Customer Reviews

ETQ TG1200 1,200 Watt 2 HP 2-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I was worried to buy this generator after I was reading all the other evaluations... for nothing. It turned out to be a great buy!
Super fast shipping from Amazon - in less than 48 hours in front of my door with super saver shipping (free).
No problem about transport damage - the generator was packed in a heavy and strong box, sitting in a item shaped styrophom casing - safe....
Unpacked, manual consulted, gas and oil filled (super easy), and cranked.
Started at the first stroke! Run for a few seconds rough, then right away very smooth.
I was primarily surprised about the low noise level. It has a low dump sounding and smooth running noise, even on my closed in balcony. I hardly could hear the noise when I just closed the balcony door. Incredible!
The worksmenship looks trustworthy and I believe the generator will hold up - just listening to the smooth engine sound to realize that this engine will hold up some milage.
The fill in lid comes with measuring cap to get the right amount of oil to the gasoline and everything looks like well thought out and easy to handle. Easy for anyone, technical touched or with to left hands super easy and simple.
The instructions are clear and fast understandable - it took about five minutes to get to the start up.
Again, amazing is the low noise level. The mufler does its job, and the strong rubber feet take 100% care of any vibration.
I obviously can not tell if this generator lives for many years in service of construction sites - I live in a hurricane area and need the back up in case we are again for a long period out of electricity (two years ago for two weeks). I am confident that this generator will do a superior job for that purpose. He produces enough power to run a regular fritch to keep things from spoiling, runs a large TV, and charges my computer system, besides providing light. It appears that the frequenz modulation is alright too because I had no problems with electronic equipment.
It also has a 12 Volt hook up and even clamps for battery charging are supplied. Nevertheless, there is only one single receptacle - means you will need a multiple T to hook up more lines. I would also certainly recommend to use a multiple plug in like you use for electronic or computer equipment to avoid damage due to voltage fluctuations - just in case...
Simple to use - good quality - dependable - highly recommendable!
(I am writing all this, because I was lost reading all the other evaluations and like to help making the right decissions)

We bought this after severe thunderstorms put us without power for nearly a week.
This unit will drive 1 sum pump, maybe 2, but that is really it. This is all we need it for and therefore we think it is worth the price.
If you need to drive a freezer/fridge and sump pumps you will need a 3250 watt unit. If you want to hook your airco in as well starts looking at a 5000 watt unit.
This one, again, helps save us from waterdamage and is GREAT to have on camping trips. It is quiet and relatively fuel efficient if you give it little tasks.
The unit is the size of a small ice cooler and weighs a bit more. We have used it several times and it is steady and reliable like a diesel train: it does not switch off and starts easily.
Good little helper in case of power outages!

I bought this generator to use on my boat. I paid $176 at Pep Boys and couldn't be more pleased. I plugged it directly in my boat AC input and ran all my AC appliances with no trouble. A boat generator is $7000. What a steal!

When you start it, be sure the ON/OFF switch is ON and the fuel shut off is ON. Choke it all the way and when it starts, move the choke to off. Not a big deal once you have the procedure down. If you are having trouble than you are doing something wrong. It is noiser than the more expensive units but that doesn't bother me since I use it outdoors.

You can always pay $700 more for a quieter unit but to me its not worth the extra money. I also didn't find it greasy or smelly.

I ordered it, Amazon took my money, Northern Tools sent it, and it does not run.

Northeren tools has a no return policy on generators. They send out a generator that can not run (no spark) and refuse to refund the money or allow you to return the product or exchange it. The phone numbers listed in the operators manual for the manafacturer are disconnected. Amazon does not state this all sales are final in their adds so they contribute to the rip off.

