Petrol Generator For Winter Refit 3.4kVA / 2700W

[Deleted member 36384]

Hello,

I require a generator for a refit where there will be no shore power. The generator will have to power up a 6' fluorescent tube lamp and small heater or the fluorescent tube lamp and DIY type power tools (jigsaw, drill, multitool, flat and orbital sanders)

I reckon a 3.4kVA / 2700W size would be good enough e.g. http://www.justgenerators.co.uk/pages/Briggs_Pro_Max_3500.htm or is this overkill and a smaller size would be good enough? There will be no need for a huge heat output, I can put more jumpers on, so just lighting and small tools.

I may be interested in powering one of these infra red heaters to help cure varnishing if that helps in sizing.

What do you think? Any other comments appreciated.

Thanks,

BlowingOldBoots

 

[cliff]

Depends on where you will be runing it - if noise is no problem then how about a 5kva diesel - these can be had for a song second hand eg http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIESEL-GE...trial_Tools_Generators_ET&hash=item2a2fc5aac3 but there are many more on offer there.
If you want Petrol (more expensive to run) then I would look at future / alternative use ie at home for the forthcoming power cuts or on board for those trips round the Clyde - it is so nice to wake up in the morning and fire up the generator to recharge the batteries (running boats own charger) or run a fan heater to get the boat toasty warm quickly - also handy for running the microwave, coffee maker, toaster, ice maker (for the sun downers) not to mention memsahib's hair drier etc. - The "silent" ones do tend to be pricey but Kipor or Hyundai seem to offer good performance for reasonable cost.
The one in your link is open frame hence noisy (71dBa) so not the sort of thing one wants to be running in an anchorage however it does have a B&S engine so pretty bulletproof.
As for power I have a Kipor 3000ti and find it more than enough for lighting, power tools and heating (2kw fan heater + small power tools and a few lights or 1kw heating +loads of lighting and heavier demand tools.
Also consider security where you will be working generators tend to go missing from yards unless you take it home with you each time or have a secure lockfast storage facility

 

[Puggy]

I have a cheap Chinese made 2.5kw petrol genny and it runs treat. I paid around £220 for it. It happily runs lots of fluoro tubes and power tools. It will run a fan heater but that is a very inefficient way to heat things. Better to go for the cheapo genny and some other form of heating.

 

[ccscott49]

+1 for the Kipor, excellent bit of kit and quiet, but as Cliff says a diesel will be cheaper to run.

 

[oldsaltoz]

After seeing one and reading of many other vessels burning to the waterline that had petrol stored on board I would be looking a diesel gen set, not just cheaper to run and a longer life, but safer.

Good luck and fair winds.

 

[prv]

I did something of a refit on Kindred Spirit over three winters in a yard without power. I used this generator: http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/clarke-fg2500-2-4kva-portable-petrol-powered-g , a 2.4kVA frame genny on wheels. This is the minimum I would consider, as it was just capable of running my Henry hoover - sometimes turning on the hoover would stall the generator, so it was clearly right on the limit. Assuming you're doing any work inside the boat, a hoover is extremely helpful to deal with sawdust or fibreglass dust. The generator also ran a fan heater for when fibreglass or epoxy needed help curing.

Pete

 

[cliff]

I knew I was tempting fate when I mentioned power cuts at home - had 2 last night - tried to ignore the first one but SHMO says "what about the fridge and freezer?" so off i trundles to fire up the diesel set - well bugger me i n sooner gets the fridge, freezer, central heating and coffee machine running when the mains comes back on - bummer so off I trundles to kill the diesel and would you believe it?, just as she chugs to a stop the power goes back off - starts her again and goes back to bed safe in the knowledge the house will be warm, fresh coffee will be waiting for me when I get up and the fridge and freezer will be cold / freezing - no sooner do I get comfortable than the power comes back on - "bugger that" says I "I'll wait 'til the morning and if the power is still on I'll stop the diesel" - no sooner had i started to doze off again than I gets a dig in the ribs and told SHMO can't sleep 'cause of the noise of the diesel running - no rest for the wicked - away again to the gen shed and kill the diesel and plug the fridge, freezer, C/H and coffee machine back into mains power. - I knew I should not tempt fate by mentioning power cuts......

 

[Deleted member 36384]

The hoover! I forgot about that, thanks Pete, I will be using an old Vax to suck up dust. The genny will not be on the yacht, just sitting on the ground with a lead to the shore power inlet, at least thats the plan. So, it looks like the 3kV will be good enough. I'll check eBay as well for a larger diesel generator.

Thanks everyone for your advise, its appreciated.

Regards,

BlowingOldBoots

 

[prv]

The genny will not be on the yacht, just sitting on the ground with a lead to the shore power inlet

Exactly. Everybody else seemed to be trying to get you to use it at sea, whereas I've done exactly what you're planning to.

I paired mine with a long extension lead on a reel, and used to put the generator away at the edge of the yard among the abandoned old boats with its exhaust pointing out over the mudflats. No worries about the noise then

The wheels on mine were very handy for getting from the carpark into the yard, though if you are able to drive right up to the boat then I guess that's not so important. Or you could mount your own wheels on the frame, as my grandad did with his little suitcase genny for camping when it got too much for him to carry around.

Pete

 

[DownWest]

Find an old Lister 3kva unit. Has lots of inertia, so will start the odd electric motor that has a big condenser. PLUS, you can sell it on for the same money when finished, or install it in the house for those power cuts.....
I lived off grid with one for a few years, salt of the earth...

Quite heavy to nick, too.

Oops, not petrol, just re-read the header.

 

[ccscott49]

I knew I was tempting fate when I mentioned power cuts at home - had 2 last night - tried to ignore the first one but SHMO says "what about the fridge and freezer?" so off i trundles to fire up the diesel set - well bugger me i n sooner gets the fridge, freezer, central heating and coffee machine running when the mains comes back on - bummer so off I trundles to kill the diesel and would you believe it?, just as she chugs to a stop the power goes back off - starts her again and goes back to bed safe in the knowledge the house will be warm, fresh coffee will be waiting for me when I get up and the fridge and freezer will be cold / freezing - no sooner do I get comfortable than the power comes back on - "bugger that" says I "I'll wait 'til the morning and if the power is still on I'll stop the diesel" - no sooner had i started to doze off again than I gets a dig in the ribs and told SHMO can't sleep 'cause of the noise of the diesel running - no rest for the wicked - away again to the gen shed and kill the diesel and plug the fridge, freezer, C/H and coffee machine back into mains power. - I knew I should not tempt fate by mentioning power cuts......

You need an auto start stop! Not expensive and saves a lot of upping and downing!! Hehehehe

 

[nortonmotors]

When fitting out my hull, I was able to borrow a well-used Honda EX5500 for two years. It was completely reliable, but a weekend's work used 20 litres of petrol.
I powered four fluorescents, a 250 watt pig lamp, various power tools, two fan heaters in winter and a Belle mixer when doing the ballast.
To reduce the risk of it being stolen, I bolted it to my working platform, some six feet up in the air.
I could probably have managed with a smaller generator if I'd had to buy one.