Predator 8750 Generator in a Custom Generator Shed | PLANS AVAILABLE!!
Vložit
- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- I upgraded the generator! • Harbor Freight Inverte...
Plans are available on our website: outdoorsengineer.com/
Hour Meter: amzn.to/3GWNavw
Electric Mains Return Alarm: amzn.to/3N2Rlco
Today we inspect a generator shed I built in 2017 for our Harbor Freight Predator 8750 watt generator. Prior to building the generator shed, we lost power many times. Once I completed the construction and install of the generator, we have lost power once, and we didn't need the genny that one time. The Predator 8750 is big enough to power our whole house. It may even run the A/C, but we have never tried it. It works awesome!
The shed is built with cedar siding and a roof that opens for easy access to the gas tank and generator removal. I even sized all of the wiring and generator shed for a larger 50 amp generator, if one day I choose to install one. The generator shelter is insulated and provides airflow so the doors can be shut while the generator is running, greatly reducing the noise of the generator. We designed and built the shed based on previous interweb research. I am extremely happy with the design and it works well.
Hour Meter: amzn.to/3GWNavw
Electric Mains Return Alarm: amzn.to/3GWNavw
Bookmarks:
00:00 Begin
00:27 Intro
02:11 Generator review
03:26 Generator Closeup
05:32 Exterior
08:25 Electrical Panel Talk
10:11 It's alive!!
13:07 Build Slide Show - Jak na to + styl
We have used the czcams.com/users/postUgkxOTeIs0vv4_9B5hsmnLsk9r930uDQLu_Y for probably 30 hours with our camper and it’s been great! The noise level is really only noticeable when running the AC and other appliances like the microwave, hair dryer, or coffee pot. It’s not huge like other ones and it has wheels so even at 90lbs, I can move it!
That shed looks better and is built better than my house.
The best generator shed I’ve seen.
Awesome!
Get some rock wool insulation. Line the inside and it’s fire proof and would soak up the sound and noise like crazy.
I agree. Some 1 or 2 inch thick rock wool would make it much quieter.
I built a generator shed just like this one last summer 2022. We had a tornado March 2023 we had no power for 5 days. This design worked great for me, the hinged roof was so nice to add gas and change the oil. I kept the doors shut and the fan kept the shed cool. Thanks for sharing.
By far the best homebuilt generator shed I have seen.
Fantastic design and the way it blends into the nature setting is awesome!! Great job!!!
Love the shed design, especially the hinged roof. This gives me some ideas for my next project.
It works awesome. Thanks!
went 13 days with no power in 08 when Ike hit Texas, got a genny now, the old type land line never quit and family were able to call us 24/7
The old time land line. Ha. Phone with a curly cord!
Hope you enjoyed our generator shed! What do you think?
Beautiful Generator Condo! 😎 I'm also very impressed with the noise reduction, and the hinged roof! Nice work! I have a little different set-up, I have two 2500 watt Champion dual-fuel inverter generators (Gas/Propane) since we are miles from any Natural Gas pipeline and can run the house for 10-11 months (stove, oven, water heater, clothes dryer) with our 250-gallon propane tank. My thought was fuel efficiency and portability, I can run one or both generators in tandem depending on the demand and run them both for months without needing fuel. I can also move them easily to anywhere I need power since they only weigh 40lbs each but combined with a parallel kit have a peak output of 5000 Watts, more than enough to run everything in the house (excluding Central A/C). My shed is 8x8x4 and 2x4 framed with exterior siding and insulated with *Rockwool (sound-absorbing, fireproof, water repellant) insulation. I used 50amp breakers and 6Ga. wiring with a main breaker interlock, all connected through an additional breaker panel with 30 and 50 amp RV outlets, mounted alongside the outside garage wall. ~Roy~ *Critter Ranch, Apple Valley, CA.
Great need those build plans 😊
@@khiaraslaw I probably have some old cad drawings of them laying around!
Fancy schmancy. I especially like the underground wiring.
