Honda generators

[zxcvbob]

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Vaughn Simon]

Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.

Join the EU2000i Yahoo group
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Honda_EU2000_Generators/
and ask there where folks are buying lately. I have seen new EUs on e-bay, but
I am not quite brave enough to send that kind of money to a blind account and
get...what?

I own one, they are great products. I bought mine here: http://www.sunelec.com/
Give them a call and get a price. Let us know where you finally buy.


--
Vaughn

.........................................................
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..........................................................

Will poofread for food.

 

[Vaughn Simon]

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
same price-fixing attitude of honda.

I bought two 1000 watt Yamaha inverter generators for my employer (initially
chose Yamaha because they were a bit cheaper & fit within my corporate credit
card limit). They are wonderful jewels! Yamaha is every bit as good as Honda.

Vaughn

 

[dpb]

Vaughn Simon wrote:
....

Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.

....
And why should a company not be allowed to set whatever policies for
their dealers/products they wish?

Surely if this particular peccadillo of yours were particularly
user-belligerent it would be self-defeating and correct itself...

--

 

[AJH]

I bought two 1000 watt Yamaha inverter generators for my employer (initially
chose Yamaha because they were a bit cheaper & fit within my corporate credit
card limit). They are wonderful jewels! Yamaha is every bit as good as Honda.

Can they be run in parallel?

Z has given figures for Honda eu2000 life, I have had similar life for
a Honda engined generic genset, do you think Yamaha will be as long
lived?

Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?

AJH

 

[starrin]

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

Have these guys send you a catalog, or visit one of their stores if
you have one nearby
www2.northerntool.com/generators.htm
specs, etc will be in there

The reason, to me, that you want a Honda generator is that you want
the Honda engine. I have one of their Honda-powered Northstar
generators and it has proven reliable since 2000. Have run it for 8
days during Isabel with a tree on the house. Just used it when a tree
felled by remains of a storm took out power, phone, cable.
No problems, ever.
YMMV
starrin

 

[Stormin Mormon]

http://www.google.com/products?q=+Honda+EU2000i+&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en

No prices? Plenty listed on a google product search.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Stormin Mormon]

the one place that listed a price on Google search was about a thousand
dollars. I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call
around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current
administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.

 

[Tony Hwang]

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Thanks,
Bob

Hi,
I live in COLD climate. One thing about Honda, it is very easy to start
even in VERY cold weather. I never heard Honda engine dying after 500
hours of use. When I had camping trailer, I had small one which did it's
job beyond satisfaction.

 

[Stormin Mormon]

The (below) link does show some parallel kits. Also lighting kit, and tri
fuel so you can run LPG.

http://www.google.com/products?q=+Honda+EU2000i+&btnG=Search+Products&hl=en

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..




Can they be run in parallel?

Z has given figures for Honda eu2000 life, I have had similar life for
a Honda engined generic genset, do you think Yamaha will be as long
lived?

Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?

AJH

 

[Tony Hwang]

Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.

Join the EU2000i Yahoo group
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Honda_EU2000_Generators/
and ask there where folks are buying lately. I have seen new EUs on e-bay, but
I am not quite brave enough to send that kind of money to a blind account and
get...what?

I own one, they are great products. I bought mine here: http://www.sunelec.com/
Give them a call and get a price. Let us know where you finally buy.

Hi,
There are many dompanies doing that. Not only Honda.

 

[Vaughn Simon]

I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.

Apples and oranges. I could have bought several tents for the price of my
home.

Vaughn

 

[Vaughn Simon]

Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?

I have no direct experience, but this company
http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-gas-generators.com/ claims to be
factory-authorized to sell new/warrantied Yamaha generators pre-converted to LPG
or tri-fuel. They also sell kits.

Vaughn

 

[Cydrome Leader]

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
same price-fixing attitude of honda.

It is obnoxious to find honda stuff online, as they seem to not want their
dealers to sell outside their territory. For just plain engines, I like a
place called Helmuth Repair. They don't pull shipping price scams either.

What's better about the yamaha generators? Are these the ones with a blue
housing?

 

[zxcvbob]

I have no direct experience, but this company
http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-gas-generators.com/ claims to be
factory-authorized to sell new/warrantied Yamaha generators pre-converted to LPG
or tri-fuel. They also sell kits.

Vaughn

That tri-fuel model looks very interesting. I also like that it is
surge-rated to 6000W. It's heavier than I wanted... I'll have to think
about it. Thanks.

