Sometimes a lack of knowledge leads people to make the same mistakes buying their portable generator. Don’t be one of them. So you’re looking for a portable generator for whatever reason. Chances are you are not an expert on this subject. That’s why you are searching the web for some more information before buying. Good on you! Buying a generator is not the easiest thing, because it is quite a technical subject. Most people wouldn’t know how a generator works for example. Anyway, we cover this in another article. For now lets focus on the most common mistakes people make when buying a home generator. We have listed these so you don’t have to make the same mistakes. The main reason why you don’t want to make these mistakes is because it might force you to invest in another generator, which is going to cost you double the money or more in the end.
1. Buying an Underpowered portable generator
This is by far the most common mistake, for obvious reasons: money. Lesser-powered generators are usually less expensive as well, which leads buyers to make this mistake too often. It is very important to know how much wattage you need. But people still choose wrongly even though they have figured out what capacity they need. Why? Because they don’t take into consideration the peak / start-up power needed for their electrical devices. Power tools for example need about twice the normal running power for start-up, so keep this in mind.
2. Buying from the wrong sellers
Some people might say buying from local, small shops is always a good thing, and for some products that is definitely true. But in my experience, buying high value products from big retailers is preferred for a couple of reasons. Small shops don’t have much turnaround, which means they often carry old, outdated products. Before they will display this years model, they will try to sell you last years model first. Second, they will try to sell you what they need to sell, not whats necessarily the best product for you. This is something that won’t happen with the big retailers. Another very important reason is big retailers always have the lowest prices because they buy and sell in big volume. makes sense, doesn’t it?
3. Buying an overpowered generator
This is not really a mistake or a problem to be honest. But a lack of know how can lead to you spending way more money than you need to. Having an overpowered generator might also be an inconvenience. It will be heavier, bigger and sometimes noisier. Spending lots of money and having lots of power might make the device not so portable anymore.
4. Buying a no-name or cheap brand
Many people are tempted to buy the cheapest made-in-china option. The cheapest products are generally not known for their quality. They will have weaker components, and will definitely break sooner rather than later. They will also not deliver the power that they promise. These products have shorter warranty, which tells you the manufacturer doesn’t have a lot of faith in the product either. I would advise you to go for a well-known brand that offers a decent warranty. If you ever decide to sell your generator, these quality brands keep their value much better as well.
5. Not reading reviews and user experience of buyers
I can’t tell you how many times I have bought a product that’s faulted me, later finding out its faulted almost every single buyer. That’s the great thing of buying online: you can read reviews of previous buyers. This especially goes for big retailers like Amazon. Keep in mind though that people are more inclined to write a review of a product when they are not satisfied. When they’re happy with their purchase they usually don’t take the time to write a review. Also, keep your specific wishes in mind whilst reading reviews. One man’s con might be another man’s pro.
Those are our top 5 buying mistakes. Make sure to read the buying guides and reviews that we put a lot of effort in on this website. We aim to help you prevent these mistakes and will be happy with your purchase for many years. Make sure to read all about technical aspects of portable generators as well, so you can make an informed decision.