Harbor Freight inverter generator

[Bowtie Jim]

Predator 3500. $699 with a coupon. Seems like a great setup. Yay or nay?
Anyone have this?

[twinboat]

Not me,

It may be a fine Inverter/Generator but its also the cheapest.

That says something about its quality.

[Applefarmer]

Daughter has one works good

[Seon]

How loud is it?


Cheap is not good.

Good is not cheap.


Pick your poison

[US1]

A buddy has that one for his toy hauler. It'll run everything without missing a beat. Just as quiet as the Hondas. Will it last as long???

[Bowtie Jim]

I'm usually not a fan of "reviews" but this one had thousands of five stars.
It's quiet. And efficient.

[Bob_C]

The noise is same as a Honda........You can also buy aftermarket remote start for the Predator........Mine works good.....

[bpu699]

Harbor freight has some awesome products... very good quality for the money.

If you think it’s cheap, feel free to buy the $5000 used one...

[HarryStone]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orYeWoRA4wI&t=409s

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by twinboat

...
That says something about its quality.

Well managed companies often produce better quality products at lower costs.

The real question does it get the job done?

For example quality is important when buying a car that you will keep for 20 years and drive 300k miles, or a chain saw when you heat with wood.

An RV generator just needs to get the job done.

Then there is the KISS principle. I have an inverter generator that gets the same job done as in the video for half the cost.

I do have to pull a cord. Complexity adds weight and reduces reliability in many cases.

[jmadren]

Been working great for me for over a year. Very quiet for its size. Also very efficient. Only had half a tank when stopping overnight at a Walmart on a cold night. Figured it would run out during the night, which was fine (37' 5th wheel). Next morning it's still purring! Plus, I discovered one of the trailer tires was flat from a slow leak, which meant a couple more hours of changing tires and getting the flat one repaired (didn't want to be without a spare because of traveling the horrible I-95 through SC).

[LETMGROW]

A friend of mine bought one of these three years ago. He has run it a lot with no issues whatsoever powering his RV as well as using it on a few jobs. (he's a contractor)
He also bought an extended warranty which he hasn't had to use but the warranty is unconditional with no questions asked.
I have heard his Predator run and it's only slightly louder, if any louder, than my Honda 2000 W. generators. I have no need for another generator but if I did I would consider buying a Predator 3500.
Lynn

[Hit_the_Rhod]

If I didn't already have multiple generators, I would by the HF 3500 in a heartbeat. I have several friends who have them. One of them has only used for about 50 hours, but the other has used for just over 750 hours over the last two years. He uses it for his fiver. Remote key fob, large fuel tank. Can't tell the difference between it (noise wise) and the Honda 3000. Longevity? Can't tell yet, since they haven't been our long enough to break! $700 for HF vs $2,200 for Honda . . . you pick.

[mcmeadows1]

My wife and I have had one since AUG 2017 and we love it! Admittedly, we don’t use it much. Ours has just over 200 hours of run time on it, but it has performed well.

It will easily run our 13.5k A/C and miscellaneous other electric appliances and devices. Of course, high draw items like the microwave, electric hot water heater element, or a hair dyer cannot be run at the same time as the A/C.

However, that is not due to a fault with the generator. By design, the maximum load allowed is 25 amps.

Note: we live at an altitude of 4,600 feet, so the generator’s load capacity/performance is reduced somewhat due to a reduction of available oxygen in the atmosphere.

The unit is very quiet, easily as quiet, or more so, as comparable units from Honda, Yamaha, or other manufacturers.

It always starts without hesitation, using the electric starter. I have occasionally used the pull starter, just to test it, and it always starts on the first pull.

I have always used fuel stabilizer when adding fuel. Early on, I did replace the no-name spark plug with an NGK plug. Also, I do ensure to run it, under load, for at least 30 minutes every three months. I change the engine oil (Briggs & Stratton SAE 30) at least once a year or based on hours run, per the owners manual.

As for long term reliability, only time will tell. So far, the generator has worked well for us.

The only complaint I have is the apparent lack of air the generator experiences due to the plastic housing which surrounds it. The housing does seem to restrict air intake. The generator will run more smoothly if I remove the oil check/fill door from the side. Some people have gone so far as to drill holes in this door to permanently allow free air flow.

The generator is also heavy; well over 100 pounds when full of fuel. I can barely move it by myself, but it is much easier to do so with another person.

It will fit under the tonneau cover in the bed of our truck. However, we store it in the 1/2 bath, at the rear of our RV, when traveling.

Finally, there has been a recent update to the generator. On newer manufactured units, the factory begin installing the 30 amp receptacle so the power cord hangs down properly. We use a dogbone adapter to connect the EMS to the generator so this is not a big deal for us. However, for others, the reorientation of the receptacle may be a welcome change.

I recommend anyone looking to buy a portable generator for RV use to seriously consider this generator.

Marty