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Honda eu 2200’s in Parallel w/15000 BTU A/C

TPC

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The Predator 3500 puked so what the hey - tried the little Honda’s.

Works excellent. Generators on economode stayed on low idle.
Ran the TVs too.

The 30 amp 10 gauge cord (Walmart $49) has HD plugs and ya won’t get burnt connections and burnt receptacles like on a 110v standard cord.
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Riverbound

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I just purchased a 3500 prior to yours puking. What’s your opinion overall? For the money I couldn’t imagine a better value and can buy quite a few Honda’s for the price.
My main use for it will be keeping the rig charged up overnight and I’m generally just lessening the use on the 5500 built in.
 

TPC

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I just purchased a 3500 prior to yours puking. What’s your opinion overall? For the money I couldn’t imagine a better value and can buy quite a few Honda’s for the price.
My main use for it will be keeping the rig charged up overnight and I’m generally just lessening the use on the 5500 built in.

I’ll be exchanging our 3500 for a new one this week.

The method to long life on the Predator 3500 is
1. carefully fill the fuel to just below the red tab in the filler neck:
Never add gas while it’s running.

Over filling:
It’ll thus suck liquid down the evap and that ruins the charcoal filter. No replacement avail and it won’t run right - no cure.
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Remove and clean the entire spark arrestor every oil change and put it back in because it runs quieter with it in.
Clean the spark plug every oil change too.

Change the oil at 8 hours, 50 hours then every one hundred their after.

Look up dis connecting the low oil shut off. It will eventually malfunction and prevent the generator from running. It’s a simple unplug the wire
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HitIt

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Sonofabitch. I just bought a 3500 three days ago.
 
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Meaney77

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@TPC How many hours did you have on the Predator?

Sorry to hear you had issues...

The way I look at it, for me- this thing is going to spend most of its life running in the dirt so I am not sure about longevity. I do required maintenance each season. I know its not a Honda but it hasnt let me down yet and even if this one shits the bed and I have to buy a new one, I am still money ahead over the Honda units.
 
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TPC

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So I exchanged Predator number Two and unboxed number three.

I immediately noticed changes with number three.
The 30 AMP receptical is mounted the proper 180 degrees from the past. A big complaint.
Packaging was improved as well as the fit and finish of the generator.

Gas tank now has a level gauge.

First oil change the spark arrestor wasn’t all plugged up and the oil was clean.

Spark plug clean too.
They defaulted back to the Torch spark plug so that’s changed out with a NGK BPR7es.
That NGK was a very common plug at one time now I can only find them online.

Generator ran smoother and quieter and happier than the past too.

So with the precautions I’ve learned in the past let’s see how long this one will last.
If it pukes past the 90 warranty I’ll drain the liquids and in the dumpster it goes.
 
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TPC

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@TPC How many hours did you have on the Predator?

Sorry to hear you had issues...

The way I look at it, for me- this thing is going to spend most of its life running in the dirt so I am not sure about longevity. I do required maintenance each season. I know its not a Honda but it hasnt let me down yet and even if this one shits the bed and I have to buy a new one, I am still money ahead over the Honda units.
Wife says about 400 hours Hot laboring on the first.
What killed it and I’m convinced is over filling it with gas.

Sounds petty but it’s important. Carefully fill it not running and just below the red tab fill level marker in the neck. Instruction manual says leave the cap off for a few minutes to let the vapors and liquid settle and evaporate off and seems that is a BFD too

So we’ll see.
 

DLC

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Hi TPC, can you post the wheel kit, looks like a self made big tire kit.

thats mandatory for desert use
 
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TPC

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Hi TPC, can you post the wheel kit, looks like a self made big tire kit.

thats mandatory for desert use

I used hose end washers on the inside of the axels to shim, quiet and calm down the vibration.
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Meaney77

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Hi TPC, can you post the wheel kit, looks like a self made big tire kit.

thats mandatory for desert use
I found this on YT and did the same thing on mine. Its cheap and easy for the desert, I think I spent less than $40 for everything. I use the inflateable wheels from HF and it moves around super easy. The best part is that all of this stuff comes off when you pull the pins if you ever have to return it.


