subject: Time to Buy a Generator? [print this page] Time to Buy a Generator? Time to Buy a Generator?
That depends. If you are in a situation where war has broken out all around you, where financial chaos has led to food riots in the streets, or where a pandemic has made people desperate for any kind of medicine, then the last thing you want is a generator. Generators are very noisy.
In war, whether the occupying army is on your side or not, they're going to be interested in anyone with a generator because people with generators are usually people with supplies. If people are starving in the streets, they will flock to the noise of a generator like ants to a pile of sugar. If they are sick and desperate for relief, they will break your door down like a hoard of zombies. So if you have a generator and these things or anything like them happens, do not use your generator unless it is very high and deep within a building. And even in that case, circle the surrounding area while it's running and make sure you can't hear it.
On the other hand, if you're the victim of a natural catastrophe such as a hurricane or an earthquake, a generator will make your life infinitely better. Your freezer food won't go to waste, you'll have air conditioning, and you won't be able to stay up and keep clearing wreckage away after dark. In these types of situations, there will probably still be enough food available to keep people from getting desperate enough to take yours.
Two of the most important considerations when choosing a generator are portability and power. Most small, portable generators don't produce enough power to cut it. On the other hand, many large and powerful generators are very expensive and cumbersome. In my opinion, the ETQ DG6LE generator is a happy medium. This thing is a real tank. It runs on diesel which packs a lot more energy per gallon, and diesel generators tend to last a lot longer before wearing out or breaking down. And with the four wheels, it is a lot easier to move around. This is important because after a hurricane or similar disaster, you're going to want to go outside and set up lights after dark so you can help clean up. Running at it's maximum potential, a gallon of diesel should last about 6 hours, though it's doubtful you will need that much power at once.
So basically, if you want to be ready for the end of the world as we know it, don't plan on using a generator in the city. If you want to be ready for a relatively smaller disaster, a generator is a good idea.
