Diesel genset

[31jcptown]

Ok boys its finally time my 1991 genet has had it looking to see what everyone has and how they like it. Looking for something in the 5 - 8 kw range . I would like it as compact as possible. I am coming from 8kw quicksilver has been good to me but they don't make them anymore and hard to find parts.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Happy with the 5.5 kw Nexgen I bought last spring.

 

[BunkerMan]

5kw northern lights runs quite and well worth the extra $$

 

[tunaorlater]

There's two 5kw northern light's on ny craigslist. They both look pretty good for the money, the one I had ran good. Currently have a norpro 7kw with the yanmar, nice and quiet and trouble free so far.

 

[Whatta Catch]

I have an 8kw Northern Light. It runs great and has been trouble free except for an exhaust elbow.

 

[djmarchand]

The NextGen and Northern Lights are at opposite ends of the acceptable genset spectrum.

The NextGen is light and the 5.5 KW is based on a 2 cylinder Kubota running at 2,800. Simple but it works.

The Northern Lights is the Mack truck of the small gensets. Based on a 3 cylinder Kubota, it runs at 1,800 rpm. The marinization is rugged and the generator end is tough.

If you are only going to put 50 or so hours a year on it, then the NextGen will work. But for serious liveaboard/commercial fishing use, go with the Northern Lights.

David

 

[SeaDog617]

As djmarchand stated above, it really depends on how many hours per year you are planning on running it. Northern Lights is truly the Cadillac of small gensets.

I had an 8kw unit I pulled out of a boat last year with over 30,000 hours on it, was starting to really push my luck... Other than routine maintenance, the only item ever replaced was an injector pump at approximately 20k HRS.

The replacement unit is a CAT, using a Kubota block, and I'll be happy to get half the hours I got out of the Northern Lights.

In my opinion (for whatever it's worth) if you are running the genset less than 150 hours per year the Nextgen should work out great for you, as will many others.

I did quite a bit of research before the replacement and would be happy to share the information with you. Just PM me if interested. Good luck in your search.

 

[harmuthmarine203]

I like Phasor Marine gens they are rugged like northern lights but are dead simple electrical unlike ohan westerbeke or kholer only down side is no real sound shield if your interested i can get u pricing on any one of the above we are dealers for all

 

[Badlatitude]

I forgot the name of the company but they make soft sound shields with a frame out of something like lead sheeting inside a material. I guess kind of like the lead smock they make you wear when you get an X-ray.

I doubt it would be hard to make a sound enclosure yourself. Could probably make it more user friendly than the encased pieces of crap they make for them. I bet a lot of gen problems are the direct result of out of sight out of mind issues with gens hidden in those little enclosures.