Customer Reviews

McCulloch 1,800 Watt 2.9 HP 105.6cc 4-Cycle Gas Powered Digital Inverter Generator FDD210

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

In December 2006 Seattle got smacked by a huge windstorm and our area was without power for 6 days. No lights, no heat, no fun!

I bought the McCulloch FDD210mo 1800w (1600 running watts, or 13.3 amp continuous output) to avoid a repeat this year. In looking at generators I found my priorities were:

1) Enough power to run my furnace (had to wire in a 3-pronged plug), fridge and a light simultaneously for a few hours.
2) Portability.
3) Relatively quiet.

This unit has fit my requirements well. With an output of 13.3 running amps and 15 surge amps, it supports the max requirements of my furnace (6 amps max), fridge (6.5 amps max) and lighting (60 watt bulb). In reality the furnace and fridge run at about 200 - 400 watts each, or 1.7 - 3.4 amps each. So, unless the furnace blower and refrigerator compressor start up at precisely the same moment, the theoretical max isn't going to be an issue. My P4400 Kill-A-Watt meter ($25) allows monitoring of this. The P4400 also confirms my unit's voltage output is good, right around 120v, which I've read is a concern with lower end generators.

The FDD210mo uses straight unleaded gas, a benefit over 2-cycle generators that require a gas/oil mix. At 1.45 gal. the fuel tank is a bit larger than comparable units from Honda, Subaru/Robin, Yamaha, Kipor, which typically are 1.1 gal. or less. That supposedly allows the FDD210 to run up to 4 hours at 100% load - I ran it with the SmartThrottle on during a 5 hour outage this week with no refills necessary. The SmartThrottle setting ramps power output up and down depending on the draw from your appliances. This allows for fuel conservation since the generator doesn't have to crank at 100% all the time. That setting also further reduces generator noise when the power load is light.

The advertised noise rating of 59 dB seems lowballed, probably to draw comparisons with Honda's EU2000i. The FDD210mo manual claims a noise rating of 60 dB at no load and 70 dB at full load. Note the ratings are at 7 meters, or 23 feet, so up close you'll think it's louder than advertised, which it will be. But I consider the unit from my neighbor's point of view and so actually it is pretty quiet, especially if it's raining or windy outside.

The inverter's "clean sine wave" is a bonus that should let me run my laptop and DSL modem during an outage without fear of damage.

Bottom line: at $500+ the FDD210 is pricier than non-inverter units, but it is quieter and manages fuel consumption better so that made the extra cost worth it to me. It's also a lot less than other portable inverter generators out there. I've been very happy with my purchase.

I was very skeptical about purchasing a chinese manfactured unit, but couldn't resist saving the money. Similar brand name units cost twice as much. I have used this unit several times and I am very satisfied with the quality and the performance.

It was easy to get the generator ready for operation.
Well designed and manufactured with quality components.
Primary use is for power backup at home. I tested it running a 21 cu. ft. fridge and it was ok.

I had this unit work for just one time with problems toward the end of three hours. It was brought into an authorized repair shop whereby the manufactor has not had the parts for over three months. Try to call the service number and you will be placed in musak mode for half an hour. The company has no further response but to send an email telling how the parts are still back ordered.
As I understand, if your unit works then people give a good review if it has problems then a -. The problem which I would mention further is if the unit needs any parts or repair requiring parts, many repair centers are getting wise to holding a unit which they cannot get the parts. I would not recommend this unit.

We purchased this inverter generator mostly to run our A/C unit when summer camping on the Gulf of Mexico. For that task it's marginal, due to limited run-time per fill-up. I intend to convert it to bi-fuel (gasoline|propane) so that won't be a problem in the future. The advantage this generator has over the less expensive contractor types is that it is much quieter and can power modern electronic equipment without browning it out.

I also tried it out in my mobile wood-shop. It will start and run relatively large 115V motors as long as they have brushes. My table saw won't run; the blade just sits there and vibrates back and forth, while the generator hums along happily, no overload light, no engine revving, no nuttin'. I think the table saw might have worked if the motor had had a starter capacitor, but it really isn't necessary to run a table saw on a generator anyway... meanwhile the plunge router, 7-1/2" circular saw, belt sander, 1/2 inch hammer drill... lit off with no problem. I have tripped breakers just starting the saw on some people's house circuits, so that was a meaningful test.

Next I tried out the 12V option, and here we have a major (but correctable) problem--

*THE DC PLUG IS WIRED BACKWARDS, SO THAT RED IS NEGATIVE AND BLACK IS POSITIVE!!!*

I probably should have returned the unit to Amazon at the time, but I wanted the generator for a camping trip. :-]

Recently, we experienced a five day power outage (Hurricane Ike) and the generator ran 12+ hours a day for the duration powering our refrigerator, freezer, 32" LCD TV, two lights, garage door opener,fan and charged cell phones, all at the same time. We went through 25 gallons of gasoline, but not one drop of oil.

Speaking of oil, you are supposed to change it every 50 hours. I did, and it was pretty dark. I put the unit on a cinder block and tipped it over into a coffee can, because there is no separate drain plug.

A family member tried to iron with all the other stuff connected and the overload tripped. I had to shut it off and restart it, because the Generator doesn't have a reset button for the AC portion (only the DC portion).

I'm going to experiment with ways to make it quieter, because that's a concern when camping. Still and all, it is so quiet that when it ran out of fuel one afternoon I didn't realize it because my neighbor's generator drowned out the sound of mine from 200 feet farther away.

In summary, the McCulloch is a serviceable Chinese copy of a Honda generator. (A "Chonda"?) Like all knock-offs, it doesn't stand up to close comparison. Unlike most knock-offs, it at least performs the task adequately.

Knowing what I know today, I would still buy this generator unless I got a great deal on a Honda or Yamaha.

When this generator arrived, I filled it with the proper oil & gas, but could not get it to start. I spent a long time on the phone with both the seller and McCulloch, to no avail. The seller took it back and sent a replacement . . . same story. The seller (Home & Beyond) was terrific and took the second one back, too.
I went to a local dealer and bought a Honda. Started on the first pull!

I had this generator shipped to St.Martin ,opened the box filled oil etc and it would not start.
A generator expert opened it in front of me and showed the inverter fried and no possibility of spares as no longer sold.
This machine NEVER worked and impossible to return.
I also feel burned

I wish I had bought the comparable Honda. The only thing the McCulloch beats the Honda at is price. Quality, reliability, noise (especially noise) all go to the Honda.

I was looking to buy the Honda EU2000i, but after seening this on amazon and the money we save; it is not even a tough decision to make. This unit run quiet that other import generator. the only problem i have with this unit is the weight, it is portable, but the near 70 lbs weight make it difficult to carry around. the noise is ok at lower output, but getting close to 1500 watt, it become annoying. buying one of McCulloch vs spending $ 2000 for the honda. this is a lot better.