Sticker shock on marine generators

[RustyBullets]

One of the major cost issues is the difference between USCG requirements for wiring and connections, as well as insurance industry/ABYC standards. There are a lot of small hardware differences for a marine generator, and the fact that there are fewer produced means that the economies of scale that RV production or home-use units permits are not possible.

[Blacknblue]

Be careful using an electric water pump for the wet exhaust conversion. It needs to be wired so it is only powered by the genset generator. It must not be able to run if the genset is not running, otherwise it will fill the exhaust system and run back into the exhaust valve of the genset - destroying it.

[blazing928]

Look up
www.zrd.com

Small 12v dc diesel generator

[Lepke]

Another small diesel that can be configured with alternators, watermaker pump, etc.
http://www.aquamarineinc.net/

[Montanan]

Sticker shock on marine generators.

Well if you get electrocuted by touching the sticker on a generator that would certainly be surprising, disconcerting, dangerous and reason to have it fixed or replaced. Seems like you might be spending some $$$$ to cure that shorting issue,

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by Rohan

I never needed a generator before, but now will likely need one for some upcoming plans.

I thought I had a pretty good idea of pricing based on what I know of portable generators, but OMG I was wrong. The difference is staggering. Compare these two generators, which are roughly the same kw of power - the marine one costs TEN TIMES more than the portable generator. The difference is not always that extreme, but at a minimum, it looks like a marine generator costs at least four times what a comparable portable one costs.

But why?? Even if that price of the marine generator includes a sound shield, installation, and additional corrosion protection, it still doesn't justify a price tag 4-10x higher. Quality doesn't justify the difference either, since I could have replace the cheaper unit several times before it would reach the cost of the expensive one.

Related question. Marine generators use water cooling. It is necessary to create yet another thru hull? Can I instead piggyback off an existing one? I would rather not add another hole to the boat if it can be avoided.

Piggy off your Ac intake

[Tellie]

Did someone tell you that cruising was a inexpensive hobby?

[geoleo]

OK so what does everyone think about the "Best Buy" for a say 4.4kw to a 5.0kw marine Generator diesel with sound shield??? Tell us.

[geoleo]

I inherited a Mase4.4 with soundshield and it routinely gave false "Low Oil pressure" warnings. The factory said to change the oil filter -which was combined with the oil drain plug(Im not making this up!). So don't bother to recommend MASE. Plus the unit rusted badly in couple years.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by geoleo

OK so what does everyone think about the "Best Buy" for a say 4.4kw to a 5.0kw marine Generator diesel with sound shield??? Tell us.

I stil like the Nexgen, I’ve not heard bad things about Phaser, but stay away from Fischer Panda and apparently there is an Italian generator that’s not so well made either.
The Nexgen is simple, or primitive if you look at it that way, no electronics at all, no fancy codes to display etc, but it’s real easy to troubleshoot and no circuit boards. It’s also not as dead nuts accurate with voltage etc as it’s not computer controlled, I have mine set so that with no load it’s 62 hz and 125V, under an average 15 to 20 amp, it’s 60 hz and 120 VAC, load it as hard as it can be, about 27 or 28 amps and it’s 58 hz and 114 VAC, however this is engine wide open and the RPM decays slightly.
The Nexgen generator is voltage regulated by means of a capacitor, simple cheap HVAC capacitor and if needed you can change voltage output by varying the uf rating of the Cap.

The Nexgen can be a two cyl Kubota 5.5KW generator or a single cylinder Kubota 3.5 KW, they both have the same 6 KW generator head, engine output power is what limits then to their rated power, the 3.5 is a 3.5, but just barely, and it’s running wide open to make 3.5. Not sure about the 5.5, but assume it’s the same.
If you have a 30 amp boat like most of us have the 3.5 is enough as 3500W is 29.1 amps at 120V, but if you are going to be pulling close to 30 amps continuously, you want the 5.5.
5500 W is 48 amps at 120V, so way more than enough for a 30 amp boat.
They both run at 2850 RPM to generate 60 Hz power, less of course to make 50 Hz. According to Nexgen, they have patented the mid range RPM via a belt. I find that hard to believe as it’s so simple it would be like patenting a shovel I would think.

Nexgen is real easy to work with, you call them and your talking to the guy who builds them, they are a small business located in Jacksonville Fl.

