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Allan,<br>
<br>
Thanks for the positive feedback on Generac.....maybe this old dog
really can learn new tricks.<br>
But in the mean time, I'll live vicariously through you and others
who purchase these gensets.<br>
Thanks for testing these for the rest of us! ;-)<br>
<br>
I have one Kohler 8.5 RMY in the field, still running from 1997 with
4,210 hours on it.<br>
It's the air cooled, 3600 rpm unit, so I was surprised at the
longevity. It has been serviced<br>
regularly by the homeowner and had a couple of minor parts replaced.<br>
<br>
I would not consider that 8.5 RMY to be at the end of it's service
life<b> </b>at 2,000 hours<b> IF</b> it has <br>
had regular service. Are there service records on site?<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">Roy Butler
NABCEP Certified Small Wind Installer®
NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®
NYSERDA eligible PV & wind installer
Four Winds Renewable Energy, LLC
8902 Route 46, Arkport, NY 14807
607-324-9747 <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.four-winds-energy.com">www.four-winds-energy.com</a>
Join us at the 8th Annual Small Wind Conference
A Gathering of Installers, Manufacturers, Dealers, & Distributors
June 12 and 13, 2012 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.smallwindconference.com">www.smallwindconference.com</a>
Although no trees were killed in the sending of this message,
a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
</pre>
<br>
On 4/5/2012 5:47 PM, Allan Sindelar wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:4F7E1301.5000602@positiveenergysolar.com"
type="cite">
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
Roy and all,<br>
While I appreciate the dialogue that my request has generated, not
a single post has addressed my question. So I'll give it one more
try: What kind of runtime hours have you seen with the Kohler 8.5
RMY?<br>
<br>
Also, in a recent Home Power "Ask the Experts" column, I spoke
positively about the new Generac "EcoGen" 6 kW model as a
well-designed and well-engineered unit specifically for off-grid
residential applications. It's quite different from their
mainstream models, designed specifically to hold up under off-grid
usage. Having been involved with this list since about 2000, you
can bet I have read plenty negative about Generac over the years.
So both the Home Power recommendation and a previous post speaking
positively about it were carefully considered before they went out
(my wording in Home Power was "<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: 12pt;
font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style=""></span>it
has caused me to favorably reconsider Generac for your type of
application</span>"). I have had one of these units in my own
off grid home for about a year, and am quite favorably impressed
with it. It has to date performed without flaw, has very good
built-in diagnostics and a record of usage history, and runs cool
and quiet. So I am encouraging those who have had bad experiences
with Generac to take another look at this particular model. We
have needed this on the market for several years now, ever since
the generator manufacturers began focusing on "home standby" as
the next growth market.<br>
Allan<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;
charset=ISO-8859-1">
<title></title>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><b>Allan Sindelar</b></font><br>
<small><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com"><font
color="#000099" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><u>Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</u></font></a></small><font
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic
Installer<br>
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional<br>
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
<b>Positive Energy, Inc.</b><br>
3201 Calle Marie<br>
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507<br>
<b>505 424-1112</b><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.positiveenergysolar.com</u></a><o:p></o:p></span></font>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span> </div>
<br>
On 4/4/2012 1:20 PM, Roy Butler wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:4F7C9EF3.80302@four-winds-energy.com"
type="cite">
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
Roy's quote:<br>
<br>
"Friends don't let friends buy a Generac"<br>
<br>
On 4/4/2012 2:45 PM, <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:toddcory@finestplanet.com">toddcory@finestplanet.com</a>
wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:1333565122.47691916@webmail.finestplanet.com"
type="cite"><font face="arial" size="4">
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">ditto that question.</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">i have only installed
one genewreck... an 8 kW unit installed as grid backup. it
sees very little use, but it is a total piece of shit.</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">i have replaced the
starter motor casting mount twice... of course they never
bothered to redo the poor initial design, so replacing a
broken defective design with a non-broken defective
designed part is just stupid, because it is designed to
break.</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">the voltage regulators
have failed three times... taking out appliances in the
customers home in the process each time.</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">the battery charger
module came miswired from the factory. i spent about 3
hours troubleshooting the wiring to fix it... with
reimbursement promises from their horrible 'factory
support' which never came.</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">i have heard similar
horror stories from others. i will never touch or
recommend a genewreck generator again... never ever!</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">beware!</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">todd</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> <br>
</p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">On Wednesday, April 4,
2012 7:22am, "Dana" <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:dana@solarwork.com"><dana@solarwork.com></a>
said:<br>
<br>
</p>
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<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><span
style="font-size: 14pt;">Hey Chris - I am curious
how the Generercs are doing I have had nothing but
dead, on fire, or in the shop stories from clients.
