3 Things People Hate About the Predator 5000 Inverter Generator... aka Predator 3500 Replacement?
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- Harbor Freight has released for 2023, the new Predator series 5000 watt inverter generator. Unfortunately a lot of folks are disappointed with the lack of features this generator has compared to other competitors. Will you also be deterred from buying? Or will you just look elsewhere for better value? Watch this video for more information.
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I wanted to leave a comment on the performance of the tri-fuel conversion kit that I added to my Predator 3500, version 2, generator. I bought the kit a couple of months ago and watched the videos on how to install. The installation was straightforward and simple. A very well designed kit that fits with no need to modify anything to make it work. I set it up for natural gas and yesterday was the first time I needed to use it due to a PG&E power outage. I connected the regulator, plugged in the hose, turned on the gas, and pushed the start button. It took a little while for the gas to reach the carb and then it started right away. The rpm smoothed out quickly and it provided more than enough power to keep the refrigerator and freezer running with no problems. The outage lasted a couple of hours and I was very pleased with how the modified generator worked. I have a 3/8" quick disconnect hose that I use for both the generator and my Weber grill that I converted to natural gas. It is about 15 feet long and works well. No need for a larger hose with 1/2" disconnects. I am happy with the conversion to natural gas since it is much cheaper than propane and there are no trips to the gas station to get my cylinders or gas cans refilled.
Thanks for the support!
this generator was clearly made for people with small-medium travel trailers. and needing something a little bigger and better than a 3500. for trailer camping families, this is a home run.
Definitely, harbor freight is slowly realizing brands such as Champion and Duromax are taking away their market share. If they don’t offer more choices to their customers, that customer will spend their money elsewhere. I believe the Predator 5000 was much needed in their lineup.
@@GrenergyTriFuel Except it's gone now
@@joey24698 it was recalled but its back
yes. plus RVs are 115v single pole 30 amp setups. The HVAC, fridge, etc are only 115V! No 230V in RV (with a few exceptions)
@@jeffhopper3526 if it has two AC's it most likely 50amp two 115 poles as people would say 230v 50amp. most Rv's i see are 50 amp. but i guess it depends were you go and the wealth of the park guests.
This is a game changer for independent truckers looking for a big enough generators to run AC, appliances, block heaters and fuel heaters
Thanks for watching!
I just purchased the Predator 5000 generator to run my 30 amp RV trailer. I was very pleased to see that this unit already has an RV 30 amp plug. I was planning on converting the 30 amp outlet similar to the one on the 3500 to the RV outlet. Now I have time to do my other Honey-Do chores. I also love the remote control unit
Thanks for your comment!
Would this Predator 5000 inverter generator run dual air conditioners on an RV trailer?
Also, is it quiet enough to run at night with other trailers nearby?
I bought 1 yesterday... let it run a couple hrs to break in. Totally happy with the purchase. There are larger ones for less but this one is more moble and definitely quite.
Agreed
I already have the 1st version of the 3500... been working great now for several years.... After watching this... I see nothing wrong with the 5000.... I think it's great and I'm gonna buy one...
Great! Stay tuned for our other videos and soon our natural gas kit for the 5000
I just bought this unit. I also have a double pole 30 amp breaker I added to my main line when I need to run lights and such in the house during a power outage. Just bought 25’ of 10-3 cable and wired up a 30 amp plug that plugs into this unit. Works just fine to get me by without needing to run any large appliances.
Thanks for sharing!
This is what I also am looking to do. I have a Reliance 30 amp generator inlet plug and interlock feeding a double pole 30amp breaker. Did you get a tt-30p to l14-30r adapter that bonds both hots to feed the entire panel?
I got one this week for $900 and it is my first generator. I am only needing it for 2 sump pumps and a window AC. The push button and remote start are perfect for my wife and kids.
Great!
Need to check for leaks every week for sure just to know it’s ready
How are you connecting to your house
I bought this 5k unit for my travel trailer
It is replacing dual Ryobi 2300w units. And I am SO happy with the upgrade. I literally bought one 45 minutes after learning about its release
It's good to see Predator step up in providing a 5000 watt unit. Especially for folks with larger RV's
Scott I had exactly the same Ryobi’s in parallel for my tag along. Got tired of lugging around two generators etc so I bought the predator 3500. It’s awesome! Just bought the 5000 and am anxious to see how it works with my soft start
Enjoyed your video. I did the same thing at my home about a year ago. I selected a Champion generator dual fuel 9350/7500. Didn't want gallons of gasoline sitting in my garage. Prefer propane. The power on propane is a little less but it doesn't require fuel stabilize and is safer overall. We have solar on our roof that provides a surplus each year but if the grid fails solar systems without battery backups have a switch that shuts off the solar power to prevent it sending power down stream that could harm utility workers trying to repair the grid. So our geny like yours powers the entire house! Got a super deal on it, so my investment was very reasonable.
Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your experience! I always tell folks don't just rely on solar power, having both works as a fail safe. Same with LP and NG, use both and have them ready.
I love this unit. I run two of the 5000’s on the 50 amp parallel kit as backup power for my 5th wheel. Runs everything I have no problems, and the size is still reasonable to load up and haul 2 around.
Thanks for your feedback!
Well done review, you answered every question I had, thanks!
Glad I was helpful to you! Thanks for watching!
I have this 5000 generator for almost a month now and it's great.
Agreed!
Great review, my friend! I’ve had a number of generators, as I live in Florida and have weathered many hurricanes and power outages. But now we’re traveling in our trailer and these inverters are the bomb! Just bought the 5000 but have been using the 3500 for a season. Using the soft start and have no problem with one AC unit but the change in voltage when the AC starts is still enough to constantly restart my CPAP. Bought a battery back up ( for computer) and it stays nice and steady. Just in case anyone else has this issue.
Thank you for sharing your experience. Stay safe out there!
It's amazing to me how people with no knowledge (ignorant) of how things work, will come in with such loud complaints.
In the age of information, ignorance is a choice. Ignorance by choice is called stupidity.
Common sense is not so common in this day and age.
Crap my 2013 duromax 3500 runs all 5 ceiling fans, every single LED in the house, 4 bedroom 2 bath 2000 sq ft. 4 tvs and 4 PlayStations, 2 deep freezers and 1 fridge. It’s been plenty and still runs great. But it will not run our coffee pot even plugged straight into the generator with nothing else hooked up. Or even our shop vac lol. 😅 But when I found out it was dirty electric never again will I run a tv, or gaming console, computer etc on it. This 5000 inverter predator for $1099.00 is a steal in my opinion, and will do all we need to make it through a power outage in certain. You are so right in this video and so direct and straight to the point. Ppl get these and bitch and complain bc it won’t do more than it is suppose too. Common sense is so lacking these days. Good video man.
Thanks for your feedback and for taking the time to write your comments!
Definitely made some quite excellent points. A 5,000 Wp generator is really on the borderline to might as well go with a bigger generator if you want to 120/240 loads for whole home backup use. There's quite a lot of non-inverter generators out there that are 120/240 capable and you can get away with it if you really know what you're doing. Worse thing can happen is if you overload it is tripping a breaker or the engine stalls out compared to popping the inverter module.
As for the natural gas debate, it really depends on the application. My experience when running on alternate fuels is what is the availability and is it worth the cost of having that feature that you're more than likely not ever use it.
In my use case, I live in a tropical cyclone prone area and having a fuel source that is not tied to a specific infrastructure better for me. A couple of years ago we had a "mild" tropical storm that went through our area, not only we lost electricity along natural gas. What I found out later was the natural gas pumping got flooded out during the storm. My neighbors who had natural gas whole house generators were down for the count several hours after the power went out. I myself still had power alternating between gasoline and propane keeping my backup batteries topped off for a week.
Your right about that. There is one other small open frame non inverter genset that has the 220V plug and that would be the Generac GP3300 but that's only 15amps. Good enough to run your well pump.
During the 2021 Texas winter storm folks who only invested their genset to run off of NG were really left in the dark. I had a few customers buy my kits and were confident on just being on NG. Problem was, they were not in control of NG as a fuel source. Folks really need to have at least one propane tank as plan B in any given situation or else you'll be in a world of hurt trying to save your family in an emergency situation.
The generator is no designed for homes it was specifically designed for RV folks. Majority of RV's run 30amp circuits. You can run the AC and other electronics with the 3500. However, as soon as you turn the microwave on the 35000 would trip. This 5000 fixes the problem.
I would have liked an L14-30 connector to be included.
I know with One genny it may not make sense, but when you parallel connect them you’ll get almost 8000 watts running.
I’d rather have 2 of these for $2000 and get more power than the 1 9000 model for $2400
This would be ideal until Harbor Freight raises their price on the 5000 model like they did with their 9500.
you can aways buy a plugin adapter
What you're calling SA on the propane regulator is, in fact, CSA. That is a Canadian certification, which is a higher standard than UL.
Thanks for the correction, learning something new everyday. 👍
Mine is quiet and too me it's worth it for the money works so far great at camping jets are easy to change oil screw drivers like this video yes just proper maintenance great video build box over it vent it much quiet if use it wisely
Thanks for watching!
