Experts Select The Top Generators for Tradesmen

By Sean Connolly Posted 5 November 2014 (17 reviews)

***EXPERTS RECOMMEND BEST TRADE GENERATORS FOR THE* *WORK-SITE***

In a perfect world you'd be able to get power wherever and whenever you needed it. But in reality, tradies need to rely on portable generators to power up their tools. So which Generators for Tradesmen will give you the dependable power you need?

When choosing generators for tradesmen, the first thing you need to decide is how much capacity you need. Too small and the generator will strain to meet the demand of your tools causing both the generator and tools to fail. Too large and it can be heavy and costly to use around the work site.

To work out the size for you, determine first which tools you will be using at the same time and how much power they need. They require more power at startup than when running - you'll need both numbers handy and can find them in the manual or from the manufacturer. If you need help to determine how much power you need, you can follow our simple step by step guide here within our Buyer's Guide.

To ensure you get the right size trade generator, you need to work out how much power your tools will draw

Portability is another major consideration. You want a generator that will be easy to move around the job site, as well as to and from the site. Look for easy transport options such as lifting handles and wheels, as well as central lifting bars if applicable.

Lastly, consider the durability of the machine. How robust is the design? Are there weatherproof features? Is it powered by a quality engine? The work site will give it more than a few knocks and bumps, so you need to know that it will be able to hold its ground. Also, can it be optioned up to comply with WorkCover Approved standards?

Here are three trade generators that tick all the boxes (and a few more!):

1. Powerlite 8kVA Generator

Check out work sites around Australia, and you're sure to find a few Powerlite Generators on your travels. All their sets are powered using premium engines from the likes of Honda, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Hatz and Vanguard, coupled with maintenance free high performance European alternators.

For trade sites, we recommend the Powerlite 8kVA Generator, which is powered by a Honda GX390 petrol engine to deliver a rated output of 6800 watts. It will run for 2.8 hours before you need to refuel, and you can opt to add a long-range fuel tank for longer running times if required. This generator can come as standard, or can be purchased with WorkCover approved features -earth leakage protection, weatherproof outlets and a robust rollover frame. It also comes with a full two-year commercial warranty backed by the Powerlite and Honda national service network.

In terms of generators for tradesmen, this unit is the number one seller - used for running brick saws, small to medium welders, drills, drop saws, concrete mixers and many other tools on the work site. Also a very popular size for agricultural uses, factory maintenance, and smaller mining related jobs.

Powerlite 8kVA Generator powered by Honda: the recommended all-round choice for trade and farm use.

8kva Petrol Generator: for trade and farm use

2. Crommelins

When you need generators for tradesmen that will provide power for as long as you need it, in a robust design that will withstand extreme conditions, Crommelins has you covered. Combine this with the manufacturer's award-winning spare parts, backup and support to all their products and you have a win-win situation for the trade site.

An Australian owned and run company, Crommelins has been building generators for more than 50 years. Housed in a robust heavy-duty frame, you can be sure Crommelins Generators will withstand almost anything the worksite can throw at it. WorkCover approved features don't come as standard, but you can customise it at extra cost to meet your needs.

Crommelins have been a long time supplier of welder generators and workstation generators to the hire industry

3. Yamaha EF7200E

The EF7200E provides serious full time power for the trade site at a peak load of 6kVA and a rated output of 5kVA. Offering 11 hours of operation before refueling, it's a great choice for those jobs where you need continuous power throughout the day. While it doesn't allow the additional WorkCover options that the other units do, there are many other features to love about this generators for tradesmen applications. Newly released by Yamaha in 2014, highlights for this model include the long-range fuel tank, effortless electric start as standard, economy idle switch, handy fuel gauge and digital multi-function metre display.

Popular for tradies and business owners not requiring Work Cover Approved features, this is a tough trade unit with all the bells whistles of a recreational generator.

The new Yamaha EF7200E generator is packed with additional features

We also recommend that tradies and farmers consider options from Gentech, Dunlite and Advanced Power - these Australian manufacturers have been producing top quality petrol and diesel trade generators for decades; built tough to handle harsh Australian conditions. For more information, check out the comprehensive trade generator range at mygenerator.com.au, including Diesel Trade Generators.

DISCLAIMER* Please note, this advice is general in nature and we strongly recommend consulting the product manual and where relevant, a professional installer.

2 thoughts on Experts Select The Top Generators for Tradesmen

says:
3 December 2014

Can a trade generator of this type be connected to house mains for as a backup power source? Thanks, Paul

My Generator Response
Hi Paul, yes a qualified electrician configure your generator to do this. However note this will be a manual solution; you will need to start the generator and switch the power from the house over to the generator supply. For an automatic solution, you would need to connect an AMF (automatic mains failure) Panel to a two wire auto start generator. In this instance you would need to look at the auto-start generator range; Pramac and Generac have the models for this purpose. All of these generators are two wire auto start and can be connected to an AMF Panel (an additional accessory) to connect to your house mains. This also needs to be done by a qualified electrician. Thanks.

says:
21 November 2014

Does the Advanced Power 8KVA use a legitimate Honda engine and does the unit come with wheels? Thanks guys.

My Generator Response
Thanks for your question Brett. Our trade generator brands from Advanced Power, Powerlite, Gentech, Dunlite all use 100% authentic Honda engines and come with a full 3 year commercial engine warranty. You can have the engine serviced or inspected by any approved Honda service agent around the country. We are aware of some cheaper brands using imported "Honda" engines in generators and other power equipment which are not authentic engines from Honda Australia. As mentioned, our trade generator brands use legitimate Honda engines in the petrol series, acquired through Honda Australia. Lastly, the Advanced Power 8kVA unit does not come with wheels as standard, but you can purchase a wheel kit as an additional accessory for $280. Just look under the accessory list on the product page. This is the same for our other trade sets from Powerlite, Gentech and Dunlite. Cheers mate!