Yes macs are to my experience the worst at kick back, iv grown to adopt the bucking billy ray method if a quick dose of fuel in the carb for a saw that has been sitting a while
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Just in case anyone thinks I’ve been slacking . . .
My third reason for getting this new small-class IC engine inverter-generator at this time was to intimately familiarize myself with this class of unit.
At least a few thousand of these are being bought into my surrounding world every week.
Many will sit neglected and then be unuseble to those who did not even try to understand them.
Most of the parts will interchange across the brands.
That has been my practical life. Learn hands on before the need. So then come the need you will be a valued member of any community.
Today I am speciflacllly looking for the low oil level float sensor wire. The oil float raises ungrounding out an ignition disable circuit.
It should be this purple wire going to black then under the plastic engine cooling air cover.
( sorry about the light wash just after the Spring hail storm)
This unit is exactly what I wanted as a minimalist stripped down version. Only 6 + 7 + 2 Phillips screws; then six 10mm head shoulder bolts to remove the clamshell covers for opened up access.
Others have the clamshell frames centered opened out. With a left and righthand side cover then externally screwed onto each clam shell half.
My one side cover is interior screws fixed for strength and sound isolation. Ha! And then it does not get pulling starter rope pulled out; distort, warped and “leak” sound out.
Now I know exactly where to 1 1/2" hole saw to get to the low oil level sensor wire to unplug if ever a problem. Plugging the hole with an automotive plastic or rubber body plug.
A closer more detailed view of the back side of the inverter and controls section:
At times in the past I’ve been accused of being too slow to change . . .
A backwards, stuck in the 20th Century fellow. Ptsss that.
I got this because I already do have a much more difficult to work on, very unique, Honda 2000. Got an open frame Yamaha 2800 inverter-generator. Got then the Harbor Freight big 9500 inverter generator.
Anyone starting out forIC engined inverter-generator capability very seriously look into beginning with one of the new GENMAX brand of series connectable capable units as your first.
It was @FruitvaleFarmer Kent Potter who found these and pointed them out. Later getting the second one with the 120/240vac connector box and you will have a reasonable amount of 240vac too. For less than half the price I payed for the H.F 9500.
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I started collecting these suitcase sized inverter generators some years ago , seems so many on the market for offers due to non working , most common fault on the ones i collected was the ignition module gone bad , at least 3 , 1 had a valve that decided to play chicken with a piston and 2 that had inverter faults , all seem to use the same model engine and some parts are transferable to other models , these days i only bother with the electric start models if i am going to gasifier its use .
Still struggling with diesel engine , but wont give up on the pile of crap just yet .
Dave
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Now as a contrast . . .
Honda 2000’s inverter-genrators, excellent performers as they are; are not fun to work on for most of will be needed maintaneces and repairs.
Watch this video for what it takes to gain access, to adjust the valves.
How far needed to disassemble when needing to replace the recoil starter pull rope:
Look back at my picture set above. I would not even have had to split the clamshell cover case halves to pop the engine top cover to adjust the valves. Just pop off the side access cover and remove four nuts.
From where I was with the case halves lifted off; it would be just four more nuts to remove, and take off the starter recoil cover for pull rope replacement.
Ha! I did have the Wife’s Honda 2000 pulled down far enough to remove the rotary fuel valve link rod to the ignition-off switch. Case drill and install; and wire in my own separate off/on ignition switch. To allow for running until the carburetor bowl will be ran dry for long term storage.
Just manually draining the carb bowl with the drain screw as designed still leaves fuel in the rotary fuel valve, lines and fuel pump. Look deep into this video and see the metal corrosion in the fuel valve. The gunk build up in the bottom of the fuel tank. The insides of the fuel lines and pump.
Running out dry with final choke closing and most gasoline will be sucked out clear.
The later Honda 2200’s allow for running out dry.
Regards
Steven Unruh
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Yes Dave some guys do collect these:
Ha! Ha! Except his were all got new for reviewing. Now being sold off.
At least six have the exact same external case shape as mine. Just different colored plastic clamshells. Different front face controls layouts.
“Gavin” also has collected tons of 3000-3500 watt units. 4000-5000 watt unit with electric starting. And 6000-9000 watt units.
Sorry man.
