Customer Reviews

All Power America APG3014 2,000 Watt 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Generator

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

The All-Power America APG3014 generator with 3 Hp, JF156 engine performs OK for the price but the output power is less than advertised.

Using accurate meters, an oscilloscope, and some resistive loads, I measured several output factors:

1.) voltage was 122.5 Volts.

2). reliable current was only 10 Amps (1225 watts) -- 11 Amps (1348 watts) caused the engine to slow way down and 12 Amps (1470 watts) caused the engine to stop.

3.) waveform was sinusoidal without anything plugged in but turned somewhat triangular under load.

4.) frequency was 60 Hz except while the engine throttle was adjusting to different appliance loads.

When looking at the manufacturer (Jiangsu Jiangdong Group) specifications web page for their JD 1500 unit, I noticed that they rate their JF156 engine, 60 Hz unit at only 1.3 kVA (1300 watts -- not 1400 watts as advertised for the All-Power America version and with a peak output of 1.5 kVA (1500 watts -- not the 2000 watts as advertised for the All-Power America version.

My conclusion is that the JF156, 3 Hp engine is undersized and can't produce advertised output. I see that the APG3010 All-Power America 2000 watt unit uses a 4 HP engine All Power America APG3010 2,000 Watt 4 HP OHV 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator.

We have had a number of short-term electric power outages due to weather conditions such as wind, ice, and snow causing trees and limbs to fall into the power lines. I wanted a small, inexpensive generator to power a few appliances and lights during infrequent, short-term outages.

I tested the generator simulating a power outage and it performed fairly well. It powered our natural gas central heating furnace igniter and blower motor, refrigerator, computers, bathroom exhaust fans, and lights -- all at the same time.

My unit started up with only a few pulls. The unit is as loud as our 5 HP lawnmower. The battery-charging feature works well. The Physical size of the unit was larger than advertised: height 14 3/4 in., width 13 3/4 in., and length 18 1/16 in.

I called the All-Power America customer service line and only had to wait for about 30 seconds to speak to the rep. She was very helpful and gave me contact information for service shops in the cities near me.

I'm happy with the value of this purchase for my application but, if I planned to use any serious power tools, I'd get a substantially larger generator unit.

Good luck.

I bought this generator for power outages and it works well for light use. I really like the light weight. It can be moved around easily. It's good on gas too. I like the charging cables that come with it for charging batteries, they plug right in the front panel. It also has a fuel guage built into the fuel tank. I found the drain on the carb very convenient for storage. The air filter has easy access wing nuts for easy cleaning. The rubber feet on the bottom keep it from "walking" across the floor when running. The only thing I didn't care for was the light on the front panel that indicates there is 120 volt power present, it is very dim, making it hard to see in the daylight, but I can live with that. I bought a second one just to have two around. If you're looking for a small generator, this is a winner!

If you're looking for one of the smallest/cheapest generators that can still run nearly any 120V item, this is a good choice. It's got enough power to handle starting a motor like your fridge in a power outage (which is something most would want) and one like this is the minimum size I'd trust for that job having at least ~1500 watts (but beware that their "2000 watt" main label is the surge rating and not the "continuous" number which a lot of ads do). This isn't into the $300+ category or ones that are so big you need wheels on them to save your back while moving it (but it is over 50lbs as you should expect with such equipment). With it having a 4 stroke engine you don't need deal with mixing gas/oil like some other small units need.
I actually ordered this thru northern tools and when it was shipped (probably from OEM) it was double boxed to help minimize chances of damage. I've had no problems with it, but have been careful with what I run knowing it doesn't have that big a capacity (like if starting a motor, I do that with nothing else plugged in).

