Generator Info/Tips/Tricks:

Yay!Gurrr

Yay!Gurrr

Better Faster Stronger
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Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
N. N. Raleigh, NC
I've got a McCulloch FDD210 1800w Inverter Generator. I got it at NorthernTool as it was a good price IMHO. I wanted to start a thread that was search-able on the net for others who have similar generators and wanted some information about it. There seems to be little to NO information available they aren't even listed on the McCulloch site.

My unit is a FDD210 1800W unit.
Engine is stamped: 2J158FGH *0703060083

It has all the standard features, low oil shut down
1800W surge/1600 continuous.
65 dB (at standard 7 meters/21ft distance)
2.9hp 4 stroke / 105.6cc
13.3amp duplex outlet
12v 8amp outlet
1.45gal tank
run time ~5hr full load.
(I'm able to run my 5500w AC unit at ~1/2 load for 10+ hours.

I have my manual somewhere but other than describing maintenance stuff and showing the wiring diagram it really doesn't say much.

I've had to fit/tweak a few things on it so far but nothing I would consider abnormal for a low cost 'cheep' item. I wanted to post up what I knew for others to find.

Muffler: I ripped the exhaust muffler gasket when i removed the muffler. I was curious as to how the muffler was constructed and how difficult it would be to modify or extend it to reduce noise. I fabricated one from some .120 aluminum, been working fine. Conclusion other than maybe a water trap the muffler seemed really well built. Most of the noise is contained within the case itself. The exhaust is only a part of the overall noise. So maybe a box or vented enclosure if needed. I've found the unit to be very quiet for my needs. While not as quiet as a honda brand unit its actually pretty close ** ( see more info below. )

Carb Adjustment: The generator started surging at idle with the smart throttle (ST) on. It ran great with ST off ie high running speed. And it ran fun with ST ON at middle rpms. But when the load (my AC unit) would kick off the gen would surge, idles up and down floating until the AC turning back on loading it up again. I took the carb off to do some homework and here is what I found.

It is a Huayi brand carb. aka 'Honda Clone' carb on the net. this one is a P15E - P150-2-702250270 so based on that I was able to locate some information on some go cart sights that described how to tear it down and such. I tore it down and cleaned it out. There was no signs of debris inside so I out the bowl back on. There isn't much in the way of adjustment as the jet and emulsion tube more less are set for this particular engine/load and as long as its clean it should run.
(Warning: If you remove the motor on the throttle there is a small bounce spring on it that can shoot out)

Upon reassembly, the surging continued. So after more thought I concluded it was surging only at low/idle and the only way that condition happens is with smart throttle on and no load. I found a diagram that showed where the idle adjustment screw was. There was a small plastic cap on the screw that was easily removed reviling a small slotted adjustment screw. I did this with the carb. slid out but with a flex driver you could do it still assembled and bolted to the motor. It was at 2 turns out, so I turned it in 1/2 turn and restarted the generator. The idle smoothed out and now ran fine.


***
Best that I can find is that this motor is a honda 'clone' motor and most items on it are similar to honda motors. I've not had to do any parts swapping or interchanging but in researching this model on the net and rv sites it seems similar to the coveted Hondas and Yamaha brand units that are higher priced. (almost 2-3x) The only real advantage I see with those units is parts availability and reduced heckling at the KOA campground but RV snobs and Honda bigots. My hope is that by collecting information and comparing notes a list of interchangeable parts will be created to support these. This unit seems very similar to the new batch of inverter units that are out in the last few years being sold under many off-brand names.

A quick search shows the Generac brand looks very similar to this one. The outlet/controls look similar also. Kipor was once an off brand that now has gained acceptance on the RV sites and thus the price has gone up on them :) funny how that works.

There are some really cheezy looking units out to that I'm not sure who make them, they seem to be more like HF (Harbor Freight) quality units but YMMV. It would be nice if the retailer/vendor posted info about who made the major components and parts availability.
 
