Portable Diesel Generators – Choose Yours Wisely!
Portable diesel generators can be found in many households and businesses. Even during the current economic troubles affecting most Americans, having an emergency power supply is absolutely necessary. Why? Because during the blackouts and brownouts, your living standards won’t be affected, including the ever important issue of providing heating, lighting, refrigeration and any emergency medical appliances requiring a constant power supply.
It’s not easy during a hurricane or a severe thunderstorm, when the power is down, to attend to the needs of your young children, or a sick person…
Now, where do you start with choosing a portable diesel generator that is most suitable for your individual needs?
Doing some basic search online is a must; this will familiarize you with some basic concepts about emergency and a back-up power generation.
Knowing the technical terminology will enable you to understand what the portable diesel generators dealers are talking about, and their pricing and quotes given to you. You should also visit online shops and manufacturers’ websites. Be careful of the so-called “review sites” as they don’t offer an unbiased opinion, but are nothing more than affiliates and resellers, paid a commission by the vendors.
Portable diesel generators made by Yanmar, Honda, Briggs, Cummins and other American manufacturers are in general, of a better quality than those made overseas (mainly China) and imported to the US by chain stores and individual dealers. As usually, you get what you pay – lower end generator sets are driven by the very basic diesel engines, characterized by a high noise level, excessive wear and tear and a short period of use, with main breakdowns occurring as soon as 30-40 hrs. of use. Of course, you’ll pay about 30-45% less than for one of the brand name portable diesel generators made in the US. Ultimately, if you experience frequent power breakdowns, and having the electricity on at all times is of a critical importance to running your home or your business, invest in a high quality genset unit.
Typical home will be adequately supplied by a 6000 Watts power unit. Buying a portable diesel generator of this output for about $1100 (cheaper versions) shouldn’t be a problem. If a higher reliability is required, try Honda or Yanmar diesel generators, for about $2000. One more important thing: the maintenance costs are much higher for the cheaper units.
One very important consideration: make sure that your portable diesel generator has been tested to applicable ANSI, UL and CSA standards. Additionally, it should be certified by the ETL to meet Canadian and American electrical codes, to ensure the maximum operating safety.
