"I bought this generator a few years ago after suffering through a number of power outages in our city. After the family had to spend several days in a motel 100 + miles from home (only thing available as ALL hotels/motels were booked locally) and loosing several hundred dollars of food in refrigerators and freezers - I decided that would be the LAST time we would go through that.
After figuring out the wattage needed to run approx 80% of our total household (furnace , 2 refrigerators, deep freeze, microwave, partial lighting etc.) I chose this unit along with a 50A transfer switch and outside receptacle to connect the generator to our service panel inside the house. All I need to do in case of a power outage now, is connect a power cord between the generator and house receptacle outside, turn the start key on the generator, and I'm back in business!
The Honda engine starts and runs flawlessly, and the generator output is enough to run almost the entire household. Fuel consumption is approx 1 gal /hr with a moderate load on the generator. It is a heavy unit so if you plan to move it around any, I would recommend getting the wheel kit as well. It IS somewhat loud in operation, and the neighbors will notice it as well. Honda makes a larger / optional muffler for this engine that I purchased that takes quite a few db off of the noise level, and it helps out. I also added an hour meter to mine as well, to keep track of usage.
One thing I noticed is that the output frequency on my unit is slightly off (a little below 60 Hz) which makes my alarm clocks run a little behind (looses time) but not enough to worry about over the span of a few days time.
This generator has served me VERY well over the last few years, through freezing cold ice storms, and the sweltering heat of summer a number of times now - usually for several days at a time. It has run 24 / 7 with no problems, only stopping briefly while refueling. Like I said in the above title -- It was the best money I ever spent as far as I'm concerned."
What is your level of technical expertise? Home Handyman
