RIDGID 3600-Watt Subaru 211cc Portable Generator RD903600

You looking to find the "RIDGID 3600-Watt Subaru 211cc Portable Generator RD903600" Good news! You can purchase RIDGID 3600-Watt Subaru 211cc Portable Generator RD903600 with secure price and compare to view update price on this product. And deals on this product is available only for limited time.

Price: $799.00    

Product Feature

• 3600 Running Watts (4500 Surge/Starting Watts)
• 211cc Subaru Engine
• Clean Power, Ideal for sensitive electronics - less than 6% THD
• (4) 120V 20 Amp (GFCI Protected), and (1) 120V 30 Amp Twist Lock Outlet
• 4 gallon fuel tank for up to 11 hour runtime @ 50% load

Product Description

Zero Gravity Hand-Truck Frame design 3 year warranty RIDGID Power Tools offers reliable, clean power with the RIDGID Portable Generator Line. This 3600 Watt Generator is engineered to handle your toughest power needs on the jobsite or at home. With a 211cc OHC Commercial-Grade Subaru Engine, this Generator delivers 3600 Running Watts (4500 Surge/Starting Watts) and features a 4 gallon fuel tank for up to 11 hours of runtime at 50% load. Featuring the Armour Alternator with AVR, this generator produces 3600 Watts of Clean Power- so you can power everything from a laptop to a table saw. The Smart Display monitors Voltage, Hertz, Hours of use and even reminds you when its time for maintenance. The heavy-duty Zero-Gravity hand-truck frame design and never-flat tires keeps the unit protected while making it easy to transport even in the toughest conditions. The outlet panel features (4) 120V 20 Amp (GFCI Protected) standard outlets and (1) 120V 30 Amp Twist Lock outlet to meet all your power needs. Backed by a 3 year commercial warranty, you can trust RIDGID to work as hard as you do.

RIDGID 3600-Watt Subaru 211cc Portable Generator RD903600 Review

In my review below, I have explained:
1. Why & How I chose this generator
2. Its maintenance specs (you won't find all of these listed at one place elsewhere)
3. Ridgid customer service response
4. Breaking-in the engine (you won't find it elsewhere)
5. Connecting to the breaker panel (different from what folks normally do)
6. Usage experience of a few hours

I will try to update my review after a year.

I chose the size of this generator for my house power back-up needs based on the below requirements:
First, I measured (at the breaker panel) the power requirement of various equipment in my house and found that I needed the following "running" amps:
GE Profile Fridge (23 ft3): 1A
Holiday Chest freezer (5ft3): 0.8A
Goodman Furnace blower (1/3 hp): 4.3A
Cable modem + wireless router + security system GE concord: 0.2A
Sump pump: 4.5A
10 CFL lights + LCD 60" TV + Laptop: 4A
Total: 15A (110v)
Generator chosen: 30A, (110v)
Of course I need to make sure that only one equipment is "starting" at any given time thus providing a margin of 15A for starting.

Once I knew what I size I wanted, I ordered this generator for $499 including S&H from Home Depot it was delivered to my house via UPS. The only assembly required was to install the two back wheels and two front rubber stays. Installing the rubber stays was easy, the wheels was difficult as despite having my own socket wrench of the specified size I couldn't get the socket inside the wheel opening where the bolt head was to be tightened. There was not enough room (see pictures), a design flaw identified by reviewers before me. So I improvised and used a flat head screw driver to keep the bolt head from rotating while tightening the nut from the other side.