Great video Andy.
I have your kit on my powerhouse 4500 and love it and I have it well tuned. I like your idea of running your demand regulator for adjustability for guys like me who have access to a Bridge emissions tester. I think that would be a big selling point for your kit. I would like to see a real world LP efficiency test at 25% load and how many hours it will run on a 20# cylinder with the factory regulator system vs your kit set to .5-1.0 CO. I believe most factory preset demand regulators are set overly high.
Thoughts?
Hey Calvin! Great to hear from ya. Glad your enjoying your kit and she’s running well.
The dual fuel generators I’ve tested were actually at times a bit leaner on fuel adjustment. Most likely due to safety margins and if the fuel is already leaned out, no adjustments are needed for 5k altitudes. But I’ve ran into one or two that are slightly high or inconsistent. A better quality demand regulator would help keep fuel flow consistent.
They also have open frame inverter generators. Maybe only one now.
That’s correct. Not all 100% open frame generators are non inverters, I’ve should have made it clearer. I’ll pin this comment to the top. Thanks for your input 👍
i was going to say just this. my inverter open frame predator 4550 is wonderful!!! wish it was dual fuel but i can make it so i think
We have a 3500 we use for power outages in our rural home. It's wired to a box in one bank of the box. We didn't use the microwave but it did keep the lights, internet, fridge, freezer, etc running. When the freezer kicked on, it would draw too much and knock out the power for a split second. Overall, it ran all the essentials for 3 days during a massive snowstorm in 2022. Thinking about upgrading to the 9500. It might be overkill but I'd rather have it than not.
Thanks for your feedback!
Great review! Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
We purchased a 50acre ranch with no electric on site, so solar and generators are a must. Until our home is complete we stay in the RV, and this 5000 is perfect. In the Texas summer you need to have the a/c on even at night. I also have the 9000 for running the well pump, arc welder or any large projects, but it is way too loud to run next to the RV at night.
Thanks for your input!
I have been looking at the 9500, but I am very much thinking about two of these because of the LPG capabilities
Thanks for your feedback!
I got the because I can use the propane tanks on my RV to run it if I need to. Also, propane never goes bad, if SHTF I have enough fuel to keep the essentials running for a little.
Maybe some thoughts if home backup is part of the consideration and you are thinking how this generator can fit in:
1. TT-30 extension cords are easy enough to get. Usually very little voltage drop over 10 gauge wire. Then you can have a multi-plug NEMA 5-20 adapter.
2. A generator like this can handle hard starting motors in fridges, older style "single stage" ACs, etc, but maybe you modify these appliances to use a soft starter for the motor or get upgraded appliances that either have the soft starter built in or are inverter based. Inverter based A/C - heat pump units in particular pay themselves back quickly and are very inverter generator friendly even in their economy mode. Hard starting motors tend to need any economy mode on the inverter generator turned off.
3. There are a variety of inverter based window A/Cs, mini-split A/C - heat pumps, and even dual or hose-in-hose A/C - heat pumps out there that can run on 115V. Even if you can't cool or heat your entire home, having a room or two you can heat or cool is certainly better than nothing. This generator should be able to drive up to 2 of the larger 115V AC - heat pump units. Even when you are not using a generator, the "cool room" concept can save you a lot of energy in that say you make your home 80 F and your cool room 75 F instead of say your whole home 75 F. Or say in the winter, you have a mini-split installed in your "cool room" and use efficient heat-pump action to cost effectively keep that room warm, say you set it up in your bedroom. Or say you get a dual head split A/C and have a home office room regulated in the day and your bedroom regulated at night and let the rest of the house float up and down to whatever you can tolerate in order to save on power. If for some reason it is too cold to run a heat pump, you could drive a couple of small electric heaters off of this generator. Far safer than burning stuff in your home to stay warm.
4. Most light bulbs these days are LED based that use 20W or less. So plenty easy to have lights on with this.
5. If you are running this generator off of propane, it is cheap enough to have a propane stove as well. So you could still be cooking on propane with either a Y-splitter into the tank or better yet, get some refillable 1 lb bottles and fuel back up off of a larger tank from time to time if say you have a propane camping stove. A propane BBQ is going to work just fine in a power outage. A gas stove can still be lit with a lighter, so no electricity needed for that either. If you really want to draw power for cooking, a generator like this should power a microwave oven, toaster, rice cooker, air fryer, induction burner, etc. Just gotta watch your load as a number of these electric cooking appliance can draw up to 1,800W by themselves. Thus why I mention natural gas and propane cooking first.
