Cheap Generator saves lives in Tornado
A few months ago someone posted about a cheap 800w generator from Harbor Freight, $100 with a $20 coupon for a total of $80. Many responses questioned the quality, noise factor, etc, generally slamming these generators.
Well, being a guy who loves a bargain, I went to HF and bought one. I brought it home, mixed the fuel and started it up. Just a Weed Eater motor, I didn't know whether to plug something in, or edge the lawn.
Jump ahead to yesterday's tornado in OKC/Moore, Okla area.
I was watching the local weather people tracking this storm on TV and just as it was crossing I44 about 4 miles south of my house the electricity went out. My real concern was that my daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren were in Moore, OK at the Warren theatre watching Iron Man 3, and when the TV went out it looked like the storm might be tracking for that area.
Now to the cheap generator; I went to the garage, grabbed the 800w generator, two pulls and it started, I grabbed an extension cord and plugged it into the TV in our guest room (closest to the garage), it took about 3 minutes. The weather radar indicated that the tornado was headed straight for Moore, I texted my son in law (cell phones weren't working, but text did) and told him about the storm, I told him to leave and drive south immediately. He did and when he was about a half mile south of the Warren theatre he saw the tornado hit and pass through that area. They had to drive about 30 miles south/west/north and back east to get back to our house. Lots of roads closed with debris blocking the way.
So, the cheap generator paid for itself yesterday. Later I did crank up the 5500 watt unit for power to the rest of the house and today about 1:00 we had service restored.
Thanks to the person who originally posted about this cheap generator.
Well, being a guy who loves a bargain, I went to HF and bought one. I brought it home, mixed the fuel and started it up. Just a Weed Eater motor, I didn't know whether to plug something in, or edge the lawn.
Jump ahead to yesterday's tornado in OKC/Moore, Okla area.
I was watching the local weather people tracking this storm on TV and just as it was crossing I44 about 4 miles south of my house the electricity went out. My real concern was that my daughter, her husband and my two grandchildren were in Moore, OK at the Warren theatre watching Iron Man 3, and when the TV went out it looked like the storm might be tracking for that area.
Now to the cheap generator; I went to the garage, grabbed the 800w generator, two pulls and it started, I grabbed an extension cord and plugged it into the TV in our guest room (closest to the garage), it took about 3 minutes. The weather radar indicated that the tornado was headed straight for Moore, I texted my son in law (cell phones weren't working, but text did) and told him about the storm, I told him to leave and drive south immediately. He did and when he was about a half mile south of the Warren theatre he saw the tornado hit and pass through that area. They had to drive about 30 miles south/west/north and back east to get back to our house. Lots of roads closed with debris blocking the way.
So, the cheap generator paid for itself yesterday. Later I did crank up the 5500 watt unit for power to the rest of the house and today about 1:00 we had service restored.
Thanks to the person who originally posted about this cheap generator.