In that small consumer gen market all off them are made in one of two factories in China.
I had the chance to tour one several years ago when Onan was condiering moving production there...it was pretty interesting to stand in between assembly lines and see Robin Subaru, Generac, Kohler, an BRIGGS AND STRATON engines roll off...in short they are pretty much all the same.

An inverter is what it is, quiet, but you compromise price and power quality for the noise.


Then you get into what that rating means. Any company worth their weight will rate based on continuous delivery performance. Surge ratings are nice but irrelevant most of the time. For ex. a Cummins/Onan carrying a 1700W inverter would surge at 4500W for up to 10-12 seconds.....but there are other brans that would sell you a gen for the same price (or just enough lower to be competitve) that is a 1800W...but its the same thing we sell as a 500W with an 1800W surge...

The reason they get more expensive once they get popular is all the chinese assemblers are garbage and once you get a following you have to privatize to have anything resembling quality....

A GOOD 1.6-1.8 kW inverter should run around $550....
 
Mike I am having similar issues with my Honda EU3000i
Except it surges under load. At the Flats this weekend it kicked off on me several times, I finally found that if I run the AC on low, and turned the the thermostat down, it would stay on.
From what I read, on Honda's site, it specifically said it would run a camper AC.
So I am kinda disappointed in how it did.
I(we) have a good friend that is a Honda Engineer, but I know for a fact his plate is super full so I have not bothered him with this ,...yet
 
As far as noise goes, I did some researching and found a bunch of stuff you could do including
Installing a automotive muffler
Building a box out of foam panels(and installing a cooling fan
The best advice I saw was a good quality drop cord and move it even farther away

In your situation, I am thinking a foam type shield in the shape of a clam shell, placing it at the front of your van, would yield a good bit of noise reduction. Side away from your van open to allow good ventilation. You could even wire the power outlet on the front of your van so you could hook up to the generator or to a AC outlet at a camp ground, with a simple custom made cord. The shield could be constructed so that it would fold down to make hauling it easier and more compact.
 
Actually mine is quieter than the AC unit, when both are running. It was just when the unit was off the engine was surging making it louder. I'm happy with mine and what load I can run on it and more importantly I can go 10+ hrs with the small AC on high.. I have a thick 12 gage RV cord that has a triple plug on the end with a LED so you can see its got power.

Chip - I think you had said yours had set for a while. Surging under load sounds like a float or fuel supply problem. A lower load would require less fuel. Possibly try draining the tank and changing any filters. Then drain the bowl out. It's possible it just needs the carburetor to be cleaned out some. If it's like mine its a 10min job to clean it out.

Ron - Good to know these things can surge a good bit. And definitely good to know they all come from similar place.
 
1 more thing guys that sounds counterintuitive, small gens hate very light loads.
Without turning this into an electrical engineering class, if it is very lightly loaded you will have very poor performance and horrible wave factor...if it is tripping out and you think it has plenty of capacity left, try adding some more shat
 
The issue with my Honda turned out to be the servo on the carb. I picked up a new/used complete assembly from EBAY and it runs like a top now. Can go all night on a tank easy.
 
Yeah Don, I've been looking at the 2000W Hondas and Yamahas, too. They'd be fine to run our camper and all the computer stuff, so long as the A/C wasn't on. The camper has a big generator (5500W), but it's loud, and I don't like running it unless I have to.

The trick with the A/C is that it has to be a small unit. You might run an 11 BTU unit, but you won't run a 15, etc.
 
With Don's set up, I doubt he is thinking of adding an AC unit. But he would be able to run fans which is usually all you need around here, at night at least. HE has many options that would fit his needs.
A deep cell battery, and use the generator to re-charge
a small generator to run lights fan small heater
Don is set up to basically only sleep in his truck camper, everything else is done on his trailer canopy set up thingy. He usually does not wheel when very hot or cold. Most places have power so, The Flats, The Farm, Some camping at URE, and maybe the gulches, would be the only places he would need alternative power.
 
