Honda generators

Do you mean "Other than CARB compliant,..."
 
Electric start, bigger engine, longer run time?
 
The more expensive one is MUCH lighter (smaller engine displacement and fuel capacity - about 50lbs lighter) and has the wheels for portability. Other than that, they're essentially the same.
 
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One has a 12V plug and the other one does not.
 
Honda makes a wheel kit for the cheaper one. Its almost a necessity if you're moving it around alone. I bought their older version of the cheaper one about 15 years ago, its quiet and works very well.
 
Honda makes a wheel kit for the cheaper one. Its almost a necessity if you're moving it around alone. I bought their older version of the cheaper one about 15 years ago, its quiet and works very well.

Was just going to post this:

81x8wvPTm6L._SX425_.jpg

2eu3000is2.jpg
 
I would go for the cheaper one, bigger engine, holds more gas, runs longer, 200 more watts, add the wheels if you want them.
 
Not sure if the 3000 units have regulated 12VDC, but the 2000 do not. I have one for boondock camping and the 12VDC is pretty much worthless. I run a decent 12V battery charger off the AC when needed.
But yeah, as noted above, bigger engine, 200 W more rated power, electric start on the cheaper one ... btw, both say CARB compliant in the specs, regardless of the more expensive one having it in the product title.
 
I wonder if the 55# (shipping) weight differential is a good thing or a bad thing for the more expensive one? Or does that just mean a lot of cheap plastic?

Harbor freight has what "looks" like a good deal on a "Honda Lookalike", for a lot less money. But I just don't trust HF quality for anything important.
 
Having owned and rented dozens of Honda generators in my former business, I can tell you the EU3000is, (the cheaper one) is a better generator. The more expensive one is lighter and slightly more compact. Those are the major differences. If you get the cheaper one, I highly recommend the wheel kit they sell for it to move it around like a wheel barrow. The handles are retractable, so they don't always stick out like that. It is the lower of the two pictures posted above. Like all Honda generators, it is a fantastic generator.
 
I wonder if the 55# (shipping) weight differential is a good thing or a bad thing for the more expensive one? Or does that just mean a lot of cheap plastic?

Harbor freight has what "looks" like a good deal on a "Honda Lookalike", for a lot less money. But I just don't trust HF quality for anything important.

I honestly can't say anything bad about the "Predator" brand of engines that HF sells. I replaced a 6.5HP horizontal shaft engine on a pressure washer with one of the Predator units (cost was right at $100), and it has fired up like a charm for several years. I think it runs better than the original B&S that was on it (which threw a rod). I don't know how their generators are built, but I wouldn't have a problem with the engine behind it.
 
The 3000 does have 12VDC @ 12A available on the front panel and also has “paralleling” connectors to parallel it up with a second 3000 for large loads.

I assume the 3000EU also has that parallel connector but don’t know.

I think the regular 3000 also has a little more baffling and runs a few dB quieter. In Eco mode (on demand RPM speed change) the 3000 can be nearly unnoticeable when not under big load.

I own a regular 3000 and the thing is awesome. Used it with the fifth wheel and when we sold the trailer I kept it. Best genset I’ve ever owned.

Peak *continuous* on both is slightly lower than the nameplate. Make sure you realize that’s how Honda rates things. I think the regular 3000 is 2500W continuous not 3000. 3000 peak. But don’t quote me on that. Look it up for yours and your load requirements.
 
A few things about generators...only use alcohol free gas as some of the components are from AA; also, the alcohol will capture water and cause rust. Run the generator regularly. I run mine on the morning of July fourth while I'm giving my guns their annual cleaning (even the ones I used and cleaned during the year). I add a few cups of gas and then run it dry. Mine is 15 years old and I've had to use it four times for power outages. It starts on a few pulls to get the gas to the carburetor.
 
The harbor freight units are the way to go, IMO. I’ve been seeing more and more of them in the campgrounds and they are just as quiet as my Yamaha or any Honda. All the owners I’ve talked to are pleased and love it. Can’t seem to beat it for the money.
 
The harbor freight units are the way to go, IMO. I’ve been seeing more and more of them in the campgrounds and they are just as quiet as my Yamaha or any Honda. All the owners I’ve talked to are pleased and love it. Can’t seem to beat it for the money.

The main downside I can think of for HF (applies to most HF items) is that if you need parts/repairs, it could be more problematic to find. Honda generator parts can be readily found, I don't know if that can be said about the HF or other off-brand units. That being said, for as cheap as the HF units are, you can probably buy a new HF if the old one crapped out and still come in cheaper than the single Honda.
 
