Things you must consider when choosing between petrol and diesel generators

1. Things you must consider when choosing between petrol and diesel generators You’re looking to buy a generator and you’ve come across a great looking Kubota diesel generator. The only question you have is “are diesel generators better than petrol generators?” I’m here to help you understand what the differences between petrol and diesel generators are, and what that means for you and your situation. Kubota Generators Australia offer diesel generators from 5.5 kVA to 30 kVA. This may make it seem like diesel generators and petrol generators are both as versatile as each other. However, diesel generators are better suited to cases where generation needs to be continuous for hours, on a regular basis. This is because diesel generators are more fuel efficient than petrol ones. The counterpoint is that diesel fuel is usually more expensive, so the difference only matters at higher volumes. The

2. reason for diesel generators being more fuel efficient is because they use much higher air pressure than petrol. This has a flow on effects for the way they are built. Diesel generators are more rugged than petrol ones because they have to deal with this high air pressure. This means that they can keep their value for longer and last longer; however, it can also mean they also can cost more to repair. So, for instance, Kubota diesel generator parts are more expensive than petrol generator parts (depending on the part). A diesel generator that is maintained properly should be cheaper than a petrol generator, as long as there aren’t catastrophic failures. One final little detail on the components of a diesel and petrol generator is that petrol generators include spark plugs, whereas diesel generators do not. Spark plugs in petrol generators set the fuel ablaze and cause the combustion, whereas in diesel engines that’s done purely from air pressure and spontaneous combustion. While spark plugs are relatively inexpensive, it does mean there’s another component that’s possible to break. A further consideration to make is whether you want to be able to swap the fuel in and out of your car and the generator. If you are in a pinch and don’t have any jerry cans of fuel on site during a power outage, it can help to have as a last resort the option to drain some fuel from your car to run your generator. This only works if both engines (car and generator) run off the same type of fuel (diesel or petrol). Similarly, if you don’t use the generator that often it can help to, once you’re finished with the generator, put any left-over remaining fuel into your car rather than let it spoil in its storage container over the coming months. This comes down, again, to how frequently and constantly you need to run the generator. Diesel generators are bigger and/or heavier than their petrol counterparts. This means that diesel generators are more suited to cases where you are going for a fixed generator. That’s because these generators don’t need to move, so there’s no issue if they’re heavier or bulkier. Conversely, petrol generators are offered in much smaller varieties that can be much more easily ported than the smallest diesel portable generators. The smallest example is the petrol inverter generator, which is compact as well as fuel efficient and can power electronics sensitive to fluctuations in power. There’s just no way a diesel generator can be packed into that small a space, along with the added intricacies of electronics an inverter generator contains and come out weighing as little. So, the long and the short of it is that diesel engines are better for cases where there is constant, high use. This includes fixed generators that power buildings and facilities, where petrol is just not fuel efficient enough to make sense, compared to diesel. And petrol generators are better where portability is a top priority. Those who go camping are more likely to choose even an inverter generator which is petrol only anyway. Hopefully this has brought you some clarity to the issue.