Reasons Why You Should Think Twice Buying Cheap Generators

We get it, it’s the recession. The job market’s a tough nut to crack, and everyone’s tightening up their belt a couple of notches in. So why shouldn’t you buy a cheap generator? It’s convenient, it’s practical, and it’ll be a good match for your budget to provide emergency backup power when you need it, right?

Wrong.

Many of these inexpensive portable power generators are usually knock-offs of well-known brands, like Honda, Yamaha, or Briggs & Stratton gensets. It’s quite understandable for the rock bottom prices of these portable power generators (read more about these machines at http://silentgenerator.net) to be totally irresistible given the current economic climate, but these cheap generators, while they cost less initially, will eventually eat you out of house and home.

Here are just some of the very crucial reasons you should never buy a cheap generator:

• Many of them are not fuel efficient – just when you think you’ve gotten a cheap portable power generator at a steal (with an electric start and wheel kit thrown in for free), you’ll find you’re in for a rude surprise. Cheap generators are usually cloned from reputable brands, and the clone manufacturer, in the interest of keeping costs down, won’t apply any engineering technology to already inferior material. The result of this bargain basement product is a portable power generator that lists fuel efficiency right at the bottom of its features. So prepare to spend a fortune on fuel.
• Many of them are noisy – if you’re hoping to get a silent generator, you won’t find it in the cheapo bin. Silent generators come with a price, and they’re not high on the list of priorities of inexpensive clone manufacturers who forgo noise suppressors to keep the prices down. So if you’re looking for a low noise generator in compliance with state laws on noise pollution or your housing association’s regulations, don’t go cheap, and remember the adage: “you get what you pay for.”
• Many require power conditioners – again due to the lack of engineering technology, cheap generators aren’t equipped with in-built stabilizers to balance power output. If you buy any one of the inexpensive portable power generator knock-offs, you may have to install a power conditioner to prevent frequent fluctuations each time you run it.
• Many of them are not CSA, UL, or CARB approved – cheap generators don’t normally adhere to international-approved standards for electrical safety. Which means they may feature a lack of circuit breakers, no neutral wiring, dissimilar VAC outlet outputs, and other potentially dangerous hazards that can cause you to lose more than just the price of a cheap generator. You can lose your home in a fire.

So if you’re tempted to get a cheap generator from eBay, unverified online merchants, unauthorized dealers, and even swap meets, think again. While the low prices may grab your attention easily, a cheap portable power generator is really not worth the trouble you will be spending on fuel, noise, maintenance, poor customer service, extremely rare replacement generator parts, and worse of all, the danger of having a fire or explosive hazard that might send your home or office up in smoke.

If you want to save money in the long term, get an well-reviewed portable power generator from a reputable brand sold by a reputable dealer. You’ll better benefit from the reliability, durability, low noise output, customer satisfaction, and fuel efficiency that a cheap generator will never offer.