Do you have a portable generator?
 

If you own a gererator what make and size is it?

How often have you had to use it and for what?

Any suggestions or recomdations?

Have lived in the South my entire life. Never had one...only needed one once, after a tornado but that was really only for about 48 hours.

Have lived in The Villages 14 years there is no need for one. Lights out maybe once for minutes. Save your money.

The need having electric power, doesn't weigh over the amount of gasoline you need to store in your garage. Deal with no power, better safe than sorry. Buy a bunch of candles, & batteries.
:spoken:

I never had one because I'd never need it in TV.

I've had "whole house" gas generators for several homes. I'd have one here but there are no gas lines south of 466A. We've been lucky not to have had any significant hurricanes or tropical storms hit us in the past few years. The last time one hit Orlando my daughter and her family list power for about a week. For folks without a medical issue that isn't necessarily a problem. For someone like my wife, with MS, no electricity could be a real problem.

Honda 2000
 

I have a Honda 2000. This is a realatively small unit. I will deliver about 15 amps. enogh to power some lights the frig and a TV or radio.

Having said that I would not buy one. I happen to have this unit for my boat and travel trailer mainly.

Power here is very reliable. In a hurricane situation my plan is to bug out. I have a ditch bag ready at all times. Hurricanes predictions give plenty of time to evacuate but you can't wait too long. Leave a few days early and head north. Might just be a little vacation.

Thanks for all the input. I was thinking about a Honda 2000 like Sailor47 has mainly to keep the refrigerator going. We are not there during hurricane season. Also we will be prepared to bugout if needed to our home in east TN. Good to know the power in TV is pretty stable.


Thanks

I went through Hurrican Andrew in Miami in 1992. I had storm shutters but my tar and gravel roof was blown off. Water came in through the boards and ruined everything in the front part of the house. I got a 5000 watt generator powered by Honda. Used extension cords to run a portable air conditioner and power for the fridge and some lights. Five gallons in the tank would run it for about 7-8 hours.

Moved to DeLand (east of TV) had the house built and wired for a generator outlet with a panel box to switch power. Used it for five days when the hurricanes came across Central Florida in, I think, 2005. Used it to power the refrigerator, microwave, outlets for lights and the portable air conditioner (great for sleeping at night). Have a contract on a house in TV and the generator is going in the garage. Used five gallon gas cans with Stable mixed in with the gas. It keeps for a season and then I pour it into my vehicles when hurricane season is over.

Will probably never use it in TV since it is pretty far from the Gulf and the Atlantic (they weaken over land). In addition, the power lines are underground and not easily damaged as they are on poles. Just about any 5000 watt generator will do what I described above. There is a good chance you will never need it in TV. Thats my two cents.