Comparison EuroCraft ECGG20 vs Dedra DEGB2510

Nominal voltage at the generator output.

— 230 V Standard voltage of a regular household socket. It is widely used in everyday life, and there are many 230 V devices among specialized equipment; the only exception is powerful equipment (mainly from 4-5 kW), for which this voltage is no longer enough. It is 230-volt generators that should be considered by tech looking for a device for backup power supply of a residential premises or a small office.

— 400 V Generators capable of delivering three-phase power with a voltage of 400 V. Such power is extremely rarely used in everyday life, but it may be required for heavy equipment, specialized tools and other similar loads. Generators with an output voltage of 400 V are generally more powerful, heavier, larger, more expensive and more "gluttonous" than 230-volt ones. It is worth specifically looking for such a unit only in cases where the presence of three-phase power is essential.

— 230 and 400 V Combined power supply models — most generators with a three-phase output voltage of 400 V are also equipped with single-phase 230 V sockets. This ensures their universal use both for backup power supply of a home or office, and for performing more resource-intensive tasks (for example, in construction and repair, for autonomous operation of high-power loads, etc.).

— 110 V. Generators with 110...V sockets (or 120 V for certain regions). This voltage is found in household electrical networks in some countries of North and Central America, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and occasionally in Great Britain. It is not recommended to connect 230 V equipment to such sockets (unless otherwise specified in the technical documentation for a specific electrical appliance).

— DC (48 V). Models with one or more DC connectors for powering external devices with direct current. The standard DC socket is round and has a pin in the center, but its depth and diameter may vary. The voltages output to the DC output may vary — in this case, 48 V is implied.

The maximum power output that the generator can provide.

This power is slightly higher than the nominal (see above), but the maximum performance mode can only be maintained for a very short time - otherwise an overload occurs. Therefore, the practical meaning of this characteristic is mainly to describe the efficiency of the generator when working with increased starting currents.

Let us recall that some types of electrical appliances consume several times more power (and, accordingly, power) at the moment of starting than in the normal mode; this is typical mainly for devices with electric motors, such as power tools, refrigerators, etc. However, increased power for such equipment is needed only for a short time, normal operation is restored in literally a few seconds. And you can estimate the starting characteristics by multiplying the nominal power by the so-called starting coefficient. For equipment of the same type, it is more or less the same (1.2 - 1.3 for most power tools, 2 for a microwave oven, 3.5 for an air conditioner, etc.); more detailed data is available in special sources.

Ideally, the maximum power of the generator should be no less than the total peak power of the connected load - that is, the starting power of equipment with a starting factor greater than 1 plus the rated power of all other equipment. This will minimize the likelihood of overloads.

Model name of the engine installed in the generator. Knowing this name, you can, if necessary, find detailed data on the engine and clarify how it meets your requirements. In addition, model data may be needed for some specific tasks, including maintenance and repair.

Note that modern generators are often equipped with branded engines from famous manufacturers: Honda, John Deere, Mitsubishi, Volvo, etc. Such engines are more expensive than similar units from little-known brands, but this is offset by higher quality and/or solid warranty conditions , and in many cases, the ease of finding spare parts and additional documentation (such as manuals for special maintenance and minor repairs).

The working volume of the engine in a gasoline or diesel generator (see "Fuel"). Theoretically, more volume usually means more power, but in fact, everything is not so clear. Firstly, the specific power strongly depends on the type of fuel, and in gasoline units, also on the type of internal combustion engine (see above). Secondly, similar engines of the same power can have different volumes, and there is a practical point here: with the same power, a larger engine consumes more fuel, but by itself it can cost less.

The operating power of the engine installed in the generator. Traditionally stated in horsepower; 1 HP approximately equal to 735 watts.

First of all, the rated power of the generator directly depends on this indicator (see above): in principle, it cannot be higher than the engine power, moreover, part of the engine power is spent on heat, friction and other losses. And the smaller the difference between these capacities, the higher the efficiency of the generator and the more economical it is. However high efficiency affects the cost, but this difference can pay off with regular use due to fuel savings.

Fuel consumption of a petrol or diesel generator when operating at half power, and for combined models when using petrol (see “Fuel”).

Fuel consumption usually increases with load. However, generator efficiency is not always linear - fuel consumption may vary disproportionately with different loads. In this case, the approximate amount of fuel consumed by the generator when operating at half power (50% of the rated power) is given. Knowing the fuel consumption and tank capacity, you can at least estimate how long one fill-up will last.

The amount of fuel consumed by the generator when operating at full power. The parameter is specified for petrol and diesel units (and for models on combined fuel - when using petrol).

In full power mode, the generator consumes maximum fuel. However, such long-term operation is fraught with accelerated wear of the unit components, so generators are rarely loaded to 100%. Nevertheless, the parameter gives an approximate understanding of the expected fuel consumption when used "at full capacity".

The volume of the fuel tank installed in the generator.

Knowing the fuel consumption (see above) and the capacity of the tank, you can calculate the operating time on one gas station (if it is not indicated in the specifications). However, a more capacious tank is also more bulky. Therefore, manufacturers choose tanks based on the general level and "voracity" of the generator — in order to provide an acceptable operating time without a significant increase in size and weight. So in general, this parameter is more of a reference than practically significant.

As for the numbers, in low-power models, tanks are installed for 5 – 10 liters, or even less ; in heavy professional equipment, this figure can exceed 50 liters.

The total number of sockets for 230 and/or 400 V provided in the design of the generator.

This number corresponds to the number of devices that can be simultaneously connected to the generator without using splitters, extension cords, etc. If it is a three-phase model (see "Output voltage") with different types of sockets, it is worth specifying the quantity of each type separately, as different models may have varying configurations. For example, a unit specified as having 3 sockets might have 1 three-phase socket and 2 single-phase ones, or 2 three-phase and 1 single-phase socket. Generally, the most basic modern generators have only 1 socket, though models with 2 sockets are more common; and the most powerful models can have 4 or more sockets.

It is also important to remember that the ability to connect various devices is limited not only by the number of sockets but also by the generator's rated power (see above for more details).