I’m no help on your single cylinder Chinese clone diesel engine.
Regards
Steve unruh
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The Genmax series parallel looks interesting. I use a 120 to 240 volt transformer and soft start controller to run a 2 wire 220 volt well pump on my 120 volt inverter generator. When my old 3 wire 220 volt pump died I replaced it with a 2 wire.
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Hi Guys I am still searching for a video where the guy is claiming that just by turning most of the small iIC inverter-generator clone units rotate valve to just before ignition grounding cut-off; the fuel will be cut, allowing engine running-dry at the carburetor and lines. Find it: I’ll edit insert it here.
I did find a good video in detail comparing the newest designs; thoughts and products from Honda versus the Yamaha.
Face it. Thses two BIG companies the ones doing most of the original engineering to standards. View on for the fuel use performance specs under three different loadings usages. Showing the differences in these two systems running RPM and noises
Intersting to me on the earlier Honda 2000’s was the super low mounted rotary fuel/on-off knob. The 1st generation Yamaha had a much easier to reach high located control knob.
Better closer located operating controls. Was slightly small than the Honda.
So why did Yamaha change now also to a low located fuel control knob too?
I think I know. Fuel leakage fire safety:
My high front mounted fuel valve and lines; when-if ever leaks and it is down onto electrical energized and heat-hot things.
Big OEM manufacturers have to think ahead for big dollar liabilities.
A distributor-named brand can just fold up; go-bankrupt, and move-on, reorganize. Just like the lowest tier used car lots do a lot here.
Ha! Ha! I still say buy 2-3 clone units.
I personally want to be aware of the OEM’s as desirable used found units.
S.U.
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Thanks Steve for the videos !!
So simple but I never thought of it 
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Hey Mr. Steve .
I just tried the shut off trick on my Honda eu2000 and it doesn’t seem to work on it 
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I think this will be a hit or miss possibility WayneK.
I’ve been putting a half quart of Aspen4 fuel in my now four inverter-generators and the Bilt Hard 2500 and the Yamaha 2800 do the almost turned off knob trick.
Our Honda 2000 and Harbor Freight 9500 do not.
These last two have pulsator fuel pumps. Maybe that is why. With pulsator fuel pumps for-sure they can feed themselves from extended run boat tanks of gasoline.
The gravity feed machines? I do not know. Maybe if the auxilery tank is mounted up high?
Now videos out on GENMAX having a new electric pump screwing into the stock fuel tank fill neck for positive auxiliary tank pumping
I do know some of the gravity feed tank machines will act weird out in full sunlight sometimes and change from a full tank to the less weight of half a tank.
I had to experience this to understand why the Honda went with a more complex pumping system.
S.U.
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Steve I can only speak for the regular gensets from HF and not the inverters, but my generator has its own petcock for shutting off fuel. It’s how I always shut it down.
Luckily it’s the same for the wood chipper. I should test try starting it up tomorrow. It’s been outside underneath a heavy tarp all winter and fall. I’ve run out of shop space to store things, generator never stays outside.
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Yeah Cody my hydraulic wood splitter has had to live outside last winter, and now this winter under a tarp too.
To be in proximity of the wood storage.
Can be a problem keeping that tarp battened down with variable winds. Half lifted off more than once.
Fortunately always enough hydraulic fluid seepages to keep it more or less rust proofed when the tarp has lifted.
Look and see the low side fuel tank on this engine that requires a pulsator pump.
Using this machine for 20 minutes every day to every third day I keep it always fueled wet.
But I do use special bought winter carry over ethanol-free gasoline in this one.
This system has no fuel shut off valve.
Most of the enclosed “quiet” inverter-generator units are using a combination rotary knob fuel shut-off with with ignition disable at one end of the knob turning. Many now even combineing in a cable operated choke at the opposite far knob turning.
Open framed inverter-generators units just like regular synchronous units have separate fuel and ignition controls. Separate choke control.
S.U.
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Hey Guys I am withdrawing my recommendation to maybe buy GENMAX inverter-generator units.
The Johnney’s Weekend fellow just put up a trade show walk thru of thier full product line.
He distinctly said GENMAX is using engines without “steel cylinder inserts”, that, " are using aluminum cylinder like most all other are".