Bob

 

[zxcvbob]

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator
(most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
of the honda thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.

I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors,
refrigerator, TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during
an extended power outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the
same thing except a 8000 BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a
couple of hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that.
I think I could get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W
continuous power. I could certainly get by with it a lot better than I
could with no generator at all.

The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to
a job site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.

I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is
so reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been
living off a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how
fast it burns up the gasoline they had stored. One gas station just
opened up for business again a couple of days ago (all the other
stations are still closed because they don't have power) and you have to
wait for hours in line at the one Exxon station and hope they don't run
out before you get to the front of the line. We don't get hurricanes up
here, but we do get tornadoes and ice storms (usually not at the same time)

That's why the tri-fuel conversion looks mighty good.

Bob

 

[Vaughn Simon]

I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors, refrigerator,
TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during an extended power
outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the same thing except a 8000
BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.

If you expect that the EU will normally be loaded above 1000 watts, you will
get little benefit from the inverter technology. The really great thing about
the inverter units is that they modulate engine speed depending on load. Over
about 60% load (the EU 2000 is really only rated at 1600 watts) your EU will be
reving like any other generator, and you will have given up most of the reason
for all of that extra electronics, co$t, and complexity.

I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a couple of
hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that. I think I could
get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W continuous power. I could
certainly get by with it a lot better than I could with no generator at all.

You are thinking about load management...good!

The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to a job
site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.

True, but be sure to chain the thing down!

I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is so
reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been living off
a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how fast it burns up the
gasoline they had stored. One gas station just opened up for business again a
couple of days ago (all the other stations are still closed because they don't
have power) and you have to wait for hours in line

Yes. I live in hurricane country, and the above is why my generator runs on
natural gas with propane as a backup. Few folks think about the fuel
consumption of their generators. I have seen people buy generators and not even
bother to buy a gas can! At 1 gallon ($4.00) per hour, nearly $100/day (IF you
can find the gas at all), I am sure that there are many folks in Texas today who
would gladly pay MSRP for something like an EU2000i.

Vaughn

 

[zxcvbob]

If you expect that the EU will normally be loaded above 1000 watts, you will
get little benefit from the inverter technology. The really great thing about
the inverter units is that they modulate engine speed depending on load. Over
about 60% load (the EU 2000 is really only rated at 1600 watts) your EU will be
reving like any other generator, and you will have given up most of the reason
for all of that extra electronics, co$t, and complexity.

The refrigerator doesn't run all the time, it cycles on/off. And I
/might/ not have to run the A/C. Even running a few hundred fewer RPM's
for half the runtime has got to be easier on the engine. I expect it
will be running less than 1000W most of the time, but I wonder if it has
enough surge capacity (The Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and
it's rated 6000W for 3 seconds. I like that. It also weighs a lot
more; not sure if it can be shipped UPS Ground.)

I need to wait another couple of weeks for Texas to be powered-up again,
then start calling the generator dealers. Especially the ones in
Wisconsin because it's not so far/expensive to ship from there.

Bob

 

[m II]

The honda can last 15000 hours if run easy, RPM is load dependant so
at 100w it might only run 900 rpm, it also has as clean or cleaner
power then your utility co, alt.energy.homepower is where folks are
that have gotten 15000 hours, bull full load it and maybe you get
2-3000

That 15000 hours is more likely with a slow diesel or a water cooled gas
engine. I'd venture to say the Honda is more realistically rated at 2 to
3 thousand hours maximum, as compared to Briggs and Stratton's 500 hundred.




mike

 

[Vaughn Simon]

The refrigerator doesn't run all the time, it cycles on/off. And I /might/
not have to run the A/C. Even running a few hundred fewer RPM's for half the
runtime has got to be easier on the engine. I expect it will be running less
than 1000W most of the time, but I wonder if it has enough surge capacity (The
Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and it's rated 6000W for 3 seconds. I
like that. It also weighs a lot more; not sure if it can be shipped UPS
Ground.)

For what it is worth, I did some tests with a little 1000 watt Yamaha
inverter generator. It ran my big 'fridge with a few hundred watts left over
for computers and things. (In the defrost cycle however, it had to run full
blast with everything else disconnected.) I forget the exact results, but it
would run a normal refrigerator forever on a single gallon of gas. With that
unit, you could keep your food cold keep a few lights on & run your TV for the
evening on one gallon per day. It was so quiet that your neighbors would not
even know you had a generator. Amazing.

Vaughn