Which one to keep MEP-016d or MEP-016b?

[Grove]

I purchased a few of the MEP series generators and I'm going to keep one for personal use. I have both an MEP-016d and an MEP-016b. They are both clean low hour units that work great.

I have a tractor with a loader so moving the larger sized "b" won't be an issue. Having a charging system on-board seems nice but the simplicity of the Yanmar is very attractive also.

Which one would you keep and why?

Grove

 

[Munchies]

Yanmar. Love that pull start. dead simple..

 

[Isaac-1]

That is a hard call, I have both also (well one is a MEP-701a (016b in ASK), it really depends on how you plan to use it. The 16D is dead simple no frills, and has a pull starter which is nice if you are not wanting to maintain a dedicated battery, but the 16B is going to be a bit stronger and probably capable of about 1KW more in the real world, the generator ends of these MEP-016 family units seems massively overbuilt, and I would say it is fair to call the 16B a 4.5+KW generator and the 16D a 3.5KW with the 16D being engine limited.

 

[ETN550]

The B is more heavy duty and will be much longer lived if ever needed to run for many hours on end. It's better in every way except size and portability and the electric start only. If I was not concerned about moving it and I was confident that I could either keep the battery up or be able to jump it then B hands down.

The D's are pretty old on the gen end and the control box is a mess inside. But their simplicity has some merit. The D has some issues with the conversion that need sorted out or eventually only the small top fuel tank will be working. However, the mods needed to make the fuel transfer reliable are not too hard to do and there are several options.

JMO

 

[dependable]

If you need a backup generator, maybe you should keep both.

 

[Grove]

I already have a propane Generac that is on an auto transfer switch and a pair of Honda EU2000i's so its really a backup to my other backups.....

Grove

 

[ETN550]

Unless that propane generac has a car engine in it then I would go for the 016B simply because the lawnmower engine based generacs and the EU2000's as nice as they are, and I really like them, won't give you the fuel economy or longevity that the 016B can. I always recommend diversity in the herd. Gives more flexibility and increases the odds of having the right tool for the job. Having more than one generator is the first step towards reliability and flexibility and you already have that part taken care of. 016B hands down.