Blue Max GEN 4000 4,000 Watt 6.5 HP OHV Gas Powered Generator
by Blue Max
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Our Price: $569.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $300.00 (click here) Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Blue Max GEN 4000 4,000 Watt 6.5 HP OHV Gas Powered Generator
Customer Review: I'm happy, few problems
Summary: 4 Stars
After much thought and research, I opted for this generator for limited use. I wouldn't use it much, mostly for emergencies, but also for an annual outdoor event. Since I'd use it rarely, it had to be affordable and in fact, I was looking for: 1. Affordable 2. Quiet 3. Output capacity. In that order. While output capacity may normally be the most important, this was an "emergency" generator and in an emergency I would expect to have to make sacrifices. Additionally, it had enough capacity to power what I wanted it to at special events. This fit the bill, in that it was the cheapest generator I had found. It wasn't supposed to be as quiet as the higher end quiet generators, but at the reduced price, that wasn't surprising. But it was supposed to be a little more quiet than many of the older generation generators and some of the newer ones. And it had all the capacity I needed for my project.
First, the generator arrived well ahead of the expected delivery date. The cardboard shipping box was damaged in one corner and the unit itself was damaged (more on that later). Despite the damage in all, I was happy with the shipping although it was a bit expensive to ship. I assume this is because it weighs 100+ lbs.
The generator looks great. My son commented more than once, that it looked good and it does. Once out of the box, I reviewed the directions (very minimal documentation) and filled it with oil, which was a bit of a challenge. The oil fill is located in a difficult spot to reach. Perhaps if you had a flexible funnel, you'd have no trouble, but I found it impossible to fill, without tipping the generator somewhat on it's side. Made it difficult to judge when the crankcase was full and I did in fact, over fill. Also put a little gas in.
It started on the second pull and I was impressed with the way it started. Not only did it fire right off, but it took very little effort to turn it over enough to start.
It ran very smooth and sounded very solid. While I wouldn't call the generator "super quiet", I might call it "quiet". I would say that it is more quiet than a push lawn mower, but not too much less quiet than that. I've heard much louder generators in this size. It has a over sized muffler and I'm guessing that has something to do with it's ability to be fairly quiet. I guess, I'd say it's "pretty quiet" but just a few more decibels down would really make a difference. Not bad though.
I hooked up a 500 and 250 watt light with no problem. I ran my circular saw (along with the lights) and the noise from the saw drowned out the generator, but I think it bogged down momentarily but quickly resumed speed (as it should). I also ran my small Porter Cable pancake compressor by itself, with no problems. It had plenty of power for my needs. It always ran smooth.
I've only had it a few days and used it less than an hour. I'll try to update this post, if I'm able.
The one disappointment is, that it came damaged. Two of the engine mounting bolts were very loose. One was missing a nut. Also, the air cleaner cover was missing a chunk, about the size of a half dollar. Obviously broken, possibly during shipping. I was able to replace the bolts myself and I've emailed the company about the air cleaner cover...I'll see what happens.
All in all, so far, I'm pleased with the purchase and would recommend it to others.
UPDATE: Had a chance to use this 4 nights in a row. Ran it for 5-6 hours for each of four nights. Worked flawlessly. I was really pleased and impressed. There were other gensets around and this one was one of the quietest...although again, not whisper quiet, it was very quiet and others commented on what a nice genset it was. The company did replace the air cleaner and I was pleased with their service. I remain impressed and barring any short term problems, would very likely purchase the same generator again. I will continue to recommend it to others as well.
Update II: Used it again for our annual event. It ran 3 nights 6-8 hours each night. Flawless. I remain a happy customer. I run the unit periodically through the year (at least once a month) and I changed the oil after the event.
Customer Review: Well designed
Summary: 4 Stars
My old 2800 genset voltage regulator quit working so I bought the Max. I have read all the reviews and was aware of the shipping damage problems.
