Hi guys and gals,

I've been thinking about buying a gas generator for a while for my Quebec cottage property, to run power tools during cabin construction. This (a champion 4000w peak ) generator just came on sale - do you think it would be able to run a 15 amp table saw (a rigid R4516), and other 15 amp tools? (Obviously, only one at a time.)

Edit: I think it will do the trick, except that the starting wattage may be too much for the generator. Mostly, I'd just want this thing to run a 15 amp hitachi skill saw, and a 15 amp hitachi mitre saw....

The other option is to get some kind of temporary power feed off of the hydro pole at the corner of the lot, but then I'd have to deal with an electrician, installation costs (unsure, but I imagine it'd be $$$$), hydro bills, etc... BUT, it would be way cheaper and more reliable once set up. Hrm.

Rob, I think you should look for a 5,000 watt model. Remember you will want to use lights along with the tools. A 5K will also be handy for power outages... they happen. Either way it is a good idea to get an extended run version so you do not have to keep filling the fuel tank.

I picked up a 7500 watt generator after Hurricane Katrina ,it will run lights and a power tool or 2 at same time if needed and it is only about 20 or so pounds heavier,not much bigger and only about $70.00 more than the 5000 watt I was looking at ...Good Luck

Hi guys, thanks for the info! I have a lot of lights up there that run off a small 12V solar set up that'll provide lots of light via LED bulbs I have set up. The solar doesn't stand a chance of running a power tool though... :P If I can get away with this generator, I'd much prefer to...

Hi Rob

Should be just fine many forget the bigger ones eat fuel up fast they run at one speed the norm. (fast/high ) the bigger ones have a gas tank bigger than the motor ,guess why

The cottage you have must be on propane you can get a kit to switch it over, that will save the many trips to the gas station for fuel. plus it's safe it's hard to spill a tank of propane..

==

Hey Bob - no cottage on the lot yet. I'm at the humble beginnings, just a 8x10 shed and a dead RV trailer that's hopefully going away in the spring.

Have a BBQ up there, a propane genny would be cool, hard to find around here though.

There's a washed out fire road to get up there. My car wont make it up there, we have to carry everything up by hand, it's a good work out! Currently car shopping, hoping to get a subaru that'll manage it up the hill...


Lac Bernard panorama in the snow by bobbotron1, on Flickr

Hello!
Seen thometing like those generators in france, it's probably chineese made...

from a sustainable ecology point of view it looks a bit bad:
-Only 20 to 30 % of fuel energy is converted to electric power
the rest of potential power is lost into heat and chemical waste.

Even a badly polluting thermal power-plant deals a lot better with use of fuel power.

So, from my point of view its a way, if there is no other ways, or a temporary solution.

(By the way , i'm looking around to buy myself a diesel one , just in case of power failures.If my electric power goes down , then my gas heater won't work).
-the day will come when this machine will fail and then it won' t be possible to repair:
not made any more, no parts for it,go buy a new one...

Regards

Gerard

Rob; it appears to have 2-120V ccts...but no 240V. Very odd. You'd think that if it had two phases that they'd incorporate a 2 pole cct.(?)...
The locking receptacle on the right says it's 120V. I'm assuming that's for situations where an accidentally pulled plug could/might cause major problems.
A 240V cct would be a huge improvement especially if you want to run a portable compressor for air nailing, eh?

Like this...
3,300W Gasoline Generator | Princess Auto

Go to this web site:
Simple Explanation

You can get a kit to install on your generator that will allow it to run on gasoline, propane or natural gas. It's called a "Type C Kit". And you don't have to drill out the carburetor or anything. About $187 (USD). And you can CALL this place and they'll make sure you're getting the right kit for your particular generator.

Propane won't "gum up" when it sits like gasoline will do. I have a 5500 watt for my house but didn't want it permanently installed in case I want to take the generator someplace else. A 20 pound propane tank is roughly equivalent to somewhere between 5 and 8 gallons of gas in terms of run time. Depends on the generator. Propane for a device you may have sitting for a while between uses is definitely the way to go.