darsben, you mention that if you use a loud generator while boondocking, it's no problem because everyone is so spread out. There are two problems, actually. First, if I have a loud generator, I have to listen to it, and I don't want to. Second, especially out West, we have wide canyons and rocky hills and relatively thin forest cover, so that a loud generator can be heard for a very long way, thus spoiling things for other folks. It is inconsiderate.
I would advise a newbie boondocker not to waste money on a cheap generator. If you try boondocking and you like it, it makes a lot of sense, in my opinion, to get a really good generator, or to install solar, or both. Again, I understand that reasonable minds disagree on this issue, but I hope that my comments are persuasive and useful to those who are just starting out.