Wen generators

Hdonly

Member
Anyone own a WEN generator. Read some good reviews, so I decided to buy this small one for power around my property when I am too far away to plug in a drill or a small circular saw. Curious what people think of them. I know WEN has been around since the '50s.

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Good question "Anyone own a WEN generator."

NO, and I bet not all that many have HOWEVER its an electrical question so expect a ton of answers (some related some maybe
not so much)

Good luck with it and best wishes

John T
 
Is it good WHO KNOWS.China has flooded the US with cheap generators.
Some good some bad. It is kind of take a chance thing. Another
question can you get it worked on. Can you get parts. Many are sold
with no support network.

I have been working on gensets for 47 years. Seen many come and
go.Good luck with that one.
 
Billy, what you you reccomend for a good generator? Up to 5,000 watt. We have Honda at work and have always worked perfectly every time. I've had several bad experiences with Generac on customer support. But, since you have lots of experience with generators, just curious on your thoughts.
 
Have never seen a WEN generator. However from the photo it looks pretty much identical to generators branded as Champion, ETC, Westinghouse, Duromax, Titan, etc. These are all Honda clones built in China.

Are they any good? The basic Honda design is excellent. And if proper materials, machining, etc are employed a clone should give good service. However being from "land of almost right" whether or not a particular generator is good is a bit of a gamble.

FWIW I was given a nearly new but dead Champion generator. Problem turned out to be a broken intake valve. A replacement Honda valve fit perfectly - the generator has performed flawlessly since.
 
I think it's a Wen that my BIL has, seems to be a good generator, the fuel shut-off started leaking and I was able to get a new one easily.
So many of the Chinese generators share common parts, they are readily available. Like any other gas powered tool, you have to take care of
it or it won't start when you need it! A 1550w is awfully small, it would run brush type power tool but probably wouldn't start any
induction motor, like a sump pump. We have a 2500w and it will barely start our sewer lift pump.
 

That has me wondering about Honda clones. So what is the HF predator engine based on? The predators have been good to me for starting and running except I had to put a new 10 buck rope puller on a post hole digger.
 
It's tough nowadays deciding what's good or bad. WEN is an American company started in the '50s, but these generators are built in China. GENERAC supposedly built in American has produced some of the crappiest generators I have ever dealt with. I'm talking 40kw to 200kw gensets when I was head of a city water and sewer system. Kohler seemed to be about the best. Who knows where something is built? The last started I bought new for my 1993 GMC 1-ton was a Delco-Remy with a "Made in China" sticker on the side of it. I'll try to report back on this WEN after I get it and put it through the paces.
 
I got to check but I've a 120v Wen, I think, drill.
I got it in the early 1960's.
It has a 2 speed gear box and 2 switches to reverse it.

Dusty
 
I found a good deal on a generator last fall. Photo Attached. Bought it at my local grocery store. They had four of them in the front. Original price tag was $459.00. Next day, the price was $3.59. Two days later, they had only two and the price was $199.00. I couldn't believe it. I bought two. Took one to my Daughter who lives in the country.
Just use as a back-up if ever needed.
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That looks like a super deal. I see near the same set on Amazon, but branded:Briggs & Stratton 30592, 6250 Running Watts/8500 Starting Watts, Gas Powered Portable Generator for $899.00



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I have a duropower that looks almost
exactly like that. It has been pretty good.
I use it a lot. I've had for at least 20
years. The coil went bad once and I had to
get one that fits the Harbour Freight 2.5
hp motor. The starter broke and is no
longer available so I had to braze on a
short 2 inch muffler pipe and use a rope. A
wire came loose in the control box once and
I had to resolder it. The electric plug
went bad and I replaced it with a ordinary
house outlet. U know that sounds like a
lot,but I love it. It practicly uses no gas
and it it perfect for a small power saw. I
just used it to cut up a very large Chinese
Elm tree and a harbour freight electric
chain saw. Used only 2 gallons of gas and
it probably would have used half of that if
it would have had a idle control on it. I'm
going to put idle controls on my generators
One of these days. The motor still hardly
uses any oil.
 
Sorry we just got off a nine hour power failure.

If it were me I would stick with the major brands. They have a name to protect. And they have a parts system. Some of these units are good. But without good parts support not much good to you.

We have a liquid feed truck at work. Has a Honda pump unit on
it. Seven years now our only problem was the rope breaking. We replaced it and mounted it. So it was easy to turn not as much strin on it. It has worked fine.

Some of the off brands may be fine. It can be take a chance on some. But no unit is any good without a good support system.

Now for Generac (Genajunk). I know some have had good luck with them. But I have been dealing with them since 1979. They did make a few larger units that were very good.But for the most part avoid them at all cost.You can look them up on the net and see I am telling the truth.
1-903-536-2816 any time.
 

The one shown in your photograph . It seems that they are sold worldwide under dozens of different names , all without a scherick of parts or service back up .
 
I was helping a guy in New Zealand with a generator. I told him about
the part I needed. He had contacts in Australia that had contacts in
Hong Kong. I did get the part I needed but it took a strange path.

That is the main problem with most of these units. No support.
 

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