Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator

by Sunforce

Product Features

• Uses wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics
• Constructed from lightweight, weatherproof cast aluminum
• Fully integrated regulator that automatically shuts down when the batteries are completely charged
• Maximum power up to 400 watts or 27 Amps
• Measures 15 x 9 x 27 inches (WxHxD)

Product Details

USA Sun and Wind Map [150kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 26.2 x 8.2 x 14.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 16.4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000C1Z2VE
• Item model number: 44444
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator harnesses the power of the wind to provide you with clean, free renewable energy. Not only can it lower your electric bill at home, but it's also a great choice for generating electricity at cabins and worksites far from existing power lines. With compatible equipment, Sunforce wind generators can even be paired with solar panels for additional, diversified power creation.

Sunforce wind generators are easy to set up and operate.

Convenient Power That Helps You Save Money and Protect the Environment
On land and at sea, people have been harnessing the power of the wind for thousands of years. With the Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator, you can use the power of the wind to provide energy for your home, cabin, worksite or remote equipment. Wind power can help cut your energy bills by reducing your dependence on the main electrical grid at home, and is also ideal for many remote locations that are far from existing power lines. Unlike nuclear and fossil fuels, wind power systems are clean and pollution-free, and they require little maintenance to operate.

Wind power can significantly lower your electric bill.

Flexible Power for New or Existing Systems
The Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator is an ideal addition to many new and existing renewable power systems. It provides up to 400 Watts or 27 Amps of power at maximum efficiency. The fully integrated regulator automatically shuts the unit down when the batteries are charged to minimize wear.

The Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator features a durable aluminum body and lightweight carbon fiber blades that are optimized for maximum efficiency and low noise. It is completely weatherproof, and the patented high-wind over-speed technology keeps the unit safe in high wind and stormy conditions. Assembly is required, but this generator installs easily and mounts to any sturdy pole, building, or the Sunforce 44455 Wind Generator 30-Foot Tower Kit.

About Wind Power
The Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator can provide an average monthly output of 38 kilowatt hours with an average 12 mile-per-hour wind speed. It requires an 8 mile-per-hour wind speed to start generating power. As the local wind speed increases, so does the power output. Since this type of generator uses wind as "fuel", it is important to choose an appropriate site. The ideal location for a wind generator is 20 feet above any surrounding object within a 250-foot radius. Wind speed increases with height above ground, so a taller mast can provide significant gains in energy production.

Wind generators convert the mechanical energy of their spinning blades into an electric current; they do not actually store power. Sunforce Wind Generators are primarily used to recharge all types of 12-Volt batteries, including lead-acid automotive batteries, deep-cycle (traction type) batteries, gel-cell batteries, and heavy-duty (stationary type) batteries. When using this wind generator to run appliances on a regular basis, the use of deep-cycle marine batteries is recommended. This type of battery is designed to withstand the frequent charge and discharge cycles associated with wind power use. Attempting to run the wind generator on an open circuit without a battery may cause damage to the generator or connected equipment.

Product Description

The Sunforce 44444 400 Watt Wind Generator uses wind to generate power and run your appliances and electronics. Constructed from lightweight, weatherproof cast aluminum, this generator is also a great choice for powering pumps or charging batteries for large power demands. With a maximum power up to 400 watts or 27 amps, this device features a fully integrated regulator that automatically shuts down when the batteries are completely charged. The 44444 is virtually maintenance free with only two moving parts, and the carbon fiber composite blades ensure low wind noise while the patented high wind over speed technology guarantees a smooth, clean charge. Assembly is required, but this generator installs easily and mounts to any sturdy pole, building, or the Sunforce 44455 Wind Generator 30-Foot Tower Kit. The 44444 uses a 12-volt battery (not included) and measures 15 x 9 x 27 inches (WxHxD).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

799 of 819 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for the right site - made in USA - about the output..., September 16, 2008

By 

J_R_S - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator (Automotive)

First of all, this wind generator's output is preset to 14.1 volts (for charging batteries, you know. The preset can be adjusted from 13 to 17 volts, by the way). 14.1 volts divided into 400 watts is 28 amps, so the specs are correct as stated in the product description. Remember to always keep in mind the differences between 120 volt AC current and 12 to 14 volt DC current -- it's really important on this alternative energy stuff.

Naturally, you are only going to get close to the 400-watt maximum output with a steady 28 mph wind. But the unit won't "go up in smoke" at that point as some reviewer said -- all wind turbines have built in cut-out system that prevent them from going over their rated output and being damanged. C'mon, folks... the people who make these things are not dummies.

