Rigid Generators

[mackdx]

My house has a transfer panel and exterior feed to keep the lights on during power outages. I need at least 5000 watts to keep most of the house running. Honda or Yamaha generators of this size are out of the budget.

Home Depot has a 6000 watt Rigid for around $900 that looks fairly decent on paper. Does anyone have any experience with one?

 

[79firebird]

i wouldent go for a Rigid my self as i use to have one ended up going back for warenty 3 times in 1 year with under 100 hours on it. Ended up junking it and got a better genset

 

[kbs2244]

The thing to look at for reliability is the engine RPM at power.
3600 RPM for hour after hour will wear out any engine pretty soon.

 

[ishiboo]

The thing to look at for reliability is the engine RPM at power.
3600 RPM for hour after hour will wear out any engine pretty soon.

Many 1800RPM generators in the rental field last upwards of 25,000-30,000 hours before an engine rebuild is necessary. The Rigid is definitely a price point unit, as are all the smaller high-RPMs.

Are you sure it was a Rigid and not a Husky? Rigid only lists a 6800 and 8000W continuous generator. The 6800 is Yamaha-powered and the 8000 are Subaru-powered, not bad engines for a light-weight generator like that.

I had a very expensive Mitsubishi that was coveted by people around here, with less than 50 hours on it (all properly exercising with a load to be safe) I had NOTHING but issues with it.

Replaced it with a cheap-o Briggs and have nothing but best to say about it.

 

[mackdx]

Sorry - it is the 6800W Rigid. As with many cheap generators, it isn't the motor that would worry me, it would be the generation unit. Many of the cheaper units skimp on the construction using plastic bushings instead of bearings in some instances, cheap brushes, etc. These sorts of things will eventually self destruct.

 

[ishiboo]

Sorry - it is the 6800W Rigid. As with many cheap generators, it isn't the motor that would worry me, it would be the generation unit. Many of the cheaper units skimp on the construction using plastic bushings instead of bearings in some instances, cheap brushes, etc. These sorts of things will eventually self destruct.

That type of wear is predictable and linear, and if you're using it as a backup generator as you said (low hours), my concern would be more about it not starting when you need it, versus failure from wear.