my ignorance but I think it may be important to know. This is a 24 volt system convert to only 120 Volts. When I need to weld, I have a different 13K generator from Northern Tool that has a home outside my new shop.

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These are the batteries I currently am using.

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hi Bill, the short answer is 232 amps X 6 volts X 8 batteries = 11.136 possible kw if you take 20 hours to use that muchā€¦ in reality its half that for 50% discharge if you want your batteries to last. your inverter is probably not shutting off when the batteries are half empty just when the voltage on the bank drops too low. Short of buying a battery meter and reading it in dc a kill a watt for figuring out how much your inverter changer is using and a whole house for how much you are using is the only way to goā€¦ No more or Ill clog up Steveā€™s thread with my opinionsā€¦ PM me if you want to chat about itā€¦
David Baillie

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Hey nice clog-up, I like it.
Lead acid, and other battery banks are tricky to math out BillS, as this will change with the batteries temperatures.
Some of these small engine generators specify use only in 14F/-10C to 104F/40C temperature ranges.
You on-the-way-to-better now warming those batteries.
Cold air-in-flowing WILL gasoline carburetors ice-up. This made ā€œfrostā€ blocks air bleeds emulsification flows. Chainsaws needed to operate artic-mode have exhaust heat changeable inlet air directing shutters to heat the carburetors.

O.K. Man of cold-pouring experienceā€™s now.
Which gasoline can/spout system worked out best for really cold?

J-I-C Steve Unruh

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Sorry Steve, I wasnā€™t intending to clog. I figured after a year of doing this I had something to contribute.
I was a part of the dumbed down America epidemic. Following expectations. Make more money, buy more stuff, chase the American dream.
I know now, if I were here living by myself, one gallon of gasoline per day would suffice for all my electrical needs. I actually believe I could do it on less. Being off grid has been a real eye opener. Want less, use less, get more stress relief.
I acquired 6 generators in the last year. 3 different ranges. Maybe Iā€™m wrong but I feel the batteries give me optimal use of the fuel I feed the generators. At least the bigger ones.
I relate using a generator for my electrical needs is much like raising oneā€™s animals for food. Sure I can get it cheaper from outside sources but I appreciate it more this way. I give it all more respect because Iā€™m held accountable. Problem solving skills are sharpened when things donā€™t go as planned.
Steve, I have a couple of older plastic 5 gallon gas cans that donā€™t have a vent and they pour great. Very important when itā€™s below zero. I have a couple of diesel containers that took 5+ minutes to pour out all the fuel. After a few times of that irritation, I cut the restriction off and the spring flew off and some other piece. Now it pours like my gasoline containers. I found a steel 30 gallon gas caddy at an auction this summer and that has saved trips to town. New winter, new problems? Weā€™ll see.

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Said a mouthful there! Great way to look at it. Now if you can make it cheaper too, you really will have the world by the tail.

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Hi All
Still on track for my using commitment.
Yesterday just at daybreaking for the 5th time since the night before Thanksgiving Day that Iā€™ve had to go out on the front porch, un-box un-cover and fire up one of the inverter-generators. This has been from an honest 5F degrees to 34F degrees.
No matter how cold always been a one to four pull starting up. Cords coiled aside, and set up to power the drip coffee pot, a few lights, the satellite TV system (for news and weather), and the wifeā€™s hair drier. All critical, morning, get-goings.
No matter how soon the grid power comes back I just let the generator run through ~one US gallon of dino-juice to keep the oils fully warmed, ventilated swept, cleaned. Four to 10 hours running time depending on the actual electrical loading.
Takes 3 gallons US dino juice here to go to and back to the nearest pharmacy, doctor, national pizza joint or coffee-house, the ā€œbigā€ stores like Wal-Mart, Safeway, Home Depot and such.
Ha! Ha! So all of our actual Grid-Down nneds been fuel supplied with less than two shopping trips into the cities.

The daily DYI Fuel part is done woodstoveing at 10 pounds wood an hour consumed for 5F; to 2 pounds an hour for 40ā€™sF weather.
I can actually squeeze my woodstove clean burn down to 1 pound an hour for the +50F days. Stove sitting bother though. I fall asleep waiting, tending.

I havenā€™t been ā€œtalkingā€ writing much as my meds are no longer very effective. Nuro Doc appointment upcoming in March.
I do read ā€œlistenā€ along though at times.
Been keeping busy on-hands giving generator operating classes to those family/friends Iā€™ve gifted out to in the past year. Cords adding. Can upgrading. Universal long neck funnel adding for them for ALL vehicles re-fueling from their small cans.
Still havenā€™t found the universal vehicle suck out system to gift out to them that would not be too costly and be big/bulky.
My fuel rail disconnect, slip on hose, pump relay jumper wire trick is too complex with fire hazards.

You guys are carrying on fine supporting each other.

Remember: ā€œwood does it betterā€
J-I-C Steve Unruh

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