6. An inverter generator like this is designed to run your electronics. So you can still have Internet access and your TV going to watch these videos as well as your computer running so you can leave comments on these videos.
7. With say hot water, you should have some water stored. As long as you have a pot and something to cook with, you can have hot water. Not super convenient, but perfectly do-able.
Consider say you run one 115V air conditioner, a fridge with soft start / inverter based, some lights, and some electronics to surf the web, watch CZcams, or even play video games or do actual work from home (through a computer), that can all happen at the same time on this generator, no problem. Especially with some propane lying around and bottled water, you can round out the picture to a reasonably comfy "roughing it" in an emergency situation where the power is out for an extended period and there is no water or natural gas available during the emergency. Especially if you are told to "shelter in place" during the emergency, you should be set, granted you do have some food in your home as well. In an emergency situation, you don't actually need running water, you don't need natural gas, you don't need to cool your whole home or even heat your whole home.
Wow! Thank you for taking the time to do a long write up. This will help a lot of folks who are unknown about generators.
Does your tri-fuel kit work for the Predator 9500 investor generator?
We are currently working on a kit for the Predator 9500. Unfortuanly there's been a ton of work at the shop building kits for other generators and getting to the Predator 9500 will take some time. Feel free to check in anytime.
@ Grenergy on the box the last 3 digits of the long UPC # is it 544 or 077? Thank you
Sorry, I no longer have the box
I wish it also ran on natural gas. I’ll mainly use this for my travel trailer, but would be nice to have it in case of a power outage at home too and not have to rely on gasoline.
The natural gas kits for the predator 5000 are now avaible for sale, just check out the video link here ---> czcams.com/video/jaoDG4g3A0A/video.html
If I could find one in Minnesota I'd be driving to get one
You can order it online, shipping was only 20 bucks for me.
Hey brother what’s the bracket and buttons that were installed on the front of the 3500’s I’ve never seen that before and I have a 3500
That is our fuel run down switch and LED light bar. It’s been extremely popular with our customers who purchase our tri-fuel kit for this generator.
My well pump is 240vac, 20 amp breaker in my house panel. This is pretty common for a well pump.
Yes, that is correct
Many main service panels are fed by two 120V feeds. This provides 240V from the main service panel if the correct breakers are used. But Some of the 120V circuits will be fed by one of the two feeds while the rest will be fed by the other feed. If you can back feed via a 30A 240V (AFTER disconnecting the main service panel breaker so you are not backfeeding the grid), then you can provide power to all of your 120V outlets. This lets you unplug the heavy feeders but leave lights on everywhere. Lacking the 30A 240V outlet deprives you of this convenience. It also means that some of your 120 circuits will work and some just won't if your panel is fed by 2 120V feeds. It is a significant deficit for people who have a need to lights all over the house. For smallish RVs, maybe no problem. For grid down house back up, it could easily be a problem.
Correct, thanks for your input.
I heard that they might be coming out with the 7000 W unit also
Yes, I'm thinking late next year.
In your opinion, what be louder running a small portable a/c unit? The predator 5000 or a Honda 2200? I already have the 5000 but am open to a 2200 if it's quiter.
Hi, all generators are going to get louder when they are under full load. The Honda EU2200i is not any quieter than the Predator 5000 when under full load. You're better off building a sound box if you need quiet, or run a solar battery bank system.
Heard nothing but good from those I know who have one….may get one myself.
So far so good with mine, I hope to run it on NG soon.
What was the mod you made on the 3500 to the oil drain? Is there a video on that? First time viewing one of your videos. Thx
Hi Don, that would be our drill free Tri-fuel conversion kit. Bolts on without cutting/drilling into your generator. You can check out the link here -----> czcams.com/video/JK2-eR4xuUU/video.html
@@GrenergyTriFuel your shop looks like you service/sell strictly generators?
We engineer, build, R&D and manufacture tri-fuel conversion kits for gasoline generators. The rows of generators you see are waiting to be torn apart for development. We have several handful of kits ready for sale but still have a ton of other makes and models to do.
We camp in a 30 foot travel trailer. This generator will run our camper with no problem and I agree this is a very good price.
Thanks for sharing your feedback!
I bought a 5000 it does well for my travel trailer, runs my 15000 BTU AC, microwave and several other appliances. One thing I ran into was, when it’s extremely windy run it with the panels off. This will not trigger the carbon monoxide detector.
Or you can fab up an exhaust extension. I'll probably make these at the end of the year.
I notice you have two Champions in your shop but no reviews. Are Champion generators any good? How about Westinghouse?
