You may not have thought about it at all when you were comparison shopping for a new portable generator, or you may have only made it an afterthought, but you should give some serious though to just how important having a generator wheel kit can be.
Not every manufacturer supplies wheels with their open frame generators and other manufacturers only offer wheel kits on certain models. The generator wheel kit should be at the very least, a portion of your model selection when making your choice in purchasing a portable generator. A wheel kit can be a good investment for several reason.
Our Recommended Generator Wheel Kits
Recommending specific generator wheel kits is tricky. Many kits aren’t universal, and are instead geared towards either a specific brand or a specific model. This makes sense, as most generators have different styles, designs, bracing and framing. However, there are some model-specific wheel kits that excel more than others. Below are some of our recommendations.
Convenience of a Generator Wheel Kit
The generator wheel kit makes using your portable generator more convenient to deploy. There is no doubt that during a bona fide emergency you will certainly make good use of your generator, but without wheels it is going to be a hassle. Dragging it out of storage, lugging it around to the rear of the house or up into your vehicle.
However, when the next occasion comes where a generator would be nice, but not essential, you may decide dragging that cumbersome unit all around won’t be worth the effort. An unused generator sits and wastes away because you didn’t install a generator wheel kit.
Safety Matters
Another reason you should consider installing a wheel kit is for safety. Even with you deciding to move the generator all around the place, with a proper wheel kit, the machine is less likely to suffer damage from drops, tip-overs, and the like. Not to mention how your back will thank you as well. Even a drop from a few inches could jar something loose, a tip over could knock a part off, and possibly even spill fuel causing a hazardous situation. A generator wheel kit will save you damage to yourself, the machine, and to the environment.
Aspects of your generator wheel kit that you should consider are very simple and should fit your needs according to how you use your portable generator. Many manufacturers offer a generator wheel kit for all their models. They include the wheel kit on the larger and upgraded models, but they can be purchased for the smaller generators as well.
This is the easiest solution because it doesn’t require any modifications to the generator frame. However, if your brand doesn’t offer a generator wheel kit for you model, there are several quality “one size fits all” generator wheel kits on the market that can be installed with minimal modifications and re-tooling.
Additional Factors Playing Into Generator Wheel Kits
Some generator wheel kits also include a handle with the wheels. This may be a worthy addition if you will be moving your portable generator around the yard or over long distances. Depending on the model and system, some of these wheel kit handles also allow you to steer the generator with all four tires on the ground rather than the conventional lift-and-pill style.
Finally, the types of tires themselves is another important factor in your generator wheel kit. Plastic tires have the advantage of never going flat but they can be a rough ride over uneven ground. On the other hand, pneumatic tires make for a smoother ride, but the last thing you want to find when you pull out the generator is a flat tire.
Between these two extremes are the solid rubber tires. A smoother ride than plastic, doesn’t require air, but can “square off” after sitting for an extended length of time. Whichever tires you get, a wheel kit will prove to be an exceptional addition to your portable generator set up.
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