MEP-1040 Owners

[Demoh]

Demoh, I wholeheartedly agree with you Sir on essential services and costs being a factor. I went through Irma and such myself in Central FL, and my family was lucky with minimal damage only requiring a reroof and a couple of dropped trees. Agree that leaving isn't a really sustainable solution as well.
My point in a roundabout way was folks should consider the economics thereof when bidding on these units. I believe there is a financial tipping point on surplus generators. If I were to use my personal MEP-803A as a data point, the $2300 total initial acquisition cost is more bearable for use. Using my previous math of a 500 hour (probable 5 years of ownership use for somebody in a suburban / semi rural area running their home during outages) amortization + fuel costs, I'm looking at a per hour cost of ($2300/500 hours) or about $4.60/hr, and with diesel at a notional 3 dollars per gallon and the MEP burning 1 Gal/Hr for easy math, my running cost is right around $7.60 per hour, $182.40/Day, $5472/Month.
With the prices that these generators are demanding now, I'm wondering if it would be cheaper to buy a Harbor Freight gas powered unit, and run it to failure and just buy another. I would guess you could probably get a unit to last month long outage, and after month 1 of outage I would assume although one may not be able to acquire one locally, but could order through Amazon or Home Depot when weaknesses begin to show in the original unit and have it in hand in a few days.

I've derailed this thread incredibly (my fault!) but I'm glad to see the Cummins MEP-10XX series finally starting to hit the market and am glad folks are happy with them. Hopefully parts sales for them will catch up soon!

Im also very good at derailing threads... Oh look a squirrel

I think we both have valid points. But before I go more into that I will go eat some anti-squirrel snacks so we can stay on topic.


As for the 10 series, I agree the prices will go down as well, but maybe not and I am sure there are going to be some crazy electronics and electronics availability issues that we are going to have to solve once these things really start hitting the market.

Im happy with my 8 series units. I sought out some 0 series units to tinker with, that may change.

I love buying non-running units, especially because red coolant looks just like red diesel. Sure Ive gotten lemons but ive also gotten some nice low priced winners too.

 

[smokem joe]

I don't blame GP. I blame stupid people! The prices on some of the 400hz units were crazy. I'd say some are in for a surprise when they try to use them. GP is doing a better marketing job for sure. But even the ones listed as non runners bring more than I paid at GL. And there was a point where GL would at least try to turn them over. They would cause more problems by trying to turn locked engines, but they did try.

 

[jmenende]

Just got me a 1040. Looks new and I think I was lucky at 3500$ plus auction costs and taxes.

 

[smokem joe]

That is the cheapest I've seen anyone get one. Probably some others on here have done as good or better. I've seen 803s selling way higher than that lately

 

[jmenende]

That is the cheapest I've seen anyone get one. Probably some others on here have done as good or better. I've seen 803s selling way higher than that lately

Yes, i could not believe myself. They have been going for crazy money when the are located on the east coast. This one was in california so the lack of a hurricane season there saved me some cash. I am a bit worried about all the electronics in this unit but i will keep my fingers crossed. No im going to search for the manuals and all filters. Will report back.

 

[Guyfang]

The TM's are posted in the TM forum.

 

[Daybreak]

Yes, i could not believe myself. They have been going for crazy money when the are located on the east coast. This one was in california so the lack of a hurricane season there saved me some cash. I am a bit worried about all the electronics in this unit but i will keep my fingers crossed. No im going to search for the manuals and all filters. Will report back.

Howdy,
You found this post. You should find the others.

AMMPS MEP-1040 10KW Generator List of Part Numbers

AMMPS MEP-1040 10KW Generator Parts MEP-1040 10kw AMMPS Generator 6115-01-561-7455 YANMAR 3TNV84T-BMCU engine (3 cylinder turbo, 1.5L) Air filter Fleetguard AF26168, Napa 9168, Wix 49168, Baldwin RS5325, Donaldson P616641 Fuel/Water Separator Racor R15S, Napa 3433, Baldwin BF46019-O Oil...

www.steelsoldiers.com

Mep-1040/1041 ammps 10kw 6115-01-561-7455

MEP-1040/1041 AMMPS 10KW 6115-01-561-7455 (3rd generation generator) TM 9-6115-750-10 (operation) TM 9-6115-750-24&P (parts)

www.steelsoldiers.com

 

[csmitty]

Yes, i could not believe myself. They have been going for crazy money when the are located on the east coast. This one was in california so the lack of a hurricane season there saved me some cash. I am a bit worried about all the electronics in this unit but i will keep my fingers crossed. No im going to search for the manuals and all filters. Will report back.

