Yamaha inverter generator
We lasted for one week
with only a
small solar panel
for electricity. Then we fell back on the other option we'd researched
before leaving copious internet access behind --- an inverter generator.
When we bought our
last generator,
inverter generators either didn't exist in our price range or we simply
hadn't heard of them. Since then, though, they've come down into the
consumer price range --- only a couple of hundred bucks for a small,
off-brand model or up to a thousand plus dollars for hefty units that
will likely go the distance.
The
downside is --- you get less power for your buck with an inverter
generator. So why did we decide to go that route anyway?
Simple ---
efficiency, fuel savings, and peace and quiet. Basically, inverter
generators are able to run at different speeds depending on how many
things you plug into them. So if you're just running a lamp and
charging a laptop, they'll barely use much fuel at all (about a gallon
for every ten hours of use at 1/4 load) while keeping the noise down to
about the
level of a window air conditioner. Plus, they're small and light enough
to be carried by one strong person alone --- definitely a plus.
We'd originally opted
for the 2000 starting watt/1600 running watt Honda, partly because of
its good reviews and partly because it was supposed to be available at
Home Depot (where Mark could use his veteran's discount). But when the
time came to make the purchase, all of the Home Depots in the area had
run out. (You were right, Joey!) So we instead tracked down a Yamaha
with similar stats at a motorcyle store in town --- bonus that we'll
have a repair shop nearby if it needs to be worked on. More on what we
think of our little engine that could in another post.
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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.
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Honda's patent on the inverter generator ran out and now there are clones of the design, I purchased the "Ironhorse" brand at our local Northern Tool store, sort of like a higher-end Harbor Freight tools store with more of a market of tools and equipment aimed towards ag and industry.
I paid $600. After hurricane Mathew in 2016 we had no power for several days, running our 17 cu foot fridge and a 5 cu ft chest freezer it would go 7-8 hours on it's gallon tank.
I wanted a unit that my wife and daughter would be able to pick up and start if I was not around and this fits the bill just fine!
Good choice, those inverter gens are so quiet and fuel efficeint.
We have a Powerhorse brand from Northern Tool, and will keep a small chest freezer and household fridge going.