This post has user tips and information for the Harbor Freight 1400 Inverter Generator. These lightweight, relatively quiet generators are popular for light to moderate 120v electrical device use. There’s a few things you can do to make the Predator 1400, or any other small gas generator, run better and last longer.
Most of my mobile electrical needs are handled by a solar power system with a 100 amp hour battery. The Predator is used when electrical devices that use electricity faster than the solar power can produce it.
The Predator 1400 is a small generator, 1100 amp output while running. It can run a small refrigerator or a couple power tools but not an air conditioner or Grateful Dead sound system. I use it primarily to run a laptop computer when playing video games or rendering video. This uses a lot power and would drain the solar battery. Normal computer tasks like internet browsing or producing blog posts is fine with solar power. I also use it for hand held power tools and in case of emergencies to run and charge ham radios. I also have a battery charger that will charge the battery of the solar power system.
There’s a few things you can do to get the most out of the Predator 1400. First and foremost, like any other internal combustion engine, you need to change the oil. This job is made a heck of a lot easier by using a threaded flexible funnel. I think I got this one on Ebay for a few bucks. Well worth the money.
There’s not much oil in this engine so it must be filled to capacity. The threaded funnel makes this easy. Add oil until it can be seen at the bottom of the funnel. Tilt the generator back a little, unscrew the funnel and replace the drain plug. If the engine runs for a while then suddenly shuts down and is easy to restart, the oil level is probably low. This happens more often when it’s hot.
Speaking of drain plugs, a magnetic oil drain plug is a good investment. It will pick up metal fragments in the oil and is easier to use and more robust than the stock drain plug.
The owners manual says to change the oil every six months or 100 hours of use. I’m in dusty areas so I change the oil every month of regular generator use. I use synthetic 10w-30 motor oil. The Walmart store brand works fine. I tried 5w-30, which I use in my truck, to save money, but the generator ran poorly. When the generator was cold, it would stop dead. After a few restarts, after the oil heated up, it would run OK. Best to stick with 10w-30 unless you can see the North Pole from your house.
In dusty conditions, the air filter needs to be cleaned frequently. It’s kind of a low tech filter, but it seems to do the job.
Grains of sand stopped by the mighty Predator air filter can be seen in the air filter box. This needs to be cleaned up.
Finally there is the engine spark plug. It’s a bit of a hassle to get to, but regular cleaning or replacement of the spark plug will make the Predator 1400 engine run better. I do that when the engine starts running poorly, missing or hard to start. It’s on the top of the generator.
The Predator 1400 54cc engine comes stock with a Torch A5RTC spark plug. The engine will also work with Champion Z9Y and Autolite 4194 plugs. Walmart sells the Autolite 4194 for less than $2.00USD.
A ratchet, short extension and spark plug socket make changing the spark plug easy. You will need an inexpensive spark plug gap tool to check the spark plug gap. The owners manual specs the spark plug gap at .024-.028″. I’ve found my generator runs best with the spark plug gap at .028-.031″. I wrote all this information on the inside of the spark plug access panel.
It is recommended to use fuel stabilizer in the gasoline used with the Predator 1400. If you’re going to use the gasoline within a few days, fuel stabilizer is not really necessary. I use a little Berrymans B12 Chemtool in the gas. It eliminates moisture and keeps the engine clean. A can of Berrymans goes a long way.
The Predator 1400 is a nice little generator. Take care of it and it will run well for a long time.