Should I buy a used generator or purchase new?

[Poundwise]

We're making the leap into buying a generator so we can have backup power for our refrigerator/freezer, gas furnace, and AC. I identified an inverter generator model (Honda) that I think would work for us, and have found an offer for it used for almost $1000 less than new.  It's still a big ticket item though and I'm worried that it will not function when we need it. If the generator seems to work when we go to see it, should that be good enough?

[Ecky]

I recently weighed in new and used Honda generators against some Chinese competitors. Turns out most of the small engines from China actually use knock-off designs from Honda's previous generation (same deal with scooters). The materials quality might or might not be up to par, but they're essentially Honda designs.

I opted for a WEN SuperQuiet 2000w, which I snagged for around $350, which was basically equivalent to a unit from Honda for $1100. With how infrequently it's used, I would not expect wear and tear to cause its demise. I filled it with full synthetic 10w30 (the manual says this is ok but to watch the oil level in colder temperatures, or to otherwise use a 30 weight), and let it run for around an hour every 2 months. I put new gas in it yearly, with some stabilizer, and when done running it I use the fuel shutoff and run it until the carb is dry before putting it back in storage. So far it starts every time on the first or second pull, it's quiet, and I have not seen it burn any oil.

I sincerely wanted the Honda, but everything I've read suggests the WEN is a perfectly suitable alternative. It's a hair less efficient, a hair less quiet, but it otherwise performs the job exactly as well, and for my use-case it's superior because I have an extra $800 in the bank.

Now, the base model Harbor Freight generators I would avoid. They're plagued with inverter issues, even if the engines seem to last.

Hope this helps.

[JLee]

I recently weighed in new and used Honda generators against some Chinese competitors. Turns out most of the small engines from China actually use knock-off designs from Honda's previous generation (same deal with scooters). The materials quality might or might not be up to par, but they're essentially Honda designs.

I opted for a WEN SuperQuiet 2000w, which I snagged for around $350, which was basically equivalent to a unit from Honda for $1100. With how infrequently it's used, I would not expect wear and tear to cause its demise. I filled it with full synthetic 10w30 (the manual says this is ok but to watch the oil level in colder temperatures, or to otherwise use a 30 weight), and let it run for around an hour every 2 months. I put new gas in it yearly, with some stabilizer, and when done running it I use the fuel shutoff and run it until the carb is dry before putting it back in storage. So far it starts every time on the first or second pull, it's quiet, and I have not seen it burn any oil.

I sincerely wanted the Honda, but everything I've read suggests the WEN is a perfectly suitable alternative. It's a hair less efficient, a hair less quiet, but it otherwise performs the job exactly as well, and for my use-case it's superior because I have an extra $800 in the bank.

Now, the base model Harbor Freight generators I would avoid. They're plagued with inverter issues, even if the engines seem to last.

Hope this helps.

My WEN generator died out of the blue last year - despite frequent oil changes, too (total lifetime was maybe 30 hours of runtime?).  I hope yours has better luck!

[trollwithamustache]

Generators are just an engine. So buying a used generator is like buying used car. Yes, you do save on the initial drop in value. But since you have no idea how well maintained it was, it also takes a few years to find out if you got a good one or not.

For emergency back up, I personally went new. That way I know the engine was always run with oil. And when the power goes out, I know it works. I am super glad to be reading this post of yours because I have not changed the oil on my generator this year and should go do that.

[uniwelder]

If you only want it for emergency backup, maybe you don't actually need a generator.  Here's an article that is worth reading--- https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/can-a-pint-sized-power-inverter-replace-a-generator/index.htm I bought an inverter for the same reason--- something just in case power is out for more than a day.  Hook it up to your car battery and keep the engine running--- yuou'll never have to worry about maintenance and whether it'll start up when needed.

Are you sure you know how to hookup everything you want?  The fridge/freezer is no problem.  A/C isn't hardly a necessity and will require a pretty hefty generator to power it at 240v.  I thought small inverter generators are generally just 120v and lower wattage.  Your gas furnace is hardwired to the circuit breaker, so you'll need to connect in the generator, likely meaning you'd hire an electrician to do it properly.

[JLee]

If you only want it for emergency backup, maybe you don't actually need a generator.  Here's an article that is worth reading--- https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/can-a-pint-sized-power-inverter-replace-a-generator/index.htm I bought an inverter for the same reason--- something just in case power is out for more than a day.  Hook it up to your car battery and keep the engine running--- yuou'll never have to worry about maintenance and whether it'll start up when needed.

Are you sure you know how to hookup everything you want?  The fridge/freezer is no problem.  A/C isn't hardly a necessity and will require a pretty hefty generator to power it at 240v.  I thought small inverter generators are generally just 120v and lower wattage. Your gas furnace is hardwired to the circuit breaker, so you'll need to connect in the generator, likely meaning you'd hire an electrician to do it properly.

