3000W Chinese Gensets Info.
professor95 wrote: EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here. In...
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Received the Lifan 3500E generator. It has exceeded my expectations.
Pulled it out of the box and it is great. It is compact, and quiet. How quiet?
My buddy, who is a Kipor ambassador, and I serviced it up and got ready to pull the cord (haven't installed the battery yet). I looked at him, he looked at me, I pulled the cord once, turned on the choke pulled it a 2nd time and it fired right up. We waited for it to idle up and were both very puzzled as it didn't get loud. I thought something was wrong. I wish you could have seen the look on his face (probably mine too). I was prepared to jump through hoops to build multi layered cabinets and custom mufflers. This will be easy.
I am installing it on my 70 VW camper. I think my months of research paid off.
68db at 21 feet, measured with a pro spl meter at 21 feet. "A" weighted. (For those who are confused about the difference between "A" weighted and "C" weighted measuring, "C" weighted reads all frequencies and always produces a higher reading as it is more sensitive, "A" weighted only reads those frequencies that the human ear processes, so it is more accurate to the levels that you hear. (That is why many companies are beginning to include "A" weighted readings in the specs).
Anyway, before you chime in with the Honda 55-58db "standard for quiet", let me tell you that in my opinion that is hogwash. Here is why.
I took readings on a Troy-bilt 5500 genny, open frame, and a Kipor IG3000 Sinewave closed frame genny. The readings were:
Troy-bilt - ridiculously loud 101 db at 21 feet
Kipor - energy saver mode 58 db at 21 feet, but throttled up to run the camper it was 68db at 21 feet.
The reason I think that the 55-58db standard is hogwash is because you can't run anything significant at idle. And when in energy saver mode, if the a/c turns on, many times the idle up isn't quick enough to service the ac turning on, so what's the point? If all you want is to top off batteries, the quiet modes will work for you. But my application requires high current all of the time.
For my own studies, I am using only 21 feet for measure, only at full load (a/c running). I am interested in real world application, not bench test figures.
All of that to say, I am very pleasantly surprised at how the Lifan performs, how quiet it is and how small it is at 17" wide x 17" tall by 22" long (without the wheel kit).
I know I don't post here much but I thought maybe someone going through the same process as me would benefit from my findings.
Here are pix of the Lifan.
If you are interested in the Camper it's going in there are some pix here VW BUS
Contrasting views welcomed. If there is some test I can do for you to help you decide which genny to purchase, let me know.
Pulled it out of the box and it is great. It is compact, and quiet. How quiet?
My buddy, who is a Kipor ambassador, and I serviced it up and got ready to pull the cord (haven't installed the battery yet). I looked at him, he looked at me, I pulled the cord once, turned on the choke pulled it a 2nd time and it fired right up. We waited for it to idle up and were both very puzzled as it didn't get loud. I thought something was wrong. I wish you could have seen the look on his face (probably mine too). I was prepared to jump through hoops to build multi layered cabinets and custom mufflers. This will be easy.
I am installing it on my 70 VW camper. I think my months of research paid off.
68db at 21 feet, measured with a pro spl meter at 21 feet. "A" weighted. (For those who are confused about the difference between "A" weighted and "C" weighted measuring, "C" weighted reads all frequencies and always produces a higher reading as it is more sensitive, "A" weighted only reads those frequencies that the human ear processes, so it is more accurate to the levels that you hear. (That is why many companies are beginning to include "A" weighted readings in the specs).
Anyway, before you chime in with the Honda 55-58db "standard for quiet", let me tell you that in my opinion that is hogwash. Here is why.
I took readings on a Troy-bilt 5500 genny, open frame, and a Kipor IG3000 Sinewave closed frame genny. The readings were:
Troy-bilt - ridiculously loud 101 db at 21 feet
Kipor - energy saver mode 58 db at 21 feet, but throttled up to run the camper it was 68db at 21 feet.
The reason I think that the 55-58db standard is hogwash is because you can't run anything significant at idle. And when in energy saver mode, if the a/c turns on, many times the idle up isn't quick enough to service the ac turning on, so what's the point? If all you want is to top off batteries, the quiet modes will work for you. But my application requires high current all of the time.
For my own studies, I am using only 21 feet for measure, only at full load (a/c running). I am interested in real world application, not bench test figures.
All of that to say, I am very pleasantly surprised at how the Lifan performs, how quiet it is and how small it is at 17" wide x 17" tall by 22" long (without the wheel kit).
I know I don't post here much but I thought maybe someone going through the same process as me would benefit from my findings.
Here are pix of the Lifan.
If you are interested in the Camper it's going in there are some pix here VW BUS
Contrasting views welcomed. If there is some test I can do for you to help you decide which genny to purchase, let me know.