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TPC

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One of my tires just suffered a tube break thru. .
Mini China bombs.
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grumpy88

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You seam to have more time and effort into these harbor freight toys then the cost of a honda . Good luck with this one
 

TPC

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You seam to have more time and effort into these harbor freight toys then the cost of a honda . Good luck with this one
Far from it Grumpy88.
$650 HF
$2.300 Hondas that will do the same tasks.
Harbor Freight honors the warranty with no drama. Honda will never honor the warranty. Worth a try with HF.
 

TPC

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BTW:
Replacement tire with wheel $6 w/coupon
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TPC

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Did you get a spare? 😂
Yes.
HF had a stack of them in the back room in white.

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Somewhat in defense of the HF It ran for 4 days straight running the AC in over 110F temps in (near) Palm Springs. Friends Hondas puked in the heat. We RV camped in the back RV lot at the Morongo while Ali attended a nurses seminar and she pal'd around with her nurse GF's from NOLA.

I'm still an HF Predator enthusiast just like their are Yugo enthusiasts.
Yugo translated means when you have problems, you go _ _ _ _ yourself.
 
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Flyinbowtie

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Pacific Graft and Extortion is advising they may shut us down in another Cover Their Ass Power shut off starting tomorrow. I have the EU6500 ready, and the EU2200 ready as well. Might grab another 2200 after fire season. This crap is another nail in the coffin of my relationship with my native state.
18 months and it will be in the rear view mirror.
#1 son has a 3500 Predator and he works the hell out of it, changes the oil and services the air filter. So far so good.
I bought a Predator 9500 to run up at my moms during the shut-downs and it works fin, one loud mofo, but so far so good.
 
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TPC

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We're looking at property in Az and Nev. Nevada Gov is subject to be worse than Neusance though.

I've checked out generator sound deadening boxes on You Tube. Some look like fun, easy & cheap projects.
 

LowRiver2

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So I have one 2200 I
Who has the best prices on the 2200i companions?

Not getting better than retail on my searches
 
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TPC

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So I have one 2200 I
Who has the best prices on the 2200i companions?

Not getting better than retail on my searches
Occasionally Northern Tool has good prices with free shipping. Just dumb luck I click on them and a sale is on. Sometimes a better price appears in the check out cart.
Walking into dealers and asking for a better price has worked well too.
 

LowRiver2

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Occasionally Northern Tool has good prices with free shipping. Just dumb luck I click on them and a sale is on. Sometimes a better price appears in the check out cart.
Walking into dealers and asking for a better price has worked well too.
Thanks,
Will try
Half way there to a good set up for me lol
 
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TPC

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So hot yesterday the thugs were wearing pot holders to steel hubcaps.
Ran the Predator all day in that murderous heat and it purred running the RV AC.
 

Meaney77

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So hot yesterday the thugs were wearing pot holders to steel hubcaps.
Ran the Predator all day in that murderous heat and it purred running the RV AC.
So your back to being a Predator Cheerleader again ?? 🤣
 

TPC

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So your back to being a Predator Cheerleader again ?? 🤣
Maybe. Just running it through the break-in period then it get the fuel drained, oil changed and put on a Battery tender and covered.
They're building them better.
 

WYRD

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Far from it Grumpy88.
$650 HF
$2.300 Hondas that will do the same tasks.
Harbor Freight honors the warranty with no drama. Honda will never honor the warranty. Worth a try with HF.
At some point I would think your time and equipment downtime would be factored into that equation though
 
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LowRiver2

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I have always had good experiences with Honda genny’s at work and am sticking with them.
I like the twin 2200’s because I can sneak them under my tonneau cover beach camping and go rogue if I want the juice at night lol.
 
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TPC

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We're heading out to east of Reno for a week and will take the two Hondas, leave the Predator at home. Just too unreliable for the road.
Currently installing a 50 AMP receptacle with separate bkr box/transfer switch on the house. Some parts on backorder.
I'll do a Powerhorse 7500i generator full load on the house test then too.
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BTW FYI:
 
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TPC

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Agreed but after two failures even if they are replacing them under warranty I'd be a little frustrated especially if it failed while out camping.
The nickname "Vacation Wrecker" is accurate.
 

TPC

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Our 7500 inverter runs the whole house - AC and all no sweat.

Super quiet, built in the same factory that builds the Honda 7000i for Honda according to my commercial Electrician friends.

I’ll do a thread on hotting up the house next week.
 
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