But it's true that there are not many places in the world where you get 28 mph winds blowing on a regular, continuous basis. The suggestion of other reviewers to figure on getting maybe a 15 mph average wind speed with output from the wind generator of 50 to 60 watts at 2 to 3 amps is a realistic evaluation of what most people can expect out this or any other small wind turbine on a fairly regular basis. On days when you've got more wind, you luck out and get more power is all.

That's why, for most people, the first alternative power choice is amorphous solar panels (they continue to work on cloudy days and with partial shade) because you can rely on the sun on a day to day basis more than you can on having a good steady wind consistently. The manual for this product states that the blades should start turning in a 7 mph wind, which is just a good breeze. The product manual is *outstanding* by the way, the most complete I've ever seen for any product and indicates the integrity and honesty of the company who makes these units. They obviously want their customers to have success with their product. You can view the manual in PDF format at the Sunforceproducts.com website at:

http://sunforceproducts.com/prodinfo/manuals/AirXManual.pdf

Anyone considering this purchase or looking into wind power in general should thoroughly check out the manual. Wind power can be wonderful in the right location and in many other places it can be *combined* with solar so that you get power from the sun when it's shinning and power from the wind when it's dark (the wind often blows well at night) or when it is really cloudy/stormy (that also usually means good wind).

In this era of everything-is-made-in-China it's great to see a solid product that is price-competitive like this one which is actually made in the USA by Southwest Windpower Inc. of Flagstaff, Arizona. When I get around to adding some wind capability to my existing solar panel setup, this product would be a good choice because a 60-watt solar panel will run you around the same price. So you can add 60 watts of wind for about the same cost as adding 60 watts of solar -- and with a hybrid system you get to take advantage of both alternative technologies. Think outside the oil barrel!

206 of 214 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Product Better Than I Expected, September 27, 2008

By 

R. Martinez "going green in AZ" (Dolan Springs , AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator (Automotive)

I have this wind generator hooked up to
8 6 volt deep cycle batteries powering my 2 bedroom
off grid home. we run 2 televisions dvd players and compact
flourescent lights for bedrooms and kitchen without
having to turn on our generator. We dont have a microwave,
and our refrigerator runs on propane. But after using our loud
generator for 2 months at $15.00 for gas on a daily basis, The machine
will pay for itself quickly, The noise is minimal.The sounds it makes reminds me of birds chirping. You could not use it to run vacum cleaners
washer dryers and things like that but if you need a little energy for
lighting and small appliances this wind generator is great.

82 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars These things are JUNK, April 8, 2010

By 

m Koskenmaki (Weston, OR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sunforce 44444 12-Volt 400-Watt Wind Generator (Automotive)

6 years ago, I bought my first Air-X ( that's the model with the Southwest Windpower brand on it, this is their product) which ran for 2 years, then had a minor failure, fixed under warranty. It then lasted about a year, and the circuit board failed yet again. Again, it was warranted. The next failure, however, was not. So, I bought a kit from SWWP to "update" the turbine to the new "Air Breeze". That lasted 2 months, and it utterly melted down inside. It was a toxic swamp of caustic material from the insulation and other materials inside, which had gotten hot.

That was fixed under warranty and lasted ... a month. Then, I bought one of these. It was installed temporarily for about 4 months, and then moved to replace the dead Air Breeze (failed yet again, 3rd time). It lasted a month, and it too, melted down inside. Yes, the same location, the same load, the same everything the original one made 3 years without major issue, has now been through 4 rebuilds in a year and a half. In fact, I have had no significant use ANY of the generators since the original Air Breeze conversion. They have either sent me parts, or replacement generators (takes up to 2 months to get warranty fixes) and every one of them has failed the first time any significant weather system has come through. The Sunforce branded model worked through 4 months in a semi-sheltered area, and weathered ONE storm. It was taken down, stored for 2 months, and reinstalled in the original location for my first Air-x, and it died when the first rainstorm came through, as it melted down and the insulation or whatever it is, is literally dripping out the bottom of the unit, which is still on the tower. I'm not taking it down until I figure out what to do with it.

Basically, the maker started out with a decent product, somewhere along the lines, they have 're-engineered" it, and now it's garbage. Sad to say. The original was excellent and would still be in place if several years of running hadn't just simply worn out the front casting where the bearings ride. Each of my conversations with tech support has been a matter of just flat out insult, as they continue to claim they have no idea what's wrong, or that it's "my location". The original Air-X not only survived, but continued to work through a once-a-century windstorm that made national news. Nothing since it has been able to survive a single storm with 30-40 mph gusting.