That's a good point. Starting the A/C compressor is what's murder on a small generator. Once you get it started, the running current drops way off - which means that the thermostat should be set cold enough so that the compressor runs all the time.

Ambient temperature is another important consideration, because the compressor draws more current in very hot weather than in warm weather. A generator that barely runs an A/C at 85 degrees probably won't run it at 105 degrees.

got a coupon in the mail yesterday for 89.00. picked one up today.

from what i have read i need to change the spark plug and check the fuel lines. Anything else i need to know?

break in time is important. Other than that, store it with the tank dry unless you use it every couple of weeks. What I find works well to run it completely dry is to put a small piece of wood under one of the legs so that the generator is leaning towards the fuel pickup line, that way the tank completely empties....once it starves for gas and dies, pull the cord a few more times and then loosen the nut on the bottom of the carb bowl to get all the fuel out.

1st impressions it's worth 89.00 but not much more.

cranked on first start and has been running about 2 hours so far. voltage is all over the place. at warm up it was around 104v and got worse at load was applied. began adjusting the idle and had a hard time getting it stable. finally got it stable between 118-122v. running a 2a load with a fan and it's fluctuating between 114-125v.

figure i will let it break in and then adjust it out.

i also found the lower fuel line was connected but the clip was above the connector and not connected other than a friction fit.

i wouldn't be happy at 150.00 retail. but for 89.00 it's a fair deal. it going to be used to run a battery charger anyway so it's not critical gear for me.

well after 4 hours of run time the engine has smoothed out considerably. voltage is also becoming more stable as it smooths out. I am guessing that breakin with these is very important.

Help me diag this Harbor Freight Genny.

I have bee running it hard over the past few weeks, family members power went out due to reasons I would rather not discuss. Had the genny running the fridge, freezer (alternating between fridge and freezer) and small appliances like fans and TV's etc/ Also setup a 5k window unit previously described above, a few hours a day when the fridge and freezer were not running. This went on for four days straight, never turned off just kept topping off the fuel.

I was careful to monitor the power output with my killawatt, to ensure it was producing proper power.

Problem now is that the gen will start and idle fine, but once you put a 500+ watt load on it, it will stall. Restarts good...checked the plug, checked the air filter, removed the carb bowl and sprayed starter fluid in the jets to clean them out. Still not working.

My next idea is to run some sea foam and some octane additive to the fuel to see if it clears the system out.

BTW I installed a NGK plug, and have at least 300 hours on this unit.

Only thing I forgot to mention was that I used cheap ass 2 stoke oil and 87 octane new gas.

Thoughts or comments?

Muffler could also be partially obstructed. I don't remember if this genny has a removable spark arrestor on the muffler or not - If so, that's an obvious culprit.

You might also try loosening the gas cap a little bit while it's running, on the chance that the cap isn't venting like it should.

Does the engine run normally with loads smaller than 500 watts, or does it sound like it's working hard?

engine will run with smaller loads 100-200 watts, however, it will cut off after five minutes no matter if its at idle. 500 watts or more and it will cut's off immediately .

No abnormal noises, no unusual smoke.

Sounds like a fuel restriction. Bigger load = more fuel consumed = quicker cut-off.

Again, try loosening the gas cap. These Chinese generators are notorious for having gas caps that don't vent properly.

^^this is my thoughts on it also. I wasn't going to be an ass an suggest reading the "seafoam thread"

Thanks for bringing this thread back up guys! Ya'll reminded me I need to maintenance-cycle my two and to treat the 10 gal of gasanol I got Monday.

thanks for the hints. I will mess with it this weekend and report the findings.

Glad I bought two of these when they were cheap!

Any luck?

It's working, although I am not sure how I fixed it for sure. I removed the air filter and checked for clogs, removed the carb bowl and sprayed it with starter fluid, with the air filter and air filter cover off I sprayed the intake with starter fluid. Also pulled the plug and sprayed that as well. Put the cap back on and shook the entire generator like hell. Started find and it's running great. Had it running at 800 watts for over an hour before I turned it off.

Riddle me this, if the two stoke oil was not properly added to the gas, could it of had this effect (stalling)? I was taught to fill the can half way with gas, then add the oil, then fill the rest of the gas.....then shake like hell. Second riddle, would too much two stroke oil of kept stalling the generator....more than a 50:1 ratio?

premix it and shake it like hell before you put it in the generator. Who ever told you that isn't using his head. The act of pouring will further mix it, but the mixing should take place in another container. What if a little thicker oil gets into the intake hose?

no....in a gas can.

Sorry. I saw you were shaking the generator. I thought you were....uh.....never mind......

Hey, I've done that.

Go ahead and say it - I'm tarded!

Had that happen last winter with mine. I was on the boat ramp talking to my sons and had just filled up the boat with gas. I was adding the oil to the boat's fuel tank and also to the gas can for the little generator. I was talking and not paying attention when I doubled the oil in the can. I spent days trying to get it to keep running and everytime I added more gas from the can it would only run on partial choke and then stall. I knew the gas was new and also good since my boat ran fine. Finally mentioned it to my son and he reminded me that I doubled the oil in the fuel can. I dumped the tank and the can out , mixed new and refilled. Ran like a charm after that.

Based on common chainsaw and other 2 cycle equipment practice: use at least a 89 octane gas and a good 2 cycle oil.
Baileys http://www.baileysonline.com/default.asp has excellent synthetic 2 cycle oil and if you buy the six packs you get a price break.
As far as gas/oil ratio, it's best to follow the OEM's recommended mix, but you shouldn't see any adverse conditions if you mixed up to a 40:1 ratio.

picked up some 2cycle oil at lowes last week and the bottle said universal mix. apparently one amount good for any ratio? anyone used this stuff?

I thought the universal mix was supposed to be good for air and water cooled engines as well as the number rating like TC-3 or TC-2 didn't matter. My gallon of Quaker state is universal but I still have to mix it 50:1 for the generator, chainsaw, and weed whacker.

a ratio is a ratio. As I understand it, you can mix universal oil to all the different ratios. You just need to keep the ratio. Many of the oils you buy say exactly what ratio they are made for.

a ratio is a ratio. As I understand it, you can mix universal oil to all the different ratios. You just need to keep the ratio. Many of the oils you buy say exactly what ratio they are made for. Not any longer! /quote]

Things have changed in the 2 cycle oil world. Modern 2 cycle oil lubricates well enough to eliminate the need to keep different mixes on hand. What this universal mix thing is that it's good for most any 2 cycle engine that originally called for anywhere from 32:1 to 50:1. Took me a while to go with this but the past 3 years I've been using a 50:1 gas oil mix on all of my stuff, including a 15 year old blower.There's even a 100:1 product that some swear by.

interesting..... I learn something new every day.

Got mine from the memorial day sale.

Gassed it up, fired up on second pull. working on the break in period, so far a couple hours and it is running great. much quieter than i anticipated, sound is comparable to my electric air compressor running. so far only have run a couple of lights and tools, working on the break in.

very impressed so far, it at least will be a stopgap for my generator deficiency in my preps, until i can urgrade in the future perhaps.