The Internet has become more than a place where we can send email, chat and browse websites. It has become one massive marketplace where you will find virtually anything you need to buy. It has certainly become a preferred shopping venue of many that even big ticket items like pre-owned cars and homes are being sold through it. Well, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that even power generators are big business in the online arena.
There is one fundamental limitation to buying low-noise power generators online— you can’t really hear how quiet or silent the unit is until you actually run the unit right in front of you. Yes, most of them do come with decibel noise rating in their spec sheets but for most people, it is still better to see and hear it first hand before deciding on a purchase. After all, many of us don’t really know how to interpret decibel ratings as there are variables that need to be considered (distance, location, etc.; See our little Generator Noise Guide for more information on this).
One good option for those who would like to buy a silent generator online but would like some reassurance on whether or not the noise of the generator unit is truly well below their noise threshold requirement is to look for Youtube videos of it.
Below is a sample video from Youtube featuring the Honda EU3000iS which I featured in a previous article:
Looking at Youtube videos of the generator units that you are considering can help you gauge how the noise output will be like in actual use. Of course, you have to keep in mind that the videos themselves may not convey the noise level accurately because the recording may have performed amplification or even noise reduction. The Youtube videos should serve only as guide and an option if you are too lazy to go out there and see an actual unit at a dealer’s store and prefer to go the online buying route.