Best Place to Buy MEP-003 or MEP-803

[tscott8201]

Where do you all suggest to look for a MEP-003A or MEP-803A? I've hit all the common sites like GL, GP, Ebay, and Craigslist. Are these the best places to look? If not where else would you suggest?

Tom

 

[CT-Mike]

There's also Iron Planet (pretty sure it's part of GP), and there is also GSA auctions.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Well what are you looking for... something that you potentially have to wrench on, or something that is delivered ready to run? You have hit the main buttons for the potential wrench work. You can source something tested and running from countless outlets. You tell us what you have in mind, and let us see what we can do to help.

Also its going to be substantially easier to find an 803a now in my opinion, versus an 003.... just based on age of equipment. Are you set on either style?

 

[tscott8201]

Well what are you looking for... something that you potentially have to wrench on, or something that is delivered ready to run? You have hit the main buttons for the potential wrench work. You can source something tested and running from countless outlets. You tell us what you have in mind, and let us see what we can do to help.

Also its going to be substantially easier to find an 803a now in my opinion, versus an 003.... just based on age of equipment. Are you set on either style?

I'm not afraid to get dirty so I can wrench on one no problem but in a perfect world I'd find a low hours unit that had been maintained but hadn't had a fresh coat of paint in 10 years. Operational but ugly. I'll stay away from units with serious mechanical or electrical issues for obvious reasons. I'd like to know the unit runs well and powers up so I'm a bit hesitant to roll the dice with GL or GP.

As far as model goes, I see benefits to both but I'm not hung up on either. Obviously the age of the 003 units makes them only available on Ebay, Craigslist or some other retail site. For that reason I imagine an 803 unit will be easier to find for a lower price but the condition might be a bit of a mystery until I get it home and crank her up.

Are there any sellers who buy them surplus and give them a basic once over and then sell a working unit that might be a little ugly or banged up?

Tom

 

[Korgoth1]

There are 5 803 on c/list in 200 mile of my area right now, all around $3500. I believe 2 003 close to me aswell. I would get the 803 personally. You are going to have to open your search distance, there is plenty out there. Take something with you to load test it to 100% for 20 mins atleast, or arrange for it to be tested while youre there. I have came across a bunch of units that the sellers assumed would pull a full load, but would not.

 

[MtnSnow]

I have a Mep-804a on a M200 trailer that is very low hour after a full reset that works perfectly. But I might be a bit far away for you...

 

[CT-Mike]

Are there any sellers who buy them surplus and give them a basic once over and then sell a working unit that might be a little ugly or banged up?

Tom

Green Mountain Generators buys and refurbs MEP's, load tests them, etc. Be warned though, they do sell them at a pret hefty pric.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Are you sure you NEED a 10kw unit? If you can operate on a 5kw, that would open up more options too.

 

[Daybreak]

Howdy,

It really depends on the distance too. I have 2 units for sale here in Virginia.

2009 MEP-802A with 60 hours for sale

2009 MEP-802A with 561 hours, with LTT-TQG trailer. ( PU-797C ) Tan

Both units are for sale and are ready to go.

 

[tscott8201]

Are you sure you NEED a 10kw unit? If you can operate on a 5kw, that would open up more options too.

I could probably get by with 5kw with load shedding and I might end up there, but I'd like to be able to run the whole place should a long term outage occur. It would be nice to have the option to run the AC if the weather were really hot which is the default state here in Florida. I know you can parallel the units but that seems counter productive since it means twice the maintenance.

Tom


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Isaac-1]

Consider buying a 5KW MEP-002a and a $150 window air conditioner.

 

[tscott8201]

Consider buying a 5KW MEP-002a and a $150 window air conditioner.

It doesn't seem like there is that much cost difference between he 802's and the 803's and the fuel consumption isn't that much greater on the 803 so why no go with enough power to run the house?

Tom

 

[kloppk]

MEP-802A fuel consumption 0.55 gal / hr
MEP-803A fuel consumption 0.99 gal / hr

Almost twice as much.
In a pinch I'd want my fuel supply to last as long as possible.

One problem with having a generator too large is wet stacking due to too light a load on it.

 

[Light in the Dark]

My thoughts exactly kloppk. Same reason I have an 802a for my needs. Besides, these units will put out 7kw if asked, and do so without any stacking concerns.

 

[Light in the Dark]

It doesn't seem like there is that much cost difference between he 802's and the 803's and the fuel consumption isn't that much greater on the 803 so why no go with enough power to run the house?

Tom

Have you analyzed what your power needs really are? I thought I needed a 10kw at first, but after evaluating (and running an 803a) its overkill for what I actually use.

 

[rhurey]

MEP-802A fuel consumption 0.55 gal / hr
MEP-803A fuel consumption 0.99 gal / hr

Almost twice as much.
In a pinch I'd want my fuel supply to last as long as possible.

One problem with having a generator too large is wet stacking due to too light a load on it.

Fuel consumption at full load. The unknown is the 803's consumption at 1/2 load.

 

[rhurey]

Fuel consumption at full load. The unknown is the 803's consumption at 1/2 load.

Ah, 0.66 gal/hr

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA482914

So, more than an 802, but not double.

And yes, wet stacking problems.

 

[MtnSnow]

If you have greater than 2.5 to 3 kW load on a 803a you shouldn't have any issues with wet stacking. If you do then there is a problem with the fuel delivery (injectors) or low compression preventing a good burn of the fuel!

 

[lonesouth]

Ah, 0.66 gal/hr

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA482914

So, more than an 802, but not double.

And yes, wet stacking problems.

The figures I've seen sited are .1 gal/1kWh, being nearly universal for wet fueled engines(gas/diesel/kerosene/etc.)

it has been speculated that these can be paralleled, but I've yet to see it confirmed. At issue is the governors are not synced. The output wave and frequency may be in sync, however, once a load is applied, the sync is likely to be lost. The power plant units, 2xMEP on a trailer, are intended as a redundant power source, not a parallel power option.

 

[tscott8201]

Well, I guess my thinking is that I would rather burn a little extra fuel and have the added capacity to run everything including the AC should I need to. I'll surely have enough load, even without the AC unit to avoid wet stacking. Besides that, my other option is a LP fueled generator that will burn 2 gallons an hour so burning a gallon of diesel seems pretty good to me.

I've actually got 2 houses on property and a shop so I may end up with a second 5Kw unit anyway to power the other house since it is substantially smaller than the main house. I feel like even if I buy to much generator up front, I could sell it and get my money back.

Tom