Portable Generators & Mobile Power Stations – a Buying Guide

With potential energy-rationing power cuts on the horizon this winter, a portable generator could well prove an invaluable investment, enabling you to keep the lights, cooker, heating and other critical household infrastructure up and running, whilst the less well-equipped of us are sitting in the cold and dark!

Of course, generators aren’t just a solution to the problem of power cuts – choose the right model, and a host of leisure activities – including camping, beach trips, canal boat holidays and hiking – will be significantly enhanced, with no more need to stress about the charge-level of your smartphone or laptop battery.

Generators come in a variety of forms. There are frame generators and suitcase generators; and you can choose between petrol and diesel models, all of which feature quiet and smooth-running four-stroke engines.

If you like the idea of being ahead of the curve, have a look at our mobile power stations. These cutting-edge units are lithium-battery powered, so they’re an ultra-lightweight and environmentally sound choice for leisure use.

So, here’s a brief guide to the attributes and specifications of some of our customers’ favourite petrol, diesel and rechargeable battery generators.

First up, a quality petrol generator at a special-offer price!

The EZG3000UK from global US brand Energizer® is a compact but powerful petrol open-frame generator with transport wheels and a folding handlebar for easy portability and hassle-free storage.

Employing a beefy 7hp engine, the Energizer® EZG3000UK produces up to 3000w, and gives an impressive ten-hour runtime on a single fill of the capacious 15-litre fuel tank.

A real bargain, this one is available for a full £230 less than the manufacturer’s selling price!

Secondly, a premium inverter generator from Korean power-giants, Hyundai.

Thanks to its inverter-type design, the 210cc, petrol-driven Hyundai HY3200SEi is remarkably quiet in operation – it runs at just 59dB(A) – and produces a pure sine-wave, which ensures delicate electronic devices won’t be exposed to damaging surges or ‘spikes’.

The maximum power output is a sizeable 3200w, and you’ll get a roomy 7.8-litre fuel tank giving seven hours of continuous power generation.

The Hyundai HY3200SEi is covered by the manufacturer’s three-year Platinum warranty and can be yours for just over £960.

Also from Hyundai, a long-run diesel generator.

A great choice for back-up power, the 12hp, diesel-based Hyundai DHY8000SELR is so fuel-efficient – and has such a large-capacity fuel tank (30 litres) – you’ll get an incredible 30-hours single-fill runtime!

The rated output is a huge 6000w; and you’ll get a noise-limiting housing, which ensures it will sit unobtrusively in the background.

Further key features include Automatic Voltage Regulation, which, like the previous machine, makes it possible to run/charge those surge-sensitive devices; an electric starter, which means it couldn’t be easier to achieve ignition; and transport-wheels for low-effort site-to-site movement.

The Hyundai DHY8000SELR comes-in at £1899.

Finally, one for those of you who appreciate the latest tech!

Weighing only 7.5kg and compact enough to fit in a rucksack, this Hyundai-made portable power station is the machine of choice for on-the-move power generation when angling, rambling or picnicking.

Making it stand out from the crowd is the fact that there’s no engine – power is instead generated from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, meaning zero emissions and silent operation.

Suitable for sub-1000w devices – including phones, tablets, kettles and fans – the Hyundai HPS-600 Portable Power Station is a high-capacity unit with a 12v DC socket, a DC cigarette lighter socket and four USB ports.

You can charge the Hyundai HPS-600 either from the mains, or from the optional solar-panel accessory.

This one is priced at just 739.95.

Click here to view our entire range of portable generators and mobile power stations.