I'm wondering if someone knows why these cheap little generators put out fewer and fewer watts over their little 100 to 150 hour lifespans.I've run through about ten of them. Every one of them has been different from the last. No two have ever sounded alike, started alike, etc. It's as though each one is made individually instead of by mass production. A couple have failed in other ways, but the one thing they all have in common is that over a month, they slowly produce less and less power until they won't even charge the batteries.Each lasts only about a month of running about 4 hours per day. I follow all the rules for breaking in period for each one; I've never overloaded one; I use the right gas/oil mixture, etc.. I've tried replacing the spark plug as as soon as I replace one, and I've tried replacing it every few days. I've done nothing wrong, but nothing extends their life.What do you suppose goes wrong with them? (I'm not looking for advice about what generator to buy, etc. I'm just curious why these particular generators fail in this way.)

Sounds like cheap generator windings. You've gone thru 10? You are persistent.

dragonflyspit wrote: these cheap little generatorsappears you already know the answer.....HF has some cool stuff, but it is rarely "top of the line"

i assume your getting an exchangeoryou could have taken that money bought a better generatoryou say 'charging the batteries'do you mean directly with 12v from the generator?or do you mean thru a charger with 120v useany dc 12v charge is intended as an emg rescue start your vehicleNotfor full time battery charging, you are over working themIf its with 120v and a charger, i have no idea,other than over heating the core and causing the armature to 'demagnetize'

I agree that you have fallen victim of the "you get what you pay for", and HF is notorious for this. I love to buy stuff there, but you need to know that it's for limited use.I'm not sure if 4-hours is exceeding that "limited use" category.:BI wonder if it's like many welders, where there is a service/use rate that should be followed....only welding for say 20 minutes, then letting it rest for 40 minutes in any given hour.Keep in mind, these are cheap and small pieces of machinery, which are built cheaply, with cheap parts, and cheap labor............did I say cheap enough:BThey may be mass produced, but they still have people putting them together, and not everyone is going to do the same quality of work.Still, you gotta give creds to the HF for continuing to replace the defective units, and to the OP, for continuing to keep trying.

Harbor Freight, your choice for disposable tools.I'd guess something is wiping out the field strength, maybe the cheap "iron" is taking a magnetic set, probably something else.Personally, unless the replacements are free, you've more then paid the cost of a Honda eu1000

Short Lifespan of Harbor Freight 800 watt Generators

MrWizard
Moderator
Jul 14, 2013
I suspect the people who are happy with them haven't reached the failure time between 100 and 150 hours.

Evidence it's not putting out the same power? Less power to my 120 volt appliances - my blender slows; my box fan slows, and it stops charging my batteries worth a damn. The generator gets quieter toward the end of its life too, and eventually it won't even power my little TV.

this is significant info
sounds like the engine is slowing down do to 'carbon clogged' exhaust
fan motor and blender motor speed are directly related to the 3600 rpm needed to maintain 60 cycle power and electric motor speeds

reduce speed to 3000 rpm and power is now 50cycle 100v

what oil are you mixing in the fuel

try using 2-stroke 'MOTORCYCLE' injection oil, yes it can be used in premix
TCW-3 rating synthetic blend, it burns ash & carbon free

buy it at the motorcycle shop, or pepboys, don't use cheap weed eater oil
PaulJ2
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
MrWizard wrote:
I suspect the people who are happy with them haven't reached the failure time between 100 and 150 hours.

Evidence it's not putting out the same power? Less power to my 120 volt appliances - my blender slows; my box fan slows, and it stops charging my batteries worth a damn. The generator gets quieter toward the end of its life too, and eventually it won't even power my little TV.

this is significant info
sounds like the engine is slowing down do to 'carbon clogged' exhaust
fan motor and blender motor speed are directly related to the 3600 rpm needed to maintain 60 cycle power and electric motor speeds

reduce speed to 3000 rpm and power is now 50cycle 100v

what oil are you mixing in the fuel

try using 2-stroke 'MOTORCYCLE' injection oil, yes it can be used in premix
TCW-3 rating synthetic blend, it burns ash & carbon free

buy it at the motorcycle shop, or pepboys, don't use cheap weed eater oil

Now we are getting somewhere. Engine loss of power. Clean carbon from exhaust and muffler and restore all the power.
DSchmidt_2000
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
Well, officially we don't know for sure. OP needs to post if the RPM's are lower or the same. A kill-a-watt to measure the output freq would seal the hypothesis. Also knowing what the load is would help as I would expect the RPM's would be load dependent with increasing backpressure.

It may not be carbon buildup but it is certainly a path to take. Saying that it is DEFINITELY it is just a guess too.

OP really needs to do some measuring and trouble shooting and not just blindly replace.
Mont_G_J
Explorer
Jul 14, 2013
Quote dragonflyspit
"Evidence it's not putting out the same power? Less power to my 120 volt appliances - my blender slows; my box fan slows, and it stops charging my batteries worth a damn. The generator gets quieter toward the end of its life too, and eventually it won't even power my little TV"

As a long time Small Engine Repairman, if you brought one of these in for repair, I'd have you wait around for about ten minutes while I cleaned the Spark Arrestor screen located inside the exhaust muffler. Spark arrestors are required by the U.S. Forrest Service and when they start to carbon-up the unit starts to lose power and become quieter until it quits.
If you're not running the generator in a forrest you can take it out and leave it out. Jack
beemerphile1
Explorer
Jul 15, 2013
I don't run my little 800/900 regularly but it works okay after having for several years.

How are you measuring output? Mine will put out 900-1000 watts regularly.

I have found that it is a little erratic. I have the output voltage at 130+ unloaded in order to have 115-120 under load. It is adjusted by an easily accessible screw.

If you read the reviews on the HF website they are mostly positive. It seems that most people have the opposite experience you are having. Many are bad to begin with but once you get a good one they run. I had to return the first one I got because it had been dropped and damaged before placing in a flawless box.

My only real complaint is that it is hard to start and has always been hard to start. It takes 10-15 or more pulls when cold. I've changed plugs and made adjustments without improvement on the starting.
LittleBill
Explorer
Jul 15, 2013
bump

keep this alive i want to hear the outcome

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