I can run a 5500 btu AC unit w/ my generator. It runs ~1/2 load when the AC is on making cool air, and it idles back down when the AC kicks off. It ramps up to full for a few seconds when the AC kick on but idles back to 1/2 while it runs for a bit..

Regardless of the BTU rating, check the AMP draw on the packages, I found a 2-3 amp difference between unit ratings.
 
^^^ Looks like Chip knows me better than I know myself! :eek:

...so you BDB "Trail Hogs" at the Farm, and Rock Corps guys need to get on the stick and get electric service installed so I don't have that problem!!! :flipoff2:

All BS aside... Chip is about right on everything he said. We have pretty much resigned ourselves to camping during the spring and fall. The cold and hot weather seasons will usually find us staying in a motel.
 
If your gen is mounted in a RV, place a piece of carpet on the ground under the gen. you will be surprised at how much this will help the noise level. Should help with portable gen's also.
 
I have a small heater (1500 watt) that I keep in my truck. It has two heat settings, a fan-only setting, thermostat, and tip-over switch. When used in my camper shell, I only use the low heat setting as the high is way too hot. The low only pulls about 600 watts, and this is the heaviest drawing appliance I would really want/need the generator for. A fellow I know well recently brought a small, inexpensive (I think 900 watt) generator to a workday to run a drill off of. It seemed to do OK, and it was surprisingly quiet. I am also considering one like that for the reason of cost, and also wouldn't cry near as hard if it got ripped off. Dunno yet, just considering all the options. :confused:
 
Don, a buddy heater might work well for you. Leslie and I used one in our truck for many years. Low O2 shut off, tipover protection and was QUIET! a small shlef in the corner and you'd be good for all night. On colder nights, you might want to run on high so a hose and a BBQ tank will fix the running out of fuel issue. just run throu a hole in bed or top or even a window and you're good for a whole weekend with plenty to spare.
 
Chip, I have read all about those things, and I understand they are supposed to be perfectly safe, but I just don't think I would sleep well with the idea of a propane device burning in my sleeping quarters. :shaking:
 
This might be veering off into a different topic, but I've actually been looking at those propane catalytic heaters. Our trailer has a regular forced-air propane heater, and... it sucks. I'm pretty sure I wake up every time it kicks on.

Mounting one in the garage isn't a problem... but there's not much free wall space to mount one in the camper.
 
For you guys with camper mounted gensets, is there an acceptable level when your not tent camping?

Is it:
"i have a house on wheels, and you don't, so I can make as much noise as I want"
or
"I have a house on wheels and can't hear a damn bit of your noise and don't care what you do so leave me alone"

Are on board units just better baffled for quieter operation?
 
Don 68 is about the same as a vacuum cleaner, the scale is mis leading, per our friend Mr Lenfert. from my 58db to that 68 db, it's not like on a scale of 100, the 10 difference is more like 10X as it was explained to me
IF you go that route, buy extra extension cord!

Shawn, take a look at the "Big Buddy" double the heating of my regular buddy heater, and it has a fan so it will move the heat even better. And as said before, it's quiet. Slept many warm nights with one keeping us comfortable
 
yager said:
For you guys with camper mounted gensets, is there an acceptable level when your not tent camping?
Click to expand...

Generally speaking... I can't hear our generator over the A/C. It does vibrate the chassis some. And it's a cheapo portable unit, so it's really loud... lawnmower loud.

When the A/C is off, I can hear it... and would rather not. Plus, I know nobody else wants to listen to it in the middle of the night.

The camper does deaden a lot of outside noise, though. We 'camped' at the Love's Truck Stop on Saturday night, right between a couple of idling Peterbilts... and it didn't bother me a bit.

Granny said:
That little Harbor Freight 900 watt unit I mentioned supposedly has a decibel rating of 68 which doesn't look too bad according to that chart.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that 68dB is twice as loud as 58dB. Still pretty quiet... but there's a big jump in noise from the Honda/Yamaha units to the cheaper off-brand ones.
 
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