Do you have the plans? That is one nice shed
Nice looking gen shed, I am getting ready to upgrade our gen shed, we also have the same gen 8750, it has helped us over the years, one time our power was out for 7 days. I am also working on a small solar system, and that also came in handy. Loved the video!
No one never ever puts a generator that far from the house. It is always on the side of the house. The cable must be huge. The rest of your shed is great. Great explanation. 🙂
The cable is actually sized if I were ever to install a 50 AMP generator (I used 6-3 wire). It's actually not that far of a distance but I wanted it as far as possible to reduce the noise I'd get in the house. You can put it as far as you want as long as you properly size the wires for voltage loss. Southwire has a nice voltage drop /wire size calculator on their website and we are all good there :) www.southwire.com/calculator-vdrop
Thanks for watching!
@@OutdoorsEngineer The down side to quiet, when you sleeping with it running... someone can steal it and you won't know it until you wake up. Mine is about 15 feet from the house. I know when it stops in my sleep. 🙂
@@2fukWu ONLY???? The larger the size the higher the price and harder to work with. 🙂
Looks like a good job and it is quiet, nice.
Thank you!
That is well built. Like how the roof hinges.
shed looks awesome. Great job.
Thank you
Great job and thank you for sharing and explaining it so well.
Living in Florida without sufficient power to run the A/C when the grid fails gets old very quickly- about 2 hours. One never knows when a severe thunderstorm will knock the power out for and hour or two, or longer. Then there's hurricane season. So I just got a 9500 watt generator to replace my little 3500 watt machine. We were once without power for 4 days. I have two refrigerators and a freezer loaded with meat. Now that I have the power I need, I was looking for a way to quiet my system down, and you just gave me some great ideas. Your gen shed looks great and has enough room for storage of fuel for several days. Thanks for taking the time to make the video and the great ideas. I especially like the way the roof opens so the generator can be refueled easily.
Sounds good! Thanks for watching!
Wow, super quiet and very nice looking.
Yes, thanks
Great info and a nice simple approach. Thanks!
This is the nicest generator shed build that I’ve seen. 😍
Thank you!
Excellent video. I am preparing to build a generator shed very similar to yours. I picked up several tips from you that I can use to make my design better. Thank you.
Awesome!
Beautiful looking shed. Great job !
Glad you like it!
I DO LIKE IT ! I had a generator at my last house. The problem with it was I built it too small. The size of yours is good. Good job. CHEERS.
Really like your shed design. I am in the process of building mine and will incorporate some of your design into mine, especially the roof and fresh air intake.
Awesome!!
fantastic setup
Living down South we deal with the Hurricanes Every year,just got us a nice 8700 as well. This Generator House is great I'm gonna build one for ours as you know they are LOUD. Thanks for sharing
Sounds great!
I have just finished milling some cedar that I was going to use to make raised beds for the greenhouse. I've decided to build a generator shed like this one and mill some more cedar later. This is a great design.
That is awesome!
beautiful design and detail!
Thanks!
best example Ive seen. I like the forced intake and exhaust system.
Heading out this morning to pick up an 8750 on sale! Great video with several great ideas.
Have fun!
Good job! Thanks!
Nice work. A lot better than mine.THANKS!!!!
First time seeing this duct fan setup nice
Nice job !! Nice house to.
This Generator Shed is very Well Done 👍 and Great job 👍
Thanks!
Nicely done my man. Great ideas and just in time for my forthcoming generator rollout.
Awesome!
Excellent and beautiful work ! thanks for this video
Thank you! Cheers!
Best gen shed I've seen so far.
Thanks!
Looks good! I’d bond the ground rod to the house service ground in case lightning ever strikes in the area.
Not a bad idea
I only needed my generator 2 hours in the first 8 years of ownership. The freak windstorm in August of the 8th year that knocked my suburban power out for 60 hours had me so happy I had it. Neighbors lost freezers full of meat & refrigerators full too. It paid for itself 3x over that one time. Since then 5 more years it’s been used for 2 4 hour outages. Not terrible but with wife working from home very necessary
Yep. It's nice to have just in case!
