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Which is better, a generator or an inverter?

A generator is essential for heavier loads like air conditioning but they do not run well with light loads (Prolonged running with light loads causes the cylinders to coke up)  Generators are noisy and expensive. Inverters are best for intermittent heavy loads or extended light loads. Prolonged running of heavy loads would be too big a drain on batteries. The ideal option is to have both a generator and an inverter.   Run the generator when you need some real power, run the inverter when you want to pop some popcorn.

People are afraid of inverters sometimes because of the power they draw, but you have to take it all in perspective.  A heavy load for 30 seconds to pop some popcorn isn't a huge number of amp hours out of your daily budget. Leaving your anchor light on all night uses much more power. An added advantage of many inverters is that they often incorporate heavy duty chargers.

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