When looking for a small generator this is what you need to get! A lot of those small generators on the market are 2 stroke. Having to premix gas and have a specific can for your generator is a huge hassle and I am sorry, but a 4 stroke will last you longer then a 2 stroke! We have a construction company and needed a small and very portable source of power that didn't weigh so much that it took 2 to 4 guys to get in and out of a truck. This little guy was a perfect fit for us. You can take it right to where you need it. We do alot of commercial roof work and having the ability to get a power source on the roof right where you need it without cords being strung out all over the place is very nice.
We would highly recommend this unit to anyone in need of power to run small power tools!

I ordered this generator from Amazon.com. After receiving the generator I gave it a thorough inspection. It arrived in good condition even though the box had some minor gashes in the sides, there was no physical damage to the generator.

Before adding oil or gas, I checked the valve clearances and flywheel to coil gap, and spark plug gap. The intake valve was set at .007" and adjusted to .006" (.15mm ) The exhaust valve was set at .003" and adjusted to .008 (.20mm) The flywheel to coil gap was set at top leg = .021" and bottom leg = .027". Both legs were then adjusted to .012" (.3mm). The spark pug gap was OK at .030". I then checked all the nuts and bolts to make sure they were not loose.

The generator was then filled up with regular 87 Octane gasoline and Mobile 10w-30 oil. It took 4 pulls to start and would not hold a steady speed with the choke open more than half way when warmed up. I called the warranty service and they sent a new carburetor. After replacing the carburetor, the engine then ran OK. Also it was noted that the generator output indicator lamp was extremely dim and could not be seen in daylight conditions.

I then began my standard gasoline generator break in. The generator is run for 1 hour with no load, and the oil changed. Then the generator is run for 4 hours at 25% load (350 watts), and the oil changed again.

The generator is run every weekend, with a 100 watt load every Saturday morning for 30 minutes. During these maintenance runs, the fuel shutoff valve vibrated loose and began laking fuel. Also the fuel gage became opaque ( probable from the ethanol in the gasoline ), and can no longer be read. The engine also had two very small oil leaks, one from the engine base gasket, the other from the rocker arm cover. I made a new rocker arm cover gasket which eliminated that leak.

When the generator reached 50 hours the oil and spark plug were changed. The valve clearance was checked to insure it was still correct. I then began testing the generator to see if it would meet the published specifications.

The testing was performed at 8 feet above sea level, and at 75 degrees Fahrenheit. All readings are taken with test equipment that has an accuracy of better than 1 %. All readings have the worst case calibration accuracy calculation added to them.

The fuel used for these test was ethanol free 90 Octane gasoline. The engine oil was Mobile Clean 5000 10w-30.

The generator was allowed to run for one hour at 353 watts load. The load was increased to 703 watts and the governor was adjusted to 60.0 Hz. The load was then increased in 25 watt steps until the engine throttle was fully open and the speed began to drop. The maximum running wattage the generator could produce was 1328 watts. About 5% less than the published specification of 1400 watts. During this test, the measured output voltage at 353 watts was 123.1 VAC, at 703 watts it was 122.7 VAC and at 1328 watts it was 121.4 VAC.

Next the sound level was measured at a distance of 21 meters. The generator load for testing was 1306 watts. The measured sound level was from the front ( starting rope side ) was 71 dB "a" weighted & 73 dB "c" weighted. Measured from the side ( opposite the muffler ) was 70 dBa / 73 dBc. Measured from the rear ( alternator end ) was 71 dBa / 73 dBc. The last measurement was from the muffler side and was 72 dBa / 75 dBc. The generator description says 68 decibels and the measured max was 72 decibels, 4 decibels higher than advertised.

The generator was refueled. The tank was filled till the fuel level was even with the top of the fuel filter in the fuel tank. A load of 703 watts was applied. The measured output voltage was 122.7 VAC and load current was 5.73 amps. The generator ran for 7 hours and 42 minutes before running out of gasoline. This is much less than the advertised 9.5 hours at half load.

The quality control on this generator seems to be on par with many other Chinese made low cost generators - less than desirable. The manual has more than a few errors, along with some important omissions such as no valve clearance specifications listed. All Power America being very generous with their published specifications. Using the maximum generator power output as a reference, the engine only is producing about 2.3 HP.