The construction of this generator is as cheap as its price. I could not get it started out of the box. It turned out that the tie-in between the spark plug and the plug wire was a cheap coil that had two small flanges that poked into the plug wire through two small holes in the wire. This very insecure connection was loose. When I seated it correctly, the generator started, but its vibrations soon broke the connection. Fixing it was difficult because the connection tended to come loose most of the time when you slid the overly snug boot over the plug-coil-wire connection. You have to do this to avoid a potentially dangerous spark near the gas and/or a short. Any way, what I finally did was to use electrical tape to hold the coil wires in place where they went into the plug wire. Then I split the boot so I could get it around the connection without disturbing it and put electrical tap around the boot to suppress any stray spark. Since then it has worked fine, and for the money, is great. Paired with a 16 inch Black and Decker trimmer, it cut my time to trim bushes in half compared to having to run electrical chords all the way from the house. The bottom line is you get what you pay for. The machine is cheaply constructed, but it is a sixth of the price of a good small generator like a Honda. If you have the inclination and skills to tinker with it, it is a good deal. If you don't, it may give you no end of grief.

After checking the e-auctions, local shops, etc., looking for a small generator for remote tool power, the Amazon offer of free shipping for the same wattage generator sold me. This little generator is only 1200 watts/max 15 amps, but it does what it is designed for-- low load remote or emergency use. Warrantee wise, it has a 1 yr. certification and in CA a 2 yr. exhaust warranty-- not bad for $100. As with most mechanical items, it pays to read and re-read the instructions before gassing up this power box. I had to clean the air filter (Hey, new machines have clean air filters, right? Not always.) after starting the engine and having it die out regardless of choke settings. (This remedy is noted in the well documented instruction book) Once that was taken care of, it was off to the races. This thing starts on at least the second pull every time, is relatively quiet, and uses very little gas. The downside of mixing oil with the gas is made easier with the measuring cup built into the gas cap-- one cap of oil to one gallon of gas and you're done. All in all, for the money/features/free shipping it is hard to beat this deal.

I originally purchased this generator for tail gating to power a fan when it is 100 degrees in the shade here in Texas. It was small enough for me to lift and wouldn't be a storage problem. That is true, but......

Before I could even think about the next football game, Hurricane Ike hit. This generator was a champion. Even though small, it kept my small upright freezer going and saved the food in it as well as the food in the refrigerator's freezer. I would let the freezer run for 3 or 4 hours, then changed to a 19" TV, satellite receiver, and 2 small lamps in the evening. This baby just kept on running. Eventually, I even added my laptop computer and my cable internet connection, but I did turn off one of the lamps. It even ran a small 4 cup coffee pot each morning.

I was never able to put a full gallon of gas in, but that didn't seem to bother anything. It never stopped unless I turned it off and I ran it for up to 4 1/2 hours at a time. It isn't quiet - but even with the windows open, if I closed the door the noise became just a constant hum.

I highly recommend this for anyone in hurricane country or anyone else who needs a little added boost for camping or tail gating or whatever makes you happy. It is a wonderful, reliable product. For the price, I don't think it can get much better than this.

Even with super saver free shipping, I had this generator less than 3 days after I placed the order! It started right up on the 2nd pull, no problems. For the test run i plugged a few lights in to it, and it did not bog down at all. I guess i wont find out this things limits until we have an ice or snow storm and lose power, but I am confident it will run a light, a small heater or a small TV with no problems. Thrilled with Amazon's quick delivery with zero shipping damage. One note, this thing puts out a serious amount of exaust for its size but if you use it as instructed i am sure there would be no issues.

This is a small, relatively quiet generator that starts easily. But note: it's only 1200 watts maximum, so it'll have problems running anything with a sizeable compressor, such as a large refrigerator or air conditioner, that needs more than 9 amps to get started. And its voltage regulation isn't great; mine turns out approximately 135 volts unloaded.

I purchased this generator from Amazon, and it was delivered fast. I put in the fuel and started it, after a few moments the enguine started knocking and got louder and louder the longer it ran. I came back up here to Amazon's site to arrange for a return but the site says this item is not elligable for return. I feel that when I purchased this there should have been a notice saying it is a non returnable item but I am going to contact them tomorrow and argue my point. I will keep you posted to the outcome.
Well I called customer service and explained the problem and with out hesitation the rep said I will get a new one delivered next day and sent me a return autherization be email. Next day came and so did the new generator and it worked fine. Now how can you beat that kind of service. This is why I keep comming back to make my purchases throu Amazon.