The Honda by comparison is always dead nuts exactly 60 hz and 120 VAC if you stay within it’s rated capacity, it’s actually cleaner power than what is usually on the grid.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I stil like the Nexgen, I’ve not heard bad things about Phaser, but stay away from Fischer Panda and apparently there is an Italian generator that’s not so well made either.
The Nexgen is simple, or primitive if you look at it that way, no electronics at all, no fancy codes to display etc, but it’s real easy to troubleshoot and no circuit boards. It’s also not as dead nuts accurate with voltage etc as it’s not computer controlled, I have mine set so that with no load it’s 62 hz and 125V, under an average 15 to 20 amp, it’s 60 hz and 120 VAC, load it as hard as it can be, about 27 or 28 amps and it’s 58 hz and 114 VAC, however this is engine wide open and the RPM decays slightly.
The Nexgen generator is voltage regulated by means of a capacitor, simple cheap HVAC capacitor and if needed you can change voltage output by varying the uf rating of the Cap.

The Nexgen can be a two cyl Kubota 5.5KW generator or a single cylinder Kubota 3.5 KW, they both have the same 6 KW generator head, engine output power is what limits then to their rated power, the 3.5 is a 3.5, but just barely, and it’s running wide open to make 3.5. Not sure about the 5.5, but assume it’s the same.
If you have a 30 amp boat like most of us have the 3.5 is enough as 3500W is 29.1 amps at 120V, but if you are going to be pulling close to 30 amps continuously, you want the 5.5.
5500 W is 48 amps at 120V, so way more than enough for a 30 amp boat.
They both run at 2850 RPM to generate 60 Hz power, less of course to make 50 Hz. According to Nexgen, they have patented the mid range RPM via a belt. I find that hard to believe as it’s so simple it would be like patenting a shovel I would think.

Nexgen is real easy to work with, you call them and your talking to the guy who builds them, they are a small business located in Jacksonville Fl.

The Honda by comparison is always dead nuts exactly 60 hz and 120 VAC if you stay within it’s rated capacity, it’s actually cleaner power than what is usually on the grid.

Thanks! Great info. Now where can a good purchase be made on the 3.5?

[Shaneesprit]

I think you have now decided on Diesel,
1) question is to choose your fuel.
2) size of gen required
3) where are you going to put it and is that feasible for cooking and noise.

Gensets have a massive price range but you should get what you pay for.

NOTE if buying a diesel genset ensure the alternator used is a solid casing end to end and not 2 aluminium casings one at each end held with 4 long bolts and a piece to tin to make it look tidy - These are ok on petrol but on a diesel they are doomed to fail.

Some of my involvement has been,
Out on an oil platform construction, more or less in Siberia and the client bringing all the equipment, they had bought 2 x Chinese Yanmar Diesel copies, started one used it all day, went back the 2nd day and it never started again - they were prepared so we used the spare one - I would think the first failure was probably pump.
and this next one might relate more to your question of cost.
A military boat with a 5.75Kva diesel on board, a sort of low in the water patrol boat, no idea what it’s use was, but they had decided to use a more or less standard genset that you might have on land. and just replace it if it failed - my guess was they considered it a high risk of it ending up in the drink.

[Chotu]

I can’t say enough about a Northern Lights generator I currently have. It’s not cheap, but the reliability and hours you get from this thing without problems are worth the price.

It’s like being connected to the electric company at the press of a button. Incredibly quiet with the sound shield. Just a little low pitched buzz.

Would be getting one in a second for my catamaran, but it’s too heavy and I have gasoline/petrol engines so it doesn’t work.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Would be getting one in a second for my catamaran, but it’s too heavy and I have gasoline/petrol engines so it doesn’t work.

Yeah, that unfortunately limits choices for your case. I think your only choices are Westerbeke (I'm pretty sure they're the only company still making gas marine generators) or one of the ignition protected Phasor diesel units with a separate fuel tank.

[Shaneesprit]

If I were needing cooling rather than heating, I would be thinking of a Water to Air heat exchanger, Use Raw sea water pump through a radiator/ Heat exchanger with an electric fan.
Water Temp is an almost constant at least in a given location and I have never been in to the sea and thought god that’s too warm. Plus putting chocolate in the bilge stops it from melting and it’s just the same principle.
The cooling source is infinite and the energy use is low, plus the weight is very low as the system would have no need to store water or fuel, plus you can empty the system before you sail.
I did consider using a sea water heating system in my Cat where by I would load sea water heat it and return it to the sea when it had cooled.

PS my phone keeps changing Cooling to Cooking.