MEP 1040 OR MEP 803?? MEP 1040 on a trailer??

[bucksarg3]

Apologies in advance if this has been posted somewhere already or if this is not the right spot. Feel free to yell at me, I'm used to it. I have been browsing this site for a while and am in the process of saving for an M1078 or M1084 but the recent series of storms have pushed a generator to the top of my priority list. I want something portable and have been looking at the MEP 803's mounted on trailers on Gov Planet. I have experience buying other things off the site but never anything with an engine, yet.

In my limited research, I tend to lean towards the 1040 being quieter and burning less fuel. Has anyone seen a 1040 mounted on a trailer like the 803? The only thing that scares me about the 1040 is maybe parts availability and the digital screen. Looks like if that screen goes out you are screwed. Does anyone have any experience that could advise one way or the other? Do the generators coming off gov planet usually work? I know this is a loaded question, but if they are semi low hour and run in the video, do they usually turn out ok?

 

[Ray70]

Do your homework and study the pictures and video's carefully. Just because it runs doesn't mean it is OK, but at least you know it's not seized.
Lets start at the beginning:

The old air cooled 003 ( not that you mentioned it ) is a very simple machine but pretty loud. easy to work on and simple.
The 803 is a little more complicated with more points of failure, more prone to failures, but still pretty easy to work on and substantially quieter.
The 1040 is yet even more complicated , more expensive with even more failure points, but quieter still.
Any yes... if the display goes bad you will probably not find a replacement,

In my personal opinion I would stay away from the 1040, especially if you are not experienced with repairing military generators.

The 803 is a much better choice for you.

003 is probably too loud for what you seem to be looking for.

Also, just because a machine shows low hours that means NOTHING! hour meters could be swapped, and machines that sit a long time were probably not used for a reason.... because they may have a problem...
Auction is a crap shoot. You can get a machine advertised as a non-runner that turns out fine or you can get one that runs in the video but is actually junk.

 

[Light in the Dark]

Welcome to SS. I will never purchase, or recommend, the newest AMMPS machines for use in the civilian world. The second generation MEPs (802/803, etc) are the best option to me for civilian use. I am sure the AMMPs are impressive machines when running, but I have very similar concerns about parts availability going forward.

 

[bucksarg3]

Do your homework and study the pictures and video's carefully. Just because it runs doesn't mean it is OK, but at least you know it's not seized.
Lets start at the beginning:

The old air cooled 003 ( not that you mentioned it ) is a very simple machine but pretty loud. easy to work on and simple.
The 803 is a little more complicated with more points of failure, more prone to failures, but still pretty easy to work on and substantially quieter.
The 1040 is yet even more complicated , more expensive with even more failure points, but quieter still.
Any yes... if the display goes bad you will probably not find a replacement,

In my personal opinion I would stay away from the 1040, especially if you are not experienced with repairing military generators.

The 803 is a much better choice for you.

003 is probably too loud for what you seem to be looking for.

Also, just because a machine shows low hours that means NOTHING! hour meters could be swapped, and machines that sit a long time were probably not used for a reason.... because they may have a problem...
Auction is a crap shoot. You can get a machine advertised as a non-runner that turns out fine or you can get one that runs in the video but is actually junk.

That is kind of what I was thinking. Trying to resist the urge to get the latest and greatest. If it was a beautiful brand new generator, they wouldn't be getting rid of it. I understand that the hour meter doesn't mean much at all. When I was in the military, the aircraft with the lowest hours was usually the biggest junk we had and ended up being the parts bird. Same with rolling stock. If it had significantly lower miles, there was a reason.

I think I will look for an 803 in a local auction. I have seen a few companies around that buy these generators and completely go over them. I'm sure I would get a quality generator then, but I would sure be paying for it and I haven't seen any local to me. My goal is to get a good 803 and pull it on extended camping trips when I finally pull the trigger on an LMTV.

I'm just glad I found this site. Many have come before me and hopefully I can learn from them and save myself some troubleshooting time.