If the electric service is interrupted at your home or you need power in a remote location, a portable generator can provide temporary power when and where you need it. But as convenient as they are,...
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Rapid City Journal
If you tried to run a standby generator continuously to eliminate the need for the utility company's electricity, it probably would not last long and would require much maintenance. Also, the cost for ... You must decide what you mean by powering the ...
During the workshops, attendees will learn critical hurricane readiness will learn about generator safety; sizing generators for specific home or business needs; what to include in an emergency/disaster preparedness kit; how...
Now that July is here again, I thought it'd be a great time to do a generator review! I picked out the DuroStar DS400S because of the great ratings it received. Since it's portable, it's great for campers, RV owners, home back-up power, on the job sites, and cabins in the middle of nowhere.
Here's what I found on amazon, along with a phone call to the factory:
Ratings: 4.4 stars out of 5 from 188 comments on amazon.
Price: Reg. $479.99. Amazon's price: $329.99 + FREE SHIPPING! That's a 31% savings.
The main features:
It's got 4 gallon gas tank and runs for 8 hours
EZ-Pull recoil start
Auto low oil shut off
4000 watt surge/3300 watt continuous
EPA Approved
Product Details:
According to amazon, it's dimensions are 20" x 27" x 22"
Amazon lists 2 different weights. One says it weighs 93 pounds shipping weight, and the other says 135. I called the company and they said it's 94 pounds.
7.0 horsepower
air-coiled overhead valve engine
NOT CARB compliant (So, not sold in California)
4-stroke single cylinder
More details:
If you run it at 1/2 load, you can get 8 hours out of 4 gallons of fuel.
Smooth quiet operation. Recoil start, and the "super quiet" muffler reduces engine noise to 69 dBA. According to one customer, it's as loud as a 22" lawnmower. Another customer said it was more like 3 lawnmowers, and a third claimed it was right up there with a jet engine.
Big plus! It has an automatic low-oil shut off. Great for protecting the engine.
Limited 1 year warranty.
Comes with a few tools, that one customer said isn't quite adequate for assembling the generator.
Power panel:
Main controls, start switch, volt meter, circuit breaker
Two 120 volt, 20 amp, 3-prong outlets to supply power to all your home appliances
Plus! One 120 volt, 30 amp outlet for high-powered tools.
Consumers Say:
There were 188 comments, so I didn't exactly make it through them all, but I did do about half. Here's what I found.
CONS:
1) No one likes the manufacturer, because they felt they got the run-around. Messages were left, and no one called them back. However! Everyone loved amazon's customer service when something went wrong.
2) Some claimed the generator worked a short time and quit. Some said it wouldn't start at all.
3) It requires a flexible funnel to put the oil in. They were unhappy about that.
4) And there were those who had never actually turned theirs on, but they were certain it deserved a 2.
PROS:
1) Loved the size.
2) Loved the performance.
3) Loved the ease of use.
4) It's a great buy when you are on a tight budget.
5) And there were a few who hadn't actually turned theirs on, but they were certain that it would deserve a 3 or 4.
TIPS FROM CONSUMERS!
1) Make sure you buy the wheel set, after all, it's 94 pounds - don't kill yourself.
2) Use synthetic oil. It will make the engine run better.
3) Because of the position of the oil cap, use a flexible clear funnel with a plug.
4) Drain the fuel tank when you put the generator in storage. Old fuel is bad for any motor.
5) Just like with any small engine, make sure you use a fuel stabilizer.
6) Don't run the generator 24/7. It needs some down time for the sake of the motor.
7) One guy suggested picking up 4 tri-plugs, and 4 50' extension cords with lighted ends.
8) Remember to buy a cover to protect it.
9) A really big one here! Make sure you chain your generator down. During a blackout, there's a really good chance of someone stealing it.
10) Do what the instructions say and change the oil every 20 hours. It will extend the life of your generator.
11) A back-up generator is a must if you have small children.
MY TIPS:
1) Remember to never, ever, put your generator in the house. You will die.
2) If you or anyone in your family has a health problem, such as asthma, etc., or care for someone who is elderly - you need a generator.
Here’s what it looks like:
OVERALL THOUGHTS:
The DuroStar DS4000S 4,000, is a great piece of kit. It's small, so if you're cramped on storage space it's not a big deal.
There were quite a few items mentioned above that consumers said were necessary, so rather than add links off to them, I put together an amazon store with the things they suggested. It's called Emergency Standby Generator Supplies, and that's all it has in it. Makes for fast and easy shopping.
However, if you want to check out the other generators at amazon, click here.
Hope the review has been helpful. Leave a comment if there's anything else you want me to research for you. I’ve got some articles I’ll be posting on generators and blackouts this week that you might find helpful. Be sure to sign up for notifications.
To learn more about fuel stabilizers, check out my article here: Fuel Stabilizers in Emergency Backup Generators: A Big Waste of Money? Or Do They Really Work?
A short review on a little gadget I think is totally awesome. It’s called the Alphasmart NEO. 