Likely, but not necessarily?  My Navien combi unit plugs into an outlet.

[uniwelder]

If you only want it for emergency backup, maybe you don't actually need a generator.  Here's an article that is worth reading--- https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/can-a-pint-sized-power-inverter-replace-a-generator/index.htm I bought an inverter for the same reason--- something just in case power is out for more than a day.  Hook it up to your car battery and keep the engine running--- yuou'll never have to worry about maintenance and whether it'll start up when needed.

Are you sure you know how to hookup everything you want?  The fridge/freezer is no problem.  A/C isn't hardly a necessity and will require a pretty hefty generator to power it at 240v.  I thought small inverter generators are generally just 120v and lower wattage. Your gas furnace is hardwired to the circuit breaker, so you'll need to connect in the generator, likely meaning you'd hire an electrician to do it properly.

Likely, but not necessarily?  My Navien combi unit plugs into an outlet.

Thats a bit of an outlier, isn't it?  Like less than 1% likelihood the OP's unit falls in this category.  My main point is that the OP seems to be asking a pretty basic question when it isn't clear the details have been thought through.

edited to add--- Thinking about this some more, isn't it against code to have a permanent fixture using a plug?  I'm not familiar with Navien combi units (high efficiency water boiler/heater) or know where you live, so maybe its ok for your case.

[norajean]

If you plan to keep it forever the cost differential is insignificant. We have a 22 year old Cummins that runs like a champ with something like 700 hours.  Our neighbor shelled out big bucks for a new Kohler that hasn’t worked worth a dam since day one. They couldn’t fix it despite many visits and parked a trailer-mounted one in her yard for six months!

[Poundwise]

If you only want it for emergency backup, maybe you don't actually need a generator.  Here's an article that is worth reading--- https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/can-a-pint-sized-power-inverter-replace-a-generator/index.htm I bought an inverter for the same reason--- something just in case power is out for more than a day.  Hook it up to your car battery and keep the engine running--- yuou'll never have to worry about maintenance and whether it'll start up when needed.

Are you sure you know how to hookup everything you want?  The fridge/freezer is no problem.  A/C isn't hardly a necessity and will require a pretty hefty generator to power it at 240v.  I thought small inverter generators are generally just 120v and lower wattage. Your gas furnace is hardwired to the circuit breaker, so you'll need to connect in the generator, likely meaning you'd hire an electrician to do it properly.

Likely, but not necessarily?  My Navien combi unit plugs into an outlet.

Thats a bit of an outlier, isn't it?  Like less than 1% likelihood the OP's unit falls in this category.  My main point is that the OP seems to be asking a pretty basic question when it isn't clear the details have been thought through.

edited to add--- Thinking about this some more, isn't it against code to have a permanent fixture using a plug?  I'm not familiar with Navien combi units (high efficiency water boiler/heater) or know where you live, so maybe its ok for your case.

Thanks for that article-- great way to save money and space!

We're still probably going to get the generator, since in the past seven years, we've had the power out for more than a day at least four times, and twice for over a week (last year for two weeks)... once in the winter, once in the summer. In the winter we need to keep the house warm enough so that the pipes don't freeze. We have only window AC units but we want the ability to keep one running in a bedroom in case temperatures go over 100 degrees as happens every summer.   We intend to get a transfer switch installed and in fact that's one reason why we're doing this now... we're getting a lot of electrical work done soon and will ask the electricians to add it to their quote.

I just found the following article which seems to have a lot of great practical advice on buying a used generator.   https://homebatterybank.com/buying-a-used-generator-buyers-guide/

[uniwelder]

You have put some thought into this— my apologies. I also shouldn’t have assumed A/C meant for the whole house. I think I mentally tied that to the gas furnace.

[JLee]

If you only want it for emergency backup, maybe you don't actually need a generator.  Here's an article that is worth reading--- https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/02/can-a-pint-sized-power-inverter-replace-a-generator/index.htm I bought an inverter for the same reason--- something just in case power is out for more than a day.  Hook it up to your car battery and keep the engine running--- yuou'll never have to worry about maintenance and whether it'll start up when needed.

Are you sure you know how to hookup everything you want?  The fridge/freezer is no problem.  A/C isn't hardly a necessity and will require a pretty hefty generator to power it at 240v.  I thought small inverter generators are generally just 120v and lower wattage. Your gas furnace is hardwired to the circuit breaker, so you'll need to connect in the generator, likely meaning you'd hire an electrician to do it properly.

Likely, but not necessarily?  My Navien combi unit plugs into an outlet.

Thats a bit of an outlier, isn't it?  Like less than 1% likelihood the OP's unit falls in this category.  My main point is that the OP seems to be asking a pretty basic question when it isn't clear the details have been thought through.

edited to add--- Thinking about this some more, isn't it against code to have a permanent fixture using a plug?  I'm not familiar with Navien combi units (high efficiency water boiler/heater) or know where you live, so maybe its ok for your case.

