Generators

I've been looking into buying a generator for quite some time as part of preparedness planning.  The practical elements: with a refrigerator and deep freezer full of food, not having electricity for a week could mean major spoilage.  Furthermore, without electricity, the gas furnace won't work, since the ignitor and blower motor both require juice to run.  (I have a propane heater that doesn't require electricity and a small wood stove, but both exhaust into the room and so would be a last resort.)

Three years or so ago I was at an out-of-state Honda dealership and they had literature for other Honda equipment, including tillers and generators.  The EU2000 model struck me as neat due to its low noise levels, fuel economy, and the option to cascade the companion model for greater capacity.  Still, generators are expensive, have to be maintained (and run periodically), and require sufficient fuel be stored.

A friend told me that a good place to buy the EU2000 is Mayberry's, as they have a low price and free shipping.  This was right around the time that "Superstorm Sandy" hit, and Mayberry's, located in New Jersey, was without power and had sold out of most of their generators anyway.  Another place I found to buy the EU2000 is Wise Sales, which in Illinois.

Regarding fuel storage, I had been led to believe that regular gasoline has a fairly short shelf life.  Other reading I've done (such as on Wikipedia) and discussions with prepper types indicates that gasoline without ethanol is fairly stable.  A 30-gal drum full of ethanol-free gas, which is available locally, could run the EU2000 full-bore (2kW at 1.1 gal every 4 hrs) for 9 days, or at quarter duty cycle (500W at 1.1 gal every 9.6 hrs) for three weeks.

This is seeming more and more like a worthwhile expenditure.