Great vid, so helpful and simple thanks
Glad you liked it!
Nice job!! Greetings from Brazil
Thank you very much!
That is a bad ass gen house 👍🏽👍🏽
Sweet generator house!
Thanks!
Nice and quiet
Did a nice job 👍
Thanks!
Nice job!
Thanks! I should have an update out in the very near future. I upgrade to an inverter generator!
nice shed
Pretty good one of the best i seen
Nice job
Thanks!
great dog, nice design, pretty complete
Thank you very much!
Nice design but I would put some angle slats on the exhaust vent to deflect the noise to the ground. Also put some exercise rubber mats on the floor and the doors to absorb the sound.
Very nice.
Nice shed, good job. BUT , I would have put it on my deck or at the bottom of the steps because in a severe thunderstorm you gotta trot way out there to start it . Plus way less wire (expensive) but more noise but in an emergency I can put up with noise to have power. Just my flea bitten opinion . I still am impressed by your setup I know how much work you put into that !
Very nice work
Thanks!
@@OutdoorsEngineer 🥰
A solar trickle charger to keep the battery topped off would also be a great addition.
I usually start the generator once a month and let it run 15-30 minutes. Have not had a problem with the battery yet. Not much draw on the battery when not running I suppose.
You don’t buy a generator to keep your electricity on, you buy it to keep the electricity from going out. 😂
Exactly!
Reallly nice job
I'm glad you like it
Set it on sand will make vibration better, not too bad for a Predator gen they are not known to be quite.
Certainly not quiet. The shed certainly helps.
Great design. I converted our 8750 to liquid propane. There's a kit for it on Amazon.
I have thought about making the conversion - - If I used it more I would!
I really like your enclosure A LOT. The only thing I might do differently would be to have the intake and exhaust on the respective sides of the enclosure to eliminate as much of the bends in the air flow pipes. Fewer bends make for faster air speed. This would also prevent any exhaust fumes from being pulled into the enclosure. You can also find pistons, similar to what holds the hood and hatch on a car or truck, but heavy duty enough to support the weight of the roof which would make it much more stable than the 2x4 you're using in this video. A sudden strong gust of wind could lift the roof off the 2x4 and allow it to fall while you're under it.
Good points! I did make a Tee on the exhaust that pushes the exhaust away from the intake. The main reason I went out the back was to minimize noise on sides that face the house.
Great ideas for my Duromax 12kw. I defiantly like the hinged roof idea. Only comment is the length of cable to house, voltage drop. I keep my 240v 50a service cable no farther than 25ft from house. Just an opinion, everyone has one...lol
For sure! It is something to consider. I did plug my numbers in I think Cerro wire's voltage drop calculator and all good. It's always a good thing to consider the voltage drop. Thanks for watching!
Not sure about Wisconsin, but for here in Texas, I’d put some finer mesh screening over all your vents. Our wasps and hornets here will find a way to get into any structure and make giant nests.
We have wasps and hornets, but they usually build nests under overhangs., and I promptly knock them down if they get in a bad spot.
Very nice! I have the same generator in a shed that I just bought over the summer. I installed a duel fuel kit so I can use propane also. Propane can be stored long term and easy to stockpile in case the you know what hits the fan. ✌️
Very cool! I've thought about it!
Quietest gen house video I seen yet. The plastic garden shed ones don't seem to cut the noise that much
That was my main goal. Keep the noise level down, especially if we need to have some windows open in the evenings. Haven't really had to test it out with that respect because I still haven't had a need for using it since I installed it.
Love the shed. I wish you had maybe included dimensions of exterior wall length and depthfront and back wall height and roof frame exterior length and width.
If you send me an email at inthenorthwoods.yt@gmail.com I can send you the basic plans.
Really like the Gen house. Nice design. Pop-up roof is sweet. Good job. Might want to get a single lug or crimp-on eyelet on that ground wire to clean it up a bit and enhance the connect. How did you hinge the back of the roof? Thank you.
