Re: Life expectancy of Generac 410cc generators

The general wisdom is that...

A propane or gas powered generator of that size will have a longer life than
a generator with the same engine running on gasoline. Gasoline has a
tendency to wash down the cylinder wall and contaminate the oil.

A unit with pressure lube and filters will have a longer life than the same
engine without design attention to lubrication. That is, unless the pressure
lubrication itself fails to do it's intended job. Sometimes, simpler is
better because it is less prone to failure.

Diesel powered generators have a longer life expectancy than both gasoline
or gaseous powered generators. The fuel itself is a lubricant, and diesel
generators have to be constructed more ruggedly to withstand the higher
power of the detonation of diesel when the cylinder fires.

Slower rotational speed means longer life. Fewer rotations means less wear.

The care in design, quality of materials and precision of manufacture will
also influence the expected lifetime.

How well you maintain the unit, change oil, quality of oil used, filters,
temperature, environment, and load will all influence lifetime. Cold
starting in the dead of winter is hard on an engine.

Higher quality will typically have a higher initial cost, but may have a
lower total cost of ownership. High price is not necessarily an indicator of
high quality. You might not get twice the lifetime from a unit that is twice
the price.

Units built on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays will have a longer
lifetime than those built on Mondays and Fridays.

I have three generators. A 10 year old propane fired B&S Vanguard engine. I
have abused it by infrequently changing the oil, low intermittent usage for
11 years and high continuous use for 2 years. I am amazed at how clean the
oil stays. +1 Voltage and speed regulation are not that great (simple
mechanical governor). It is noisy, but reliable and puts out ~5000w as the
nameplate indicates. -0 I have had to clean carbon deposits from the valves
once in those 13 years, and it was a simple task. +1 I was less than
meticulous about oil changes. It has no oil filter. This was a medium priced
unit and it has provided excellent service for the price.

I have owned a Honda EU3000ie for about two years. Voltage and frequency
regulation is always dead on. +1 It gets preference for use because it is
very quiet. +2 My load (A SW4048 inverter) is fussy about voltage and
frequency regulation. Having to deal with gasoline for refills is a pain
compared to propane. -.5 Lack of remote controls is a pain. -.5 Very compact
and portable which is mostly an advantage except hat it is easier for a
thief to walk off with it. -0 The jury is still out on longevity, but this
is my most beloved unit. It might be because I am attracted to Honda red. +1

I got a Generac 5500xl (a supposed long life model with pressure lube and
real spin on filters). +.5 I have only fired up the unit once to test it. It
has very few hours on it and did not look like it had been abused. Had
trouble starting it because the oil pressure switch was defective. -1 It is
very noisy, and vibrates all over the place. -2 This came with a house that
I bought, so I didn't choose it but it did cost $1000 which is about 60%
less than the Honda and about twice it's rated output. I am not impressed
with it but will probably hold on to it as an emergency backup for my
on-grid home. I might consider converting it to propane for my off-grid if
and when my B&S ever dies.The color is close to Honda Red, but for some
reason that I can't put my finger on, it does not inspire the same adoration
as the Honda.

Your load ( 7hrs/day for 3 days per week) probably falls into the category
of "near continuous duty". Longevity will be an issue for that usage
pattern.

You selection of propane of NG was probably a good one for your situation. I
will add to longevity over gasoline, and it is relatively carefree in terms
of refueling, starting and cost of fuel.

A slower speed NG or Propane unit would give you a longer expected lifetime
( at higher cost) if that was one of your priorities.

Slow speed diesel would probably have been the best choice for longevity,
but might not have met your cost constraints or other factors.

I don't necessarily think you made a bad decision. The reasoning behind it
has merit from what I understand of your situation. Others might have chosen
a different path, but that doesn't mean that you took the wrong path.