First off. Most manufactures are proud to say their Chinese air-cooled engines DO HAVE CAST IRON CYLINDERS.
Mine I made sure do confirming the promotional claims with a skinny pick up magnet down the spark plug hole. Our four Honda engined, the Yamaha, three Chinese made branded Briggs &Sratton engines. The Harbor Freight V-twin. Then USA made Kawasaki
V-twin. The USA made three Kohler Command engines.
So do the GENMAX used engines?? Maybe. Maybe not. What is obvious is they are a company dedicated to putting out industry firsts with lots of features.
So where is that seen as at the sacrifice to long life durability, eh?
Samsung home appliances. GM off and off again for decades. Pick your own I bought with high hopes. Those hopes dashed costing me in durability in use failures.
In four stroke air cooled only cast iron cylinder liners gives 2000 hours useable life. Matt Ryder and many others. Or more hours
I still say he was probably only at the most 14,000 hours to allow for refueling stops. And later on past ~2,000 hour having to top up the oil for consumption losses at every refueling stop. Never going cold with cold, warming up running wear extends life a lot.
In the 1970’s Tecumseh; then Briggs & Stratton raced downward to make the cheapest small consumer engines to get the contracts. Using high silicon aluminum alloys cylinder cases.
They destroyed company reputations that were decades in the making.
These were the engines that proved to only have 150-300 hours bore lives.
Looking back at the GENMAX videos I see the pull rope side covers popping loose. I see no handle well metal rope prevention wear rings. Even my $303. cheapest Bilt Tough has that.
Just saying. Let others be dollars shelled out in real-use Beta testers.
My apologies
Steve unruh
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Steve, do you have a link? I found a “walk through,” but didn’t hear anything about inserts.
Thanks!
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20K Hours!!! Only two oil changes!!! 2-1/2 years TBO (Time Between Overhaul)!!!
That seriously changes my thinking about the possibilities for stationary and CHP (Combined Heat and Power).
Rindert
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Hey Rindert I believe the guy that he diid use his seriously continuously “for a little over over two and one half years”. Two years would be 17,520 hours. But then that added half year of 4380 more hours.
But deduct running hours for refueling stops every 4-12 hours. Deuce for time to top up the oil for later wear consumption, after say ~2000 hours. Then times it ran out of fuel midnight to 05:00 . . . not getting up; not running.
So let just calll it a believable 14,000.
Still outstanding.
Ran this way it never much had any cold starts, with cold running getting up to temperature wearing.
When it did start using oil many contaminates would have been thru combustion carried out. Think of how a 2-cycle gets rid of its internal engine contaminates.
And check the price on these Harbor Freight 2000’s. They are certainly not the cheapest possible 2000 watt units. So probably some pricing headway for some better building internal quality.
Be two gallons of gasoline a day. That took money to do this. Be $8.00 - $10.00 a day here in Washington State. Plus the make up oil. Spark plugs even 500-300 hours.
Yep.
Better get some heating recovery value going to support that daily costs. CHP.
S.U.
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Yeah, he might have fudged the numbers. That’s true. But maybe he didn’t too. Maybe he had a 55 gal barrel gravity feeding fuel. Thats what I would have done. Too many times I’ve been laughed out of the room for making “wild and impossible” statements. “650 bales off 2-1/2 acres. Phoo!” My estimate after mowing. But next day turned out to be 723 bales. Never a word said about it ever again. But I know what it was. You say you have experience? I don’t disbelieve it. But I’m almost certain you’ve been there too Steve.
Rindert
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Hey @d100f Dave is your Chinese inverter diesel engine the large vertical air cooled?
Or the smaller slant cylinder air cooled?
Or even a water cooled one?
Regards
Steve unruh
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Hi All
I’ve been Spring busy so slow to verify engine facts.
Yep. This inexpensive $303. unit does have an iron cylinder sleeve:
Yep. Verified by a real magnet.
But nope. The oil level sensor wire is NOT the purple one.
Is the Yellow one going to a finer black wire back to grommet seal going into the crankcase at the cases spilt
Now anyone with a current $599. Predator 2000 inverter-generator able to pull the spark plug and magnet verify if it also has an iron cylinder sleeve?? So far I cannot get an answer on-line or from the folks face-to-face at the Harbor Freight store.
Thanks
Steve Unruh
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