The Smaller Diesel Generators...

The 'traditional' answer is that they will typically be.....
A lot heavier, a lot noisier and a lot more expensive than an equivalent 4 stroke Honda. That said, that is all that is ever use in boats (for fuel safety reasons) and large motorhomes where bigger gen sets are required, due to economy and life.

Not owned one. Don't carry or need to carry a generator.

Cheers
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

More experience with the big diesel generators than the little ones.

1) They will outlast you if you keep them under load when workin
2) They pong pure n simple but so's my diesel truck and I still luv it
3) Vibrates to Billyoh....
4) Noisey as ten batsurds!

If you want serious work then diesels the go.

Had one on a Land Rover diesel fire truck (light fast attack unit....there's a minsnomer for you - bout as fast as a slug & weighed a tonne with 800 liters water aboard).

One day controlling a burn I'd lit in my driveway - it got down the driveway further than the hose reel would reach so I attempted to move the diesel truck closer to the flames. (Unfamiliar vehicle)

I tried 1st then 2nd gear etc etc no movement, tried high n low range no movement.
Tried reverse = nothing
Tried all gears again both high and low = nothing

When I let the clutch out it just wouldn't damn well go anywhere.

The fire was now getting out of control and starting to climb the trees in my driveway and crown out.

Bout then was when I realised - the truck wasn't actually running, all the noise and viobration and fumes were comming from the diesel pump mounted on the back.

Once I started the truck engine she went fine!

Give you some idea - how noisy and how much vibration you get from a diesel pump?.... you can;'t tell if the trucks diesel engine is running!

Was a damn good fire truck - even if the cab was so small and narrow you had to wind the window dowqn to get elbow room to turn the steering wheel.

Cheers

Expensive
Reliable
Heavy
Must be kept under load
Can be made quiet, eg Onan generators.
They come into their own on larger kva applications.

Don't dismiss one of the larger Honda petrol's. We have had two Honda EU65i's for our Outside Broadcast truck since January. 6.5kva, electric start, very quiet, no vibration, no smell (but of course Carbon Monoxide is deadly), very economical, beautifully built. Very happy customers so far.

Pat

If you are looking at bigger inverter style generators have a look at the Subaru/Robin units.

They are petrol but quiet as a church mouse, electric start, some even have a remote control like a garage door opener!

You don't even need to get out of bed to stop or start them!

Geoff

thanks everyone for thier reply. I was looking at the 2kva models below.... at 30kg they seem managable

http://megajet.com.au/shop/?fuseaction=info&id=400&i=1&ct_id=121