First off... if you haven't "heard," this is an incredibly quiet machine. It's quite a bit quieter than the Honda EU 2000... and much quieter at load.
Here's a good youtube comparison with what looks to be a pretty decent decibel meter on a tripod.
*EDIT*
And here's another video that shows the unit drops to near ambient at the rated 23', 1/4 load.
That said, this is not an endorsement. Just info. Do your own due diligence.
Now to the topic...
Just noticed they appear to have updated the manual that can be found on the Predator's product page. No longer does it say to change the oil every 8 hours... which... of course... many of us thought had to be a typo or translation issue.
Both the manual mine came with and the one I had downloaded earlier said to change the oil every 8 hours.
The Current Manual says every 6 months or 100 hours. Much more logical.
BUT... do consider the break-in. The new manual says to run it no harder than 75% for the first 30 hours and then change the oil. Some guys like to do just one hour... change the oil... then, maybe another 8 hours and then add some synthetic. Either way, there is likely to be some shiny metal in the first oil change, at least. It's generally considered a bad idea to run the unit too long in this condition.
*EDIT* This thread has taken a bit of an unintended tack. I hail from a MH / Onan background. The chief intention was to apprise those already aware of this unit of a change in the owner's manual. It now appears there are fewer aware of this new unit than unaware.
My intention is not to talk you into buying this thing. I could care less. But I think it's worth a look, at least. Do your research. The few negative reports I've seen appear to be carb related. A fuel filter would be a welcome addition.
As I state in a reply below, this thing is pretty new to market... and the manufacturer's warranty is only 90 days. Anyone considering a purchase may also be wise to consider the 2 year, refund, no-questions-asked, extended plan for $129 (at last check.) And rumor has it, you may be able to get a further discount off the unit... just for playing coy about opting in for the warranty. Worth a shot.
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Cheers,
Kendall
