Generators - any advice?

[whiteman Member Find all posts View Profile Close whiteman]

I'm looking for a gennie for home blackouts - must be at least 2Kva as it has to run 3 fridges. And preferably a portable for camping. This brings the Honda EU20i (approx $1,900) into the mix along with the Engel 2000 (approx $1,200).

Any of you guys/gals used these or other gennies that you can recommend for home/camping? Strangely I didn't find anything on gennies in the site search.

[bevwone Member Find all posts View Profile Close bevwone]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Hello Whiteman,

I would suggest the Honda EU20i. Especially if you plan to use it in National Parks, I believe Honda generators are the only one allowed in National Parks as they are so quiet.

I was using one (EU20i) in a non-generator camping area once in the North Kimberlies (we were the only ones camping in the non-generator area. We did not need it running but we decided to stay an extra day so I put it on to give hte battery a rest)). A park ranger came passed (to check we had paid for the extra night as it turned out). I apologised for using the generator but explained we were the only ones here so I thought no one would complain. He told me he had not even heard it running. All he could hear was the generator from a tour bus about 150 metres away. The Honda was on the other side of the Prado from him, about 3 metres.

I dont know about the engel but we were getting 24 hours out of a tank of petrol from ours running 3 car fridges and lights at night. They adjust their revs to suit the output needed.

Bought ours from the generator place at http://www.generatorplace.com.au/.

No affiliation etc. Found them to have stock when no one else in Darwin did, and no one I spoke to would discount because they would sell out so quickly, but http://www.generatorplace.com.au/ took off $200 and through in cable, bag, extended 5 year warranty and free delivery. This couldn't be beaten anywhere else at the time.

Hope this helps.

Bev

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Re: Generators - any advice?

One word....Honda

[clifton Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close clifton]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Hi Whiteman,
I agree with D4D and bevwone's comments, I also used a Honda EU20i on my last big camping trip to the Kimberly and I would not go past a Honda invertor genset for powering modern fridges and electronics, my upside down Fischer and Pikal would not work with my old 2.5kVA capacitor excited genset, no problems with the Honda EU series make sure you do you home work and allow for the combined start currents on you domestic fridge and freezers when sizing your genset. Always start the largest power consumer first, once running and settled start the next unit and so on, here is some handy formulae http://www.dieselserviceandsupply.com/P ... x#kvatoamp

[longdog Member Find all posts View Profile Close longdog]

Re: Generators - any advice?

I have a Honda 20ui which we bought to cater for our frequent electricity blackouts mainly to run the household tank water pressure pump and iron! We've had a couple of early morning blackouts and going to work in a crumpled shirt and no shower is not amusing... It works fine on the pressure pump (about 1600 kva), haven't needed to test it on the iron since we got it. The reason I spent the extra $ for the inverter model was so we had the option of using it for camping as well although so far haven't been camping anywhere we wanted it.

[whiteman Member Find all posts View Profile Close whiteman]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Thanks all. I have yet to see the Engel in operation to see why it is $700 cheaper than the Honda. If it looks good I'll report back.

[leachy_9 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close leachy_9]

Re: Generators - any advice?

The difference in price is due to quality of the components used within the engine and the quaility of the output wave form. Both of these are going to be impossible to compare by visual examination.

Yamaha also make good qaulity generators, they are similarly priced to Honda.

Apart from the intial quality of the product Honda have an extensive network of service centres throughout Australia.

Leachy

[eerfree Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close eerfree]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Whiteman
I stand to be corrected but I think another difference Honda/Engel is that the Honda is an Inverter type Genny, if that makes a difference?

Bob

[Bankrupt Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bankrupt]

Re: Generators - any advice?

I haven't had much to do with generators but on my recent trip north we borrowed a Honda EX650 suitcase generator.

Wasn't overly powerful, but was enough to run my 80ltr Waeco and two 7amp Ctek's.

What I was surprised with was the whisper quiet operation. We shared a site at Wolf Crater with a fellow that had the new Honda EU20i and we were both surprised to see that the new unit was almost twice as noisy as the older, but smaller, unit.

Either way the EU20i was impressive for what it could do. I'd like to hear the EU10i though as we found that the power requirements we needed wouldn't generally justify the added noise of the larger unit.

I do like Honda's...they're the biggest motor manufaturer in the world...and I've had two Fireblade's and a car and they've never given any trouble. Might just be lucky...but I think it's fair to say you earn a reputation and Honda seems to have a fairly good one.

Good luck...hope this helps.

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Generators - any advice?

I have a Robin Subaru R1700 which will happily run most camping accessories. It will also run an electric drill, angle grinder, etc. It is pretty quiet and on econo mode will run the Engel for around 16hrs on one tank.

Downside is you will need around 2500 watts to run an electric kettle or toaster. Your Honda 2.0 will not be able to do this. This doesn't bother me as we usually boil the billy on the campfire and occasionally on the gas burner.

When in Canberra once in the old Jayco my missus wanted to run the 3500 watt heater as the temp dropped to around -2 degrees. We were out bush and she wasn't happy that the genny was unable to supply the power.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Kipor generators are apparently an exact replica of the Honda generators. Supposedly, they both come off the same production line. I guess the only real difference is branding, colour and warranty.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Re: Generators - any advice?

I have a 2.5kVA "Chonda", brand is irrelevant. It is fine for back up power when the mains supply goes down which is fairly common out here given the proximity between trees and powerlines. It is definately noisier than a genuine Honda as well as having the odd oil leak. It was wired back to front (Active and Neutral reversed!) so make sure you get it checked. It happily runs our water pump, fridge and freezer and gas on demand HWS. Always starts and is value for money. Make sure you start each appliance one at a time and start the next appliance once the first has stopped running/got to temperature. I would never take it camping (generators are banned where I usually go camping). But it was cheap and has worked satisfactorily for the half dozen times I have needed it. The generator came on a skid frame and I have put wheels on it so it can be pulled around the yard easily, the main water tank and pump are 35m away from the house. I have used the genny to provide electricity for a concrete mixer and other odds and sods from time to time around our place. These things are a cheap option for back up power but not a serious replacement for a quality brand name genset.

[johnsy79 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close johnsy79]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Bump.
My mate wants to buy a generator. I have a Honda EU20i and have not used it very much but very happy with it so far. Has anyone had anymore to do with the other brands such as Hyundai, Yamaha, etc etc. Something around 2-3kva.
Cheers Johnsy

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Now that I have solar panels I don't carry the genny anymore. I put a chainsaw into the spot previously occupied by the generator.

[rosco5 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rosco5]

Re: Generators - any advice?

Kit your prado out with a good deep cycle battery under the hood and go with the solar panels for camping so you don't have to carry a geneator and the problem with carrying extra unleaded fuel camping especially if you are driving a diesel. That's yet another jerry can to carry.

THEN........buy a Prius or some brand of Hybrid (there are quite a few out there now including Porsche) for your second car, and with a home conversion kit to run all your fridges, lights etc at home indefinitely if you get a blackout :-) I have read reports of up to 10KW average output. That's more than 5 x EU20i's. Hybrid will recharge by turning the engine on automatically only when the battery runs out.

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Toyota-Pri ... -Generator

Probelms solved and you get a new car :-)

If you still want a generator, buy Honda. Had one for years never failed but remember to start it regularly if it is not being used.

Rosco