I received the unit by UPS and there was no damage. The box was intact and good shape. I unpacked the unit and installed the dolly wheels (install wheels before filling oil and gas. The dolly kit was not great but ok. Be sure to thread the nuts on all bolts and brackets as most have paint on threads and very difficult to screw on. Also, some of the bolts threads are messed up and need to be run through a grinder to clean up threads.
When you install the handle brackets, be sure to mount the handle hole below the cage bar. Then handle will work fine. Be sure order the dolly kit as the genset is heavy and hard to handle.. The dolly kit is cheaper than any others out there...
After the dolly was installed, I filled up the oil. Oil takes about 1/2 qt. You must use a flex funnel. Be sure to keep the genset level otherwise you can put too much oil in it.
I put some gas in it. Now before you start engine (switch off) pull the engine through to lubricate the engine and make sure that engine turns over smoothly..
Switch on,,choke engaged, engine started in one pull. Choke off and engine reved up to speed. I used a "Kill-a-Watt" meter (Amazon)to check voltage, frequency and power load. The genset checked out ok. Voltage was right on 120V and 60 cycles.
You best have the Kill-a-Watt meter when using Gensets. Best checkout power outputs before you plug an expensive frig or freezer into genset. Also the meter will show the actual Watts being used.
The Max had no damage from shipping other than a small dent on the bottom of the frame. I think this was done at the factory as box showed no damage...
My old genset (2800W) look like it was made in the factory. It is just scaled down from the Max.
One problem I ran into with old genset was that the fuel shutoff value on gas tank has a gasket that swelled and restricted fuel flow and caused a surging of the engine. I drilled out brads of the valve took it apart and fixed the gasket. I drilled out the brads and replaced them self taping metal screws. Worked great. The Max uses the same gas shut off as other genset. So expect a problem might pop up with valve.
Don't know about long term use as havent had to use it yet. But what I am reading on the reviews is that it is pretty good...
All in All the Genset was a very good buy (be sure to get the dolly)[[ASIN:B00009MDBU P3 International P4400 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor]Amazon] is also very important. Amazon shipping was very good and timely... With the way the world is going, I am thinking about buying another one.
Customer Review: Read the Reviews; they help...you won't spill oil
Summary: 5 Stars
I was pretty skeptical that mine would arrive damaged. I was very pleasantly surprised when it didn't have a scratch. Difference between giving those UPS guys a Christmas gift or not I guess:) Anyway, I did not have my flex funnel as suggested and it cost me a big oil pool on my driveway. I tipped the unit, filled it with oil, which it kept taking and taking until I noticed oil running from air cleaner box; dudes! I know stupid! So, as someone else said, leave it upright, flex funnel it, add about a quart, maybe less, if you flex funnel it you'll be able to tell when it overflows a little. Fill that byotch up with gas (add some Stabil) and it will start on the 2nd pull. I did have a little trouble with the choke lever. It didn't want to move and I had to get a screw driver and help the actual choke flange move with the lever the first couple times; then it loosened a little. All other dudes are correct. The instructions for the motor do not match what your looking at. If you've worked with small motors before you'll figure this on out quick. If your careful with the oil filling (not me, I was excited as kid on Christmas) you'll have no trouble with this unit provided it was delivered intact. My buddy and I rented a Honda from Home Depot during the last power outage (retail $1400.00) and it was about the same noise level as this unit at the same power rating. I don't know that the folks in a camp ground would like hearing it all night, but, it'll keep your fridge, sump and a couple lamps humming.
Overall, GREAT value. If your hesitating 'cause of negative reviews; so did I. I decided to take a chance because of the price and I am very happy with this generator. Perfect for a back-up to power outage. Just take care of it with Stabil and run it once in a while.
Another user recommended closing the fuel valve then removing the carb bowl screw and draining it, then replacing the screw for the next use to prevent the carb from "gunking" up. I recommend just closing the fuel valve while it's running and letting it go for the 5 minutes and it will stall after the carb is drained. That way you are not letting any dirt or dust into the carb bowl. The Stabil will keep it from "gunking".