Thanks! They are just old interior door hinges. They stay out of the elements and I made sure they got full of stain so they don't rust. I think I have 3 hinges on the back of the roof.
Oh, and good idea on the ground wire. I'll have to look for something that will fit the wire size I have. Thanks!
i was considering the generac or the enphase, but for the cost i could buy 1 generator a year for 30 years.. so im gonna build a generator house, for the emergency,, whenever SCE decides to turn it off i will still have power,,, thank you
Nice Shed , Better to have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it.
if you are running your whole house by code you do not want to ground the generator. your house ground will work fine. as long as you have house ground connected.
Thanks!
Nice job. I have a Wen 875i and am looking at building something similar. I was thinking of a smaller more portable enclosure. Did you go with the intake and exhaust plumbing after doing testing? I am planning on having powerless cold air intake at floor and exhaust through the roof ceiling with as many sound deadening turns as i can get to the rear of roof. Hoping the heat rises theory will keep the generator cool. Most of our outtages are due to snow.
I went with the plumbing because i had built a temporary shelter at one point and it started over heating. I figured I needed at least the intake and it wouldn't hurt to get the exhaust out as fast as possible. I have thought about drilling holes in the floor so the attic fan would draw cool air from the floor across the generator.
I think the biggest problem is heat, and making sure that engine stays cool. Thanks for watching!
Been two years after wiring a Wen to my house with no power outages. Before that it went out several times a year. I'm just wanting it to go out for a few hours. Start mine up about every month just to charge the battery and hook my welder to it a few times.
Yeah, it's a good thing to start the generator every month to keep it fresh.
Thats funny how you mentioned when you have it you won't need it. A few years ago Texas had record low temps, in conroe tx it got down to about 9 degrees and 14 degrees two nights in a row. and the power was out for about 72 hours during this cold spell. In my opinion it was one of the worse natural disasters that has happened in the past 30 years. Yes hurricane season the power goes out but its usually warm outside we are too far from the coast to really get hit hard anyway. I don't have natural gas so I had no heat. So that prompted me to get a generator. Its been like 3 years and the power has not went out since. I know that northerners think this is nothing, but down here most people are not prepared for cold weather like that. Most people don't have generators and oil burning stoves for backup. because it usually only drops to about 30 degrees and the power is usually on.
I remember that! Wasn't it a big ice storm that did a bunch of damage and took out power? We lost tons of power prior to 2017 when I installed this generator. Now we've only used it once or twice since! It is a nice piece of mind though, just in case, and really isn't costing me anything except for a little bit of oil every year or two.
@@OutdoorsEngineer I guess it was an ice storm, and from my memory I was about 4 years old 1989 it actually snowed enough to turn the ground white. Besides that, it has never snowed that much in this area. The first night all I had was some bell peppers and onions and tomatoes. That was my meal, lol. The next day all the stores had empty shelves and I had like a few bags of chips to eat. I know other people in different parts of the world have way worse hardships to deal with, but this was the only real time I went hungry and was cold. Actually I'm a veteran and I have been colder but not as hungry during those 4 years, lol. So I have nothing really to complain about, but think about all the people that have young children and elderly, that was a real natural disaster.
Good ideas! I found yours looking for ideas to build mine. Good idea to pipe out the exhaust. Good idea to make it ready for 50 amps. Good idea with hinged roof.
I think I'd be worried about the intake clogging with blowing snow in a storm. Have you had any trouble with snow in this design? I think I'll use a vented soffit and skip the air intake. I'd add wires for remote starting, and a battery charger.
No problems getting it clogged...haven't had the opportunity in a snow storm. I honestly don't think it would plug either way, at least in my situation and the amount of blowing and accumulating snow around the exterior.
I did find that the cold air intake directly over the motor is needed to keep it cool enough, especially in the summer.
@@OutdoorsEngineer Thanks, interesting info. Tough to balance summer and winter conditions.
#GOALS👍
Thanks for watching!