The main downside I can think of for HF (applies to most HF items) is that if you need parts/repairs, it could be more problematic to find. Honda generator parts can be readily found, I don't know if that can be said about the HF or other off-brand units. That being said, for as cheap as the HF units are, you can probably buy a new HF if the old one crapped out and still come in cheaper than the single Honda.
That was part of my thinking. Except that I rarely use the generator except in emergencies, and I don't want to find it crapped out just when I need it. Hurricane season is coming up soon. I cranked up my old, loud, Home Depot special for a maintenance run the other day and immediately remembered why I want a quiet generator.

I like to crank it up every few months, even though I run it dry and add "Tru Fuel" stabilizer and run it again every few months. It worked find for years when I didn't need it. Last year, I finally needed it, but soon after cranking it up, I saw fuel dripping from the carburetor. It wasn't difficult to fix, after we got power back to the neighborhood. But by then, I didn't need it any more.
 
The main downside I can think of for HF (applies to most HF items) is that if you need parts/repairs, it could be more problematic to find. Honda generator parts can be readily found, I don't know if that can be said about the HF or other off-brand units. That being said, for as cheap as the HF units are, you can probably buy a new HF if the old one crapped out and still come in cheaper than the single Honda.

I have a 14 year old 'Champion' brand cheap **** from china generator. A couple of years ago, the carb went bad and it wouldn't maintain power. I thought, oh well, can't expect it to last forever for $299 from the car parts store. I figured let me see whether I can re-build the carb. So I look for numbers on the unit expecting some involved process to track down a rebuild kit. Instead I found a 1-800 number for Champion support right on the tank. Called the number and asked for a re-build kit. They told me that they didn't have that but that they could send me a complete carb for $21.80 shipped. Not even worth my time messing with the thing. Ordered a carb, bolted it on and the unit has been running well ever since.
 
I have a 14 year old 'Champion' brand cheap **** from china generator. A couple of years ago, the carb went bad and it wouldn't maintain power. I thought, oh well, can't expect it to last forever for $299 from the car parts store. I figured let me see whether I can re-build the carb. So I look for numbers on the unit expecting some involved process to track down a rebuild kit. Instead I found a 1-800 number for Champion support right on the tank. Called the number and asked for a re-build kit. They told me that they didn't have that but that they could send me a complete carb for $21.80 shipped. Not even worth my time messing with the thing. Ordered a carb, bolted it on and the unit has been running well ever since.

That's awesome. I wasn't meaning to imply that parts wouldn't be available for HF units, just that they could be problematic especially if something doesn't use an "off the shelf" part like a carb or rectifier (for generators). I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy an HF or off-brand generator, but I can't think of any time I'd really "rely" on it short of natural disaster which took out power for a week or longer. The only generator we have is a noisy unit that was used to run a pitching machine for ball practice close to two decades ago, lol. It came into necessary use for us is when OK had a nasty ice storm in 2007 that took out power for a week (closer to a month for extremely rural areas). I don't think it's been fired up in years, so I bet we'd have to have the carb replaced on it, too.
 
That's awesome. I wasn't meaning to imply that parts wouldn't be available for HF units, just that they could be problematic especially if something doesn't use an "off the shelf" part like a carb or rectifier (for generators). I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy an HF or off-brand generator, but I can't think of any time I'd really "rely" on it short of natural disaster which took out power for a week or longer.

If you want to rely on it, get a stationary backup generator from Generac Kohler etc. They run on natural gas / propane, go through a startup cycle once a week and throw a fault if there is something wrong.

If you dont want to blow that kind of coin, another option to get around the 'carb goes bad' issue is a portable that runs on propane. Costco has a 'Champion' Dual Fuel 7kW/9kW unit that runs on propane or gasoline. That way you can leave the tank/carb empty and do your regular tests on a cooking gas bottle. When the big ice-storm happens and you run out of bottled propane, it will run on gas you can siphon off your cars.

WinCo makes a similar unit that is 'TriFuel' and uses a Briggs&Stratton or Honda engine (a 'safer' bet from a parts perspective). If you have natural gas, you can have your plumber intall a tap for a gas grill and run it off that and you still have the option to use gasoline or Propane for portable applications.

Oh, and Hondas fail too. We have a couple of the Honda inverter units on the firetrucks. The other day we hooked up 2000W worth of floodlights to a 3000W Honda inverter unit, it bogged down and cut out immediately. All the small engines get fueled with 93 Octane non-ethanol gas and are run weekly during equipment checks. I anticipate that the repair will be more than $21.80.
 
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The whole-home units are nice if you have the coin and natural gas/propane to run it with (my parents are stuck with full electric). If they were in the market, I'd almost be more inclined to find a PTO-powered unit and just back up the 32HP Kubota to it, lol. I know that puppy fires up every time! You can get 15kW models for close to $2K. Not exactly the most efficient solution though.
 
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