I’ve installed a good mix of Generac, Kohler, and Briggs over the years, and I’ve got to say, each one has its moments. Generac’s easy to service and clients like the pricing, but I’ve seen Kohlers outlast almost everything when it comes to long-term use. I’ve been wondering what other electricians are seeing lately. When you think “set it and forget it” for your customers, what brand comes to mind? I’m always curious if anyone’s having better luck with some of the newer models hitting the market this year. I’ve stuck with what works, but I’m open to trying something new if it’s proven solid in the field.
Anyone else still loyal to their favorite generator brand?
- Thread starter FoxHound
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2025
- Messages
- 184
Yeah, most brands have their personalities at this point. Generac keeps winning the popularity contest, but the Kohlers I see in the field don’t seem to age the same way like way fewer weird issues after five or six years. Have you run into any of the newer inverters yet? Some folks swear they’re the future, but I haven’t seen enough long-term data to say. Curious what’s been working best for you.
For house & small commercial units, Kohler lasts about forever. They employ excellent transfer switches. Onan is also a great long-term unit for medium sized commercial units.
I do not like Generac, mostly due to poor warranty service. I had a service call to install a temporary 150 Kw unit because a 2 month old Generac at a hospital's nursing care building had a piston ejected from the engine. It flew into a parked car's back window. It took Generac 7 months & a boat load of attorney time before agreeing to repair the unit. And, the 7 month rental bill for the temporary was extreme.
I also was called to service a smaller Generac & it turned out that the alternator bearings were plastic. One melted. The replacement was nylon. I don't know if they still use nylon (which is OK) or steel, which is best.
For 25 to 150 Kva tow-behinds, Multi Quip diesel units are excellent. Airman makes Multi Quip clones which are also excellent, but much less expensive. Both offer extra silent units. They are both rather fuel efficient. The regulators on both are premium. One caution with both is that the owner should rig up a lock for the voltage change switch. If the customer turns the switch while the unit is operating, the alternator will be instantly destroyed & need tedious rewinding. And preventative maintenance is critical for both. (Both are popular with the film and the carnival industries.)
If the machine is going to be abused or run long with no proper maintenance, CAT and Onan tolerate the abuse very well. CAT has clumsy connection box, but it's OK. CAT is tedious to change from 208 to 240, requiring time consuming moving of jumper bars. And CAT uses a semi trailer connection for the brakes & lights. (One more adapter to buy)
Onan makes connections easy with plenty of space, even if one uses CAM-LOK style connectors. Onan can also be quickly changed from Wye to Delta in the field. Onan is probably the most abuse tolerant unit available. Preventative maintenance is simple. They are the ugly duckling, but work very well. My money would go to Onan. (But CAT is still a fine work horse.)
Both CAT and Onan win for "can't wreck it".
For high voltage, natural gas units, Onan wins.
For portable "putt-putts", such as 10 Kw and below, nothing beats Wacker with a Honda GX series engine. Wacker's alternators are wound with a wire gauge that is far heavier than the circuit breaker's amperage rating. The Wacker exciters never need encouragement, even if the unit has not been run for years. The regulators are spot-on accurate and recover quickly. The Honda engines speak for themselves- Excellent. One complaint about Honda engines is the 6 month oil change interval, even if the unit has not been used. (Most are 1 year)
Most "bang for the buck" in putt-putts is probably Furman. At first, I was skeptical, but I've had the opportunity to check some out and abuse test a few. They actually are quite good units. The built-in Tri-Fuel convenience is a nice plus. (Noting that there will be a reduction in capability when using LP or natural gas- as it the case with all engines.)
Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to cover all types.
Paul
I do not like Generac, mostly due to poor warranty service. I had a service call to install a temporary 150 Kw unit because a 2 month old Generac at a hospital's nursing care building had a piston ejected from the engine. It flew into a parked car's back window. It took Generac 7 months & a boat load of attorney time before agreeing to repair the unit. And, the 7 month rental bill for the temporary was extreme.
I also was called to service a smaller Generac & it turned out that the alternator bearings were plastic. One melted. The replacement was nylon. I don't know if they still use nylon (which is OK) or steel, which is best.
For 25 to 150 Kva tow-behinds, Multi Quip diesel units are excellent. Airman makes Multi Quip clones which are also excellent, but much less expensive. Both offer extra silent units. They are both rather fuel efficient. The regulators on both are premium. One caution with both is that the owner should rig up a lock for the voltage change switch. If the customer turns the switch while the unit is operating, the alternator will be instantly destroyed & need tedious rewinding. And preventative maintenance is critical for both. (Both are popular with the film and the carnival industries.)
If the machine is going to be abused or run long with no proper maintenance, CAT and Onan tolerate the abuse very well. CAT has clumsy connection box, but it's OK. CAT is tedious to change from 208 to 240, requiring time consuming moving of jumper bars. And CAT uses a semi trailer connection for the brakes & lights. (One more adapter to buy)
Onan makes connections easy with plenty of space, even if one uses CAM-LOK style connectors. Onan can also be quickly changed from Wye to Delta in the field. Onan is probably the most abuse tolerant unit available. Preventative maintenance is simple. They are the ugly duckling, but work very well. My money would go to Onan. (But CAT is still a fine work horse.)
Both CAT and Onan win for "can't wreck it".
For high voltage, natural gas units, Onan wins.
For portable "putt-putts", such as 10 Kw and below, nothing beats Wacker with a Honda GX series engine. Wacker's alternators are wound with a wire gauge that is far heavier than the circuit breaker's amperage rating. The Wacker exciters never need encouragement, even if the unit has not been run for years. The regulators are spot-on accurate and recover quickly. The Honda engines speak for themselves- Excellent. One complaint about Honda engines is the 6 month oil change interval, even if the unit has not been used. (Most are 1 year)
Most "bang for the buck" in putt-putts is probably Furman. At first, I was skeptical, but I've had the opportunity to check some out and abuse test a few. They actually are quite good units. The built-in Tri-Fuel convenience is a nice plus. (Noting that there will be a reduction in capability when using LP or natural gas- as it the case with all engines.)
Sorry for such a long post, but I wanted to cover all types.
Paul
Last edited:
I’m still leaning Generac just because it’s the one I touched the most in training. Easy to explain to homeowners and the parts don’t make my wallet cry. But yeah, every time I work on a Kohler, it feels like it was built by someone who actually thought about long-term headaches. Still trying different models though since the newer stuff this year has been all over the place.
