The Engine Story
by Generac Portable Products

There are three basic levels of engines in the consumer market. We have separated these engines into three categories.

  1. Side Valve Engines are designed for short run applications like cutting grass. They are used occasionally, 1-4 times per month, for residential applications.
  2. OHV Engines are quieter engines that produce less emissions. They are designed for longer running times and have a longer expected engine life. They are used intermittently, 4-10 times per month, for residential or commercial applications.
  3. OHVI Engines are the quietest and most efficient engines in their class. They offer the longest run times available. They have the longest expected engine life and can be used daily on a commercial or rental basis.

Side Valve/OHV Engine Usage
Most people use their lawn mowers an average of 1 hour per week for approximately 6 months out of the year. Assuming each month contains 4 weeks calculate the following.

1 hr./week X 4 weeks/month =
4 hours/month

4 hrs./month X 6 months/year =
24 hours/year


Generac OHVI Engine Usage
Industrial users often run their pressure washers 5 days per week 8 hours per day all year round. That amounts to:

8 hrs./day X 5 days/week =
40 hrs./week

40 hrs./week X 52 weeks/year =
2080 hours/year
Side Valve Engines VS. OHVI Engines

Side valve (SV) - Overhead valve (OHV) engines have been around a long time. Originally, they were designed for short duty applications like cutting grass. To illustrate this, take a look at the following example on the right:

Given these statistics, a side valve engine will be used for approximately 240 hours after ten years, which is the average life expectancy of a lawn mower. By comparison, an OHVI engine will have reached 240 hours after only 6 weeks. That means that after only 6 weeks of use in an industrial application, a side valve engine will have already reached the end of its expected life. For industrial applications, the Generac OHVI engine is the longest running, longest life engine built.

We learned about the side valve/OHV lawn mower-type engine. As a result, Generac developed the Generac OHVI engine. Using modern manufacturing methods, new integrated, automated computer controlled production facilities, Generac builds the best OHVI engines at a price everyone can afford. Now professionals will pay less for advanced OHVI performance, and the average consumer will get tough professional quality at a very affordable price.

Generac OHVI Engines offer these advantages over the older side valve/OHV lawn mower-type engines:




 

Outlets

NEMA# L5-30R
30 Amp
1 - 120 VAC
 		NEMA# 5-20R Duplex
20 Amp
1 - 120 VAC
 		NEMA# L14-30R
30 Amp
1 - 120/240 VAC
 		NEMA# N/A Outlet Made by Generac
10 Amp
1 - 12 VDC