Cheapest diesel generators on the planet?

[EagleSailTwo]

I stumbled over this site while surfing for wind generators. Check out these prices....are they for real??? Anybody ever heard of them, or know the quality??? http://www.duropower.com/index.asp?FID=14&level=1

[ssullivan]

RUN! Don't walk from "China Diesel" generators. You get what you pay for. Take it from me. I was the proud owner of a 5KW diesel genset made in China. It was a perfect looking copy of quality gensets with Yanmar engines. They copied the engine well on the outside. Problem is... they didn't quite get it right inside.

For $1000 or so, I got 120 hours before the thing threw a connecting rod.

To replace it, I got a Pramac S5500 diesel genset with real Yanmar engine. The difference is like night and day. This new one was made in Italy and runs and looks like a Ferrari compared to the China Diesel. Pramac has also been great with support. I had an issue where the RPM setting went out of whack. I called the support guy who returned my call while on vacation in China! No lie.

I had already fixed the problem with another technician over the phone, but talk about support... I've never had anyone call me while on vacation over seas to help me out with a problem I was having with their product.

The Pramac was 3x the cost of these cheap gensets. Doing the math, I would expect to get more than the 120 hours x 3 for 360 hours out of my Pramac. It's rated to go well in excess of 2000 hours and has parts you can find through any Yanmar shop.

Sorry.... you hit a very personal chord here!

Upon closer examination of the images in this website, I see this *IS* the genest I bought, but with a different label on the front. They just re-brand them through a bunch of different companies here in the US. RUN!

[EagleSailTwo]

Thanks for that warning, it's why I'm asking!

The price is tempting, but as you have experienced, and as I have also leaned too, you generally get only just what you payed for, buy cheap-get cheap

[Latitude9.5]

I have the 2000 watt silent gas generator from them, it's been friggin great so far, but i have not had it all that long. couldn't beat the price and so far havent had to use the 1 year warranty Cant vouch for the diesels though

Guess I should add that on the diesels, being much higher compression i could see where the knock-off would be crap. I figure the 4-stroker i'll just rebuild in a year if need be.

[Alan Wheeler]

The same factory that makes Yanmar parts also makes the Chinese knock offs. That's why they look the same. But the look is where the "same" stops. They knock off parts are made of inferior metals to make them so cheap. Alloy corrodes very very fast. The Steels are no where near as good a quality. Windings are light duty. They may say they are XKw, but in reality, it just isn't. However in saying all that. For a low use unit, they are OK. Sean was high usage and it didn't work out well for him. Plus I reckon you have a 50/50 chance of getting one that will crap out in double short time or have one that will run like a dream for years. I think it depends on the steel in the casting at the time ;-).
It really depends on you and your situation. For me, I can't afford 10-20K for an Onan or similar name unit. So my little $4K unit that actually cost me nothing (long story)is just sweet as. What I will do when it fails I don't know. Apart from cry maybe.

[never monday]

I wonder if the ship ear muffs with the generator?