slightly off topic generator question

The Original Ralph · September 2011

had a friend ask me about the honda eu2000 & eu3000 series generators last night as i run a couple gens and have experience with mechanicing on small engines

my initial urge was to respond what i'd assessed from casual observations, not having run either but since i saw a few folks here had them described in their signatures, i figured i'd ask for real world assessments.

Electrically, i have no doubts on their quality - the concern expressed was regarding longevity. I've always assumed they were great camping, short duration use gens with limited hours of total useful engine life.

can i ask, has anyone clocked many hours of operation on theirs??

I've checked honda's svc manuals, and oddly the eu2000/3000 series they don't show a recommended engine overhaul time or an expected service life. Most of their other engines show anywhere from 500 to 2500 expected operational life between overhauls.

tks in advancve

Cariboocoot · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

I probably hold the world's record there: Honda EU1000i with 6,000+ hours.
Total maintenance: oil changes every 50 hours, one spark plug.

It was prime power to begin with: ran 8-10 hours a day every day for 6 months of the year for two years. Then it was used to charge the batteries for two months while I waited for one missing part for the solar hook-up. Then it became the cloudy day charge source.

It's been replaced by a EU2000i in that capacity. Mainly because I had to buy the 2000 when the power went out at what was our main home and there was no back-up gen. Otherwise I'd probably still be using the 1000.

I do still use it; it's my tool power source when I'm working on things around the cabin. It smokes a little bit now and uses some oil, but it always starts, always runs, and so far has never even faltered. This at 3200 feet of elevation, so its output isn't exactly at specs either.

Cariboocoot · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

Thread I started some time back for people to share their generator experiences:
http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?t=9774

The Original Ralph · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

Cariboocoot wrote: »

Thread I started some time back for people to share their generator experiences:
http://forum.solar-electric.com/showthread.php?t=9774

tks - 6,000 hours is a ton, good to hear

one tip i'll share, in case some aren't aware - definitely change the oil every 25-50 hours of use. most of the gen mfgrs recommend 100 hrs between changes (after break-in) but on something that is working at close to it's rated capacity, the oil is taking the punishment via the heat generated.

just brought a makita gen home with a 11 hp wisconsin-robin engine and was a little surprised to see the mfgr's suggestion that the engine be overhauled at 200 hours. i sure hope that's a typo.

FWIW

BB. · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

I believe the Honda eu family generators use a Honda motor that is really intended to be thrown away at the end of life (I tell people 1,000-2,000 hours if taken care of).

If I recall correctly, one person here tried to overall a eu2000i engine and was not very happy with the results.

-Bill

Cariboocoot · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

BB. wrote: »

I believe the Honda eu family generators use a Honda motor that is really intended to be thrown away at the end of life (I tell people 1,000-2,000 hours if taken care of).

If I recall correctly, one person here tried to overall a eu2000i engine and was not very happy with the results.

-Bill

Well it's a good thing I haven't tried to overhaul mine then, eh?

The Original Ralph · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

i had assumed much lower life span, so i'm glad i asked. It was the market application that had caused that assumption, that and the plastic suitcase style housing.

example, friend of mine, a retired engineer from Reynolds metals (alum foundry). Talking one day about Poulan chain saws, it turned out poulan had had reynolds design the cylinder mold & choose the alloy. One of the specifications Poulan had detailed in the bid request was that the cylinder had to have a 50 hour mean time before failure.

i thought about that and it dawned on me, it was a homeowner market targeted chainsaw and the average homeowner might use it 3-5 hours a year, so a 10 year life expectancy would seem a lot to the homeowner user.

Cariboocoot · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

Which is why you can buy Poulan around here for about $100, and my new Stihl cost $EGAD!
Btw, I have two ancient Poulans that could still work if you could get the parts for them, so not all of them are bad (Canadian joke: "Poulan" is French for "butter knife").

I used to work for Emerson Electric, which at one point owned Poulan. They owned a lot of companies back then, including Weedeater. As a result they built a lot of products that were sold under other brand names, including Sears. One of the things I learned was that does not mean the "house brand" is the same as the "name brand" even though made by the same company and appearing to be the same model as often times the product is adjusted to meet retailer's "needs" (i.e. profit margin).

The Original Ralph · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

Cariboocoot wrote: »

Which is why you can buy Poulan around here for about $100, and my new Stihl cost $EGAD!
Btw, I have two ancient Poulans that could still work if you could get the parts for them, so not all of them are bad (Canadian joke: "Poulan" is French for "butter knife").

I used to work for Emerson Electric, which at one point owned Poulan. They owned a lot of companies back then, including Weedeater. As a result they built a lot of products that were sold under other brand names, including Sears. One of the things I learned was that does not mean the "house brand" is the same as the "name brand" even though made by the same company and appearing to be the same model as often times the product is adjusted to meet retailer's "needs" (i.e. profit margin).

used to own quite a few apartments and had a heckuva great appliance repair tech (always looked like he had just come out of the woods on the way to a trappers association get-to-gether) - anyway he showed me one time, the only difference between sear's kenmore top of the line washer and the same model made by and branded by whirlpool, was the kenmore version didn't have as heavy harmonic balancer on the tub and less sound padding at the bottom - i know about "private labeling" by the major mfgrs. i'm in mfgring myself.

as for canadian jokes, i know about them as well - have a camp in nova scotia that is still running 110V incoming svc panel - hell, they just pulled the party phone lines down a few years back.

bmet · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

Thanks for the insight. Right tool for the right job. It's why my Air Force screwdrivers cost $400. Have had them 15 years, and they don't wear, crack, or change colors.

