Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Diesel Discussion

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 06-06-2008, 02:26 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 225
Harbor Freight $162 Generator

Not technically diesel but I'm thinking some may be interested

After Wednesday's tornado activity knocked out power for 10 hours, I decided to check out Harbor Freight. This one was $162.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=97906

If I only need to use this 3 or 4 times, it would be worth it. Some people are still without power around here. A few years ago it took the power company 5 days to restore power to some areas in Maryland.

Purchased it for the freezer and refrigerator.

All right I admit it, it was actually not to be without Mercedes Shop

__________________
83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 06-06-2008, 02:48 PM
vstech's Avatar
DD MOD, HVAC,MCP,Mac,GMAC
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mount Holly, NC
Posts: 26,832
... for 75.00 you can get a 1500Watt inverter and hook it to your diesel...
__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 06-06-2008, 03:09 PM
ForcedInduction
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
... for 75.00 you can get a 1500Watt inverter and hook it to your diesel...
Until the battery is drained. The 55amp alternator can only put out about 800watts of power at 14volts. You would need to upgrade to the 120amp Saab alternator to power a 1500watt inverter without draining the battery.

That 1050 Watt generator isn't even enough to power a single normal refrigerator. EDIT: Nevermind, I just measured my fridge with the Kill-A-Watt meter and it only draws 200watts at full power and 600watts surge. You should be able to hook up an 800watt inverter to your car to run the fridge every few hours and keep it cold.

Last edited by ForcedInduction; 06-06-2008 at 03:19 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 06-06-2008, 03:30 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Vista, CA
Posts: 345
That thing will be louder than hell. I would just buy a Honda generator. Then you would be set for life.
__________________

1979 240D with a 617 turbo diesel.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 06-06-2008, 03:33 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 225
Yea, I didn't want the 55 amp alternator powering refrigerant compressors for any length of time. Not to mention the particular set of cables needed to hook up the inverter.

I wanted to get the minimum generator necessary. The outdoor freezer has been running on a 15 amp breaker for 12 years with no problem (and a cheap Sears model, no less)
__________________
83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 06-06-2008, 03:37 PM
vstech's Avatar
DD MOD, HVAC,MCP,Mac,GMAC
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mount Holly, NC
Posts: 26,832
um, 15amps at 110V is a LOT more than 55amps at 12v...

really, for occasional use, light duty a cheap 750 inverter will handle lights, radio, and refrigerators no problem. and you don't have to go get gas for it. your car will handle it fine. that battery is amazing.
if you NEEEED a generator, get at least a 5KW... don't bother with those glorified inverters, just get a real inverter and use your car.
__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 06-06-2008, 03:41 PM
cphilip's Avatar
cphilip.com
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Clemson SC
Posts: 650
Loudness don't matter after a while when your out of power. Any generator is a welcome sight. You simply locate it as far away from the central living space as you can and run a HD cord in from it. I agree that the Honda Generators are worth it though.

The thing with generators is they are so seldom used that maintenance becomes an issue. And they won't be there next time when you need them if you don't take some care of them. Be sure to put some Stabilizer in the Gas, and Keep the tank full of stabilized gas as well as this tends to keep water out and tendency to separate to a minimum. Then, once a year, dump the old gas out, put fresh in with more stabilizer in it and run it about 10 minutes under a slight electrical load (a lamp or something like that). Twice a year is better of course.
__________________
1983 300D-Turbo - Deep Blue w Palomino MB Tex (total loss in fire 1/5/09 RIP)
1995 E320 W124 Polar White/Grey Mushroom MB Tex
2005 F150 Supercrew - Arizona Beige - Lear topper
1985 Piaggio Vespa T5 - Black and Chrome

www.cphilip.com
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-06-2008, 03:53 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 225
Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
really, for occasional use, light duty a cheap 750 inverter will handle lights, radio, and refrigerators no problem. and you don't have to go get gas for it. your car will handle it fine. that battery is amazing.
You got one of these hooked up mounted somewhere in the trunk?
__________________
83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 06-06-2008, 03:54 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 225
Quote:
Originally Posted by cphilip View Post
Loudness don't matter after a while when your out of power. Any generator is a welcome sight. You simply locate it as far away from the central living space as you can and run a HD cord in from it. I agree that the Honda Generators are worth it though.

The thing with generators is they are so seldom used that maintenance becomes an issue. And they won't be there next time when you need them if you don't take some care of them. Be sure to put some Stabilizer in the Gas, and Keep the tank full of stabilized gas as well as this tends to keep water out and tendency to separate to a minimum. Then, once a year, dump the old gas out, put fresh in with more stabilizer in it and run it about 10 minutes under a slight electrical load (a lamp or something like that). Twice a year is better of course.
Thanks, I agree completely, you must have read my mind.
__________________
83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 06-06-2008, 04:02 PM
Jeremy5848's Avatar
Registered Biodiesel User
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sonoma Wine Country
Posts: 8,402
Power to the Mercedes Owners!

Some really good comments in this thread.

I would be leery of trying to run anything with a surge load (like a refrigerator) on an inverter -- but I admit I've never played with a really big inverter, just the little ones of a couple hundred watts.

The Cheapie-Joe generators are OK for occasional use. Yes, they probably are loud and may not be happy to run at close to rated load for days on end, but for a few hours at a time in a power-failure situation they'll be fine. A Honda-brand generator will be quieter, more efficient, and more reliable over the long term. It will also cost a lot more money. That's a decision you have to make.

