I love my little Harbor Freight 800/900 watt generator. It runs my 5,000 BTU window unit with no modifications.
It runs my electric chain saw which is more than I can say for my Champion CPE 2000i. The chain saw kills the Champ immediately when the trigger is pulled. I have to parallel the Champs to run a chain saw that the HF 800/900 can power by itself.
I have pulled 1,000 watts out of the HF generator for nearly 20 minutes before the breaker tripped.
Noise isn't an issue on my own property although it isn't that much louder than some others. I only wish it was easier starting. I still haven't figured how to get the HF 800/900 to start easily.