ETQ TG32P12 4 000 Watt 6 5 HP 210cc 4 Cycle OHV Gas Powered Portable Generator Non CARB Compliant
The Eastern Tools and Equipment 3250-watt portable generator includes a portability kit to make this heavy-duty generator easily mobile. The onboard 7 HP engine delivers up to 13-hours of run time at half load, and it produces a mere 68-decibels at 21-feet, making this generator an ideal choice noise is a consideration. The generator also includes 125-volt 14A ground fault circuit interrupter receptacles and is backed by a 1-year limited warranty.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Good Value
I acquired one of these a few weeks ago strictly for emergency usage, which will hopefully be rare, if ever used. I expect to power a well pump, furnace fan, lights, TV, fridge, microwave, etc. … but not necessariy all simultaineously. The ETQ TG32P12 has adequate capacity for this use for my circumstances.
The generator was shipped via UPS and recieved within a few days. The shipping box showed some significant wear and tear but no major areas indicating shipping damage. After removing the unit from it’s box, I noticed the generator end had two minor dents to the generator housing and the frame seemed slightly bent. These were both minor cosmetic issues not worth any followup. I am very satisfied with the unit’s overall fit & finish.
Adding gas and oil, the unit started the first pull. It is very quiet! I powered two 1500 watt heaters via the 4 pin locking connector generator outlet (I had to buy a $20 cable to do this) for about 90 minutes. These loads are close to the unit’s maximum rated output. The generator carried the load properly, reacts to load changes quickly and the output voltage was in the neighborhood of 110 volts (using an analog volt meter).
The motor-generator does ‘buck’ around some within the unit’s frame when at this load. I was using it in my yard, so it did not wander around any. But it might if used on a hard surface.
When I switched the generator off, it continued to run! I checked the wiring around the switch and noticed a wire had pulled loose from a connector in the wiring harnass. The generator powered down after I plugged this wire back in.
I would have preferred an additional 120 VAC GFCI outlet instead of the 3 pin L5-30R outlet. This would provide GFCI protection for both of the generator’s 120 VAC output circuits. A built-in volt meter would be useful. The provided wheels are a small diameter and very narrow … fine for a hard surface, but somewhat problematic for grass or softer surfaces. I do have some concern for the observed “bucking” under load. I suspect this is typical for most generators, but we’ll see what portions of the unit, its wiring harness, etc. shakes loose with usage.
I believe the TG32P12 represents a good value for a backup, emergency power role for many home situations. It has adequate power capacity for many items in a typical home. However, it does not have capacity to power things like an electic water heater, electric range, heat pump, central air conditioning, etc.
4 Stars It’s OK for the price
OK, I purchased this a month ago from Amazon. Delivered by the UPS, package was up side down, no manual and all the bolts and nuts dropped around, and box is damaged. Surprisingly the generator was OK with just a little dent on the front panel. I got 20 minute to put everything on, no problem with fueling the oil. Got it turn on in the first pull. However, it was rough. I went to the internet and download the manual to see the trouble shooting. It doesn’t help much with how you set up the choke. I have to read my Honda Power washer to set this properly. Got 120V and 240V from those receptacles, How ever I don’t put any load on it yet. It’s OK for the money.
4 Stars Good generator so far
I received this generator and it was not damaged. I can see why others had a different experience, the packing is pretty lacking. I put the wheel kit on and put oil in it and it started right up. I couldn’t find in the owner’s manual where it said how much oil to put in it so that was annoying – it was less than a quart. I put in a Reliance Controls generator switch ($140) on my house and ran a refridgerator, freezer, water pump, and a few lights with it. I also used it to power the air conditioner and a light in my horse trailer. It starts OK. For the money it is a good generator. It’s not too noisy, but it is a little loud for camping.
5 Stars Great and dependable
I live in Houston, Texas and purchased this product last September before Hurricane Ike hit. I can’t tell you what a life saver this piece of equipment has been. It was easy to assemble and start. The oil nozzle is in an awkward location but really isn’t a problem, just use one of those long funnels. Also I didn’t think the pull cord’s location was too bad and since it always started on the first pull it wasn’t an issue. What I do care about is that it ran for 14 days straight without a break and without a single problem. I ran it for that long because that was how long we went without power after Ike hit Houston. It did shut off once because after I filled it with oil the first time, I let it run for four days without checking the oil again and the built in oil sensor shut the generator off. I just had to refill the oil and then it turned right back on. After that I was careful to change the oil every two to three days. It is loud but both of my neighbors had generators and theirs were a lot louder than mine. Also one side is a lot louder than the other (the side with the exhaust) and we positioned that away from the house and with the doors closed it was more of a hum in the background that wasn’t too bad. DON’T use this generator inside your house. We never would have done that with the fumes but you wouldn’t believe how many people died in Houston during the Ike aftermath because they ran their generator in their house or too close to the door. I think most people did it because there was a generator shortage after the hurricane so the black market for generators was pretty hot and people had generators stolen off their front porch. We put ours in the back.
So what did this little guy do for me? All at the same time I was able to run:
1- My refrigerator with built-in ice maker
2- A 5200 BTU window air conditioner unit
3- My 52″ LCD TV
4- My DishNetwork Satellite
5- Several lamps
I would also unplug the TV and Satellite and could use it to vacuum the carpets or run the washing machine. I tried to use it to run our electric dryer but it couldn’t put out the juice so we had to hang our cloths up to dry.
As for gasoline consumption, running our window unit and refrigerator 24 hours a day and the others as needed, I calculated that we ran through 7 gallons of gas a day. We had four 5-gallon gas containers and could go three days straight before we needed to start worrying about refilling them.
Finally, after we got power back I went and followed the instructions to drain the gasoline out and change the oil. I then went and stored the generator in my garage through the winter. Just this past weekend, with the start-up of Hurricane season, I got out the generator and filled it with gas. Once again it started up without a problem. I put some anti-gumming stuff in the gas and now I feel confident that if we lose power again, we will be prepared.
5 Stars Nice Generator
Arrived in good shape, easy assembly, started 2nd pull. Purchased for camping with our travel trailer. Runs 13500 AC and microwave at same time no problem. Pretty quiet for the money, you can hear the generator running but when you turn on the AC it covers up the generator completely.
