costco honda generator - Page 2

 

rig for

that could

Why would B&S a motor manufacturer use a honda motor, I dont think
they would. The honda motor is good, but the 12000 rating is
misleading and only a second or 2 surge rating.

I guess they found out many people won't buy an engine that says B&S on it
and have to use Hondas ;-)

 

I have the understanding that Generac was bought out by Briggs. When I
looked for a manual for my Generac 10 hp Tecumseh, they showed the same
generator stock number with a Briggs engine. I guess that for a while they
used up existing stock. Yet the Generac's like mine are all over.
  I got a 3200 watt 4,000 peak Porter Cable generator that had a 6 HP
Tecumseh engine and I replaced it with a Honda 5.5 hp. The Honda wouldn't
pull the load and ran at only about 1/2 the wattage load. I later found out
that Honda engines are over rated on their HP. At work they use the 18 HP
Briggs and as an option they offer a 20 HP Honda. The 18 HP Honda would pull
the same load as the 18 HP Briggs, so the had to use the 20 HP Honda. Both
engines are the V2 design. This is on the Stanley Hydraulic Power units.

http://stanleyhydraulic.com/Products/PowerUnits/tabid/142/Default.aspx

Richard W.

 

briggs&stratton

runtime

I actually have only a little experience with the B&S OHV engines and it has
been favorable, but those of us who have tried to work on their old standard
lawnmower type engines realize they are basically disposable.  Short blocks
are available for a reasonable amount of money for the vertical shaft models
but none were available for a comparable horizonital shaft engine such as is
found on their Pulse 1850 generator.  So, basically, in my mind they have a
reputation for making cheap, crappy engines.  That doesn't mean that they
don't make better engines now, but in my mind B&S means poor quaility so I
don't even look at them.

I'm not surprised to hear that your Honda engine was overrated.  I've had
the same experience on a couple of their engines.  Plus many generator
manufacturers seem to underpower their units, probably so they can sell them
for less.  The maximum output they give apparently is possible under ideal
conditions.  I've had three (two are still running) generators in the 5000
watt range: one is powered by a Honda 9 HP, another is powered by a Tecumseh
10 HP, and the other one is powered by an 11 HP Chinese OHV engine.  The
Chinese have given us the little bit more power needed which can come in
handy on a hot day at 3000' elevation.  Without actually doing any
scientific tests I would say the Honda is not quite 9 HP, the Tecumseh
really does seem to be 10 HP, and the Chinese is the best suited of the
three.  I also have a Chinese 2000 watt generator and they put in a 5.5 HP
engine and it easily keeps up with the loads.  Theoretically 4.5 HP should
be able to provide their surge rating of 2300 watts.  I noticed that using a
slightly bigger engine does not seem to increase fuel consumption, possibly
because the engines are not having to work quite so hard.

I have two riding mowers and one has a B&S OHV 12.5 HP engine.  The other
has a Tecumseh twin cylinder 18 HP engine.  The B&S seems to have more power
even though the Tecumseh is rated much higher.

 

I pretty much agree with everything you say. Although did you know that the
V2 Briggs engine is made Japan? It's seems all the larger Brigg's engines
are made in Japan including their diesel engine. You shouldn't have had any
trouble ordering a short block for a briggs generator. Also Tecumseh has
went broke and you might want to find a new short block while you can. They
say parts will be made for many years, but so far no one has picked up the
engine lines. I read this on the generator forum on Smokestak. There is a
seller on Ebay that has bought up a lot of stock. The seller goes by
"small-engine-deals". He has had complete engines in the past.

  I know people have made adapters for generator heads so that they can be
used with a belt and pulley or direct coupled. I would like to try running
one with a 6 hp diesel engine. This may be a way to use generators ends with
the Tecumseh engines, since no one else make an engine with the proper taper
to fit the gen heads. At least if they do I have never heard about it.

Richard W.

 

Caution.  Many portable generators (and some that are not-so-portable) have
only one bearing on the generator rotor.  The other part of the rotor is
supported by the engine crankshaft.  It would take a machine shop to make an
"adapter" to swap engines for most of those units.

Further; unless you engineered an adapter that incorporated a bearing, belt
driving one of those generators would be impossible.

Vaughn