Kit Review: 3.2Kw "Powercraft" Generator

[Carrot Cruncher]

I picked up this Generator at Aldi 3 or 4 months ago for £149. I had been after a Generator for a while but they were all a little bit out of my price range. When this one came up though I thought it was too good a price to miss. The first thing I noticed was the weight when I picked it up in the shop....47kg




Pros
A very good price
Powerfull enough (3.2kw) to run all the bits and pieces I want/need with plenty to spare. It has 2 x 240v sockets.
Ideal for running during "normal" power outages etc
Starts first time

Cons
Petrol not Diesel - Diesels always used to have a reputation for more reliability and fuel is easier to store
Very noisy - It is basicaly a 250cc engine with no exhaust baffles of note meaning it would be of limited use in a situation where keeping a low profile was required.

In summary, if you need a generator and cost is a big factor then they are worth every penny. I am going to try and build a soundproof box to see how much noise I can elliminate but it is never going to be quiet. Mind you, even the expensive and quiet ones will still be noticeable if they are the only mechanical things running so it is all relative.

All in all it is a good buy for the money.

CC

[mike.f]

I got the same deal CC.

Not tried mine out yet but by the round of it I too will be looking at making an acoustic housing!

Would be interested to see any ideas you have!

[Carrot Cruncher]

I got the same deal CC.

Not tried mine out yet but by the round of it I too will be looking at making an acoustic housing!

Would be interested to see any ideas you have!

I have a very small wooden shed (about 3 feet x 4 feet.....dont ask ) so my plan is to fit the inside with some sort of soundproofing material. Not sure what sort of material yet as I haven't looked into it to that deeply but hopefully I will be able to make it a fair bit quieter than it is now.

I will let you know how I get on

CC

[itsybitsy]

Cardboard egg boxes...

Alternatively, if you were to put the small shed housing the genny into a LARGER shed, that would also go someway to reducing the noise.

[scoobie]

Just some thoughts on quietening your generator

I'd guess you'd want to add some kind of muffled exhaust, but this may alter the fuel efficiency of the generator, this will need to be piped outside the shed!

You'd also want to isolate the generator from the ground as much as possible (thick rubber/foam matting?), otherwise the shed will act as an amplifier from the vibrations through the floor

You could probably use layers of rockwool/polystyrene to build up some sound deadening inside the shed. You also want to avoid having hard surfaces for the sound to bounce off inside the shed...

That's all i've got so far, but if I think of anything else I'll let you know

Oh, and you'd also need to think about keeping the generator relatively cool too....

[Carrot Cruncher]

Thanks for the ideas....plenty to think about.

[DeltaSierra]

Thick pile carpet is a classic for lining the walls of rehearsal/recording studios. Could see about getting end of the roll/scrap cut offs etc from a carpet shop perhaps. Even the old sample books of carpet might be handy.

[Carrot Cruncher]

Thanks for that DS, I have loads of off-cuts in the loft.......hmm i feel a plan coming on

Was also consdering fitting a scooter exhaust on to the pipe as I have an old scooter in the garage, was a little concerned I might have to re-jet the carb though as a couple of bikes I have done that to needed it

[brer fox]

Could you bury it?

[Carrot Cruncher]

I have seen that suggested on the web and it would probably reduce the noise a good deal, another one worth thinking about