Panda gen sets
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Panda gen sets
Does anyone have any experience with Panda gen sets?I`m looking into the 4kw model, it seems to be very small and lightweight. The only issue I have with it is it sits in a fiberglass case and the top lifts off so that you can service it. I don`t know if there`s enough height in the engine compartment to lift the cover off. I wanted to mount it on the starboard side next to the engine. Also don`t know if there is anything on the engine I have to get to on that side. Engines are 6bta`s. Are there any other locations to mount the gen set? Thanks in advance Russ
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In Memory of Vicroy
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2340
- Joined: Jun 29th, '06, 09:19
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
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In Memory of Vicroy
- Senior Member
- Posts: 2340
- Joined: Jun 29th, '06, 09:19
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
3600 rpm, unbalanced, vibrate like crazy, LOUD, parts fall off, Farryman service is terrible, raw water cooled (salt water in the block, no HE), did I mention LOUD? I had one, not assembled by Panda, but the same set up with the same engine. You can I.D. the dreaded Farrymann by the dome shaped valve cover and the slanted starter that is top mounted, i.e. with its butt up at an angle.
Other than that, very fine units........Mine lasted a year before it shook itself to scrap. Like having a LOUD lawnmower in your bilge, and every time a load hit it, like the a/c compressor going on, it went into HYPER-LOUD and usually shed a few parts.
Go with something with a Kubota engine, pref. 2 or 3 cyl, 1800 rpm, you will never regret it. I have a 6.5 KW Phasor 1800 rpm with a 3 cyl Kubota outboard of my port 6BTA 250 with lots of room to spare.
UV
Other than that, very fine units........Mine lasted a year before it shook itself to scrap. Like having a LOUD lawnmower in your bilge, and every time a load hit it, like the a/c compressor going on, it went into HYPER-LOUD and usually shed a few parts.
Go with something with a Kubota engine, pref. 2 or 3 cyl, 1800 rpm, you will never regret it. I have a 6.5 KW Phasor 1800 rpm with a 3 cyl Kubota outboard of my port 6BTA 250 with lots of room to spare.
UV
Listen to UV I went and test ran a used 3kw Norpro with the Farymann engine. The exhaust without a muffler was quieter than the engine, it was loud..... REALLY LOUD. If the Panda has that type engine, the enclosure would have to be made of lead to keep it quiet.
Ended up buying a 6kw Northern Lights, 3 cylinder 1800 rpm. I know of a few of these units with over 5000 hours on them. Plus good local service.....sold me.
Do yourself a favor go find a friend with one and listen. Some guys have been able to build enclosures and keep them liveable. We decided not to have to work that hard with the Norpro. Maybe Panda does some intake magic and gets them quieter.
Ended up buying a 6kw Northern Lights, 3 cylinder 1800 rpm. I know of a few of these units with over 5000 hours on them. Plus good local service.....sold me.
Do yourself a favor go find a friend with one and listen. Some guys have been able to build enclosures and keep them liveable. We decided not to have to work that hard with the Norpro. Maybe Panda does some intake magic and gets them quieter.
KR
JP
1977 RLDT "CHIMERA"
JP
1977 RLDT "CHIMERA"
Thanks guys I`m really going to check into this.I was at monmouth marine, a Panda distributor and he told me it runs at 500 decibles or as loud as him and I were talking. Hey JP hows your project going at carvers ? I haven`t seen you there in a while! Are you going in the garage or are you staying outside? I have a lot of glass work to be done and was going to see if Chris was going to put me inside. Don`t know what his schedule is. I think John on hms hound is still in there. Thanks again Russ
Russ,
We've got the inside ground down, engine beds out and the old strut pads removed along with rudders and all the deck supports. The forward bulkhead looks like its in good enough shape to sister to, however the rear engine "room" bulkhead was a rip out.
We spent about 10 hours discing out the hull so now she's basically a shell with the fuel tank in place. The new strut pads will go in on Sunday (nice warm day 60ish they say) and then we can start with the rudder shelf, cockpit gutter across the back and kill box in the transom.
Chris will redo the engine beds and bulkheads along with the exhaust layout when the engines go back in. (he's done so many of these things it only makes sense to let his crew do it) Don't know when he plans to do the work, I'm sure not till after he's done with haulouts some time in December. In the meantime we'll just do what we can, there's plenty of work.
Got the Northern Lights from Herman at Ocean Power on rte 35 real easy to deal with. Talk with him he's or his son.
