Does anybody have the HarborFreight 2500 Inverter Gen?

As usual .... this has been/is an interesting RV generator discussion.

For a what it's worth recalibration back to a reference base, here's the world's quietest (commercially available) portable small inverter generator (great for battery charging and other light load tasks) for RV use - note that it's noise spec is 47dBA to 57dBA:

http://www.yamahamotorsports.com/powerproducts/products/modelspecs/442/0/specs.aspx

And here's the world's quietest (commercially available) portable medium size inverter generator (great for most other tasks) for RV use - note that it's noise spec is 49dBA to 58dBA (click the Specs tab):

http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/models/eu3000is

(I carry along an antique constant speed non-inverter portable generator for RV battery charging that is rated at 54dBA.)

JiminDenver wrote:
The Champion 2000i is listed at 53 db at 23 ft but that doesn't say at what load. I'm wondering what two of them sound like running a 13,5 AC unit.

They don't sound like they are working hard. They surged briefly the first time I kicked the ac on and then went back to work sounding the same as they did in the garage with no load and off econo mode.
I've noted several times in previous threads, in response to posters stating that the Champions are louder than the Hondas; the red, blue and yellow generators all have their own sound signature. I owned a Honda, and the Champion wasn't louder, it simply had a different tone.

FIY

Normal conversation at 3' 60-65dB

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

You get what pay for usually. That small of a gen starting and running a 13.5 ac would be full throttle all the time if it would even do it may not last long.

Movie Set trailer generators are so quiet all that can be heard standing next to one is a breathy "sigh". much like what a Fantastic Fan Endless Breeze makes at a three foot distance. The movie gensets I saw were in the 60 Kw range. I think one of the quietest generators I have encountered was the old fashioned Honda 600 watt.

I've seen Onan 7000 watt generators installed on trailers intended for police use that were mounted well enough that they were quieter than inverter gensets. It is all in the shock mounts, isolating exhaust and intake hoses, slapping a resonator on the exhaust, and other items which a lot of RV OEMs skip on.

Now, if Onan could make a four pole (so 1800 RPMs are needed, not 3600), oil pressure lubed (not splash lubed), variable RPM inverter model with a battery (perhaps a supercap) to absorb an incoming load spike until the engine could spin up and take the load, that would be almost ideal.

I can tell you that my Onan 4000 watt, twin piston generator will run anything you could throw at it, but you better leave the noise discussion at the friggin door.

I am seriously thinking about that HF genny myself, although being in California I might have to wait for a road trip to pick one up. If you put a two year warranty on it, you will have peace of mind while you break it in and learn what it can/can't do.

Jose

Hey, I got pigeons.

0600 Every damned morning

rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat


If I'd a found him I would have had woodpecker pie that evening.

At dawn down here, it's the Dog versus Roosters War. Then the burros start in. You folks just don't know when you got it knocked...

based on HF's published specs for this generator, 64db for an inverter generator is waayy too loud.
heck, the open-frame Champion 3500 is rated at 65db and that's at full speed!

for that much money, you should be able to find a refurb Champion 2000w unit. much quieter than this noise machine.
i've never seen an inverter generator that loud, especially for a unit in that wattage range.