Mastervolt Whisper Power 3.5kw

[lyleh]

Looking at possibly installing a Mastervolt Whisper Power 3.5kw generator. I'm looking for anyone who has had one of these or has done repair work on them to try to determine if it is a good product (reliability, service) etc.

[traver02]

Hi,
I have the same installed. It was installed in 2007 and I bought the sailboat in 2010. I have used it for less than 20 hours. it is a serious, well built and affordable equipment.
Fuel consumption is less than 1 liter/hour.
I purchased a repair kit containing some spare parts.....but never used it.

the remote control panel gives you a lot of informations.

[lyleh]

Thanks. How do you find the noise level?

[traver02]

my Mastervolt is located close to the engine.
as all diesel engine it is a little more noisy in the first couple of minutes after cranking (automatic from remote panel).

the noise is acceptable. all the noise come from the exhaust, the cabinet itself is well insulated....no vibrations.
I cannot say you can forget it while it is running, but it is not noisy. when just sailing every noise is disturbing your cruise....except wind and sea....
I cannot be more specific (consider that I am very sensible to noises.....)

[lyleh]

Thank you for the replies. It has been difficult to get information on this unit. Doesn't seem to be many of them in North America

[lyleh]

What kind of sailboat is it installed in?

[traver02]

Hi lyleh,
I understand why no informations.
.
Mastervolt is no longer the owner of the Whisper generator line.
the brand now is produced and sold by whisperpower. some models as before.

we have a Wauquiez Centurion 47 year 1991.

[lyleh]

Nice boat. I am looking at installing it in a 1994 Hunter Passage 42. My concerns are service availability, noise level, and output. I want to be able to charge my batteries and heat the hot water tank at the same time so 3.5 kw seems to be the minimum that would work. It would be installed in the main engine compartment which is fairly well insulated. Thanks for you input.

[CarlF]

While I don't know much about these, two general observations for most gensets when picking your size unit:

Lower speed gensets (1600-1800 rpm) are much quieter than the 3000+ rpm units.

Genset should not be run at less than 20% nor more than 80% claimed output for long periods of time. On the low output side they get too cool and have carbon problems. Some manufacturers are quite optimistic when advertising the capacity.

Carl

[Rick R]

An excellent generator test report

Marine Generator Test - Victron Energy

[scoobert]

get water mufflers. my yacht has one on the main, and one on the generator.
i cant hear ANY exhaust noise. i just hear the water being sprayed out.

[Dockhead]

This is just my opinion, so take it for what it's worth.

But I would never dream of putting this type of generator on any boat of mine.

That's powered by a single-cylinder, air-cooled Kubota engine -- this one: Kubota OC60 - Kubota Model OC60 Diesel Engines - OC Series Engine

That's a light-duty rototiller engine, not designed for continuous or heavy use and with greatly inferior thermal control without water cooling.

In this generator, it screams its lungs -- or rather, its one lung -- out at its redline of 3600 RPM. How long do you think a light-duty air-cooled engine operated at redline will last?

Generators on boats are one of the most troublesome items there are, which can really spoil a cruise when they act up. In my humble opinion, a marine generator should be as absolutely dead simple as possible, heavy duty, understressed, made to run continuously for years without problems. So they should be the opposite in philosophy from these and from the similar, and notorious, Fischer-Panda generators.

I would strongly urge you to consider a heavy duty three-cylinder, direct drive, low-speed genset if you can possibly find the space for it. Yes, it will be bulkier, heavier, and more expensive, but it will pay for itself in spades by not ruining your cruises.

The main brands are Onan/Cummins, Kohler, and Northern Lights. Of these, I think there is a general consensus that the Northern Lights are the best, the Rolls-Royce of generators.

All of these have 3-cylinder, fresh water cooled, diesel engines operated at 1500 or 1800 RPM, less than half of their redline in other applications. Directly driving the oversized generator head so there are no belts or gears to give you any trouble. They produce much less noise and vibration than high speed gensets, particularly one-lungers, and the tone of the sound is more pleasant and melodious since they are operating in a low-stress regime, rather than pushed to their limits at redline.

Northern Lights makes a small one -- 4.5kW -- which is an absolute beauty. Without a question that's what I would install if I were in the market for a genset.

[scoobert]

Its aircooled? Lol lol lol
Dont bother

[nautic a]

The MasterVolt Whisper 3.5 IS NOT AIR COOLED! It is oil cooled. I have had one of these in my Tayana 37 Pilothouse for 4 years now and has been nothing but great. It is small and quiet. It has a Kubota engine which I like. MasterVolt generators are now made under the name WhisperPower and are available throughout the US and are serviced by most any generator service company. I have found parts through WhisperPower USA at 888-423-2664. To each their own though, I like my Whisper 3.5. I do agree though, lower RPM's = longer life. WhisperPower does make a 1800 RPM generator line if so desire. http://www.whisperpower.com/product/...1_S84_P85_D31/

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by nautic a

The MasterVolt Whisper 3.5 IS NOT AIR COOLED! It is oil cooled. I have had one of these in my Tayana 37 Pilothouse for 4 years now and has been nothing but great. It is small and quiet. It has a Kubota engine which I like. MasterVolt generators are now made under the name WhisperPower and are available throughout the US and are serviced by most any generator service company. I have found parts through WhisperPower USA at 888-423-2664. To each their own though, I like my Whisper 3.5. I do agree though, lower RPM's = longer life. WhisperPower does make a 1800 RPM generator line if so desire. http://www.whisperpower.com/product/...1_S84_P85_D31/

Volkswagen Beetles were also "oil cooled", meaning they had a little oil cooler in the air blower stream. Most people call that air cooled.