I only know of one, a 30 KW water cooled that is
healthy to this day..</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><span
style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><span
style="font-size: 14pt;">Thanks</span><span style="">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">Dana Orzel - Great Solar
Works, Inc - E - <strong><a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:dana@solarwork.com">dana@solarwork.com</a></strong>
- V <strong>970.626.5253</strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">F - 970.626.4140 C -
970.209.4076 web - <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="http://www.solarwork.com">www.solarwork.com</a>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt;">"Responsible Technologies
for Responsible People since 1988"</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><strong><em><span
style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif";
color: green;">P </span></em></strong><strong><em><span
style="font-size: 7.5pt; font-family:
"Calibri","sans-serif";
color: green;">Please consider the environment
before printing this email</span></em></strong><strong><em><span
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style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<div style="border-right: medium none; border-width: 1pt
medium medium; border-style: solid none none;
border-color: rgb(181, 196, 223) -moz-use-text-color
-moz-use-text-color; padding: 3pt 0in 0in;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding:
0pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt;
font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";">From:</span></strong><span
style="font-size: 10pt; font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif";"> <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>
[<a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org">mailto:re-wrenches-bounces@lists.re-wrenches.org</a>]
<strong>On Behalf Of </strong>Chris Mason<br>
<strong>Sent:</strong> Wednesday, April 04, 2012
6:16 AM<br>
<strong>To:</strong> <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com">Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</a>;
RE-wrenches<br>
<strong>Subject:</strong> Re: [RE-wrenches] Kohler
8.5 RMY question</span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;">I
installed two Kohler 12RES about five years ago,
before we switched brands to Generac. The Kohler units
had a couple of electrical control problems, minor
issues, easily repaired, nothing mechanical.
Residential backup generators are in one of two
states, working, or broken. If it has not broken down,
then it is working. End of story. When the break, you
get a new one.</p>
<div>
<div>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;"> </p>
<div>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;
padding: 0pt;">On Tue, Apr 3, 2012 at 11:28
PM, Allan Sindelar <<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:allan@positiveenergysolar.com">allan@positiveenergysolar.com</a>>
wrote:</p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;
padding: 0pt;">Wrenches,<br>
We sold and installed a few Kohler 8.5 and
11 RMY generators in the first half of the
last decade. We found over the years that
followed that they held up quite well, with
very few problems if cared for. <br>
<br>
We have a customer whose off grid system we
cared for for about a decade before she sold
her property and moved on. The buyer, with
whom I have never spoken, did little
research on the property or the PV system
before purchase, and is now dissatisfied
with the system and has sued the seller. I
have been asked to provide some history and
guidance to the seller. The system includes
an 8.5 RMY Kohler that, when the property
was sold, had about 2,000 hours on it and
was working well, I recall being told. The
buyer has claimed, among other things, that
it was "old and near the end of its service
life."<br>
<br>
What kind of life have others seen from
these units, and how have they held up in
your experience?<br>
Thank you,<br>
Allan<span class="hoenzb"><span
style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt;
padding: 0pt;"><span style="color:
rgb(136, 136, 136);">-- <br>
<strong>Allan Sindelar</strong><br>
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;
color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com"
target="_blank"><span style="color:
rgb(0, 0, 153);">Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</span></a></span><span
style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"><br>
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;
color: rgb(136, 136, 136);">NABCEP
Certified Photovoltaic Installer<br>
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales
Professional<br>
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
<strong>Positive Energy, Inc.</strong><br>
3201 Calle Marie<br>
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507<br>
<strong><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:505%20424-1112"
target="_blank">505 424-1112</a></strong><br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/"
target="_blank">www.positiveenergysolar.com</a></span><span
style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0pt
722.25pt 0pt 0pt; padding: 0pt;"><span
style="color: rgb(136, 136, 136);"> </span></p>
</div>
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