Originally Posted by shrapnel
You can always go cheap and get a portable generator that you can plug a toaster and a floor lamp into and think you are golden. It really doesn't take long to tire of a pathetic band aid like that.

Just get a good 10,000 watt or bigger and have it professionally wired into your house with propane or natural gas and you won't feel the need to pull up your baseboard and start a fire with it in the living room because you thought a small portable generator was enough....

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Budget is an issue. My 9200watt running ( 11,500 start up) takes care of everything in the house. Yes, I have more steps than a stand alone, and the NG source would be nice but I only lose power maybe twice a year. I'll deal with what I got.