The Champion gensets are a bit better in quality compared to Westinghouse but I like them because they have a 3 year warranty and their customer service is very good. From my experience they were very good with both. I wish I had more time to do detailed reviews of all generators in the shop but I'm so swamped with custom building and designing the tri-fuel kits for other generators. I would like to make at least one video every week once work clears up.
It may not run a whole house but it'll run my whole travel trailer 😆
Sure will!
@@GrenergyTriFuel I got a 3500 Predator. I wonder if the 5000 will run the AC and the microwave side by side 🤔
At the 12 min mark you mention making a cord to supply 240 volt from a 120 volt gen.Could you elaborate on that?
Unfortunately this modification only works for single phase appliances, which restricts usage to most well pumps. Not dryers, stoves, or some furnaces.
Good video and was straight forward. I like a person who speaks from experience and uses logic.
#subbed
Glad you've enjoyed the video and thanks for your support. I come from an automotive background and went to technical school for it.
he knows nothing
I appreciate your candid truth .
Thank you for your support!
To better understand the regulator does it get sucked through buy some kind of fuel pump from the generator itself? I'm just wondering why the pressure from the tank doesn't push any fuel through the
The tank should have pressure, but the demand regulator meters fuel into the engine. If you are having trouble please give me a call.
As an owner of an older Sears 3500Watt generator, the fact that they don't put a 240VAC receptacle on these is just cheap. Interesting facts about the Sears unit.
1.) It is US Forrest Service approved.
2.) It has an 8 HP engine. Manual start only but with battery charging posts. Kits were available to add a starter.
3.) It is rated at 3500Watts continuous/ 4200 starting.
4.) It has both 120 and 240VAC outlets. 240VAC and 120VAC high load outlets are twistlock outlets. Also has standard 120VAC outlets.
5.) It has a switch so that if you need 120VAC only, it will do that and put all of the current into the 120VAC outlets.
And what does it run? Everything on the emergency circuits but you do have to decide what items you want on to balance the loads and not overload the generator. The hot water heater cannot run at the same time as the well water pump but as the upper unit is disconnected, you have 2000Watts for heating water. House with A/C unit running draws right at 3500Watts when the well pump and water heater are not running.
Inverter based units cannot take the abuse that an open frame unit can. But the open frame units will burn more fuel.
Yes, the inverter units especially the Chinese made gensets are not made for the abuse. For something more durable and consistent use I would do a hybrid setup of both generator and battery backup with wall mount inverter.
I've had good luck with all my Predator generators. 3500 has been bulletproof.
Did you convert yours to propane?
@@GrenergyTriFuel I haven't but really should. Stocked up on treated gas for now.
@@sweetdaddy77 I have mine connected to a 100lb propane tank at the house. The continuous run time without having to worry about refilling in the middle of the night was worth it to me. I was able to buy propane cheap in the summer when demand for it is low, the cost between gasoline and propane is not so much different other than the time when gasoline prices was crazy high last year.
So if I wanted to run a window unit, fridge, deep freezer, some fans, and a few lights could the 5000 do it or would I need to go with the 9500?
To know exactly you will need to measure everything with a watt meter and add up your usage.
Need help. Would you pick predator over westingthouse and champion dual inverters.
They are all the same, they all come from the same 2 Chinese factories. Only difference is their customer service and product warranty. Pick the company that takes care of their customers rather than leave them with an expensive paper weight.
Harbor Freight has a retail store that allows for immediate replacements if they have them in stock. Champion has very good customer service but they’ll make you send in the generator and wait for a replacement unless you purchased at a retail store with extended warranty.
I want a conversion kit please! I'm old and don't think I can do that! It's nice to know it can be done!👍
I've been working on custom brackets for mounting the regulator assembly. These custom parts take time to be finished up at the fab shop + paint. They would be ready in 2-3 weeks. We'll keep you posted!
The Predator 5000 is Recalled and out of stock. If anyone bought one, check out serial number and take it back if a bad unit. Until they get this one correct, the Champion 4650 w/ dual fuel and remote start is the ticket. Just as quiet. No issues.
Thanks for your feedback
Whats wrong with it
@@evildead1791 Throttling hops up and down every few seconds on steady loads. Will turn itself off under a heavy load that is still well below load max. Also issues with using propane. There is a serial number range of defective ones. Supposedly, units shipped after 12/20/23 are entirely 'issue free' per HF.
I would turn it in for warranty or credit right away.
would this be good for an RV back up system. or if propane low and wanting to conserve? thanks bud for sharing info
Yes, its always good to have plan b and c. I would carry both gasoline and propane but have propane be the main fuel since its easier to keep around than gasoline.
