Looking at a mep-701a Or other

[dave2500]

Hello
I am thinking about getting a military generator,
i heard that they are very good
im tired of the junk they sell and run on gas and they break fast
i am thinking of getting a mep-701a or something like it
i dont want anything to big
how much should they cost?
thanks
dave

 

[derf]

Good, used 701As are around $500-1000. At auction sometimes they are half that but you don't know what you're getting when you buy at auction, it may run fine or may require repairs.
I prefer the MEP-016D, which has the same gen head as the 701A but is Yanmar powered, lighter, and has a pull rope option for starting.

 

[Isaac-1]

I am mostly with derf on this, except I would lean towards the Yanmar powered MEP-016E with its slightly larger 406CC L100 series engine instead of the 296CC L70 which is on the D's if all else is equal, both of which are much lighter than the MEP-016b. Note I own an Onan powered MEP-701a / 016b with the 603CC engine and am happy with it overall, it is just that engine parts are much easier to find for the Yanmars and the option of pull starting would be nice in an emergency and at 525 pounds is bit hefty for a 3 or so KW generator, of course this also means it is less likely to grow feet and walk off during a hurricane outage.


Ike

p.s. having said that it does partly depend on storage location, etc the MEP-701a ASK does make for a nice weather resistant housing, although it does have its flaws, in particular it makes a nice home for rodents when left outdoors, and the top mount electric fan tends to stop working when condensation forms inside (easy to fix by flipping the fan over and draining, but this requires removal of the top panel which is held on by about a dozen screws).

 

[derf]

I think the L100 Yanmar is overkill for the 3kW gen head. IIRC the dry weight of the 701A is 532 lbs.
Agree on the 701A as an outdoor shelter. Although not necessary, it definitely is good if you have to store the unit outdoors. On the other hand, I don't like the necessity of the fans and I question the ability of the cooling capability of the Yanmar equipped 701A/016E variants. I'm sure they work fine and the govt did much testing but I feel better with the Yanmars in an open configuration versus in a box.

 

[dave2500]

Hello
Do you guys know of anyone selling the 701a or the other mep-16b
for like 500 ish
thanks,
also do they make good home backups
my snap on generator boggs like **** if you put on a 1500 watt load and it said that it is 3000?
will these bogg with a load

 

[derf]

Many gens will bog if you put an unbalanced load on them. They generally have 2 or 3 output windings and if you load one up and leave the other(s) unloaded they can be unhappy.

As far as finding a good deal on one you have to be patient, check the classifieds here, check ebay, and check locally (like craigslist). If you are mechanically inclined and can fix stuff you might try bidding on some in your area at Government Liquidation auctions.

I've gotten some very good deals on Govt. Liq. but you have to be patient. Don't get carried away with bidding. Decide what you want to spend and what condition you're willing to accept and bid accordingly. Don't get excited if you get outbid, just let it go.

Do your homework and decide what you want. The 016 gens are rated at 3kW and can easily do 4kW loads for periods of time. They are very good on fuel and well made. With proper maintenance they should last 2-10 times longer than your average gas powered gens from Home Depot and the like.

 

[dave2500]

Many gens will bog if you put an unbalanced load on them. They generally have 2 or 3 output windings and if you load one up and leave the other(s) unloaded they can be unhappy.

As far as finding a good deal on one you have to be patient, check the classifieds here, check ebay, and check locally (like craigslist). If you are mechanically inclined and can fix stuff you might try bidding on some in your area at Government Liquidation auctions.

I've gotten some very good deals on Govt. Liq. but you have to be patient. Don't get carried away with bidding. Decide what you want to spend and what condition you're willing to accept and bid accordingly. Don't get excited if you get outbid, just let it go.

Do your homework and decide what you want. The 016 gens are rated at 3kW and can easily do 4kW loads for periods of time. They are very good on fuel and well made. With proper maintenance they should last 2-10 times longer than your average gas powered gens from Home Depot and the like.

Well if i get one from gl whats the chances of them working,
i am not bad with engines but if u want to know the truth, i know how to wire things into a fuse box and stuff like that bad i dont really know what parts to change if the motor is running and the generator is not making power
thanks
dave

ps how do you know if you have a even load on them?

 

[Speddmon]

Hello
Do you guys know of anyone selling the 701a or the other mep-16b
for like 500 ish
thanks,
also do they make good home backups
my snap on generator boggs like **** if you put on a 1500 watt load and it said that it is 3000?
will these bogg with a load

I know Kipman has a nice running 701, I don't know if he was planning on selling it or not. And if he was I have no idea of a price. I would suggest you send him a PM and ask. Also, docfarmall used to have some for sale, but I have no idea if he still does or not

 

[Isaac-1]

My MEP-701a / 016b with the 1 cylinder Onan is connected for 120V only mode and will accept an instant near 3000 watt resistive load (a pair of 1500 watt cube heaters) with no noticeable strain the only difference that you see is a slight drop in frequency on the meter (down 1-2 HZ) and maybe a slight puff of smoke, certainly nothing I would describe as bogging down. Someone else will have to describe the effects on the smaller Yanmar repowered models.

Ike

p.s. there is a long running thread around here about GL working ratios, it seems that around 50% are runners with little or no work other than fresh batteries, fuel,oil and filters (some of these may have minor issues like a gauge that does not work, or a leaking filter gasket, etc.) The other 50% have more major problems some economic to repair, some not, on the MEP-016 series the most common problems seem to be bad battery charging regulators, bad AC voltage regulators, bad frequency meter transducers, and bad electric fuel pumps, or sometimes stuck diesel injection pumps (it seems injection pump problems are more common on the MEP-002 and MEP-003 though, which makes sense as they have more complex injection systems).

 

[derf]

Well if i get one from gl whats the chances of them working,
i am not bad with engines but if u want to know the truth, i know how to wire things into a fuse box and stuff like that bad i dont really know what parts to change if the motor is running and the generator is not making power
thanks
dave

ps how do you know if you have a even load on them?

I have been able to get all my GL gens running, so far. I still have an 003 that I got running but have not gotten into the power making part, yet.
If you bid on one from GL with low hours and that looks complete I'd estimate your chances of getting a good running unit with a little effort and maybe needing a minor repair at about 80%. Search and read threads about GL and gen recovery and running.