Hy everyone, I have been looking into solar powered generators for sometime now and honestly its a bit confusing which one is best to go for. I really dont want to waste money so I been reading lot of reviews on big sites like Wirecutter, Lifewire and even New York Times tech section. Also I scroll through reddit threads and some other blogs to see what real people say.
After going through all that, mostly people recommend two options that stand out:
[2500-Watt Inverter Generator, Super Quiet & Lightweight Gas Powered Generator] ((www.amazon.com/AMERISUN-2500-Watt-Generator-Lightweight
*[Generac 1086Wh Portable Power Station with Lithium-Ion Battery - Cleanl] [www.amazon.com/Generac-Portable-Generator-Lithium-Ion
Both look solid to me, lot of features and tons of reviews but I can’t figure out which one is actually better for real use like camping or home backup when light goes out.
Has anyone here used any of these? Or maybe compared both? Which one you think is more reliable in long term?
I know both are good but I need some expert suggestion before buying. both have tons of reviews features are amazing I need you help to decide and thanks in advance
@rocky3 “Horses for courses, lol” There are pros and cons with both, I’ll note a few.
Assuming you want to use either for home backup and or camping, both will do the job.
GENERATOR
Pros - Reliable power and a good inverter size. (I am not suggesting the brand is reliable, I don’t know it)
Cons - Can not be used indoors, smelly and noisy. Neighbours won’t appreciate the sound of a genny at 3a.m. if that’s when you need the power. also requires refuelling and in a long term grid out, fuel may not be avaialble.
LFP POWER STATION
Pros - Quiet, no smell, can be used indoors, generally smaller and lighter in weight. Multiple outputs usually exceeding that of a gas genny.
Cons - requires recharging, which takes longer than fuelling a genny. This can be down to process i.e. having 2 power stations means one can be used, whilst the other is being charged. Even to the point of using a smaller gas genny and at a time the neighbours won’t complain. Solar or vehicle charging are also very good options.
It comes down to personal choice, budget and need. The first thing to assess is how much power do you need in either scenario (home back up or camping) then estimate for how long you might need to do that for. In that way you get what you need with some to spare and avoid not having enough or spending more than is necessary.
Personally I have both, but for a reason. I started out with a Honda genny for camping, before LFP was a thing. But as grid outages have become more frequent and power stations have evolved, I now have several power stations, which I use for home backup and can use when camping. The Honda is a last resort charging backup.