Sportsman GEN154 2,000 Watt 80cc 4-Stroke Portable Generator
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List Price: Our Price: $189.00 You Save: $30.99 (14%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Sportsman GEN154 2,000 Watt 80cc 4-Stroke Portable Generator
Customer Review: Worth what I paid for it - not much
Summary: 2 Stars
I got this thing as an insurance policy to run my refrigerator in the event of an extended power outage. With several hundred dollars worth of food at risk, I figure it could pay for itself one day, maybe. I don't think I will be using it much other than running a hedge trimmer in the back yard, 100 feet away from the house.
I have run it with a small load and without a load. The engine will run steady for about 20 seconds then rev up and down for 20 seconds. It leaks oil. It doesn't start real easy. Everything about it looks cheap, cheap, cheap. I got what I paid for.
It does not inspire a lot of confidence. If you plan on using it a lot, do yourself a favor and buy a quality device. I can't see this thing holding up under continuous use for any length of time.
Customer Review: extremely disappointed
Summary: 1 Stars
DON'T BUY THIS, STAY AWAY!!!! It is the shoddiest piece of .... I have ever seen. You will find out once you put oil in it, it will leak out. The company that makes it should not be in business, if you buy it you're a sucker, like I was.Customer Review: satisfied buyer
Summary: 4 Stars
I had some reservations about purchasing this item after reading some of the negative reviews but the very competive price convinced me to give it a try. When it arrived I tightened all the bolts first, however none of them seemed too loose. After filling it was fuel, I attempted to start it. After about 30 pulls on the starter I removed the spark plug to see if the fuel was gettint that far, which it was. I replaced the plug and after about another 5 pulls it started. It seemed to take forever to warm up and I had to gradually make choke adjustments to keep it running until it finally ran without the choke assist. I tested it on my RV and it ran everything I needed while charging the battery. It did not run the A/C but that is not a problem for me. Since the initial start up difficulties it has started everytime for me with one or two pulls, and I have not needed to make the choke adjustments as I did the first time. I have also used it for several power tools and it worked great. I do not know how it will work over several years but I am very satisfied with my initial experience.Customer Review: sorry i ever purchsed this item.
Summary: 1 Stars
this generator does not even have enough 12volt power to charge a radio control battery,and you have to raise the rpm's so high that you can't here over the noise.i am very unhappy!Customer Review: worked ok once I primed the carb
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this generator at Atwoods Farm supply store on June 1, 2007, I paid $177.00 on sale,(regularly $239.00) for it new. I had trouble getting it started initially. But once it was running it worked ok until I tried to run a 6 amp 4 inch handheld metal grinder, it would shut down under the starting load. I question it's ability to run a large icebox or other items that take a big initial surge load. It ran electric lights and things that you might need for camping just fine. From the name sportsman on it, I would hardly think it's meant for a worksite, but at a campsite it seems at home. I like the size of the generator (it fits in the trunk of my car) and the seperate battery charging feature. According to the schematic included in the owners manual the generator has a seperate 12volt winding that is not part of the 120 volt winding, that is good if you have a battery to charge and run 12 volt items from it. The 12 volt part doesn't tax the 120 volt part.
The generator did surprise me in one respect, it is much quieter than I expected it to be, it has a larger muffler than I've seen on other generators of it's size. The generator came with a tool kit that has a spark plug wrench and screwdriver tip and handle for it in a little grey plastic tool pouch. The spark plug wrench is useless unless you remove the gas tank. The wrench is too long to reach under the tank and fit down over the spark plug to remove it, I used a shorter spark plug socket and a short breaker bar to reach up under the tank, then loosen the plug and remove it by hand. I had to do this because the engine turned out wasn't getting fuel, I wanted to see if combustion had occured and to check to see if wet fuel was on the plug, the plug was clean and gapped according to specifications in the owners manual. Even though I followed the starting procedure in the owners manual with the choke and all, it would not start, I checked the plug and it had fire/spark. I ended up pouring some fuel into the carb directly the first time (only once) and then after the generator started repeatedly without many pulls. I think this generator needs a primer bulb like is on some 2 cycle and 4 cycle lawnmowers, that would help initial starting. According to the owners manual, the fuel petcock has a fuel filter, but mine ( I have the model GEN154 in Green paint) doesn't have the fuel petcock like the picture in the manual. I see no place for a filter there. I do like the screen/filter that is in the filler opening on the gas tank. It is removeable/cleanable and it does a good job catching particles that might be in the gasoline. I like the air filter design, I think it would be easy to get replacement foam filters.
In the manual it says that you don't want to pull the rope all the way out on starting it. From my experience with this generator I think what they mean is that you don't have to pull on this engine very hard or all the way to make it start, I found this generator to be more apt to start if you don't pull on the pull rope with such great force, if you pull it easy it tends to start alot easier.I think this is good since some people like the elderly or a woman could start this generator without having to have much strength. I think running the generator on a lightweight break-in with light loads for the first 20 hours or so would help, it just seemed that the more I ran it, the easier it got for me to start and use.
I think running it in a break-in mode is a good idea. I agree with some reviews that said the part covering the starter rope is plastic, it is, but I think that it breaking may have been a result of an over zealous owner pulling the rope like it was a 15 horse B&S engine. I saw no problem with the part as long as you pull it easy. Yes, I did have one bolt that holds the generator end off the frame with a spring that made a little noise initially, I tightened it to match the opposite one and it quit rattling. I think they need to pay more attention to QC at the factory. All in all, if the generator continues to work as it has, I think it was well worth the $177.00 I paid for it(I wouldn't pay over $200.00 for it), and if you are going to use it for camping or lightweight power needs. If you want something to run your house, icebox or air conditioner in a power outage, get something bigger. If you've got $500 to spend, get a coleman powermate at about 4 or 5 kw capacity. They are well made and easy enough to start.