Julian wrote:
I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often, times
the mains goes off, to power a light or similar.

I've got one of the (similar sized) two-stroke ones with conventional
alternator. I have used it mainly for running power tools (when the
battery stuff doesn't have the umph) when down the fields etc.

It's great for that, or running lights, telly and radio etc but will
not make microwaves work and also hasn't enough guts to start up a
fridge or freezer compressor.

Agreed about the power tools - the "800W" two-strokes can easily handle
a mains drill or an angle grinder.

On a limited sampling of a medium-sized fridge, a small freezer and
large fridge-freezer, the Wolf 800 (earlier model with no meter, no 12V)
has enough guts to start any one of them. The large fridge-freezer makes
it grunt for a moment, but the generator wins. It will also power the
OFCH, allowing us to have heating and hot water.

Running the generator periodically to 'recharge' the fridge, freezer and
radiators, and with camping gas and a small stove for hot drinks and
cooking, we can manage for several days in some comfort. From that point
of view, the generator was money well spent.

Switch-mode PSUs don't seem to like the output waveform unless the
generator is heavily loaded with some other resistive load. However,
that isn't a major problem, for when we do have an extended power cut,
we tend to go into slow, low-tech mode and abandon the computers and TV.


--
Ian White