Pin It

The Disadvantages of Buying a Used Portable Generator

greystone | Aug 2, 2010 |

1 Comments | Rating: 0

One segment of the electrical generator industry that is gaining a lot of ground is the portable generator segment. The reason behind this is because portable power generators are increasingly becoming an integral part of many recreational activities (most especially the outdoor kind). Camping and hiking enthusiast are finding them more and more an essential part of the gear due to the fact that even when you are out there in a far away camping location, electricity is still something you cannot do without anymore if you want a little convenience or if you wish to bring some of that home comforts with you on your trip.

There are lot of new stuff being put out by many portable generator manufacturers and they have improved the technology so significantly that their offerings have truly become true portable machines with weights and heft being brought down to sub 40-pound levels. That is ultra light if you have used portable generators in the past.

These days you can get one of those smaller 1000 to 2000 watt silent generator power systems and they will way only about 30 to 50 lbs. You can see many of them make use of inverter technology which is the reason why they have achieved such smaller and lighter packages.

The only problem with these new types of generators is that you will need to pay a lot to get them. Most stores sell them for about a thousand dollars each or more. Yes, they may be cutting-edge technology but as we all know, new technology always cost more.

The Used Portable Generator Option

Because of the high price that many ultra-portable models come with, used portable generators, naturally have become a viable option. However, there are a few issues that you need to consider when you are looking to buy used portable generators.

Since they are often used in outdoor recreational activities, it is not unreasonable to expect that most used portable power generators have undergone a lot of rugged use. They will most likely show a lot of wear and tear and unless you find a sample that has not been used much, you might experience problems with the unit sooner compared to, say, buying used standby or backup generators which you would expect are have not been used a lot (finding old backup generators still in good condition is not uncommon).

Buying used portable generators for sale may only be good if they offer really down-to-earth prices and also if they have been fully refurbished and all worn parts have been replaced with new ones. But in that case, their prices may have been increased back up so you might as well buy a new one.