Aldi generator

[newshound]

That's broadly my experience too. That said, I'd probably pick up a bigger honda if I came across one at a farm sale, as an earlier poster suggested.

[Stephen]

Sorry, I misunderstood or misread you.

So below 10% load they do the 4 stoke firing because of the rich mixture as discussed in the other post?

I suppose you could keep a 60w bulb connected in addition to anything else, to make sure that the generator is always loaded?

Like everyone else here, I was thinking of using one to power a couple of lights and the boiler during a power cut. It sounds as though it would play up if connected to the boiler alone, especially if the thermostat was satisfied but OTOH when the pump is running, I guess that would take about 40W so perhaps it would be ok but only until the house warmed up. I guess I'll have to hope the power cut is at night so I have a light on too ;)

When you say you can't count on anything above half the rated output is that because of power factor considerations? Could I run 600w of a resistive load, say lights? Is the 300W limit only for inductive loads? Or is it there another reason that I could only use 300W? It's a bit naughty printing 850w on the box if it can only manage a third of that.

Thanks again.

[Stephen]

How would you know when they required a top-up? Just plug the freezer in for ten minutes each hour? Is the genny happy with any start-up surge?

Do all the neighbours come round when they find you are the only house with lights on?

[Stephen]

So it needs to be sheltered but ventilated?

I guess it's best to run it in the back garden under some form of cover, to prevent theft? I wonder whether the noise would attract thieves? OTOH you know it's gone when the lights go out ;(

£55 at the moment. Is that good?

I didn't quite understand that. Is German QC very high? If so, that sounds good.

[Stephen]

That was too technical for me! Are there likely to be any undesirable consequences in real life use?

I forgot to ask, does the Aldi generator come with any MCB or RCD or other protection built in? If not, is it a good idea to use a plug in RCD and connect the chassis to an earth rod, or is all that covered in the instructions? Does the neutral need to be tied to earth too?

Thanks.

[Steve Firth]

Not in my experience but they do occasionally misfire which might be the same thing.

That's what I do, even if it is daylight.

[Andy Dingley]

Because I have better ones.

If I didn't have better ones, I would use it.

Small, new ones, yes. Onan are worth looking at for big stuff, as is almost anything in matt green.

Try a copy of "Farmer's Guardian" etc., or just adverts from your local auctioneers. These days they're even on the web.

They're usual a semi-regular event, maybe monthly or quarterly, in some convenient location such as an empty factory unit (indoor) or just a field with parking, near the local market town where the auctioneer is based. The other sort is when a particular farm or business is being sold off, then they're usually on-site. Mixed sales are usually Saturdays, businesses are mid-week.

For most of them, just turn up early and register to get a bidder's number. They usually claim to want to see 14 bank references and your inside leg measurement, but in practice then provided it's a small value item and you're paying cash, then you're OK just turning up. You can still buy a new combine harvester on nothing more than a handshake, but only if your family have tilled the same land since

1640 and your grandfathers both shared a trench near Ypres. Don't expect to get cash from a cash machine near the auction site, because farm auctions will infamously empty the whole town's!

Then wander the numbered lots and make a note of what you're interested in, and how much you'd pay for it. Do this now, because you won't have time later. Most auctions will have several of the same item and you won't get the one you wanted, so look at them all and price each according to condition and desirability.

Depending on local traditions, you _might_ get to fire up the worn- looking chainsaw and see if it starts, but that's unusual. Generally you're buying untested, at your risk. It's likely to be cheap, but risky. I have bought my share of turkeys before, so caveat emptor.

When the auction starts a loose cluster of blokes in scruffy Barbours will gather around a couple of blokes in slightly cleaner Barbours. These are the bidders and auctioneers, who usually walk around from lot to lot in order (but not always, so keep your ears open). Almost everything there will be bought by the scruffiest half-dozen of these blokes. One of them owns a third of the pigs in Berkshire, sold another third last week for cash (now in his pocket) and smells like he still has the remainder of them somewhere in another pocket. Later he will haggle for a quid over a roll of chicken wire, then drop 20 grand on a tractor without blinking. The auctioneer knows this and is watching those guys closely, so if you want a hope in hell of bidding, you need to be standing in his line of sight near to them. Auctioneers are there to sell things and quickly, they're not there to sell things to you in particular, so it's your job to get where you're noticeable.

You bid by waving a hand, shouting or flapping your bidder number. You won't buy a tractor by accident, this is their day job, they're good at it.

When you've won it, you shout out your bidder number. Which you already have handy, or else you look like a right numpty.

When they've sold the first few lots, a second auctioneer usually starts selling the next row along. Now it gets awkward, which is why you need your list of lot numbers. Keep an eye on both and make sure you're in the right crowd at the right time.

Every few dozen lots, an auctioneer's runner takes the completed sale list to the cash office. Once they've typed it up, you're quite at liberty to pay for what's yours and (usually) collect it and take it home. Obviously this depends on whether you need a fork-lift, and whether the auction crowd has left space for you to get to it. Some tact is called for, but there will be a queue at the office later. Hang onto the paperwork and the paper lot numbers on every load in your vehicle, because they'll check them on the way out.

Once you've won the bid, the item is your problem. So if it's the Norris plane in the toolbox of mixed tat, keep your eye on it. Things do sometimes jump from box to box...

It's considered rude to leave a lot behind. Even more so to leave half a lot behind. Particularly if it's the drum of old sheep dip that you bought included in the mixed lot of tractor seats. This happens surprisingly often, but it is yours now, so you get to get rid of it.

Taking a lot home is your problem. This requires you to have vehicle to transport it, a barn to put it in when you get home, and enough of a lift to get it onto your transport. However you are at a place full of burly farmer types in a cheery mood, and if it's that big a sale they'll usually have a fork lift for your truck.

My last sale was in a field, so wasn't the driest ever. I bought a steel roller shutter garage door, a 2" petrol water pump (Honda engine), a 5' long two-handed felling saw and a four-caster skateboard and still had change from =A320...

[Dave Liquorice]

Normally regular as you say and frequently part of the local livestock auction mart, not just a stand alone machinery auction.