3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

crab80 wrote:
...if anyone has any experiences with the Powermax generators.

I bought my PowerMax back in 2005 before they changed to the blue paint. It’s been highly reliable and is every bit as good as any of the current crop of Chinese generators including Champion. There are only minor differences between the various brands. Generator problems and failures are mostly due to operator error rather than any fault of the engine or power plant. Unfortunately, some people fail to employ many common sense measures to help ensure trouble free operation. The use of synthetic oil is a must in these devices and you have to know how to properly read the oil level. Too much oil can cause problems. Regular gas (with no more than 10% ethanol) with the addition of Stabil is a must as well. Do not use Seafoam in either the gas or the oil in these engines. Make sure the spark plug is the correct heat range for the ambient temperatures in your region.

Don’t put a heavy load on these generators. Just because they’re rated at 3,000 watts doesn’t mean you can blissfully pull 25 amps all the time. If you don’t leave some headroom, the generator windings will overheat and you’ll melt some wires in the process. I never pull more than 20 amps continuous with one of these generators. Momentary surges above 20 amps are not a problem. For example, my PowerMax can simultaneously operate two 8,000 BTU window A/C units (5.5 amp draw for each) and a 26 cubic foot refrigerator freezer (1.5 amp draw). Each window A/C unit has a surge of 16.5 amps and the refrigerator/freezer has an 8.7 amp surge. The PowerMax has run these appliances for several days during power failures due to hurricanes.