It’s the ultimate tool for writers who get easily distracted by:
1) email
2) facebook
3) twitter
4) online games
5) any excuse you can come up with for being online to avoid writing, etc.
The Review:
NEO gives you no access to the internet, but it does have:
1) Word count
2) Thesaurus
3) Spell check
4) Character count
5) Timer
6) Calculator
7) Copy, paste, cut
8) 8 separate files to either use for chapters or having 8 separate projects going.
More cool stuff:
1) 3 AA batteries last 700 hours. That alone beats a laptop.
2) Unlike a laptop, you don’t have to worry about this baby overheating. It doesn’t.
3) Adjust font size, which also reduces the number of lines shown on the monitor, but it’s worth it to see what you’re doing.
4) Screen contrast option.
5) Limited number of lines on the little monitor equals less editing when you should be writing.
How’s it work?
Type, save work, transfer to computer via USB cable or directly to a printer. Keep the stuff in the file on the NEO for awhile, or hit “clear file” to wipe it clean.
Technically, you get about 20 pages per file.
Tips on transfer:
You need to have some sort of word processing program open before you can transfer your doc from the NEO to your computer. Doesn’t matter whether it’s OpenOffice, Word, notepad, wordpad, any of the above.
Plug in USB cord to NEO and computer, hit “send” and watch it transfer your data. It’s not a fast transfer. It kinda types it out as it transfers. If you’re document is long, one user said go make coffee.
Size:
Smaller than the keyboard on my 15” Toshiba laptop.
My own experience with it:
I can’t be on my laptop without wasting time on the net. As hard as I’ve tried – I have no self-control. That’s how I ended up buying a NEO. I needed a way to write and be productive without the distractions of the net. I can honestly say, I’ve accomplished more in the past week then I have the past couple months. No kidding.
I love it that I don’t have to be worried about the battery needing recharged, or concerned about whether it’s going to overheat or not. I just want to sit down and work on a project without being bothered by anything other than my cats.
The net alone isn’t the only thing that distracts me. Have you noticed how the bells and whistles of word processing software can distract you? That was another motivator. : )
How to get one of these priceless gems of your own!
I bought mine through I.T. CompuParts. They’re stationed in California and get it out to you fast. I had mine 3 days after I ordered it. Supposedly it’s used, but it looks brand spanking new.
Something to be aware of if you decide not to order it from the Amazon link below. Read the fine print! I’ve seen some sellers offer them dirt cheap, but the USB line isn’t included, or some other important piece has been left out.
So, click here to make your life as a writer easier. Your friends will miss you on facebook, twitter and google+, but your productivity will be better than it’s ever been.
Best of luck!
This is one product comparison that I'm going to really enjoy writing. For one, I like both of these products, think they're great and worth every penny. Both clean your clothes really well. Both save you money by not having to go to the Laundromat or not have to go as often.
So, let’s take a look at the two:
Pro's:
1) Hand crank. No big deal if the electric goes out.
2) Perfect to take camping, especially if you plan on camping in the primitive area where you don't have electric.
3) Water drains out of the bottom using a pvc pipe.
4) You get a bit of exercise in by cranking the washer for about 2 minutes, depending on size of your load.
5) It holds a lot of clothes. I can wash my Bengals acrylic blanket. That's saying something! I can also do two sets of full size sheets at one time.
6) Easy to store.
Con's:
1) Some people don't like cranking the handle.
2) The base feels a bit unstable when cranking, but it's not a big deal. It holds up quite well.
3) Because of it's shape, I've found it hard to clean cat hair out of it.
Wonder Washer
Pro's:
1) You can wash clothes for a lot longer time than you can with the Wonderwash.
2) The bucket is much easier to washout than the Wonderwash. So, if you have a pet and whatever your cleaning has pet hair on it, this is the one you want to use to clean it with.
3) Time settings: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 minutes. Two cycles: standard and gentle.
Con's:
1) It's taller and a bit more awkward to store, but on the bright side, because the Wonder Washer is two separate pieces: bucket and motor, it can be stored in two separate spots.
2) I've found the agitator to be a bit harder on clothes.
3) It doesn't come close to holding as many clothes as the Wonderwash. A huge downside if you don't want to be stuck doing extra loads of laundry.
4) The motor sounds like it's going to die when you put in a full load. It groans a lot.
5) The bucket cover has holes in it that you drain the water out of. Yip, that means you've got to lift the bucket off the floor and dump it.
With both washers you have to hand wring them afterward. Personally, I don't. I wring them just enough to put them in the basket and carry them outside and hang them on the line. Wringing them out produces wrinkles, this method cuts down on them.
TIPS:
1) Use a little bit of fabric softener in the rinse.
2) Be careful with the soap. Clothes tend to get stiff on the line because not all the soap has rinsed out, so watch carefully how much you put in.
All in all, you can't go wrong with either washer. In case you might be wondering which is my favourite - it's the Wonderwash. It's a heck of a lot of fun, takes less time, and I get a bit of exercise to boot.
Click here to buy the Wonderwash.
Click here to buy the Wonder Washer.
