Porter Cable 7,500 Watt Generator --A Must Have for Any Shop-
Written: Sep 29 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Clean electricity suitable for computers. Brushless alternator for extended life.
Cons: Very loud. Uses quite a bit of gas. Awkward to carry.
The Bottom Line: High powered, brushless alternator makes this generator a good choice. Multi outlets and easy start and run.
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| bluehawq's Full Review: Porter Cable 7,500 Watt Generator With 13 HP Engin... |
Last year (winter) we lost power for three days. I know this is minor when compared to those who have suffered through these awful hurricanes but a loss of power is as much a concern in the cold winter months as any other time no matter how long it's out.
It never fails, it seems, whenever we get a bad ice storm, we lose our power lines and power. It can get pretty miserable when you're freezing your behind off. No matter how many blankets you pile on, it just doesn't seem to help. Well, in early spring we decided that wasn't happening to us any more. Hubby went out and bought a generator and put it in our shop. He also uses it to run his compressor when he has no access to electricity.
We figure when, not if, the power goes again, we can just go out to the shop and keep warm. We have a great wood burning stove in there and now this generator. A fridge and our camping stoves. Should be quite cozy with the cots.
We really couldn't afford it but we shelled out $1200.00 more or less, including tax for the Porter Cable 7,500 Watt Generator model BSV750-W. We ordered it through hubby's brother. He get stuff wholesale for his shop and even though this was not as marked down as we would have liked, it was still an okay deal. We basically saved the amount off the base price equal to the taxes. Didn't have to pay the tax right away but decided to get it over with.
We didn't plan to use it until this winter other than for the compressor but we ended up having to replace our main electrical line from the house to the poll and it sure did work nicely then! We only used it for a day but we ran the fridge, deep freeze, hot water tank, and stove off it. Worked fabulously. I am sure am proud to have it.
Easy to use:
Be sure to start the generator and let it run for a while before you use it. About 10 to 15 minutes will do. Make sure you have gas in it. This particular unit will hold 7 gallons. That's pretty ouchie what with the prices on gasoline rising once again. Anyway, once you have let the unit warm up you may plug in your appliances or what ever. Note: Whatever you are plugging in must be turned off before you do. Once plugged in, then turn them on. Be sure to use appropriate electrical cords and please do not use anything light weight. It's hazardous.
At ½ load the generator should run on a tank of gas for about 9 hours and with a full load, about 5 to 5.5 hours. I know it does not seem like much but when you're cold, it's a lot.
We will be changing the oil filter before winter and you should if you use it a lot. We are only doing it to make sure it's tip top for winter. They also recommend you drain the oil and gas about once a year to keep it running well and hubby just cleaned the carb about a month ago along with his pick-up carb. Killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.
The Porter Cable 7,500 Watt Generator With 13 HP Engine BS750-W had a 13 HP Briggs & Stratton Vanguard OHV engine with cast-iron cylinder sleeve and low oil protection. It also has an electric start with auxiliary recoil start. It uses a 12 volt lawn mower or equivalent battery with a minimum 200 CCA. This battery is not included so there's an added expense. It also sports a brushless alternator. They claim it will extend the life of the generator. We'll see. They also say that the brushless design will have it run cleaner than bush designs and require less maintenance.
This generator is bulky and can be difficult to tote around but it's not all the heavy. At least not as bad as I figured it would be. I have to have help but hubby doesn't. It's red, red, and red. Has great semi-pneumatic wheels and a full width axle. Makes it easier to move around.
It has four 120 VAC GFCI, one 120/240 VAC twistlock, one 12 VDC outlets. It provides 7,500 watts continuous, 10,750 watts surge when you need high power.
It has an idle control which will help with the noise but NOT MUCH! This dang thing will deafen you. But I suppose that just has to be. I've never seen one that didn't leave you with a buzzing in your ears five days after you stopped using it. *just joking about that*. Wear ear protection whenever you can.
Out of the box:
You get the generator, portability kit, engine oil and manual. Doesn't seem like much, huh? It's enough.
Here is the spec list as per the box and website.
**7,500 watts continuous, 10,750 watts surge for high power demands
**7 gallon tank provides 9.4 hours of run time at ½ load and 5.4 hours of run time at full load.
**Outlets: Four 120 VAC GFCI, one 120/240 VAC twistlock, one 12 VDC
**Electric start with auxiliary recoil start.
**Uses a 12 volt lawn mower or equivalent battery with minimum 200 CCA (not included).
**Circuit breaker protection.
**13 HP Briggs & Stratton Vanguard OHV engine with cast-iron cylinder sleeve and low oil protection.
**Idle control saves fuel and reduces noise.
**Low-oil protection.
**Rubber isolators reduce vibration.
**Advanced alternator design
-Brushless to eliminate brush replacement
-Rugged all metal construction for durability
-Ball bearings for long life
-Provides cleaner power
**Wheel kit and fully welded frame.
Something I'd like to add here is the claim that it has *clean* electricity. In other words, they say it's safe to run your computer from it or your television or radios. I have not tried this but may eventually. I am a bit nervous to run my computer from it.
The Porter Cable 7,500 Watt Generator has a 1 year limited warranty. Porter-Cable supposedly stands behind their product. I hope we don't have the opportunity to find out but if we do, I'll let you know how they were about it all.
So far, I highly recommend the Porter Cable 7,500 Watt Generator. Let's hope I continue to.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bluehawq
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Member: Audrey
Location: Arkansas
Reviews written: 257
Trusted by: 726 members
About Me:
Jitterz on WoW Anub'arak server. For the Alliance
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