I bought this at the end of winter to replace my old gasoline powered one after it wouldn't start (due to the ethanol in the gas gumming up the engine) during an ice storm. I was planning to be prepared for this coming winter. I never imagined I would be using it a few months later when a tornado whipped through our neighborhood and county just before Memorial Day. We were fortunate and only without power for 4 days, but this generator came through with flying colors. I hadn't even taken it out of the box and really wasn't at all prepared for this storm. I didn't have the battery in yet so we had to manually pull start. I have neck issues but it wasn't that difficult and started quickly each time. The brochure says you will get around 8 hours on a half load, ...NOT. Try figuring on 4 to 5. Didn't seem to matter what we ran that was the average. At $20 bucks a little 20lb bottle we got into a rhythm of running it noon to 5pm for the heat of the day and again at night 10pm to 3am for showers and such.
I planned to have a large 100lb or maybe 250lb propane tank to have on hand for this winter. The initial investment of 7 additional tanks to add to my two I had for the grill cost around $300. We used 8 bottles total being conservative with the use. Off of that I supplied my house and my daughters house (next door) with power to run a refridgerator and fan, while I ran a freezer and refriderator and fan. We also had an outlet on for charging cell phones. I would turn on the hot water heater to charge it but would turn off some of the refridgerators just to be conservative. We are on a well, so it also had a big draw whenever the pump kicked on.
All and all I am delighted with my purchase, and will make sure to have plenty of propane in place for this winter! (we live on the side of the mountain and you can't always drive up the road). The nice thing about the propane it has a long shelf life unlike the gasoline powered units, so I can relax and know it will be good for a few years not a few months.
Hope this was helpful...
This generator was purchased through an Amazon partner(CSN) arrived ahead of schedule and in perfect shape thanks to R+L Carriers!
I did not have a battery on hand yet to use the electric starter but the pull rope worked very well! After connecting it to the propane, it took about 3 pulls to start for the first time and it ran perfectly. The choke handle is kind of flimsy, but we didn't need to use it. It is a bit louder than I expected, but I don't have prior experience with a generator to compare it to.
The assembly directions are not as easy as they could be, so it took a few extra minutes to figure out how to attach the handle and wheels, etc. That was not a big problem though. We plugged in several small items to see how they would do and it had no trouble running them.
We decided to get the 30 pound(7 1/2 gallons) cylinder of propane for this just to add a little more run time than I could get with a grill sized cylinder and will probably buy 1 more cylinder as a back up.
I would highly recommend this generator for the ease of use and great price!
Buy Sportsman GEN7000LP 7000-Watt 13-HP OHV Propane-Powered Portable Generator Now
This generator is simply awesome. It was shipped on a truck equipped with a liftgate making delivery very easy for me and my 2 wheel dolly.
The generator instructions to get the wheels on could be better. I read other reviews that mentioned this. So, I downloaded the manual from buffalo tools and studied the blow up diagram and read the installation process. This made things much easier for me and quicker. A few screws here and there with metric wrenches and I was done. All I had to do was add oil up to the bottom of the lip where the oil plug is inserted as stated on the manual.
It started with the first pull. Setup is easy. Attach the propane hose to the generator and propane tank, open propane nozzle, turn VERY LARGE switch on generator to "on" position, close choke, pull hand starter. Super easy.
Haven't used under load but I'm sure it will perform nicely. I purchased a used 100 lb propane tank. This thing will run for about 40 hours on 50% load before the tank runs out. 80 hours if I buy another and connect them together. Also, there is no "low oil" light. It will simply turn off and won't start if there isn't enough oil.
Say goodbye to gumed up carbs and expensive gasoline. Propane is the way to go.
July 2nd, 2012: Micro burst killed power across town. Gas station even closed (pumps run off electricity). Neighbor had to drive all over to find gas. I rolled out my 100 lb propane tank. Powered entire house: 2 window AC units, 1 central AC, 2 refrigerators, lighting and I did a load of laundry by the time he got back.
I posted a pic of my setup, both inside and outside.
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Finally had an opportunity to put this to a real test. Purchased this item as the area is plagued by power outages typically a few hours at a time and do not want to deal with gasoline due to the risk of the gas going bad and propane is currently cheaper than gas per gallon. Primary appliance needed to back up is sump pump, secondary appliances three refig/freezers.
Setup:
To supply constant power without swapping out propane cylinders, I had my energy company install a quick connect box via a T connection off the main line from a 100 gallon tank which primarily supplies my cooking stove. This setup would allow me provide constant power for approx. 8 days before requiring a refill. I did not setup the gen with a battery for the auto start feature. My philosophy is the less the better. The more parts something has the more likely something will go wrong with it.
Event:
Due to Hurricane Sandy we lost power for 68 hrs. The Sportsman 7000 ran straight the whole time providing power to a 1/2 hp sump pump, 2 refrigerators and 1 freezer, TV, lights, computer. When needed to run other appliances we would unplug refrigerator or freezer to run microwave oven or washer/dryer.
Event2:
Prior to Hurricane Sandy we lost power for 7 hrs. during a bad thunderstorm. This was prior to the above setup and ran the Sportsman 7000 off of a 20 lb cylinder. This event happened during the peak of summer in the evening when temps were high. The gen provided power to everything above including a 12000 btu window air conditioning unit. After the power came back on there was still fuel left.
Summary:
I would recommend this generator to others as propane does not go bad, burns more efficiently, and is more readily available during a power outage than gasoline. My decision to go with this generator was because I did not want a permanent unit fixed to the house and wanted the mobility so the unit will see more use. Instructions could be better documented.
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I love this generater more then any I have had before . I have had 5. For a non permanent generator it is perfect. I purchased a 30lb can of propane for it and I start it once a month. It starts first pull and hits on the first turn with the electric starter. Can't wait for the power to go out so I can use it. I have used it to run out door lights, drills,saws and chargers. Easy to move around and I built a table to house it off the patio. Not too big and not to small.
I really like the idea of this device the cable retracts for easy cable management, no mess, and easily stored in the car when not in use. The only problem is that it seems a little flimsy, and in fact, the unit failed within the first couple of uses. But the vendor, HandHelditems, claims to guarantee all of their products, and was unusually cooperative once contacted, and sent a replacement device out directly. We are being careful with the replacement, and it has worked fine the past few months. I therefore can recommend this product with reservations of needing to be careful with it, and can also recommend the vendor without reservations.