As with any line manufactured product, there is always a percentage of defective products. Unfortunately, the generator I received had some problems.All Power America APG3014 2,000 Watt 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Generator

This generator is not a 2000 watt generator. The label says that it is. The owners manual says that it is a 1400 watt generator capable of 2000 watts for a short time. I connected it to a 1500 watt space heater and the motor slowed down to about half speed. It produced about the same amount of heat as when the space heater is set to 750 watts. It marginally operates a 900 watt microwave oven - takes 4 minutes to pop popcorn. The motor runs well and sounds good. Should be called a 1000 watt generator.

Houston, Texas. I received this generator in good condition and on time. Filled with gas and oil. Took a few pulls and started. Ran a bit rough (surging) but smoothed out a bit after warming. I adjusted carb and it ran just fine. I have only run it a couple of times totaling less than 1/2 hour of time just to check it and to accomodate my building a little enclosure for it. I believe its a very good value for the money assuming it doesn't have any initial problems. This one began leaking gas which I fixed. It was just the tank line below the shut-off valve... probably came loose from vibration. I noticed a more serious problem after it sat a few days. The engine appears to be leaking oil from the crankcase seal, as best I can tell. I called the 800 service number and they asked me to email or fax my proof of purchase and model info which I did. The customer rep said she would phone me back with the name of the nearest service center location but only after receiving my info. I guess its a secret. I'm still waiting for her call since I emailed everything within 10 minutes of our of conversation. Apparently it can't be returned or exchanged so I suspect I will try to seal the crankcase myself if All Power never contacts me. Its one of the potential problems when you buy from Amazon direct. When and/or if I hear from All Power customer service, I'll try to update this review.

UPDATE July 16, 2010: The customer service dept never called me so I called back a week later and I won't go through all the details of two phone contacts and emails too, but essentially they wanted me to either drill a hole/ fill the unit with sand and send a picture of it or drop it at a service center for verification and then they would send a new one. I decided the closest service center was too far away to justify hauling so they could trash it(this is Houston - 4th largest city in US - only 2 service places.) and I didn't think it was right to dispose of it due to an oil leak. At least give it to the Red Cross or Boy Scouts but don't throw it away just to prove a point. I suggested they could deduct a salvage value and just send me a refund of the difference. In the end, I told them to forget it and I would fix it myself or donate it but I wasn't happy with their solutions. Amazon needs to improve the warranty system for gas powered products, especially those with a low value. That's my take anyway.

I ordered this generator in order to be ready for this year hurricane season. I ran it 5 minutes(with small charges) for a couple of months until stopped generating electricity. When I took out the generator cover to inspect it, I found one of the brushes was completely worn out. I took pictures and forwarded to All Power America's costumer service e-mail but didn't get any answer. I sent 2 two more e-mail also without any reply. Finally I called and left a message with same result: silence. Disappointed with the product and even worse with its costumer service.
Anthony
Miami, FL

I bought this generator last December and used it for the first time last weekend. We just went through a 3 1/2 day power outage here in New England. It ran our sump pump and refrigerator, alternating with a heater and computer. To make a long story short, this generator ran perfectly for the entire outage. The gas guage was very helpful, by the way and I love the way it is very portable. I'm planning to buy another of this model or one with a higher output. I can't recommend it strongly enough.

If you get a good unit you may win. I got a unit which was never assembled correctly, and useless. After many go a rounds with warranty service, both phone and email, I got nothing. They eventually kept asking for photos of the "shipping damage", of which there is none, NOT a shipping damage problem but a manufacturing problem. Their stone walling (warranty people blaming the manufacturer) succeeded in finally wearing me down, I have accepted my $200 loss, and moved on. Remember Amazon does not take these things back. I will never again buy for mail delivery a gasoline powered item which cannot be returned. Hope you have better luck should you try this.