New Life for Harbor Freight Generator

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Thanks to Bryan for the hint about the spark plugs on these generators being subject to premature failure. A suitable substitute is the Autolite 64 and with the new plug and some fresh fuel my generator started right up and after a brief, smoky warmup it ran the pictured hair drier for about 1/2 hour until the fuel ran out. Also, I used a permanent marker to mark the spark plug type and recommended gap (.028-.031) on the fuel tank. Other plugs besides the Autolite 64 are Champion N11YC, NGK BPR5ES and Bosch WR9DC. In case these generators interest you please be aware of the fact that they are only rated 700 watts/900 peak watts and they are 2 CYCLE ENGINES REQUIRING GAS AND OIL MIX TO RUN. It’s far from a Honda which would be better quality at 4 times the price but I thought I’d give this one a try. So far I’ve only fed it ethanol free gasoline with a 50:1 oil mix with PRI-G or Stabil added. You can find ethanol free gas in your area at http://pure-gas.org It’s not cheap or easy to find but for all my small engines I stick to it to minimize fuel related issues and maintenance. Also, my weekends only 1992 Isuzu pickup gets ethanol free for the time being for the same reason. The generator is Harbor Freight part number 60338 and lists right now for $130. I believe they are periodically on sale for much less. Again, It’s not a Honda but I thought I’d give one a try. Thanks again Bryan.
My picture didn’t turn out as well as hoped. The items pictured that are not obviously identifiable are Start Your Engine fuel additive in the yellow can. One small packet each of Anti Seize Lubricant for plug threads and small packet of conductive grease for the spark plug boot. The coin like item is a spark plug gap guage.
I’ll catch you all on the net Tuesday at 9pm

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