All of those generators in your possession, I'm Impressed. Do you own a gas station or how do you ensure a continuing supply of gasoline or propane under all adverse conditions.
I run a tri-fuel conversion kit company. We build kits to convert gasoline generators to LP/NG. Your better off storing propane than having to deal with storage of gasoline.
Two of these and a 50 A parallel kit like a firman you could run everything including 2 ACs on your rv at the same price as 1 Honda 3000.
I'll look into this, thanks.
Honda 3000 not running 2 15k ac units sorry
I own 2 different 3500 predator generators and I really like both of them. I will eventually buy the 5000. But I only plan on using the LP part of it just because they burn really clean inside. (I would think the unit would last longer on LP) atleast it would never get gunked up with bad fuel. Thoughts?
My dad worked at a office furniture manufacturing plant for 33 years. He used and drove the same forklift for those 33 years while it ran on propane. If that doesn’t impress you enough I don’t know what else to tell ya.
i bought a kit to convert my 3500 to LP works great for $200
Now from the 5000 when it came out HF had it at $999 now at harbor freight has them at $1099. And they only been out a few months
By end of year I was told by my local HF store manager prices will increase an additional 100 or 200 dollars. Coupon or not just buy it now before they possibly raise prices again during the holidays.
FYI- Picked one up today for $899 with a membership deal. Promo running through the 4/11
Well how much is the inverter on the predator generator? See this is what got me all messed up right now converters if you have them in the back of your vehicle or anything that lets it move around, big converter to me would be a very sensitive item with bouncing around. So would it be better to have one with just a powerhead then a converter?
This generator is a inverter type built all into one unit. For pricing please head to Harbor Freight's website.
I can't get my regulator to push gas through it am I doing something wrong? When I hook it up to the gas tank turn the fuel on and depress the hose end with a key pushing it in it doesn't let any gas through
You will need to press down on the prime button firmly and hold it down longer. This will bleed out any air in the line and add fuel to the engine. You should hear a hissing sound from the propane tank when the button is pressed. If you are having trouble, just give me a call. My phone number is on the business card in the packaging.
Hello,
I need your expert advise. I have a pressure washer with the with the following amps and watts.
1800 PSI, 120V/60Hz -15 Amp, 1800 Watts
Will the predator 3500 power this on a daily routine or is the predator 5000 a better option?
The 3500 would get it done, but a gas powered pressure washer would seem more practical? ......
I would agree with the person above. Your better off getting the gas powered pressure washer. A lot less stress on the equipment and lasts longer.
The 5000 is only like 10 lbs more than the 3500
Thanks for stopping by our channel.
To solve the AC issue, just simply install a soft start on your unit, which is better for the AC unit even when not on a generator.
Thanks for your input
I heard they were havimg propane issues 90hrs in on those back in like October-Dec2023. Supposedly they were gonna have them fixed by Jan 2024. There are specific serial #s that are causing issues. Might wanna check it out and make sure they fixed it
Yup, they fixed it and did a big recall. So far the new replacements don't have issues that I know of.
Anyone know if this is a good job site generator? Like powerful enough to power an air compressor and some corded power tools?
I’m going to get one.👍
Great!
Is it a better idea to run two of these 5000s in parallel to support whole house with ac system? Would it even work? Or should we just go bigger with the 9500? Two 5000s would also offer more flexibility, no? Thanks
The 9500 has 240v which can do your AC system, the 5000 can not.
Seems like the addition of a CV carburetor could possibly be very beneficial in this type of application. Harley used them for years and they do quite well at adjusting to altitude.
Would be nice, but genset manufactures don't want to spend the extra money to include one.
Can you post a video of the 220v setup you were talking about
I do apologize, I haven't had the time to do this video.
I would also like to hear about this. Some people have had luck using a 5KVA 120VAC to 240VAC single phase transformer to run their well pump. I'm curious if you have a different approach.
For 30 amp 240 volt you need 6,600 watts mineral. 5,000 watts would only do a little over 20 amps at 240.
Most generators are using surge watts not continuous.
Yessir, the math is correct. 30amp x 220volt = 6600 watts. Meaning the well pump can’t exceed the running watts and has to leave enough room for the generator to keep up with surge wattage. I suspect you can’t use a well pump over 1.5hp, or that’s just pushing it on this unit.
Anybody have a link to this generator? Can't find it anywhere on Harbor Freight website
At the moment harbor freight has this generator on a stop sale due to some sort of recall. They should be back on sale in November.
Many Chinese engines replacement parts are only available as a full assembly if you can get them.