It was installed by a licensed plumber and it shipped from the factory with a plug, so presumably its fine.  Dishwashers and garbage disposals are arguably permanent fixtures and they're commonly plugged in as well.

[WSUCoug1994]

Generators are essentially simple four stroke motors that can last forever.  They are also relatively cumbersome to maintain and since they are used irregularly they tend to not get maintained like a car would.  Most of the smaller ones don't have hour-meters so it is hard to tell how much it has been used. 

My guess would be that most generators are seldom used - most sit around 99.9% not running which can cause a different set of problems (old gas, dry gaskets, etc.).  My guess would be that most of the used ones would be easy to determine their overall health but looking carefully externally, looking for leaks, how quickly it starts and how smoothly it kicks up when a demand is applied to the generator. 

I have a Honeywell 2K generator that I have used for 15 years.  Looks brand new, starts each time with 5 pulls or less and has seen regular maintenance.  Power went out recently, it started up in two pulls but wasn't producing electricity.  Took it to a local small engine shop and said no one can work on Honeywell generators that aren't "certified" by Honeywell - can't even get the parts.  Closest "certified" shop for me 150 miles away - now I have a very heavy paper weight.  Just make sure if you do have problems you can get it serviced locally.

[sonofsven]

Being both cheap and handy, when I moved back to the country 15 years ago I got a free generator and got it running, it worked fine.
I was happy, saving money!
Second year the power went out for ten days.
The generator was on the front porch and we ran it occasionally for the refrigerator and freezer (water heater, stove, clothes dryer is all NG, heat is wood).
It was loud. It vibrated. I had to strap it down. It vibrated tiny sediment in the fuel tank and clogged the carb. It was hard to start.
After that I went and bought a Honda (there's a reason all the brands are "almost" as good as a Honda)
I would recommend new, either the Honda or knock off.
They had a pretty good looking small sine wave inverter generator at Costco last time I was there.
Another thing I learned the hard way, don't charge cordless tool batteries on a non sine wave inverter generator, I believe doing that ruined one of mine.

[ChickenStash]

As long as it starts and runs well from a cold start and can handle the rated load, I say go for it. Bring along something to plug in that would get close to the max load to make sure it works. I have some cheap halogen work lights that are a few hundred watts each that I plug into mine when I fire it up to test - it's easy to see if they are too dim or if the engine tries to quit and if there is something wonky with the power feed I won't be mad if the bulbs blow. Look up the cost of new filters, fuel lines, carb and the like and keep it handy.

I got two small generators from family fairly recently and didn't have too much trouble with them beyond what one would normally expect from low-use small engines. The older one was 3kw and the other 5kw. They both were hardly run so I had to do the usual fuel system cleanup work, new lines, clean out the tanks, oil change, new filters, that sort of thing. Mine are both non-inverter and plenty loud. The upkeep is a pain if you want them to be reliable but they are handy when needed.

[darknight]

Buy a legitimate Yamaha (not the "yamaha powered" costco one) or a Honda. It's like buying a car, buy a kia that "has good ratings" or buy a toyota that has an outstanding track record and will hardly lose value. I bought one for work and did a lot of research. One final selling point was when I was buying some sod from a sod farm last year. I showed up and the guy had a honda generator eu2000i in the corning whirring away.. It looked like it had fallen out of a truck and was absolutely filthy. I asked if it's been reliable and his response was "every couple years I think I should change the oil in it, one of these times I think I'll do it".

Needing it for work, I read around on forums from other users who used them commercially. So many cases of people buying something trying to save a couple hundred bucks that ends up costing them lost revenue when their off-brand generator dies halfway through a weekend.

With any generator you go with, run ethanol-free fuel. Turn the fuel off and let the carburetor run dry if it's going to sit un-used for more than a few days.

[darknight]

We're making the leap into buying a generator so we can have backup power for our refrigerator/freezer, gas furnace, and AC. I identified an inverter generator model (Honda) that I think would work for us, and have found an offer for it used for almost $1000 less than new.  It's still a big ticket item though and I'm worried that it will not function when we need it. If the generator seems to work when we go to see it, should that be good enough?

Sorry I didn't answer directly. Check for hour meter, ask about maintenance. I personally bought a good clean used Yamaha and it's been fantastic. Pull the cover off that goes to the spark plug where you can see inside the case, shine a flashlight in there and look to see how clean or dirty it is on the inside of the case. Some dirt and grime is fine, but raise extra questions if you see layers of dirt, sawdust etc caked on the engine. It's easy to wash and clean up the outside of the generator cases, look on the inside too. If it wasn't used commercially (ie, 8 hrs a day for years) and it's a proper Honda, I'd buy it any day over a new "off brand"

[Poundwise]

Thank you for all these great responses!  Sadly the used generator was already sold, but I think I know enough now to choose a good one should another opportunity arise.