Plans are available from our website: outdoorsengineer.com/
Here's an update, I swapped out the generator to the newer Predator 8750 Inverter generator: czcams.com/video/3TOVfRm8M74/video.html\
🎥Here are links to some of the camera equipment that I use:
Canon EOS R10: amzn.to/3tvoGYO
K&F Tripod: amzn.to/3ZUd2m6
Go Pro Hero 8: amzn.to/3pEGsnV
Rode Wireless GO II Single Channel Wireless Microphone System: amzn.to/3GvRoN5
As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases made through links posted here - at no cost to you.
More tractor videos here: czcams.com/play/PLooz_hclekl-AW--3g0PKompkU3g_bUWv.html
More Firewood Videos: czcams.com/play/PLooz_hclekl_7z89asYP8jCEudf-j5fwL.html
More Outdoors Videos: czcams.com/play/PLooz_hclekl_sm4OGhndrpyXAZDFRSo6J.html&si=gu7tPqQ4wY8JmA1G
Check out our website: outdoorsengineer.com
Follow on Facebook at: facebook.com/outdoorsengineer
What are the dimensions of the shed?
@@marte1a256 Overall the framing is 4' x 6'. Send me an email (inthenorthwoods.yt@gmail.com) and I can send the framing plan I used.
I also have the Predator 8750 Inverter generator it did great!
Nice setup! I just wanted to let you know that the "Amazon link" to the "Electric Mains Return Alarm" is the same link as the "Hour Meter"
Thanks! It should be fixed now!
NICE JOB on the generator shed and generator installation! Could you let me know what the "alert alarm" is technically called, and where you got it???? I'm talking about the "thingy" that lets you know when grid electricity comes back on??? Thank you Sir!!!
I got it on the good old Amazon. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KREORA/
Cool shed...Make one for people with less time and less resources..
Nice shed - but can't seem to figure out how you made the roof lift. It appears you cut the door header and it lifts with the roof. Does this cause the doors or front wall to be a bit unstable when the roof is open? Any details on how the front wall to roof construction was done would be very much appreciated.
Yes, the roof header is separate from the side wall. With the sheathing on the sidewall and sturdy attachment of the wall to the floor, I have had no issues with the walls becoming unstable. They are essentially rock solid. The header is attached to the roof and is just sitting on top of the sidewall, attached through the latches. It's been 5 or 6 years so far and no issues with it holding up.
Email also sent.
good job ,sir i am trying get my Generator video on you tube i think it will be a good one
is it necessary to ground the generator when the breaker panel to the house is already grounded? Basically is it safe to double ground?
Do you have a wireless remote start or do u have to go out in the elements to start it?
Elements. But I have seen wireless remote start kits for them! Just never had a need for one.
I know this was a time back but do you know about what the costs were for all the parts to make this shed including the fans, exhaust etc. I realize prices have gone up but wanted an estimate. Will prob buy the plans ... got a genny on order....
I honestly don't know at this point anymore, it's been 7 years :). It really depends on what siding you choose to use.
Awesome video and the first vid that I can see a noticeable noise reduction. what do you think of using sandbags for the outer perimeter wall?
Thanks! That is an interesting idea for a wall. I don't have much experience with using sandbags but I'm sure they noise reduction would be great!
@@OutdoorsEngineer you can even do a stand alone wall right in front of the gennie that faces your house. If you place it about 6 feet away from the front door of the shed, and if necessary, angle it so it blocks the sound heading towards your home. The theory is that the sound coming from the shed's front doors would bounce away parallel to your house
Nice.... but if I were you I would upgrade to an inverter generator, because those "worksite" generators will over time shorten the life of any sensitive electronics, which a lot of people don't actually think of as "sensitive". Pretty much everything in your house nowadays has some type of control board in it that it's lifespan will be shortened by a dirty sine wave, and fluctuations in the cycle (60hz). Even a furnace, you don't think about it, but unless it's twenty or thirty years old, it has a digital circuit board that can suffer from premature failure from dirty power. And an added benefit, inverter generators are usually much quieter.
The dirty power this gentleman is talking about is known a THD total harmonic disturbance.
