Having to travel more and more for work, coupled with what seems to be an increase in power outages here, has put us in a position of looking at standby generators. I have been getting quotes from a few local dealers. Some are full service electricians, others are only Generac businesses. Kohler and Generac are really the only two with service/support in our area. The Generac only outfit made us uneasy with how they tried to constantly upsell us on a bigger unit and an install location that was convenient for them.....not where we want it. And they are very unwilling to budge even with the comparison to competitive quotes. They have some positives to consider, but it's hard to get the bad taste out of my mouth from the hard sell. So we've come down to Generac 16kw vs Kohler 14kw. Both are supposed to be sufficient for our loads. The Generac from a very local trusted electrician. The Kohler from a larger semi-local outfit that does electrical, plumbing, heating, etc.. The larger guy also has a couple of used Generacs that we are gathering details about. The concern about them is there is no warranty whatsoever. The larger guy also offers a cold weather package that keeps the battery warm and has a heated carb for easier cold weather starts.....kind of a nice option but I don't know how necessary either. So I'm looking for opinions on Generac vs Kohler. I think parts availability is equal. I'm most concerned about build quality and reliability. Opinions appreciated.
I agree with going with the trusted electrician over the bigger providers. Generac is a tried and true product. I question why you are contemplating anything over 8-10 KW. 16KW is way too big unless your plan on using EVERYTHING electrical in your home @ the same time. On my 5KW I was running my well pump, fridge & freezer, my propane furnace, the fans for both wood stoves and some lighting throughout the house. With the 8KW I'll be able to add a little more. That is all I need to keep me happy. Remember that you won't have everything on @ once so base your load needs accordingly.............