The Original Ralph wrote: »

i thought about that and it dawned on me, it was a homeowner market targeted chainsaw and the average homeowner might use it 3-5 hours a year, so a 10 year life expectancy would seem a lot to the homeowner user.

SirSparks · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

Cariboocoot wrote: »

I probably hold the world's record there: Honda EU1000i with 6,000+ hours.
Total maintenance: oil changes every 50 hours, one spark plug.

It was prime power to begin with: ran 8-10 hours a day every day for 6 months of the year for two years. Then it was used to charge the batteries for two months while I waited for one missing part for the solar hook-up. Then it became the cloudy day charge source.

It's been replaced by a EU2000i in that capacity. Mainly because I had to buy the 2000 when the power went out at what was our main home and there was no back-up gen. Otherwise I'd probably still be using the 1000.

I do still use it; it's my tool power source when I'm working on things around the cabin. It smokes a little bit now and uses some oil, but it always starts, always runs, and so far has never even faltered. This at 3200 feet of elevation, so its output isn't exactly at specs either.

That is incredible! I purhased a Champion 2Kw. Inverter Gen from Sam's Club for $550 which has a 3 year extended warranty. Max continuous load 1,800W allegeed run time 9.5 hours at 1/4 load and full (1gallon) tank.

I am test running it today (even though I have shore power available) on one 525 watt Air Conditioner and switched to economy. (T/stat duty cycle is about 95%)

All I can say so far is it is VERY quite and not working at all hard.
I will give toal KWhr produced for this 1 gallon and time run at end of test. (Probably tomnorrow).

SirSparks · September 2011

Re: slightly off topic generator question

Here are my test results for the Champion (allowing for one pint stiil left in bottom of previously 100% empty tank); Total run time 9 hrs 15 mins, total generated 3.85 Kw. Average yield 416 watts per hour.

danran · March 2

Cariboocoot said:

Re: slightly off topic generator question

I probably hold the world's record there: Honda EU1000i with 6,000+ hours.
Total maintenance: oil changes every 50 hours, one spark plug.

That's pretty good. I'm on my second one at 4000+ hours. Though it can only charge the batteries at about 500watts now so I'm about to replace with an EU2200i. Hopefully I'll get at least the same mileage out of that one.

I believe the Honda eu family generators use a Honda motor that is really intended to be thrown away at the end of life (I tell people 1,000-2,000 hours if taken care of).

If I recall correctly, one person here tried to overall a eu2000i engine and was not very happy with the results.

-Bill

I agree. Although I might try to get this one rebuilt since it is still under warranty. My first one needed an overhaul at about 2000 hours and it was never quite the same. Only lasted another maybe 500 after that.

I purhased a Champion 2Kw. Inverter Gen from Sam's Club for $550 which has a 3 year extended warranty. Max continuous load 1,800W allegeed run time 9.5 hours at 1/4 load and full (1gallon) tank.

I am test running it today (even though I have shore power available) on one 525 watt Air Conditioner and switched to economy. (T/stat duty cycle is about 95%)

All I can say so far is it is VERY quite and not working at all hard.
I will give toal KWhr produced for this 1 gallon and time run at end of test. (Probably tomnorrow).

I guess you never posted the efficiency. I've considered buying cheaper generators but I suspect they don't even come close to the hondas for either efficiency or longevity and I need it to run 10-15 hours per day in the winter.

BB. · March 2

Welcome to the forum Danran.

The Hondas are not cheap these days... And living in California--Apparently someone ticked off a California CARB (California Air Resources Board) person--And No small Honda gensets have been available for sale in California for the last few years (don't meet "SMOG" requirements--One dealer told me).

I don't use gasoline engine devices very much these days--But the Honda Lawn Mower engine and EU2000i I have--They have always started. And the Lawn Mower was was poorly maintained for a couple decades.

The smaller eu2x000 and eu1000i (as I recall) both have a small internal fuel pump. You can buy or convert a fuel cap to have a dip tube that runs over to a 5 gallon gas can and it will draw fuel out of the external tank (into the main tank). Very handy for extended run times (more than the 4-10 hours typical for eu1/2xxxi family internal tanks).

https://www.amazon.com/honda-eu2000i-fuel-tank/s?k=honda+eu2000i+fuel+tank

The eu3000 and larger gensets, They do not have a "sealed" fuel cap/tank so you have to do some more "surgery" to connect an external tank.

Champion gensets have also some good reports from a couple experienced users here too.

More or less, what I suggest is that if your gensets loads are 50% or less of rated capacity--The "inverter-generators" can really save a lot of fuel. If your loads are variable (power tools, occasional battery charging, running the home from gensets)--These can use much less fuel, and because they run at lower RPM at partial loads, these inverter-generators can be much quieter.

If you run >50% of loading (battery Bulk and some Absorb charging is a good load example of a load that can run for "hours at a time"), then an inverter-genset will not be saving much (if any) fuel vs a "standard" Genset.

-Bill

slightly off topic generator question

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