Most modern control boards need a Total Harmonic Distortion of less than 5%, most non inverter generators are 12-20% THD
The building is nicer then the generator
I just might be!
Love it, but I’m going to build mine that you can walk in and have shelves…also I have solar so I need a battery/generator room with ability to use as small
Shop to do basic maintenance on the power system
Sounds like a great setup!
Thanks, not built yet…and thanks for your video to give me some interior ideas!
Wow what a nice job! Is that generator enough to run your air or heat?
I honestly haven't tried the A/C. It does run our well pump, and looking at the power requirements for the AC, I'm pretty sure it would run the AC as well. It has no troubles with the furnace!
@@OutdoorsEngineer I had a generator that was a little less powerful than yours before I got my Kohler standby, and it could not run my air or heat. The initial draw was just too much apparently. So of course our power went out on a cold winters day. It was out for about 6 hours. That’s what made me decide to get a larger Kohler standby. Just something to consider. But again, it looks really great. A great piece of engineering.
Great job man 👍 I have the cat 8000 wanting to get mine permanent. What type of insulation did you use in your shed ? Thanks liked 👍 and subscribed 👍
Thanks! I just used regular residential insulation. Not sure if that is right or wrong ;)
@@OutdoorsEngineer looks like it is working out great for you.👍 I don't think right or wrong. Only done and working matter. And your shed does both 👍 thanks for the reply
Why do you need an exhaust port? Won't the exhaust go out of the box with the fan?
The faster the exhaust leaves the better. You are also adding extra heat that is easily plumbed out using the exhaust port. Plus, newer generators may have a CO detector on them, and if you dump exhaust directly into the shed, it'll shut off due to the CO safey mechanism.
How many gallons of fuel do you keep on hand? Nice set-up.
Typically I have a rotation of 3 - 5/6 gallon cans that I work through for lawn mowers, etc. Most of the time I have at least 1 full can.
Nice shed, bur right now it would cost over 3k in lumber
For the most part, lumber has returned back to almost normal, if I heard correctly. It's the rest of build materials that are expensive.
I would bet that a 4000 watt would run almost everything in your house that you would want, for half the fuel consumption.... these big 9000 watt generators are good for when you want to run big loads, but probably better off running a 4000 watt most of the time, to save fuel. Fuel can be hard to get in an emergency...
Agree. I don't really see a need for that kind of wattage either.
If you want a 230v output, which you really need if you want to connect to your main panel, generators don't seem to have it until they are 5000 running watts or greater. I just bought a Champion 100519, it seemed the best option for people who want to tie in and want to run more than a refrigerator and a few lights but less than a whole house.
@@jshepard152 If you live down south, you really don't know how much you miss your A/C until you don't have it for a while, sometimes even days. Yes, hot water is a luxury when you want to take a shower after you've been sweating through a 4-day outage, but it is nice to have. 6½ gallons of gas will run my 9500W generator about 9 hours with the A/C running @ 78°. I can also shut it off for a couple hours at a time and restart it with a remote which is nice. With two refrigerators and a freezer, a 3500W gen is pretty much used up. The 9500W and a few more gallons of gas lets me A/C my house. For me, it's worth the upgrade.
@@freed6343
Makes sense I guess. I'm at 3600 watts on my generator. I only use one fridge and that's 1000 watts, probably less. Microwave would be infrequent for me and I could unplug something else for a short period if needed. I have propane for heat but still have capacity for a space heater if I wanted. If I really needed AC I'd probably use a window unit in one room only. Hot water in large quantity is something I'll just have to live without. But to each his own.
Did you connect the exhaust to generator with magnets? Maybe my eyes arent so good, but i didnt see a cooling fan, just an exhaust fan, im i wrong? Overall, very nice work...
I just used some small self tapping screws, similar to rain gutter screws.
There is a cooling fan inside the metal duct. A 6 inch online duct fan.
Great job. Have you lost power since making this video?
Thanks! Nope!
Can i ask sir? Is it noisy at the back of the shed, where the exhaust fan placed sir?
