Advice on reliable portable generator?

[TBRS1]

Last year, we lost household power for several weeks due to an ice storm.

This year, I would prefer to be prepared. I need advice on reliable portable generators.

I'm thinking I will get two - a smaller one that I can multipurpose for off grid occasional power, as well as emergency use, and a larger one for emergency house use only (so not to be moved much).

I'm in the U.S.

Any experiences with portable generators?

 

[Judge]

Last year, we lost household power for several weeks due to an ice storm.

This year, I would prefer to be prepared. I need advice on reliable portable generators.

I'm thinking I will get two - a smaller one that I can multipurpose for off grid occasional power, as well as emergency use, and a larger one for emergency house use only (so not to be moved much).

I'm in the U.S.

Any experiences with portable generators?

Check with @oregano. He's posted about generators before. Sounds like he lives pretty much off the grid, so I suspect that's a critical possession of his.

 

[Aspychata]

First you need to decide on gas or electrial/solar panel l guess?

 

[Outdated]

As a general rule of thumb avoid the "handbag" type generators that are completely closed in with plastic casing. The most common problem with generators is their tiny little carburetors getting blocked up with dust. Easy enough to clean if you can actually get to them. A plastic casing also seems to intensify the amount of dust the carby picks up.

This style is much more practical:

 

[TBRS1]

First you need to decide on gas or electrial/solar panel l guess?

Gonna go gasoline. Solar is totally unreliable during the kind of weather that causes blackouts in the frozen north (Northern Michigan, Lower).

 

[TBRS1]

As a general rule of thumb avoid the "handbag" type generators that are completely closed in with plastic casing. The most common problem with generators is their tiny little carburetors getting blocked up with dust. Easy enough to clean if you can actually get to them. A plastic casing also seems to intensify the amount of dust the carby picks up.

This style is much more practical:

View attachment 146625

Thank you - I've seen both kinds and new nothing. That helps!