Just tried out a little experiment. I have one of those 800/900 watt 2-stroke generators from Harbor Freight. I bought it on sale for $79 about a year or two ago. I use it only occasionally at work. Anyway, I was wondering if it would run my 5,000 BTU air conditioner in the
Scamp, and it turns out it will!
For the record, it will not run a 6,000 BTU window unit that I also have on hand. Of course, the real issue is the starting load. The 5,000 BTU unit draws about 450 watts while it is running, but the starting load must be really close to the 9,000 watt surge rating.
This
generator is not quiet... It ain't no Honda! It is 2-stroke, and requires mix oil. It also runs better on premium gas than 87 octane. It smokes a little on startup and under a heavy load. After running a heavy load for a while, it idles unevenly. Choking it for a few seconds brings it back under control. According to reviewers, they seem to run for a long time. In case anyone is interested.
They don't seem to go on sale for much less than $99 any more. When I got it, they allowed combining coupons with sale prices, but they don't any more.