I was looking at GP today and noticed a few 1040s. I guess they can't pull the hrs if they don't start them. However I was surprised to see more and looking at the sold history there have been quite a few. However, being in GA and with the season the SE has had, any decent gen will be $$$$.

Hell I gave myself a price point for a 1040 but then I keep thinking back I only paid $450 w/ fees for my 802A that didn't need much of anything, granted it had 2k hrs. Also the fact I haven't had to use it in a year. However I do yearn for an extra 5kw at almost the same fuel rate though. Then I could take a hot shower. But I digress. Given the current prices of 802s I could probably cut the cost of a 1040 down by quite a bit.

 

[jmenende]

I was looking at GP today and noticed a few 1040s. I guess they can't pull the hrs if they don't start them. However I was surprised to see more and looking at the sold history there have been quite a few. However, being in GA and with the season the SE has had, any decent gen will be $$$$.

Hell I gave myself a price point for a 1040 but then I keep thinking back I only paid $450 w/ fees for my 802A that didn't need much of anything, granted it had 2k hrs. Also the fact I haven't had to use it in a year. However I do yearn for an extra 5kw at almost the same fuel rate though. Then I could take a hot shower. But I digress. Given the current prices of 802s I could probably cut the cost of a 1040 down by quite a bit.

Sell the 803 and bite the bullet. The fuel savings on the 1040 make it a no brainer. Hurry, hurricane season ends in a month.

 

[dav5]

Sell the 803 and bite the bullet. The fuel savings on the 1040 make it a no brainer. Hurry, hurricane season ends in a month.

Good idea until you realize there are very few parts available for the 1040.

 

[Ray70]

Personally I can feel myself regressing backwards lately.... I've probably had 80-90 machines over the last 5 years and had everything from 5 hour units to 4000 hour units. Units that fire right up and those with seized engines. Each time I get a really nice one I say "I'm keeping it for myself...." then someone comes along and waves cash in my face and it becomes theirs.
With all the "Improvements" from the 002/003 to 802/803 now the 1000 series.... I think I actually prefer the simplicity and reliability of the 002/003's
In an emergency situation, all the fancy electronic "nicety" items may not actually be your best friend long-term!

Granted the air cooled's are louder and not as fuel efficient, but I have plenty of HHO and enough space where sound isn't an issue.
Some day when prices become reasonable ( and Kurt develops his own replacement display panels ) then I might start buying and selling the 1000's , but for my own unit I think I'll keep it simple.

 

[Light in the Dark]

My 002 is going to a high school friend this weekend. Its not pretty, and the hours aren't low... but its always worked. Not my first, hopefully not my last. Its nice having an air cooled backup set.

 

[Chainbreaker]

Its kind of a similar path that autos/trucks are on... I can work on my Cummins 5.9L PU Truck but the latest vehicles are a plumbing & electronics nightmare under the hood if you don't have the proper analyzers and specialized tools. My wife's 2016 VWAG 3.0 TDI looks like a refinery under the hood! The state-of-the-art stuff is truly great until it malfunctions and you are left scratching your head as where to start and where do I buy the special diagnostic tools & parts required to troubleshoot, recalibrate & repair it.

The alternative to "DIY" in the 2020 automotive world is to just call a tow truck to let the Dealer$ handle the repair$. The generator comparative would be to buy the latest state-of-the-art commercial Generator and let the Dealer'$ service dept handle any repair$ that arise sooner or later. But what's the fun & where's economy in doing that!

As for the MEP-002a/003a's... their fairly simple air/oil-cooled design being based off a derivative of the civilian Onan engine provides some parts commonality which helps parts availability. The somewhat complex 3-phase optioned AC Reconnect box can be gutted and updated with fairly inexpensive off the shelf 120/240 generator AC controller module if one doesn't require 3-phase. So... I think I'm gonna put mine in my will as they will outlive me!

 

[Guyfang]

Been saying that all along.

