Parmenter
Senior Member
Here's an link with an not so happy camper. A Precautionary Note on Fischer Panda Generators
I stopped reading thereI installed a Fisher Panda 4.2 KW raw water cooled......
Here's an link with an not so happy camper. A Precautionary Note on Fischer Panda Generators
I stopped reading thereI installed a Fisher Panda 4.2 KW raw water cooled......
Would someone, anybody, please chime in who has an FP that has been in routine service for more than 8 years. If so, please share your experiences.
My Gen Set is six years old (2006) and I can tell you that my FP Mini 8 with its Kabota engine is performing well....
Fischer Panda Generators. - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
Heres one that is 7 years old
Logic says that a business that has been in business for 25 years and is supplying to the US military must be doing something right and in that time frame will also have some failures.
Unfortunately, the way the internet works, you usually only hear about the failures.
Lots of links
Craig, I for one would be interested if you were to do the same type search on problems with Northern Lights generators. Nothings perfect, so there must be some disgruntled customers out there.
Can you tell me how many of those are repeats of the same story? None that I'm aware of
Can you tell me how many of those are for the FRESH water cooled models? I do not care to do all your research for you, sorry
I acknowledge that the salt water cooled models had issues
The one I have purchased is not a salt water cooled model.
Thanks
add: when we have ascertained how many FRESH water cooled models have had problems Vs quantity sold, then and only then will we have some reasonably helpful data.
If its 3 out of 10 sold I admit that aint good
if its 3 out of 1000 sold I am not concerned.
Especially as a lot of those articles also made mention of poor installation by the owner.
BTW, in case you did not bother to click on any of those links there was some positive user comments from FP owners in them too.
Another option instead of enlarging the sound shield, get one of these inline blowers drill a hole fix the duct to the shield done. Just another thoughtYes I did see that thanks. One from Nick on SV Jedi saying that there were definitely problems with the seawater cooled models (and that was the main complaint) but comment couldn't be made on the newer (fresh water cooled) models as no one had said anything yet. I wonder as many have said that the box is small for that genny and being tight makes it hot, as I have space, why not leave their cover off and build it into a ply box lined with the appropriate sound proofing. Or just cut their box and tray and expand it out several inches in all directions filling in the gaps with appropriate soundproofing. Thats an easy job for me while its out of its tray getting the kubota worked on.
I wonder as many have said that the box is small for that genny and being tight makes it hot, as I have space, why not leave their cover off and build it into a ply box lined with the appropriate sound proofing.
Or just cut their box and tray and expand it out several inches in all directions filling in the gaps with appropriate soundproofing.
Thats an easy job for me while its out of its tray getting the kubota worked on.
Thanks Craig. If a Mod says it. it must be so.
The lifetime warranty is on the rotor part of it, Not the entire unit and it does say that quite clearly in the warranty.The final link in my previous post is most telling regarding this famous "lifetime warranty" offered by FP.
So the generator bit was fine and to my way of thinking that is where the dollars are."The unbeatable Panda warranty"?
Its not even close by my calculation. Unbeatable HOW? That the
rotor has a lifetime warranty? That''s nice, but irrelevant if the
engine blows up after two years!
I would think that was probably amended after they did away with the salt water cooled models.Engine: 3 years or 1800 hours (whichever occurs first) from the date of purchase by original owner, transferable to subsequent buyers of the original vessel in which it was installed.
One has to wonder why you stayed 23 years with such a crappy organisationbetter read more US Defense news....after 23 years with them...you better use a better standard...
One has to wonder what sort of mug would have bought one knowing they were salt water cooledOne has to wonder why FP built salt water cooled units to begin with ------- just saying.
The lifetime warranty is on the rotor part of it, Not the entire unit and it does say that quite clearly in the warranty.
The poster even acknowledged that.
That was the original plan due to genny costParmenter
You should have a lot of real estate on your Cat for a large solar bank, so why not fill it up with panels, and add a good sized LiFePO4 bank?
as mentioned earlier I don't want to carry the extra petrol required.Get a Honda 2000 if you want some insurance.
exactlyGranted, if you must have AC then you will need a genny.
if you are only cruising the QLD coast I would probably agree.I deliberately chose to not have AC. I will use 12V fans. A bit of air circulation is all you really need.
Why would you take out an already installed 2.5kva diesel to replace with 2kva petrol?I removed a 7.5 kW Onan and a 2.5 kW Mase.
I do not have a genny at present, but will get a little Honda fairly soon.
As a live aboard?Here in Brisbane the sun shines quite a lot - my 1800 watt solar array seems to make more power than I use.
I only have 100 x2, but I would rather not use my engines for chargingMy back up for cloudy days is 2 x 200 amp alternators one on each of the main engines.
Is it?For charging batteries that's quicker than a genny would do anyway.
Off Grid System Examples - 2.6 kWh / day
Off Grid System Examples | Pre-Designed Solar Systems
Insequent, that is an impressive solar performance.
Two questions: what is your battery bank size, and, do you run the 2 fridges directly from the regulator(s) or via the batteries (presumably via a switch panel)?
Something else happened that thwart my cunning plan.Any updates?