(NAPSA)—Even after Hurricane Claudette’s lashing of the Texas Gulf Coast, the last thing on some peoples’ minds is preparing for disasters. For peace-ofmind in the face of hurricanes, thunderstorms and summer power outages, many homeowners, farmers/ranchers and small business owners chose an emergency power generator. While a stand-alone generator is what most people think of, there is a more economical move that provides added benefits in the long run: a welder/generator. These units use quality overhead-valve gas engines from Kohler, Onan and Honda, and they can cost up to $1,400 less than generator-only units. Further, they offer Stick, MIG and TIG welding outputs for repair, hobby or fabrication. To see what makes a welder/ generator strong and reliable, leading manufacturer Miller Electric Mfg. Co. created a special “Tough Inside” Web site—MillerWelds.com/tough—that features an interactive tour. Through September 15, anyone who completes the tour can enter to win one of the industry’s two most popular welder/generators, the Bobcat™ 250 NT or Trailblazer 301 G. Both units deliver 10,000 watts of generator power. John Leisner, a product man- ager for Miller Electric, says that finding a welding generator to buy during hurricane season is oftentimes easier than locating a standard generator-only unit. “Many hardware stores and big box retailers quickly run out of generators,” Leisner says. “Luckily, local welding supply distributors can serve as another source. In fact, welder/generators are the second-best-selling product for most distributors, so they have lots of them in stock. In addition, they’re often the first to receive emergency shipments from suppliers.” Leisner adds that it is important for people to keep in mind what their engine-driven welder/ generator needs to do before making a purchase. “When selecting a machine,” Leisner advises, “be sure that it can produce sufficient wattage to power your most critical equipment, such as pumps, freezers, air conditioners and furnace fans.” Most motor-powered equipment draws up to four times its normal power whenitis first turned on, so it’s important to check the equipments’ running and starting wattage before purchasing. To find out how much powerit takes to run typical home appliances, equipment and tools, and for other valuable resources, visit MillerWelds.com/products/genera tors. To locate your nearest source of welder/generators, call 1-800-4A-MILLER(800-426-4553) or visit the Website.