 

[jmenende]

Personally I can feel myself regressing backwards lately.... I've probably had 80-90 machines over the last 5 years and had everything from 5 hour units to 4000 hour units. Units that fire right up and those with seized engines. Each time I get a really nice one I say "I'm keeping it for myself...." then someone comes along and waves cash in my face and it becomes theirs.
With all the "Improvements" from the 002/003 to 802/803 now the 1000 series.... I think I actually prefer the simplicity and reliability of the 002/003's
In an emergency situation, all the fancy electronic "nicety" items may not actually be your best friend long-term!

Granted the air cooled's are louder and not as fuel efficient, but I have plenty of HHO and enough space where sound isn't an issue.
Some day when prices become reasonable ( and Kurt develops his own replacement display panels ) then I might start buying and selling the 1000's , but for my own unit I think I'll keep it simple.

I reluctantly agree with you. The simpler the better but im already in love with the 1040 till she lets me down and ill kick her out.

 

[jmenende]

Its kind of a similar path that autos/trucks are on... I can work on my Cummins 5.9L PU Truck but the latest vehicles are a plumbing & electronics nightmare under the hood if you don't have the proper analyzers and specialized tools. My wife's 2016 VWAG 3.0 TDI looks like a refinery under the hood! The state-of-the-art stuff is truly great until it malfunctions and you are left scratching your head as where to start and where do I buy the special diagnostic tools & parts required to troubleshoot, recalibrate & repair it.

The alternative to "DIY" in the 2020 automotive world is to just call a tow truck to let the Dealer$ handle the repair$. The generator comparative would be to buy the latest state-of-the-art commercial Generator and let the Dealer'$ service dept handle any repair$ that arise sooner or later. But what's the fun & where's economy in doing that!

As for the MEP-002a/003a's... their fairly simple air/oil-cooled design being based off a derivative of the civilian Onan engine provides some parts commonality which helps parts availability. The somewhat complex 3-phase optioned AC Reconnect box can be gutted and updated with fairly inexpensive off the shelf 120/240 generator AC controller module if one doesn't require 3-phase. So... I think I'm gonna put mine in my will as they will outlive me!

What ac modules have you used with these units? Ive used mcpherson avr's with success in 805b.

 

[Chainbreaker]

What ac modules have you used with these units? Ive used mcpherson avr's with success in 805b.

I haven't actually installed an AVR in any of my MEP-002's...yet. I followed the conversion of one SS member here using a Newage Stamford AVR SX460 module. That's my plan though if any of my AC Reconnection boxes fail since their parts are getting harder to come by (transformers, etc.). With transplant surgery of the AVR SX460 they should hopefully live a longer life.

Looks to be a fairly straight forward conversion for anyone needing to replace the functionality of their AC reconnection box when only using 120/240 AC in a MEP-002a/-003a. Not sure where else it might possibly be retrofitted in other MEP's.

 

[jmenende]

I was looking at GP today and noticed a few 1040s. I guess they can't pull the hrs if they don't start them. However I was surprised to see more and looking at the sold history there have been quite a few. However, being in GA and with the season the SE has had, any decent gen will be $$$$.

Hell I gave myself a price point for a 1040 but then I keep thinking back I only paid $450 w/ fees for my 802A that didn't need much of anything, granted it had 2k hrs. Also the fact I haven't had to use it in a year. However I do yearn for an extra 5kw at almost the same fuel rate though. Then I could take a hot shower. But I digress. Given the current prices of 802s I could probably cut the cost of a 1040 down by quite a bit.

Actually when I was browsing the manual I noticed a schematic that had an hour counter. I started looking for it in my genset and found it has an analog hour counter hidden under the control panel. Just need to open the front door and look up and its there.

 

[jmenende]

Looks like I have the my first problem with my mep 1040 and it came during a small power outtage. Will report back.

 

[jmenende]

After a 24 hour outtage, my mep 1040 performed flawlessly. Im amazed at the fuel efficiency. When I turned it off, DISASTER! Mind you, after you turn off the unit, it triggers a 10 min countdown before the screen powers off. The genset stopped and the screen went black but the backlighting was on. I almost dropped to my knees and cried. I though the computer had died. After a few minutes I remembered a boot loop that happened with an 805b that was caused by low battery power. The unit had been running for 24 hours so those batteries must be 100% charged right, wrong. After checking, one of the optimas d51 was sulfated (according to my battery charger) and would not hold the charge. What a sigh of relief. Got a new battery and voila, started right up.