When our large generator stopped working, my daughter and I needed to be able to get it into the back of the truck. Transporting generators can be challenging. Here is how we did it.
The Generator Wouldn’t Start
The generator just wouldn’t start and this was a great inconvenience. It happened right when I caught a stray in a cage and needed to bathe her. It was in October 2015 and was cold and the generator was needed to run the water heater, the electric heater, and blow drier. If you missed the story, you can see it at this link. Catching a Stray Cat
Moving the Generator to the Truck
We had a Honda EM 6500SX generator. You can see it in the above photo. It comes with handles which are stored in a down position. When you want to move the generator, you must lift up the handles, and then you can pull it. I believe that my daughter and I may have worked together to get it to the truck, but she was strong enough that she could have moved it by herself. She loved to do body building. I realize that with some smaller generators, some guys can lift them into the back of their car. But, there was no way that we could lift this one into the back of the truck.
Using Metal Ramps
Fortunately, we had two metal ramps that were from my first husband, and my second husband didn’t take them when he left. They probably belonged to my son at this point. My daughter easily grabbed one to put up on the tail gate and I not so easily grabbed the other one. I think we decided that I would pull the generator and she would push it. This was no easy task, but we managed to do it. It’s too bad that we didn’t video it at the time.
Transport the Generator by Truck
Now that we got the generator in the truck, we could easily get it to Lee’s Honda where we bought it and where there are mechanics to do the repairs. We wondered how the mechanic would get the generator out of our truck.
Transporting with a Forklift
When we got there, instead of the mechanic getting several strong guys to get the generator out of our truck, he went and got his forklift. That wasn’t fair when we had to work so hard to get it into the truck. We couldn’t afford to buy a forklift.
My daughter watched in amazement at how easily one man could transport a generator with a forklift. I have always been told that I should work smart and not hard.
The Mechanic Checks the Generator
The mechanic did some initial diagnostic tests. The diagnosis wasn’t good. It was going to take one to two weeks to get the parts to fix it. I had to find a generator to rent while I waited. The cost was a shocking $700.00.
Buying Another Generator
The next time that my generator broke down, I decided to buy a smaller generator rather than pay the high rental fees. The Honda Eu3000is cost $2,000.00. $700.00 x 3 = $2100.00. So in just three visits, it would pay for itself in rental fees. This generator was much quieter and it used less gasoline. It had no problem handling my electricity needs, so the large one would be the backup generator.
Transporting the New Generator
This new generator didn’t have wheels. It had two large handles on each side where two strong people could carry it. At some point in my homesteading journey, my daughter moved out. How could I do this by myself? I asked my neighbor for help. He told me to buy two chains and he would show me the easy way to do it my myself using my tractor. First he showed me how to use the chains to secure the generator to my dolly or hand truck.
Watch the Video
The video and pictures were shot a few years ago. In the video, you will see how I used my tractor to get my generator onto the bed of my truck. I don’t know why I never thought of doing this. While I was wishing that I had a forklift, I did have a tractor. Be sure to watch the video. If you want to be able to subscribe, like, comment or share it, click on the Watch on YouTube button.