A Buyer's Guides to Diesel Generators

Understand Your Generator Options

Power generators have two main components. A motor that burns fuel to supply power and a generator head that turns power into electricity. Together, the motor and the generator head comprise a standard generator. Generators come in two basic designs: standby generators and portable generators.

Portable generators:

Portable generators provide power in remote locations, such as construction sites, for short periods of time. In a pinch, they can also power essential equipment during a power outage. Portable generators tend to be smaller and less expensive than standby generators. They have built-in fuel tanks, which allow them to run anywhere, and standard power outlets that can plug into ordinary extension cords. Portable generators should never be run indoors as they can produce fumes that can cause serious health problems or death if used indoors.

Standby Generators


Standby generators offer anywhere from 7 kW to several hundred kW of power. They help offset the harmful effects of power outages. Installed permanently as an emergency power source for your home, cottage or business, standby generators are hardwired to your home or building electrical system and often get fuel from built in larger fuel tanks able to run for longer periods of time. Safety features can prevent injuries as well as damage to your generator.

Quality standby generators will shut down if they lose oil pressure, overheat, or are being worked too hard. Standby generators also have solid steel or aluminum enclosures, good mufflers to reduce noise, and be compliant with all relevant emissions regulations. Standby generators should be started up once a week and run for 15 minutes to "exercise" them - making sure they're ready when needed.

Serving the communities of NORTH NJ TOWNS: Bergen County NJ, Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford. Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawns, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Leonia, Little Ferry, Lodi, Maywood, Midland Park, Montvale, Moonachie, New Milord, North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rockleigh, Rutherford, Saddle River, Tenafly, Teterboro, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Wallington, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Wood-Ridge. Rockland County Towns: Rockland County NY, Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, Stony Point, Haverstraw, Hillburn, Nyack, Suffern, Upper Nyack, West Haverstraw

Looking for a Honda Generator?

Honda generators are considered very reliable. For example, one of the Honda portable generators is the EX650, which is also one of their lightest and yet it still has a maximum 650 watts output, which is indeed good. The light weight and reliability make it perfect for camping or for unexpected emergencies, especially where excess weight may be a problem.

This model of Honda generators only weighs 19 pounds, but it gives enough wattage to provide for most anything you would need. One other great feature of this generator is that it is extremely quiet; you can run a radio or television with it and will have no problem hearing your programs over the noise of the unit.

The Honda EU series are also super quiet inverter generators, as well as being very clean and light, which makes them a very popular choice for recreational users. This model is also used by trade and craft show vendors, concession stand operators and other businesses that rely on durability and versatility, yet still need a machine that is relatively quiet so as to not disturb anyone.

Serving the communities of NORTH NJ TOWNS: Bergen County NJ, Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford. Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawns, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Leonia, Little Ferry, Lodi, Maywood, Midland Park, Montvale, Moonachie, New Milord, North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rockleigh, Rutherford, Saddle River, Tenafly, Teterboro, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Wallington, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Wood-Ridge. Rockland County Towns: Rockland County NY, Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, Stony Point, Haverstraw, Hillburn, Nyack, Suffern, Upper Nyack, West Haverstraw

Permanent VS Portable Generators

There are a couple of disadvantages to using a portable generator. One is that you have to manually start it. The other disadvantage is that you have to be sure to have the fuel on-hand for immediate use of the generator, if the power goes out. Once the main power has returned, you must also manually turn off the portable generator.

Portable generators can range from delivering less than 1 kW to delivering 15 kW. Of course, larger generators are available that can be towed to wherever you need the generator that produce 200kW or more. There are some portable generators that will produce up to 6,000kW!

Permanent generators can power your entire house or business in case of a power outage. This type of generator is direct-wired to the building's electrical system, and it is fueled by the city (or other entity) using gas or propane lines.

The advantage of having a permanent generator is that you don't have to manually start it, and it can produce up to 20,000 kW of electricity. It automatically comes on when the power goes out and goes off when the power is restored. The disadvantage is that you cannot remove the generator, once it's installed without a large sum of money, time, and manpower.

Regardless of which type of generator you use, be sure to install it with a transfer switch. This will turn off the home or office's electrical current connection from the utility company before the generator starts running. By doing so, the generator's electrical current does not back feed into the utility lines, thereby creating a safer environment for the utility workers.


Serving the communities of NORTH NJ TOWNS: Bergen County NJ, Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford. Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawns, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Leonia, Little Ferry, Lodi, Maywood, Midland Park, Montvale, Moonachie, New Milord, North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rockleigh, Rutherford, Saddle River, Tenafly, Teterboro, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Wallington, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Wood-Ridge. Rockland County Towns: Rockland County NY, Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, Stony Point, Haverstraw, Hillburn, Nyack, Suffern, Upper Nyack, West Haverstraw

Professional Generators

When we think of portable generators, I think of something that can generate energy in an emergency or at a powerless location (up in the mountains), that can be carried. Well, with a little research, it didn’t take me long to discover that there is a lot more to portable generators, and that they can be divided into three different styles.


Professional portable generators are typically used on a job site, and the sizing is basically the same as for emergency generators. You have to consider how big the job is, and how much equipment and tools you need the generator to power. Professional generators are typically a bit beefier than their home emergency counter parts, they are designed to hold up under rougher conditions.

Personally, when in the outdoors, I do not need to power a coffee maker, TV or mini fridge. But having been in many black outs, I do like the idea of the emergency portable generators. Especially having lived in the country and know what it is like to have to melt snow on a wood burning stove just to flush a toilet! But how about you, do you have any need for a portable generator?

Serving the communities of NORTH NJ TOWNS: Bergen County NJ, Allendale, Alpine, Bergenfield, Bogota, Carlstadt, Cliffside Park, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, East Rutherford. Edgewater, Elmwood Park, Emerson, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Fair Lawns, Fairview, Fort Lee, Franklin Lakes, Garfield, Glen Rock, Hackensack, Harrington Park, Hasbrouck Heights, Haworth, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Leonia, Little Ferry, Lodi, Maywood, Midland Park, Montvale, Moonachie, New Milord, North Arlington, Northvale, Norwood, Oakland, Old Tappan, Oradell, Palisades Park, Paramus, Park Ridge, Ramsey, Ridgefield, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, River Edge, Rockleigh, Rutherford, Saddle River, Tenafly, Teterboro, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, Wallington, Westwood, Woodcliff Lake, Wood-Ridge. Rockland County Towns: Rockland County NY, Clarkstown, Haverstraw, Orangetown, Ramapo, Stony Point, Haverstraw, Hillburn, Nyack, Suffern, Upper Nyack, West Haverstraw