We've got the inside ground down, engine beds out and the old strut pads removed along with rudders and all the deck supports. The forward bulkhead looks like its in good enough shape to sister to, however the rear engine "room" bulkhead was a rip out.
We spent about 10 hours discing out the hull so now she's basically a shell with the fuel tank in place. The new strut pads will go in on Sunday (nice warm day 60ish they say) and then we can start with the rudder shelf, cockpit gutter across the back and kill box in the transom.
Chris will redo the engine beds and bulkheads along with the exhaust layout when the engines go back in. (he's done so many of these things it only makes sense to let his crew do it) Don't know when he plans to do the work, I'm sure not till after he's done with haulouts some time in December. In the meantime we'll just do what we can, there's plenty of work.
Got the Northern Lights from Herman at Ocean Power on rte 35 real easy to deal with. Talk with him he's or his son.
KR
JP
1977 RLDT "CHIMERA"
JP
1977 RLDT "CHIMERA"
At one time the bad comments on the Farryman diesel were true, but things have changed.
The engine is not a bad engine. The salt water cooling made it a bad engine.
But the Panda gensets are freshwater cooled now and the generator housing is freshwater cooled allowing a bigger gen set in a smaller package. Their smallest is a 4.2 and claims to start a 16 and 12k ac unit at the same time.
I heard them run at the Lauderdale show and they are as quiet as anything on the market.
The one thing I wasn't crazy about was the double row of capacitors bolted to the side. I didn't have a chance to ask whether they were filter or load start caps. They are brushless gensets with a magnetic rotor.
I don't know about longevity since I don't really see that many of them.
If you trust your dealer, ask him about warrantee claims vs hours used and if they have any over 2 years in the field.
The engine is not a bad engine. The salt water cooling made it a bad engine.
But the Panda gensets are freshwater cooled now and the generator housing is freshwater cooled allowing a bigger gen set in a smaller package. Their smallest is a 4.2 and claims to start a 16 and 12k ac unit at the same time.
I heard them run at the Lauderdale show and they are as quiet as anything on the market.
The one thing I wasn't crazy about was the double row of capacitors bolted to the side. I didn't have a chance to ask whether they were filter or load start caps. They are brushless gensets with a magnetic rotor.
I don't know about longevity since I don't really see that many of them.
If you trust your dealer, ask him about warrantee claims vs hours used and if they have any over 2 years in the field.
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Capt. Mike Holmes
- Senior Member
- Posts: 610
- Joined: Jun 29th, '06, 20:58
- Location: Freeport, Texas
- Contact:
Small gensets
The Farryman on my 4.3 kw Norpro runs great. It is loud, but I have it quited down to tolerable levels (can't hear it when the engines run, not too loud for sleeping or fishing with them off). It is smooth and vibration free when running, always fires right up. The Norpro is raw water cooled, but does have a stainless exhaust elbow. The water is more brackish where I keep my boat, or I'd rig a simple freshwater flush to clean it out after runs in saltier liquid. The single cylinder makes it smaller and lighter (barely 100 pounds), and easier to install outboard 6BTA's with side mounted raw water cooled aftecoolers. The main attraction for me was pricing - at the time, my boat budget was being stretched. The larger 2 and 3 cylinder gensets are undoubtedly quieter, should last longer, and if and when I replace mine, I'll probably go that route. The Panda is much quieter than my Norpro and as Bruce said, I'm pretty sure it and the small Westerbeke are freshwater cooled. I have a friend with a larger Panda on a trawler, and he likes it a lot. The thing about Panda is they are not cheap. If this is the genet I was looking at, a larger 2 cylinder set from Next Gen or Norpro would possibly be in the same price range.
"There is nothing quite so satisfying, as simply messing around in boats."
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ZeroCavity
- Senior Member
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Jul 10th, '06, 14:36
- Location: Naples, FL
Mase 4.0
I decided to go with the Mase 4.0. Slightly bigger and louder BUT less $$$.
http://www.masenorthamerica.com/Manuals ... 2004.0.pdf
Second link is a photo of my 31 but the guy is Mr.Cabrera
http://cabrerayachts.com/Bertram31_Engi ... tment5.htm
http://www.masenorthamerica.com/Manuals ... 2004.0.pdf
Second link is a photo of my 31 but the guy is Mr.Cabrera
http://cabrerayachts.com/Bertram31_Engi ... tment5.htm
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