| Brand: | Eastern Tools & Equipment | ||
| Average Rating |
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This ETQ portable generator uses a fuel-efficient propane engine that consumes only 1.5 lbs./hr. propane @ 50% load. Surge Watts: 3,500, Rated Watts: 3,000, Engine Displacement (cc): 208, HP: 7, Engine: OHV 4 stroke, Run Time: 1.5lbs per hour at 50 percent, Receptacles (qty.): 2, Noise Level (dB): 65 at 23 feet, Fuel Type: Propane, Start Type: Recoil, Low Oil Shutdown: Yes, Dimensions L x W x H (in.): 24.7 x 18.31 x 18.30 more info
September 20th, 2009
natural gas?
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I was wondering what would be required to let this unit use natural gas to run. Seems like that would be a big plus.
September 24th, 2009
Shocking – Literally! Doesn’t perform…lemon?
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Living in Florida and working with rentals means we use a portable generator on a regular basis…if the power isn’t out due to a thunderstorm, we just need portable power to run a few tools etc while working on a house or doing a repair during vacancies. It saves a lot of time and money not having to turn on the electricity for every small item especially when a house is empty or between tenants so when this portable propane powered generator showed up on my recommended list, I jumped at the opportunity to pick it up at what seemed like a very reasonable price.
Most propane powered generators are huge, whole house systems far more than what we need but really like the ability to use propane rather than gasoline. Propane tends to store much longer and is great to have a generator that we can just plug into the propane from the grill should an outage hit without warning. So, great idea and nice price. Unfortunately, the actual item isn’t working as hoped.
Item shipped out quickly and arrived without incident. Box looked fine. Hook-up to propane was simple enough but when turned on…this little bugger packs one heck of a punch! First tested it with a portable compressor – which it would NOT run. Tried a tile saw – same problem. This is supposed to be 3000 continuuous watts with a max/peak of 3,500 which should easily run either of the above items. Neither worked but it did shock the living daylights out of my better half. Nothing serious – but certainly unexpected and quite annoying. It should be noted, this was on a garage floor without any moisture at the time so water was not an issue whatsoever.
Because this is a power engine, Amazon does not accept automatic returns so I’m working with eastern tool company to “fix it”. Frankly, I’m not happy to be forced to take a brand new machine in for a repair rather than have a replacement sent out given I’ve not even had an opportunity to use the machine for more than a few minutes. Straight out of the box this doesn’t work…if I had purchased from a regular store it would be returned and a new one provided so I don’t understand the rationale of the company to force a new customer to chase around having a repair instead.
The good…it’s surprisingly quiet.
The bad…doesnt’ work, packs a mean punch that will literally “shock” you, cannot return to Amazon and must now work with company to have it “repaired”.
Bottom line…doesn’t work and company will not replace it but instead opts to have customers take a defective item for repair instead.
If I had it to do over again…I would not purchase. Problems occassionally arise but the company is not responsive to the needs of clients especially when the item is defective out of the box.
On the other hand, I highly recommend my other portable generator purchase…wonderful little workhorse with zero problems. Sadly, it’s not propane powered but for those seeking a solid value take a look at the Honeywell inverter generator [...]
Save your time and trouble. Great idea, great price, defective item and under-whelming service.
UPDATE: After several calls and speaking with different people this company (ETQ) agreed to take back the defective generator and send out a replacement. They supplied a shipping/tracking number and had UPS pick-up the generator from the front door at no cost to me (as compared to having to pay bench fees for the one local provider in their contract and lug a 100 pound plus generator with oil already in it around town).
I was told a new generator would be sent immediately. Two weeks later I was still waiting and finally had Amazon customer service intervene at which point the new generator was sent out the very next day. After standard UPS delivery, it was just over 1 month until I received a working unit.
Now, the good news is the unit does actually work! It’s surprisingly quiet and so far, no nasty electric shocks like the first unit. Better yet, it actually is able to run a compressor while the first wasn’t. Hook-up is easy and seems to perform as expected with a quieter than expected performance.
Bottom Line – Quality seems to be an issue and customer service could certainly be a lot better. Plan to be persistant if you have a problem…but it will eventually be fixed. I can’t comment on the long term durability of the product but will try to post an update some time in the future.
September 26th, 2009
Eastern Tools 3500 Watt Propane Generator
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
First one I got was severily damaged in shipping. Called Amazon and they sent one out within a week and had the old one picked up.
Afer receiving the replacement the generator would not run unless the choke was on. I called Eastern Tools and they said it was the regulator and sent one out. Took 5 minutes to replace.
The unit runs great so far. It is pretty quiet and doesn’t stink like a gas generator.
I bought the unit for our 5th wheel. It runs the Microwave or A/C, TV and charges the battery. Great because I don’t have to carry a gas can; I can just plug it into one of the onboard propane bottles.
If you plan on using this for RVing you will need to use the 25 amp outlet. For this you will need to either make or buy an adapter.
I got this for $419 including shipping. It was annoying that it took 3 weeks for me to get one that ran, but Amazon and Eastern tools were good at taking care of the issues.
You cannot beat this for the price anywhere. I highly recommend to anyone needing an inexpensive generator to take RVing, camping, or for any other small generator needs.
October 1st, 2009
Works well except for the choke…
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I was looking for a propane generator and this one certainly was the most reasonably priced generator I found. It arrived sooner than expected and was in good condition. I had some difficulty with some of the instructions where the meaning of some items got lost in the translation to English. I succeeded in hooking it up to my propane tank and all went well until I attempted to use the choke, the choke lever broke off in my hand at the base. The choke lever is made of cheap plastic. I was able however, to figure out a way to make the choke work anyway and it started right up, but backing off on the choke as it warms up will continue to be a challenge. An improved choke lever would make me happier with my purchase.
October 3rd, 2009
Great RV Generator
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this generator specifically for my 30 foot camper and so far I have been pleasantly surprised by it’s performance and ease of use. It easily powers my 13,500 BTU AC with room to spare utilizing the 25Amp plug although you will need an adapter. It starts easily and is relatively quite for a generator of it’s size although not as quite as some of the fully enclosed generators. The sound of the AC in the camper overpowered the sound of the generator; however, it may not be quite enough for a campground setting.
Utilizing propane vs gasoline is a definite plus when it comes to storage because propane doesn’t degrade like gasoline.
One thing I would definitely recommend is following the break in schedule because the engine appears to ship with a small amount of light weight preservative oil. Additionally, I installed some wheels on the unit to make it easier to roll around.
One review mentioned being shocked; however, I have never experienced any shock from the unit. Perhaps the unit that produced the shock was defective in some way. I would definitely recommend grounding the unit so the GFCI can properly function.