catallison777
West Columbia, South Carolina
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would this cheap generator be ok to just keep the batteries charged up when boon docking that way I would not have to run the quiet diesel all the time. Would it mess up appliances from not putting out clean electricity? I would just use it at night to keep the batteries up.
Anyone who has used one tell me what you think....
I would hate to use this and have it cause damage rather than help
Thanks
Harbor Freight Generator
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wallynm
Los Alamos NM
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I hope I do not have to listen to this rattle trap and what is wrong with the quiet diesel generator. A Honda 1 or 2 K will run quieter and be more reliable.
catallison777 wrote:would this cheap generator be ok to just keep the batteries charged up when boon docking that way I would not have to run the quiet diesel all the time. Would it mess up appliances from not putting out clean electricity? I would just use it at night to keep the batteries up.
Anyone who has used one tell me what you think....
I would hate to use this and have it cause damage rather than help
Thanks
Harbor Freight Generator
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PapPappy
Wilmington, NC
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If you use it to run a separate battery charger, you wouldn't be effecting any of the other electronics in the RV, so that would be one less thing to worry about.
Can't speak for the quality, but I've found that most of the HF stuff is marginal at best, but worth the money for the occasional user. I will get the tools, if I'm going to use it a few times, but invest in better sockets and wrenches that I will use more often. I've gotten a angle grinder, and it worked fine for a few years, with occasional use.
But, you get what you pay for.......so buyer beware.
BUT, at that price, and you may even find a discount coupon sometimes, why not give it a try. Get the "extended warranty", if it's cheap enough. Also, after reading the reviews, I'd check it out before running it.....sounds like they had issues with the fuel line.
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rjstractor
Auburn, WA
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If the "quiet diesel" is really that quiet, just run it. You won't wear it out, and those little diesel engines use next to no fuel.
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harleyman1340
Marietta, Ga, US
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A 800 watt generator will peak at 6.67 amps. My inverter/charger normally draws around 7amps to recharge the battery (bulk and absorb mode). Personally, the 800 watt generator would not be big enough for me. I would worry about it being able to put out enough power to run the charger much less anything else. I use a Honda 2000 watt quiet generator to do what you are trying to accomplish and I absolutely love it. I use the "economy" mode to charge the batteries and it sips gas and is quiet to boot. I realize it's more money than the HF model, but it's worth every dime of it to me.
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2oldman
Moses Lake
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catallison777 wrote: to just keep the batteries charged up when boon docking ...Would it mess up appliances from not putting out clean electricity? I would just use it at night to keep the batteries up. So, you're just using it to charge batteries, or run appliances?
There's one of those things here where I'm camping. It's not too bad noise-wise, but let's just say I'm glad it's not next door to me.
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boogie_4wheel
SLC, Utah
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HF is good for things like rope, heat shrink, and that heavy tarp I use to cover my TH in the winter.
I wouldn't trust that little sucker very long. Of course it isn't much money, and a 20% coupon would bring the $ down even more. I still think I would just hit the local classifieds for a Honda 1K for a few hundred bucks more.
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hugemoth
Bend
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Go to the Harbor Freight web site and read the reviews. It gets a 4.5 out of 5 star rating with 169 reviews. http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html
It's not a Honda but it works well and you probably won't have to worry about chaining it down.
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retired4fun2002
Ellenton, FL
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Joined: 07/22/2003
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As for duration - check out U-Tube; folks demonstrating maintenance, etc., and some have been using them for upwards of 5 years. They are 2 cycle, so they are going to be loud, but if you need it for a small thing, I'd have to look at them. Safe travels.
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kedanie
Albuquerque, NM
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At 91db, this genny will make the whole park mad!!!!!
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