Generator brands

aczlan · Mar 2, 2014

3930dave said:
You definitely have to know what you are on about, but in engineering terms it is relatively standard power control - the same situation comes up with grid-tied inverters for solar systems.
This thread has been flowing along well, but I wanted to be explicit (for a change ), as you never know who is reading along.... hate to see somebody trying to pair up 2 generic generators, and Let the Smoke Out of one or both !

Good point. The Champion kit to sync two inverter generators includes connectors to connect to both the power plug (20A of 120VAC) as well as the control port. Not something that I would recommend trying on a generator that wasn't designed for it.

Aaron Z

dragoneggs · Mar 2, 2014

I have the Honda EU3000is. Expensive, yes! Best by far generator ever owned or seen. A little heavy (134lbs) but by far the quietest. Definitely less noise than the EU2000i and three times bigger gas tank. Has auto eco-throttle for lower noise and gas consumption and powers up on electrical demand. I was considering two EU2000i because of weight advantage but the noise was the deciding factor. Whatever generator you get I suggest checking the noise out first, don't just read the dB specs. I also recommend you listen to the EU3000 before making your decision. It should be the last one you have to buy... at least for the purposes you are considering. I use mine for house power outage backup, camping, and remote use of electrical tools. If you are going to be lugging it around a lot, then the EU2000 or two depending on your power needs is slick too. They weigh about 45lbs each. But now you need a cord and have to maintain two units instead of one.

3930dave · Mar 2, 2014

sparc said:
The Ryobi is 2000w and sells for under $600, and can be paralleled just like the Honda's.

No one here has used or owns one?

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qZFCh27h4Tg

Hadn't seen those here yet, but can't say I've been looking. I never got into the Ryobi electric power tools, as they seemed (based on limited exposure) too light duty for my liking. I prefer larger/wider wheels on a generator, but the tradeoff here is the unit is relatively light - don't expect to use the wheels off-road. Fuel tank must be small, have a look at runtime estimates.

Being a house brand, I'd look at how long Home Depot has been into generators, and essentially the depth of their parts pipeline - ex. what does a carb kit cost for their oldest generator ?

One thing I like about a Briggs engine is the ready availabilty of parts, usually at a reasonable price.

Rgds, D.

hslogger · Mar 2, 2014

The only gripes from Honda owners are initial cost. If you go Honda motor and Honda generator you won't ever regret it in the end.
Second choice is some brand X generator with a HONDA, not knock off but HONDA engine. The copycat Honda engines don't meet my expectation

ThunderChuck86 · Mar 13, 2014

I got the EU2000i but gonna add another to the line.

Online retailers for generators:
Honda Generators Direct
Camping World
Wisesales

What about the 7000? I'd like to get one of them as well in May.

I have used one of the lower end Yamahas and they aren't too bad. I still prefer the Honda's for their lightweight and super quietness.

Don't buy the Champions. They suck lol. My father in law had one and it quit on him. It was the 4000 watt Champion.

mikehaugen · Mar 14, 2014

handirifle said:
Unless someone here has an idea that could be implemented fairly easy. I was just discussing with my wife, the fact that we would want to use it as an emergency unit for our home, but not sure how to get it down from the trailer. I could tow a small fork lift along with it I suppose :thumbsup:

It may or may not be practical for your uses, but what about a truck mounted crane? I've seen them that bolt to the bed or that go into the receiver. Of course it doesn't work when you are hooked to the camper.

But if you think you may be able to get help, say 75% of the time, it may not be bad.

handirifle · Mar 14, 2014

We are starting to lean towards 2 smaller parallel units. But I don't think we can afford hondas, unfortunately.

timswi · Mar 14, 2014

handirifle said:
We are starting to lean towards 2 smaller parallel units. But I don't think we can afford hondas, unfortunately.

I'll probably be able to let you know if the 2k Honda parallels are worth saving for this summer..Yup, expensive, but what I've asked around about and researched says they are worth it...I'll provide an unbiased review after I get and run them awhile.