I will be living off the grid in Arizona soon, so this generator will compliment my solar power system. I did a LOT of research before buying. As a portable inverter generator, this has the biggest engine and fuel tank in it's price and size range. For all the features this unit has, it looks like a bargain to me. A similar unit with a big name like Yamaha, Honda, or Robin-Subaru will cost at least twice as much.
Some pointers for set-up the manual says it requires a liter of oil and is shipped empty. A quart is a bit less than a liter, so I put that in and it overflowed. First time try a few tablespoons less than a quart. It is shipped with a fully charged battery, but that needs to be plugged in (no tools required). To change the oil, one is supposed to attach a drain pipe to the oil filler opening and tilt the generator. The drain pipe supplied is very cheap plastic. I will be replacing that with a brass pipe nipple from the hardware store.
If you want to power an RV with this, you will need a 30 amp adapter (or a 50 amp if you have two A/C units.)
Filling the gas tank from a 2.5 gallon plastic gas can was very messy. I had a universal electric fuel pump sitting around, so I set that up with some tubing, wiring, and a filter (and a small 12 volt battery) to pump the fuel in (with the filter screen removed). MUCH better.
Once having fueled and oiled it, it fired up promptly on electric start. Don't forget to turn the big yellow knob for fuel flow.
I have been breaking it in, running it to power my motorhome. The third night, it rained. I had covered the generator with a tarp, but it would not start until very late in the day, so the electronics may be sensitive to moisture.
If you want a cover for it, this one (small size) fits nicely and appears to be of good quality. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FF1WNA/ref=oh_o03_s00_i00_details
A word to the wise, when storing it, remove all the fuel from the tank and run the generator until it dies to empty the carburetor. Old gas will varnish the carburetor, prevent it from running, and void the warranty.
BTW, the shipping packaging was heavy duty, top notch. This thing is a bit heavy and large for one person to pick up. Have someone there when it will be delivered to help get it off the delivery truck.
I will update this if there is anything of interest.
I have had the generator now 2 years. My brother and I got it at the same time. Mine locked up on me when it had 6tenths of an hr on it. I called the warranty department and it was replaced with a USED one with 20 hrs on it. Not to big of a deal but I thought I should have gotten a new one. So I went to the spring race in Bristol 2011. I have a 13.5btu AC unit on my camper found out it would pop the breaker every time it kicked on. So for the fall race 2011 I put a heavy duty capacitor on the AC unit that fixed that problem. So at the fall race after the first tank of fuel the generator would not start.good thing I had nice people staying next to us the let us hook up to them. Took it in to have it fixed it took Tom Raper RV 2 months to fix it. Went camping and it worked fine. That brings me to today. We had a big wind storm yesterday and we lost power. The generator was very hard to start like at the race. I was able to get it started but not very reliable. My brothers has leaked oil from day one..... So I kind of feel bad because I talked him into getting it. So bottom line should have spent the money and got a Honda.......
Buy Powerhouse PH3100Ri 3100 Watt 6.8 HP 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator With Remote St Now
Very nice unit with a lot of features that the more expensive units don't have. I am very happy with its power and super nice remote control. I would definitely recommend it to my friends. Downside is that it is pretty heavy and wheels are small. I plan to buy and replace the wheels. That is why I gave it a four instead of five stars.
Read Best Reviews of Powerhouse PH3100Ri 3100 Watt 6.8 HP 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator With Remote St Here
I bought this generator in the wake of hurricane Sandy. I live in central NJ and have been without power for about a week. This generator has performed flawlessly thus far. I am very pleased with it and I would recommend it to anyone. It doesn't cost as much as a Honda, is more quiet, and the 3100 has the best fuel economy of the other Powerhouse generators. The remote start is a nice feature, but I do not use it. In short, if you're looking for a less expensive, but reliable generator, go with the Powerhouse.
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Hi bought this generator 2 power my travel trailer.used it 3days filled it with oil and started right up,love the remote start,has plenty of power,u will have to get a 3way adapter for the 30 amp conection,does not match the trailer,used 20 amp,did have enough power 2 run 13,500 ac unit by itself,remote works ex,did get adapter for 30 amp. did not use it,yet seems like a nice unit for the money ;no trouble so far, nice and Quit, compared to a Honda,It is better with remote for almost half price.
