Servicing My Generator for Winter

azrving wrote:
Harbor freight replied and said that theirs is an approved style. Next time I service my Honda, just out of curiosity I will look at the muffler to see if it's stamped into the steel. Dirt bikes, atv etc have it printed into the muffler. With the number of fires in the last years it seems like an issue that is worth covering our tails on.

The Park Rangers were checking last year. I would bet it will be standard operating procedure from now on.

Harbor freight replied and said that theirs is an approved style. Next time I service my Honda, just out of curiosity I will look at the muffler to see if it's stamped into the steel. Dirt bikes, atv etc have it printed into the muffler. With the number of fires in the last years it seems like an issue that is worth covering our tails on.

You will be able to tell if it has a spark screen or not, especially when starting.

I'd assume that it is difficult to find a small equipment engine without a spark arresting screen on the muffler. All of them I had hands on in the past year were fitted with a screen.

azrving wrote:
Harbor freight responded and said that theirs is approved.

Good to know. Thank you for looking into that.

Harbor freight responded and said that theirs is approved.

azrving wrote:
I emailed Champion(3200 remote start), Harbor Freight(Predator 3500), and Honda to ask if they are USFS approved. So far Wesley at Honda Power Equipment has responded and said the Honda EU3000IS is USFS approved.

Last trip camping in The Smoky Mountain National Park, The Ranger at Elkmont camp ground said my Predator was fine. He said they just looked for a screen over the exit of the muffler. Here is a link to a bunch of boring stuff about arresters. Does not give a lot of details on small engines other than a screen. I'm not sure the rangers would know the difference anyway.
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/programs/fire/spark/faq.html#M&L

I emailed Champion(3200 remote start), Harbor Freight(Predator 3500), and Honda to ask if they are USFS approved. So far Wesley at Honda Power Equipment has responded and said the Honda EU3000IS is USFS approved.

The one in my video does have an arrestor. I am not sure about all of them.

You guys get too excited about different color gennys.:) I bought a dirt cheap Champion and it worked great for the money and the time frame I needed it. I recommend Champion and even Predator to people I talk to because they have good reviews. Why would someone who may not need to use a generator a lot buy a Yamaha or Honda. My son needs a 3000+ to run his AC occasionally when on vacation so I told him look at Champ or Predator. He said he read on an RV forum that they dont have USFS approved spark arrestors and he wants a remote start so he may have to look at a Champ. I told him to get the Predator model number the next time he goes to HF.

I know my Champ had a screen in the end of the exhaust outlet and they call it an arrestor in the parts breakdown but when I looked at the manual it said this:

A spark arrestor may be required. The operator
should contact local fire agencies for laws or
regulations relating to fire prevention requirements.

So I couldn't swear that the Champ had an approved arrestor so if he looks at a 3200 Champ inverter we'll be sure it's USFS approved. Motorcycles and atv say it right on the muffler.

Do the Predators have a spark arrestor?