AAR- Windstorm + 5 Day Power Outage

[Netpackrat]

I would avoid Lincoln for the most part these days. They're shipping production to China as fast as they can.

As for the "200 more than this, 200 more than that.. Err no. the next step up from the Wildcat is the Bobcat, and that's like 600 bucks over the Wildcat.

I wasn't talking about just in the Miller line.

[Termite]

NPR,

I think the Wildcat 200 would do pretty much everything that you basically want, with the possible exception of your big air compressor. You said it is a REAL 4 hp, 240 vac unit. At 720watts/HP, that's nearly 3kw max continuous. A Wildcat is 6.5kw on the gennie end. Depending on the in-rush starting current on your air compressor, the Wildcat might, or might not, be able to handle the surge.
Either the Miller Bobcat 225 or the Lincoln Ranger 225 should not have a problem running your air compressor.

EDIT: Crap! There's a $1000 price difference between the two units, and they both are very similiar in performance.

[Netpackrat]

Talked over the generator issue with Mrs. NPR tonight. She had a couple of good points to make; the first was that since neither of us really want to have something permanently mounted in the backyard, whatever we get has to be something she can maneuver into position and set up by herself if I am away. This probably rules out anything that is big enough to need its own trailer. I'm thinking that a regular genset on big wheels and with a push bar may be the way to go, and make provision for chaining it to the foundation of the house or something along that line. Far as that goes, I'm not opposed to a permanent mounting pad w/sound muffling enclosure behind the house, I just don't necessarily want our expensive generator to have to live there when it isn't being used.

She is also in favor of adding on-board welding capability to my Jeep, as unlikely as that may sound. This summer she was along for the 16+ hour ordeal that was dragging my empty trailer all the way to the cabin and back home with the Honda 3 wheeler in it, all so that I can make a 10 minute welding repair to the frame. And I still have to take it back out there next spring. As a result, she's all in favor of having welding capability that goes wherever my Jeep goes.

She also has spoken about generators with her father, who is a shipwright and lives aboard his boat, and is therefore well versed in generators and power requirements. As a result, she brought up the possibility of replacing our electric stove with a gas unit, before I even had a chance to. I did some poking around in the kitchen, however, and if there is a gas line in there, I am not going to find it without venturing into the rafters of the house and/or doing some major surgery to the walls. Due primarily to remodeling that has been done in the past.

[Termite]

Here's what I have owned for over 12 yrs, and it hasn't missed a beat.
http://www.multiquip.com/multiquip/GA6HEA.htm#no-jump

I added the wheel kit. Expect to pay about $2500 or more. It's contractor/commercial grade.

[rightisright]

+1 on the Multiquip

I don't own one. But most of the rental yards around here rent them or Honda brand. And most of their units have a full-power switch.

[Netpackrat]

Having some difficulty coming up with wattage figures for some of my appliances. Most of the info out there is geared towards annual power consumption, etc. Honda has a detailed brochure listing typical starting and running power requirements of appliances, which is somewhat helpful, though I assume that it's probably slanted towards pushing you to a larger, more expensive generator.

I'm finding very little info on running the oven part of my electric oven; the Honda brochure doesn't mention it at all, and Googling seems to indicate that it probably uses several thousand watts when it's going. So, it may be best to just plan on not being able to run the oven in the short term, and convert to a gas oven in the longer term. That's a shame since it is a fairly decent oven that we bought just a few years ago. I pulled it out today looking for a data plate on the back (nada) and saw some obvious poorly done patchwork on the drywall, so there's a pretty good chance that there is a gas line buried in there.

Honda estimates a clothes washer at 1200 watts for both start and run, and the gas dryer at 2000 start and 720 running. They list a generic energy star fridge or freezer at 1200 start, 132-192 run. I have no idea if my fridge is energy star or not; I doubt it since it doesn't say so anywhere on it. The old fridge died and it was the only one I found that would fit into the hole in my kitchen. The web says it is a 16.6cf unit. Due to the small size and relatively modern construction I am going to assume the Honda estimate is either accurate or higher than what it actually uses.

I found good amperage requirements in the manuals for my house furnace and garage heaters. House furnace is 2 stage, natural gas forced air unit that should use just under 1000 watts when running full bore. Garage unit heater is a 30K BTU Modine Hotdog that should use 336 watts when running.

There's an electric dishwasher, but it isn't too terribly important that it be able to run during an outage, and the microwave is listed as a 1.35kw unit.

I think I am going to forget about the big compressor entirely in my planning. Per Honda, MAYBE if I had a 9 or 10kw unit I could run it, but I think that's overly conservative based on the amp ratings listed on the motor (16.5A) and in the installation instructions (up to 22A) A 6kw unit could theoretically start and run it, IF that 22A figure is the starting current. But given that the only thing I really NEED that huge compressor for is sandblasting, and given the unlikelihood that capability will be important during a power outage, I think my best bet is to just concentrate on a smaller unit; and maybe go with an onboard unit for the Jeep as with the welder.

Same for my welders, which are 175A MIG and TIG units, respectively. A 9 or 10 KW unit would theoretically run one at full capacity, and maybe a lesser unit could at lower amperages, but I think the interests of versatility would be better served by either one of the welder/generators, or an onboard welder for my Jeep, and I am starting to really lean toward the latter. I could also do worse than to get an extra set or two of oxy/acetylene tanks; I'm a fair hand with a gas torch, so anything that is too light for a stick machine (like the onboard Jeep unit), I can likely gas weld or braze.

My thought process at this time, is that leaving the oven out of the equation, I could probably get away with a 4500KW unit, so long as I am careful not to run both the washer and the dryer at the same time, or to use power tools while I am running either of them. But, something in the 6KW range would give me a bigger cushion that would allow me to run both washer and dryer, and not have to worry about shutting off either the fridge or heaters to prevent them from all coming on at the same time.

Anyway, I was just wondering if any of that makes sense? Oh and guess what, they are forecasting another storm for this weekend, that is expected to be of comparable strength to the last one. Hopefully everything that was going to fall, has fallen already. I did manage to replenish my supply of batteries today but it looks like the D cells are already getting scarce again. I'm tempted to make a suicide run out to the cabin and back for the generator there, but it's only a 1500 watt unit and isn't really worth the gas or the 12-14 hours of driving involved.

[Termite]

Kill-a-watt
Very handy.

[Netpackrat]

Hey, look what I found:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-6-gallon ... ockType=G9

10A, "universal" motor (i.e. non-induction) air compressor. I'll bet this
will run off one of the onboard welders in 115vdc mode. Depending on what
it draws at startup, it might even run off the 1500 watt generator that we
have out at the cabin. I've been wanting some sort of compressed air
capability out there (without the expense of a gas powered compressor)
since day one. Obviously not as convenient for offroad use as a real
onboard air setup, but the price is right.

[HTRN]

It's an oilless. don't expect a long lifespan from it.

[blackeagle603]

Noticed at my other toy store today (aka Home Depot) that Rigid compressors have Yamaha engines. One Rigid unit will have me going back for a second look. A bit more power and cost than I had in mind for occasional short term power during outages but...