That is correct, these generators are priced as "throw away generators". I've walked through my local scrap yards and would often find a huge pile of off brand generators set aside for recycling. Most of them look to be in good condition but with the gas tank rusted out or bad fuel. It's cheaper to buy a whole new generator than it is to pay a repair shop 100 bucks an hour to fix.
👍🏼 thank you
You're welcome!
OK I can give you a Dam good review on the 3500, Just purchased the 5k today. WHAT are you expecting? I live off grid and.use the hell out of 4 different Gen. YES I have solar. AGAIN What do you want to run on Solar? I don't have 13k $$$ plus for solar. S.fl here it get hot I like AC. These
Gen. Work great over 2khrs on the 3500. In 6mo.
Thanks for sharing!
Just ordered 2 generators. FedEx is great at smashing anything they touch. Both generators completely smashed. Drove to harbor freight picked one of these up. Pristine condition. I almost feel like I should drag it behind the truck to get the FedEx love marks on it.
These things are for emergencies. So you have to ask yourself what you really need during an emergency? Do you need all of the normal comforts of full house power? Most likely no. If you have a 240 V stove, ground source heat pump, or well pump, then you need 240 and the power to run them because you need them. However, if you can get by without those things, during an emergency, then this size genset can work. Our 3600W inverter will run the current fridge, freezer, and central furnace as well as some lights. If it is an emergency, we need to keep food fresh and keep the house warm in winter. In the summer, we can last a few days without central AC. Also, you have to plan for the amount of fuel to keep on hand. Smaller generator uses less fuel so you dont need 100 gallons of gas for that emergency. Our generator uses 2.5 gal per day of usage so we need ~18 gallons for a week without power. We keep 27 gal of stabilized fuel on hand.
Thanks for adding these tips! A lot of folks too often go for the bigger generators and are unwilling to sacrifice running the bare minimum for survival. Your right, you don't need to run everything. Focus on running your equipment for longer on necessities and rationing your fuel.
Thoughts on running a 120 welder?
The total wattage is what's most important. Find that out first.
Waiting for the next video.
Working on it!
I wish the 9000 was a dual fuel
I’m waiting for the 5000 everyday checking their site for when it will be available unfortunately Dec 21 it must be a top seller.
Believe me the 5000 is crazy popular and its always out of stock.
Great level headed common sense review. Looks like a great unit for either rv travel or emergency home power. Can run the basics like a refrigerator, couple lights, sump pump. Thanks.
Glad you've enjoyed the review. Thanks
The 240v request would be for a well pump.
Once I build the plug for 240v I believe it would work.
@@GrenergyTriFuel Not without re wiring the stator, 2 phases of 120 from the same source isn't 240. you need to measure 240 phase to phase. Its going to measure 0 or close to it. Not going to happen with whatever you have in mind.
If you use the propane instead of fuel will it work at 7000 ft above sea level ok?
Yes, there is a fuel adjustment on the regulator assembly to easily adjust for altitude.
Great tip on that thanks
Glad to help
How would you know if you blew the inverter from overloading too many times? Would it not build power at all?
Lots of things could happen, your inverter wont put out power at the outlets or very little. The over load light would constantly come on or the unit would cut in and out during loads.
@@GrenergyTriFuel I have a central pneumatic 21 gallon 125 psi compressor. rated at 120V 14 amps that ive connected. after running the generator connecting the compressor and turning it on it almost starts then lags and trips the breaker on the compressor and the generator would just shut off with no overload. After trying sometimes the overload will trip. After a few more attempts and fiddling with all the breakers it'll run. Am i messing up the generator? Or is the capacitor on the compressor the problem? Ive read that the compressors are a little finicky.
Sounds like your maxing out the generator.
@@GrenergyTriFuel now even with a 500w light it surges a little and stalls. In some cases it’s turns off without the overload light. Did I mess it up?
@@GrenergyTriFuel it still powers a 1500w microvwave and 1200 vacuum
I love your shop! Do you sell generators too? For some reason I'm addicted to generators. I have about 10 now including a Predator. 9500 which I love. I have an old school Winco 9000-watt tri fuel I bought new in 1999 and it has out proved itself. During an ice storm back in 2005 this generator ran on propane for over 5 days. It has the Briggs & Stratton 16 hp Vangard engine which they say are indestructible. Needless to say, I did complete maintenance to the engine after that run time. It's still running today.
Sounds like you got a hobby. I buy these generators mainly to do R&D for the conversion kits. I haven't had time to build them but eventually I'll have a kit built. But I do enjoy working on all the generators I have while building custom parts for them.
Would the 3500 run a paint sprayer?
