marcost
New member
I want to install a small diesel generator (3 to 4 KW) and I should be very pleased with some advise and experience from others
inboard diesel generator
- Thread starter marcost
- Start date
Tradewinds
Well-known member
Well, fitting a small 4kw diesel generator was a disaster for me some years ago. Constantly waiting in foreign ports for spares to arrive. I wasn't the only one. Ended up dumping it for scrap value with less than 400 hours on the clock. Worst £3.5K I've ever spent on a boat (or anywhere 
).
This was a single cylinder, fast running (3000rpm), sea-water cooled unit in an acoustic housing built by Fisher Panda c1993.
You still hear about people having problems with similar style units.
).This was a single cylinder, fast running (3000rpm), sea-water cooled unit in an acoustic housing built by Fisher Panda c1993.
You still hear about people having problems with similar style units.
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sarabande
Well-known member
I had an 8kvA diesel, watercooled genny from HFL for over 5 years. Mitsubishi engine.
Very quiet in its own cocoon, economical, never went wrong, except when I had a flat genny battery - my fault.
From HFL in North London. I believe they are a German company too.
http://www.hflgen.com/framehfl.html
Very quiet in its own cocoon, economical, never went wrong, except when I had a flat genny battery - my fault.
From HFL in North London. I believe they are a German company too.
http://www.hflgen.com/framehfl.html
Lady Campanula
N/A
Whatever happened to that tiny gen-set project that was 'threaded' on here for some time?
jwilson
Well-known member
Never owned one but I've sailed on two boats that had them, mainly to run air-con. Always a lot of trouble. Not sure why, but both were always going wrong.
johnalison
Well-known member
A friend has an onboard generator on his large Island Packet which is quiet both on the boat and outside, partly due to the exhaust exit being under the waterline.
KellysEye
Active member
Firstly don't buy a 3,000 rpm generator they are lifed for 400 to 600 hours but that can be increased to 1,000 if you are happy to replace many parts. Fisher Panda has the worst reputaion and there is a Web site about them that tells all. 1,500 rpm generators are the way to go. When we were in the Caribbean looking to replace our 3,000 rpm generator (550 hours) I asked generator repair mechanics which generator they had to repair least. The yellow jersey went to Northern Lights and a very close second was Westerbeke, which we bought. Both have spares available from dealers in a broad range of countries - you can see thedealer lists on their Web sites.
The engineer
New member
well put
1500 rpm most definitely. Northern Lights and westerbeke very reliable.
The same as all machinery, do the maintenance. do not forget the anodes on westerbeke. I ran 1 on a charter boat for 3 years 1500 hrs with absoloutely no problems whilst identical boats where replacing heat exchangers every year. They did not stock anodes for the bareboat fleet!!
1500 rpm most definitely. Northern Lights and westerbeke very reliable.
The same as all machinery, do the maintenance. do not forget the anodes on westerbeke. I ran 1 on a charter boat for 3 years 1500 hrs with absoloutely no problems whilst identical boats where replacing heat exchangers every year. They did not stock anodes for the bareboat fleet!!
