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Portable Generators

To: shop-talk@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Portable Generators
From: johnm@ims.com (John Miller)
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 14:58:44 -0700
Oh Boy. The Year 2000 bug looks like a boon to my shop!

My lovely wife (a systems analyst at a rather large trucking company)
came home last night after one of her many bouts with Y2K paperwork
to announce that we should have a good supply of food and supplies
on hand when zero hour hits.

In particular, she said that we should have a portable generator, too!
Well, well.  I've been eyeing these for some time, and a serious concern
had been the "wife acceptance factor". Now that thats no longer an issue,
What should I buy???

There are several makes/models/power ratings/options to choose from.
My usage would be to power the furnace (gas), freezer, a few lights,
and possibly a TV and satellite receiver. If it was small/quiet enough,
I might want to take it with me to the race track for power there.

 - Most have low oil shutoffs - is this important? My lawnmower doesn't burn
   enough oil in one season to need oil added.  Why should a generator?
 - Are Honda engines worth the extra price?
 - Is diesel better than gas?  (I have no other diesel equip now)
 - Is electric start a worth while feature on larger units?
 - Is it safe to run electronic equipment on gas generators?
 - What else do I need to be concerned with?

John "with permission to buy" Miller

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