Sounds like it's all up to the UPS man.
Good Luck Home(depot)Boys
Customer Review: Excellent value
Summary: 4 Stars
First off, it's really 2800-3000 watts continuous. Jaingdong model JD3000. It uses a Jaingdong JF200 6.5 hp motor which is an excellent clone of the Honda OHV engine (licensed from Honda). It is smooth, quiet, and best of all pretty fuel efficient for a gasoline powered generator. The generator is brushless and therefore really has nothing to wear out other than bearings.
That's the good stuff...
Unfortunately, the Chinese pedigree does show in a few places. The fuel gauge never worked on mine. The electrical components (circuit breaker, meter, etc) seem kind of crude, but have held up OK in use so far.
I've owned this generator for almost two years now and it probably has about 40 hours of runtime. It had no trouble keeping us going during several power outages, the longest of which was about 30 hours. It ran an oil furnace, refrigerator, TV/DVD Player, and a few lights with no problem. The output voltage and frequency does not sag under load. I feel it is sized just about right for the load we place on it. A bigger generator would simply use more fuel.
One tip that makes the generator much easier to start. Always turn off the fuel petcock and remove the drain plug from the carburetor to drain out the old fuel. Replace plug and turn fuel petcock back on. Wait 30 seconds, flip on the choke, and it will start easily, even when it's quite cold outside. Fresh gas does help a lot too.
Overall, I think this is the best emergency generator value on the market. I paid $299 from Homier, and thought that was an outstanding price. I see they have it on sale for $219 right now. It's an outright steal for that price!
No matter what brand of generator you buy, if you have it shipped via UPS, or whatever, there is a chance it will have been handled very poorly. Shipping companies folks don't like handling heavy boxes and they tend to slam them around, roll them off the end of loading docks, etc. The bottom of the support frame was bent on mine, but was easily straightened. I would suggest planning to be at home when the generator is delivered, and if at all possible open the box before the driver leaves to document any possible damage.
Customer Review: Good value
Summary: 4 Stars
Ordered the generator plus the wheel kit, in reaction to the power outages some folks recently experienced in Oklahoma where electricity was off for several days. I received it in seven days via UPS. The unit is not well packed for shipping, as it arrived in a cardboard box with no packing material for cushioning...but since it's pretty well protected by being essentially housed in a roll cage it arrived undamaged. It comes ready to add oil and gas and go....but nowhere in the instruction booklet does it say HOW MUCH oil is needed. I assumed around a quart, and when it overflowed with a little over a pint, I had a bit of a mess to clean up.
The wheel kit isn't specifically designed for the unit, and the instructions for installing it are very crudely written...so much so that you have to just look at the illustration and figure it out. It comes with two "C" bolts that are about half an inch too short, and the threads are painted so the nuts won't easily go on. You have to bend the flanges to make the c-bolts fit...and use a wire brush on the painted threads, else you won't be able to attach them. The kit was short several washers, but they were common, and I had some laying around. The little tires are indeed "pneumatic..." and the handle attaches to the frame to make it "pullable" however, I never did figure out how it's supposed to attach in a way that actually makes it easy to pull...All in all however, I would recommend getting the wheels because the unit weighs a little over a hundred pounds.
I added the oil, put a pint of gas in the tank, opened the fuel valve, choked the carb, and three easy pulls made the engine start...idling a little rough for the first 15 seconds as you might expect, then settling down to a soft (relatively, due to the big muffler) purr. I plugged a light into one of the sockets, flipped the circuit breaker to on...and it worked like a champ. What else can you ask for?
For the price, and the fast shipment....I think this generator is a good bargain. Assuming it lasts, it's just the ticket for a standby, emergency power source, or a camping/RV generator with good power reserve, and a decent price.