Consider keeping a minimum of fuel in the tank, maybe even drain it after each use, and have an extra can of gasoline that you rotate through your car or lawnmower so that you always have fresh fuel on hand.

Since I knew (in our rural location) that power failures were frequent, I went out and found a surplus military genset, a 7.5 KW Onan (2 cylinders, air cooled, gas-gaso). It had been used at a US Army base (Hunter Liggett in Monterey County) to run the pop-up targets on a tank gunnery range. I had it converted to run on propane and it sits on a pad next to my propane tank. Total investment (genset, major service/conversion, installation) was about $2000. A new one would be several times that much.

On propane, the oil stays remarkably clean and the fuel is always fresh, since we run the house on the same tank and get regular deliveries. The generator is enough to run the entire house. I have a big transfer switch and test the system monthly by running the genset for an hour and switching over the house to load it down. That way, I know that I'll always be able to access MercedesShop!

Jeremy
__________________

"Buster" in the '95

Our all-Diesel family
1996 E300D (W210) . .338,000 miles Wife's car
2005 E320 CDI . . 113,000 miles My car
Santa Rosa population 176,762 (2022)
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . 627,762
"Oh lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz."
-- Janis Joplin, October 1, 1970
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 06-06-2008, 04:15 PM
pawoSD's Avatar
Dieselsüchtiger
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 15,438
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeremy5848 View Post
Some really good comments in this thread.

I would be leery of trying to run anything with a surge load (like a refrigerator) on an inverter -- but I admit I've never played with a really big inverter, just the little ones of a couple hundred watts.

The Cheapie-Joe generators are OK for occasional use. Yes, they probably are loud and may not be happy to run at close to rated load for days on end, but for a few hours at a time in a power-failure situation they'll be fine. A Honda-brand generator will be quieter, more efficient, and more reliable over the long term. It will also cost a lot more money. That's a decision you have to make.

Consider keeping a minimum of fuel in the tank, maybe even drain it after each use, and have an extra can of gasoline that you rotate through your car or lawnmower so that you always have fresh fuel on hand.

Since I knew (in our rural location) that power failures were frequent, I went out and found a surplus military genset, a 7.5 KW Onan (2 cylinders, air cooled, gas-gaso). It had been used at a US Army base (Hunter Liggett in Monterey County) to run the pop-up targets on a tank gunnery range. I had it converted to run on propane and it sits on a pad next to my propane tank. Total investment (genset, major service/conversion, installation) was about $2000. A new one would be several times that much.

On propane, the oil stays remarkably clean and the fuel is always fresh, since we run the house on the same tank and get regular deliveries. The generator is enough to run the entire house. I have a big transfer switch and test the system monthly by running the genset for an hour and switching over the house to load it down. That way, I know that I'll always be able to access MercedesShop!

Jeremy
Someday I plan on having a similar setup. I'm fine with either a diesel or Propane System.....but not gas.
__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 06-06-2008, 04:31 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 225
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeremy5848 View Post
Some really good comments in this thread.
..........On propane, the oil stays remarkably clean and the fuel is always fresh, since we run the house on the same tank and get regular deliveries. The generator is enough to run the entire house. I have a big transfer switch and test the system monthly by running the genset for an hour and switching over the house to load it down. That way, I know that I'll always be able to access MercedesShop!

Jeremy
Great stuff Jeremy.

I noticed your biodiesel fleet. I just ran a tank of B20 through the daily driver for the first time in its 328k mile life. Much smoother and quieter, emphasis on quieter. It purrs at all speeds, relatively speaking. Not much difference in performance, if any.

What really surprised me after running it for 311 miles, all of it around town, was that mpg was 25, only about 1 or 2 less than normal. I did another refill on B20 yesterday to get a better mpg computation.

You do run B100, not the waste veggie oil stuff right?
I need to locate a B100 filling station, if only for curiousity.
__________________
83 300D 328k mi (623) Light Ivory - daily driver
82 300D 166k mi (881) Thisle Green - fixer upper
82 300D 282k mi (473) Champagne - parts
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 06-06-2008, 06:00 PM
patbob's Avatar
Its a Whatsit
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 839
Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech View Post
... for 75.00 you can get a 1500Watt inverter and hook it to your diesel...
Most inverters sold won't run AC motors, even if their rated wattage is way over the motor's. One that can is probably a lot more expensive than the generator.
__________________
'83 300DTurbo http://badges.fuelly.com/images/smallsig-us/318559.png

Broadband: more lies faster.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 06-06-2008, 06:59 PM
vstech's Avatar
DD MOD, HVAC,MCP,Mac,GMAC
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mount Holly, NC
Posts: 26,832
odd, I have not had any issues with running my fridge off mine...
__________________
John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 06-06-2008, 07:15 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,263
Quote:
Originally Posted by patbob View Post
Most inverters sold won't run AC motors, even if their rated wattage is way over the motor's. One that can is probably a lot more expensive than the generator.
This is because the motor is an inductive load. You can't measure watts when you consider the inverter load, but rather volts*amps. Yes, I know that many people believe that volts*amps = watts, but this is only true of an instantanous reading or a steady-state DC circuit. An inductive load is neither. For a "steady-state" AC circuit, the correct formula is volts*amps*PF = watts, where PF (power factor) is the cosine of the phase angle between the voltage and amperage.

You can correct the power factor on an inductive load by adding some large capacitors in parallel with the load, but this is only typical for very large industrial motors.

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:13 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2018 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page