After filling the generator with supplied 600 ml (0.6qt) oil of SAE 10W-30 (recommended oil specs are 0.6qt, API SE or higher grade, viscosity of 10W-30) and regular (87 octane, E10) fuel. I tried starting it and within 5-6 attempts I knew something was not right as the engine was not responding at all. Troubleshooting with the obvious things first i.e. the fuel delivery, I found that the fuel was not getting past the fuel filter. I called Ridgid support and after a wait of 3-4 minutes was connected to a tech person. She advised me to take the generator to a Ridgid service center, I requested that instead of me going to the Ridgid service center a new fuel filter be mailed to me as I could do the rest. After a bit of hesitation, she agreed. It was then that I found out that the filter will arrive after 15 days! After talking to her I searched online and found the Briggs & Straton filters 3 for $7. I ordered those and within 2 days they arrived. Till the time the filters arrived, I bypassed the old blocked filter to check if everything else was fine. Once the fuel delivery issue was resolved the generator started on the first pull.
But before putting it in service, I did something that I have not seen any other reviewer mention about. I searched and found the directions of breaking-in (run-in) of the engine as directed by Subaru (the engine supplier & manufacturer for this generator).

As anyone with a little bit of knowledge about the workings of engines will tell you that with proper break-in, an engine lasts much longer than an engine which is not. Proper break-in results in longer engine life, lower oil consumption and better emissions throughout the life, so basically there are many of advantages of breaking-in a new engine first. If you read your car's owner's manual, it too tells about break-in period.
Since the break-in is not a simple step on an engine already installed on any power equipment, none of the power equipment sellers mention about it. You have to be technically inclined to be able to do it. Anyways.

The engine on this generator is a Subaru SP210 i.e. (210cc, OHC engine). As per Subaru [...], for break-in this engine needs to be run at no load for 2000 rpm for 10 min, then 2500, then 3000 and then 3600 rpms, each for 10 min and then at load under governor control for 10 min. I don't remember the exact rpm, but the basic idea is to run the engine progressively to higher rpm without load. Since there is no tachometer on this engine so you can't know the rpm without any kind of external tachometer.
I had a digital clamp-on tachometer of Extech. I modified the break-in procedure as follows keeping in view the limitations of an engine already installed:

1. Disconnect the governor linkage from the carburetor side which forces the engine to go straight to approx. 2700 rpm (the normal running rpm at load).
2. In addition to the governor linkage there was a spring which was connected to the carburetor throttle valve which kept it closed (whereas the governor linkage tries to keep the throttle open). Leave this spring intact.
3. There is a screw on the carburetor throttle that is used to adjust the idle rpm, I turned it clockwise about 1 full turn to ensure that the throttle stayed reasonably open for fast idle of about 1500 rpm.
4. Then I followed the cold engine start procedure i.e. using the choke (just two pulls started it).
5. This Ridgid generator is equipped with a digital voltmeter which shows volts, frequency and hours of operation.
6. After starting, I connected my tachometer to the spark plug cable and it showed 1500 rpm (69 volts) and was vibrating a lot.
7. I adjusted the idle by turning that screw to the rpm at which the engine vibrated the least, it turned out to be 1700 rpm (80 volts).
8. Then I left the engine to run for around 50 minutes to complete the break-in. I will try to post the video of the break-in on youtube , you can search "breaking-in Subaru generator engine"

It was interesting to see the break-in process. The engine rpm increased steadily on its own from 1700 to 2100 over a period of 40 minutes as the engine warmed up to reach its normal operating temperature and its internals loosened up during break-in.

The continuous operating rpm for this engine at load is approx 2700 which is almost on its peak torque. This engine is reasonably silent at this rpm, thanks to the extra large muffler. I believe Ridgid has discontinued this generator model and its no longer available at Home Depot.
For connecting my generator to the breaker panel, I used the $60 interlock plate [...]instead of the power transfer switch. It saved me around $2000. The installation cost was $600 inclusive of all materials & labor i.e. generator cord (30A, 15ft), generator receptacle, generator breaker for the panel, 30A cable laying from the generator placed in the garage to the breaker panel, 30ft length.

Most of the consumer Reviews tell that the "RIDGID 3600-Watt Subaru 211cc Portable Generator RD903600" are high quality item. You can read each testimony from consumers to find out cons and pros from RIDGID 3600-Watt Subaru 211cc Portable Generator RD903600 ...