Check the wattage of your equipment
Can I use the predator 5000w for my food truck ? To runs refrigerator ,ac mini split ,water heater and water pump?
To run all of that somewhat all at once, this genset will not be enough. You'll need the predator 9500.
I have two ver2 3500’s with Grenergy tri fuel conversions and they will come damn close to the rated 3150kw on propane.
I run them in parallel I get 50a without breaking a sweat.
My Honda EG2800i has his tri fuel kit as well.
Hands down these are the best tri-fuel kits you will find.
Thanks for leaving a review! Enjoy your kit!
I can attest to not using open frame gen sets without some sort of regulator to run most modern electronics. The power spikes will absolutely murder smart devices. I lost four sets of non-ballasted LED lights and my smartphone.
There’s another person somewhere on one of my videos who commented about his open frame generator running just fine on the electronics he’s using. The shear ideology this one person’s experience will be the same for everyone else here on planet earth tells me that inverter generators were made as a joke. 🙄
What is the consensus on the quietness of the new 5000 to the 3500? The owners manuals show 60.5db at 23 feet for the 5000 at 25% load (975 watts) and for the 3500, 56db at 23 feet and 25% load (750 watts). Any chance of a direct comparison with the SAME wattage between the two? The sound rating in the manuals won't be an apples to apples comparison as is based on 25% of max vs a specific load (say 1000 watts?).
The 5000 has a 224 cc engine at 8.6:1 compression vs the 3500 having 212cc at 9:1 compression. No way they are getting 900 watts from 12CC more and .4 points of compression less! It appears the higher power rating of the 5000 is mostly coming from the maximum engine rpm! It's 3800 rpm on the 5000 vs 3600 rpm on the 3500. HF is rating the predator 3500 at 6HP and the 5000 at 6.7HP too.
Seems a bit of a bummer IMO. Louder, more expensive (the 5000 does have dual fuel though), and still has the same 90 day warranty.
Thanks for the great review!
Besides what the brochure says, from my own ear. It's about the same quietness. If you want quieter you can leave the generator 25ft from the house or park it behind the shed.
10 db more is 3x the sound pressure. 10 db more noise is ALOT!!!
You mentioned in this video you would make a video to explain how to connect the 30A outlet to a well pump. Will you be making a video to show this process?
where's that video for how to make a 240v cable for this generator?
Sorry I haven't had the time to experiment further. But you can follow this link to do the conversion but do remember its only good to power well pumps and is only single phase 240v. czcams.com/video/6HEgTc7q2ps/video.html
Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it
Can you bridge the 5000 to the 3500 for more power
I have not yet tried that, but I'm sure someone already has.
where can I buy just a replacement for the original regulator, as the original has failed
Here is an update on 10/1/23 HF no longer offers the new 5000 watt inverter generator its not even listed on thier website..im curious what happened
At the moment harbor freight has this generator on a stop sale due to some sort of recall. They should be back on sale in November.
@@GrenergyTriFuel that's good to hear that they will be out on the market again.
240v is pretty important for 5000w class. I need 240v 20a to run my well pump. This would be perfect if it had 240v. Without it, it's kind of pointless.
The Generac GP3300 open frame generator has the 240V, unfortunately not many inverter units this size will offer 240V.
I've had many Yamaha generators but the predator has been a far better unit.
Thanks for your feedback!
Most welding machines can be 240v. I have done a lot of stick welding with my other generator
Thanks for watching
Thoughts on the Genmax tri-fuel GM10500iETC that is now available? It is tri-fuel from the factory and uses inverter technology. At $2,899 it isn’t cheap.
The wattage that generator outputs is impressive but their customer service according to other’s experience is a bit luck luster. If you need something this large to run your 50amp appliances I would just grab a non inverter open frame generator and have your panel wired up for just those appliances and then buy a smaller inverter generator to run your sensitive equipment. That way your not putting all of your load on one generator. You can grab a cheap 13000watt Duromax generator for $800 bucks during their sale and a Predator 5000 watt generator for $1k and still be under the $2899 price point of the GM10500
@@GrenergyTriFuel Just found your channel, a large generator does not mean you want to run your large "50 amp appliances" but may be needed for your needs. Calculate your watts needed and make sure you load balance everything. For viewers that may not know you lose about 10% of your wattage on LPG and 20% on Natural Gas. Wish it would be mandatory that THD % would be listed in all specs. Not having to hunt or call to find out.
What do you think about the 4500 watt, open frame inverter generator? In the market?
They are all made from the same 2-3 Chinese factory, just with different colors and panels. I would buy from a brand that has good customer service. Such as Harbor Freight, Champion and Duromax.