Yes, there is noise st the back of the shed. I have it aligned for the back side points away from our house.
Ahh. Thank you for your response sir
Unless I missed it in the video, have you measured the actual ambient temperature inside the enclosure while the generator is running and under load? I just completed my generator enclosure build and even with heat wrap on the exhaust pipe and a lot of air coming into and out of the box, it still gets up to about 140-150 degrees F (outside temp of about 80 degrees F). I'm a little worried about the temperature being a bit too hot for the air-cooled engine (my generator is the 8750 inverter generator). I have thought about potentially taking the muffler off the engine and moving that to outside of the enclosure so that there isn't this extremely hot box emanating heat inside the enclosure.
I actually haven't. Do you have fresh blowing directly on the engine like I do here?
@@OutdoorsEngineer Yes, I have a vent and fan blowing fresh air right on the flywheel. The temperature of the air blowing on the flywheel is just a few degrees higher than the outside temp. What is the longest runtime on your generator setup while powering your house with the enclosure closed up? Have you run it for hours at a time?
I believe that automatic standby generators are somewhat of a "false economy" They are really nice and convenient - but come at a significant cost:
The thing about an automatic standby generator (like a Generac) is that they require yearly maintenance (that goes up in price a little each year) in order to keep your warranty "intact / valid" it's not uncommon for there to be sales where they'll sell the generator with a 10 year warranty but the catch is they won't (typically) include a service contract for the price quoted - I had a 22kW Generac at my previous home for almost 15 years - when we first bought it (then it was about $6800 all in for the generator, transfer switch and installation) the cost for service per year was just over $100 when we moved (in 2018) the year maintenance was over $200 a year and that did not include a new battery if you needed one (which seemed to last about 3-4 years at $70 - $100). The maintenance WAS more than just an oil change (or is supposed to be) - valve clearances were checked and adjusted, the generator was checked for output voltage and frequency and adjusted if needed. Here's what they really don't want you to know or will tell you unless you ask: Most manufacturers really want to have generators replaced after 10 years regardless of how many hours of use and will almost always refuse to warranty beyond 10 years. I'd looked into moving my generator to my new home but between move fees and the fact that I couldn't extend or get a new warranty due to it's age or it being moved it wasn't worth it. You can buy a whole lot of Predator generators - about one a year for less than you would have in a comparable automatic standby generator all things added together. It is pretty nice to have your generator "kick on" after about 15 seconds of there being no power from the street but that comes at a cost. For the difference in price I'll drag the generator out of the garage, get the gas out of the shed, fill it up, connect and do the transfer at the panel. having a nice generator shed really makes things much faster / smoother and the main benefit to this approach is you can upgrade to an inverter generator, one with more capacity - even install an auto transfer switch if you're so inclined - you're not "locked in" to what a particular manufacturer offers.
Great comment! Agreed! And that's what I did. Just upgraded to the PRedator 8750 inverter generator a few months ago!
@@OutdoorsEngineer I'm thinking of going the same route - for two reasons: 1) much much quieter - I've seen one running at a food truck a couple days ago and almost couldn't believe how quiet it was. 2) it's much better for "sensitive" electronics - during the last couple of power outages I really didn't want to run my TV or any computer equipment (other than laptop charger) off of my generator - I have plenty of capacity to do so but am concerned about damaging my nice TV (I don't want to upgrade just yet ;-) )
@@Scotty_in_Ohio Precisely. I built this shed in 2017 and had to use it for the first time for TV's, computers, STarlink, ETc this spring. The LED lights in the house flickered at times. The next couple days I drove down and got the new 8750. It's still pretty loud as it is open frame, but in the shed it is quiet. czcams.com/video/3TOVfRm8M74/video.html
I wonder if the one you saw was the Predator 9000 which is closed frame?
What AWG wire size did you run to the house ? (btw-cool shed!)
Thanks! I believe I ran 6-3 (It's been 5 years ha) so if I ever wanted to upgrade to a 50 amp generator, I could.
Thanks, at this point I'm just window-shopping generators and looking over my lumber stash.