Looking like a busy hurricane season might be ahead for ’24.

fieldgrade

fieldgrade

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checked out my generator this afternoon - the battery on it must be dead because the key start didn't work, but it did start by pulling
I got the fuel line opened up and was able to be started by pulling a few times. ran it for a few minutes since the thing has sat since i tested it in the fall.
that will keep my freezers freezing and my fridge cool
 
I really need to change the oil on mine. Unrelated, but mower too. It's such a messy job, but I really should get on that this month. I lucked out last year and didn't have to start the generator at all. I've only ever used propane in mine so at least I know the carb isn't gummed up or clogged.
Never did use the starter battery on mine. Just sitting there disconnected because I don't want to maintain it. A few pulls gets it running.
 
DrScaryGuy said:
checked out my generator this afternoon - the battery on it must be dead because the key start didn't work, but it did start by pulling
I got the fuel line opened up and was able to be started by pulling a few times. ran it for a few minutes since the thing has sat since i tested it in the fall.
that will keep my freezers freezing and my fridge cool
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Generator battery

My generator doesn't get much use. Even with a battery tender the crap batteries don't last. But I have an unlimited supply of various car batteries via my BIL, plus all my cars have batteries. Rather than replace the expensive gen battery - or try to get jumper cables on those little goofy...
carolinafirearmsforum.com carolinafirearmsforum.com
 
They have predicted bad tidings before and been wrong, and I didn’t even pay attention to know what they based those previous bad tidings upon, other than their crazy models and algorithms. But June ocean temps of 80 degrees arriving in late February sorta grabbed my attention when I saw that article last night.
 
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Need to check inventory of the propane tanks, get one more 100ft extension cord, and look into what it would take to get the downstairs AC on a generator.
 
Without getting up into the weeds of why I still have this, lemme ask a question. How bad is it to leave a "new in box” unopened Honda generator for “long-ish periods” (four years so far)? I have the necessary engine oil for it also. It’s pull start so no concern over the battery for electric start.




*The weeds*. I now have a whole house generator. I know "two is one" and all that, but I have little expectation of using this little Honda generator, but, with two grown kids in two households, both within 30 minutes of me, I have kept it (and an unopened window unit AC, also four years old).

Truth is, if things go south weather-wise, they can all come to my house, but with their rowdy pets, and rowdy granddaughter, they probably won’t. I just don’t want to fill up that generator with oil, then start having to run it regularly with only a very remote chance of it “seeing action”.
 
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fieldgrade said:
How bad is it to leave a "new in box” unopened Honda generator for “long-ish periods” (four years so far)?
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If I can get my chore-act together, I might be able to answer this in a month... or so.

While cleaning/reoganizing my spare room, I recently unboxed a HF 4K generator whose instruction manual is dated 2012. I plan to fill it with oil & nonethanol gas & fire it up this spring.

My guess (and I've been banking on this) is that it is "as new in box," and, since it's been stored inside for all its life, it should be fine. I think any degradation that might happen in such a case would be from temp changes & condensation in the un-lubed interior of the engine & gas tank if it had been stored outside or in unconditioned storage.
 
fieldgrade said:
They have predicted bad tidings before and been wrong, and I didn’t even pay attention to know what they based those previous bad tidings upon, other than their crazy models and algorithms. But June ocean temps of 80 degrees arriving in late February sorta grabbed my attention when I saw that article last night.
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of course they dont focuse on hurricanse out here, but they did mention the big change in weather patterns/ocean temps (from el nino to nina?) which, according to them, will mean a dryer season here on the plains and wetter weather for cali
 
Windini said:
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I think any degradation that might happen in such a case would be from temp changes & condensation in the un-lubed interior of the engine & gas tank if it had been stored outside or in unconditioned storage.
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This is my only concern, because it’s been in the garage, NIB. I expect it’s wrapped in palstic in the box, but who knows how well that protects it.

I have sold more stuff over the years that I bought as a prep, that never came out of the box as I upgraded to something different/better.

Started with small electric room heaters I could run off my Troybuilt generator. That generator got sold when I moved five years ago. Still have the heaters. Then bought Kerosene heaters, that I sold NIB a couple of years later for peanuts. Then I bought three Big Buddy heaters. And several cases of cannisters of propane. Guess what. Half of them leaked down to empty over a few years. I keep a couple of 20LB propane tanks and necessary hoses. One finally got used 6-7 years later by one of the kids during a cold snap last year.

I was going to sell this generator, but I just like having it.

I’ll ask this same question at the beginning of the ’25 hurricane season.
 
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fieldgrade said:
Started with small electric room heaters I could run off my Troybuilt generator. That generator got sold when I moved five years ago. Still have the heaters. Then bought Kerosene heaters, that I sold NIB a couple of years later for peanuts. Then I bought three Big Buddy heaters. And several cases of cannisters of propane. Guess when. Half of them leaked down to empty. I keep a couple of 20LB propane tanks and necessary hoses. One finally got used 6-7 yers later by one of the kids during a cold snap last year.
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I wonder how long this new kerosene substitute klean heat is really good for. the internet is all over the place with it.
That stuff saved my house once during a michigan winter power out. I ran that off and on for a couple days, with the generator only running the freezer and fridge a couple hours at a time. power out was extended and then i switched to .... let's say legally... running the whole furnace off the generator and spending a lot more money on gasoline.
 
Not being in eastern NC I have prepared for a power grid loss which is more likely. Loss of power means no fuel for vehicles or generators. I keep a week supply of combined LP and petro. I really need a 100# LP tank.
 
Windini said:
It's because you didn't buy a Ford Lightning! For shame.

:)
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We just got a couple here at work for shop trucks.. I haven't tried it out yet.
But everyone that gets out of it is grin ear to ear and giggling .
 
Dan0311 said:
While I certainly wish no ill will on anyone on the coast, my wife wants to eventually live in Florida near the water. I don't like Florida. The more bad storms Fla gets, the better my chances of staying here!
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I would love to live on the gulf coast, somewhere between Pensacola and Cedar Key. I love that area.
 
Chuckman said:
I would love to live on the gulf coast, somewhere between Pensacola and Cedar Key. I love that area.
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My mother lived north of Ft. Meyers in a great area, loved to visit - just not where I want to be for most of the year....
 
Mirac said:
We just got a couple here at work for shop trucks.. I haven't tried it out yet.
But everyone that gets out of it is grin ear to ear and giggling .
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And yet... sales thereof to non-gov & non-industrial clients tanked, and Ford has cut back production drastically in a Sudden Derp realization of market forces.

I'll be interested in your report when you do try one out. I know battery cars are torque-ier and accelerate impressively; however, that may not make up for serious towing issues, downtime for charging, service/repair costs over expected service life, and resale value.
 
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