On Board Generator

[ziptie-ducktape]

Any suggestions to the best on board generator
I was looking Honeywell portable any suggestions?

[frank_f]

Most folks seem to like the Honda EU2000ia (as far as portable is concerned) . Quiet so you don't disturb your neighbours and very miserly on fuel.

[capngeo]

I've had the Honeywell and the Honda..... the Honda wins hands down!

[ziptie-ducktape]

yes I guess It should not be a price Honda is twice the price, u get what u pay for!

[chadlaroche]

depends on what part of the world your in.... here in florida we have a tool company/store called "northern tool" they have knockoff replica of the Honda EU2000 for 299$ US . its rated at 1750 watts not 200 though.Size casing etc are the same

[frank_f]

I think what concerns everybody is the noise that portable generators make.

This noise is mainly from the exhaust pipe and if you could put a SS pipe extension on the exhaust that was long enough to discharge underwater, most of the noise problem would be solved.

You would have to add a vacuum break at the top of the extension to stop any water from drawing back into the cylinders.

This way you could use pretty much any generator you wanted and I can't see the SS extension, vacuum breaker and a small piece of SS flex pipe to connect the motor to the extension as being too expensive.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by capngeo

I've had the Honeywell and the Honda..... the Honda wins hands down!

Would be a help for you to say why. Both have similar specs including noise level (neither being all that loud).

[capngeo]

My Honda can sit running in the cockpit while we are sitting there eating and we do not have to raise our voices over it to be heard

[capngeo]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Would be a help for you to say why. Both have similar specs including noise level (neither being all that loud).

The Honda has at LEAST 3x the hours of the Honeywell. The Honda is still making electricity and the Honeywell has been in generator heaven for a year now

[syoder]

After sitting for months at a time unused, our Honda still starts on the first pull. If it doesn't, it's because I forgot to set the choke.

[Khagan1227]

I think you'll find Honda no longer has the market cornered on the quiet and reliable generators. There are several generators out there that are just as good, quieter and use less fuel.

Yamaha, Craftsman are a few of the smaller portables that are recommended by Consumer Reports.

Kohler has become the standard for the very large generators, 6KW and up.

A look at grainger.com in the U.S. can give you a list of many different generators and their specs.

[foggysail]

My first generator was a cheapy 1KW Generac. What a mistake. Noisy, noisy and prone to failure.

I purchased a Honda 1KW years ago after the Generac failed..........25 year ago??? I used that on my sailboat for battery charging. I also use it for general low energy applications. The thing still starts on the first pull AND IT NEVER REALLY HAD LOVE AND CARE ATTENTION.

Honda should be considered. Now I do have a comment on the old Generac or something close to that spelling. It failed once on me, I forgot what the problem was because it was so long ago. Don't remember if it was a diac or a triac but it was some type of semiconductor that I had to replace. What I found stunned me!!!

The part I replaced needed to be soldered to the generator wiring. The heat from my iron quickly melted the insulation. It most likely was thermal class 105, solderable, polyurethane.

THAT IS JUNK for a generator, a motor or for that matter most applications. That wire should have been at least 200 (degrees C) such as polyester/amide imide or amide-imide and better if doubled insulated. Soon after, the entire generator went belly up when I let somebody borrow it. That initiated my Honda purchase.

Think about it for a minute. If one overloads a machine with low temperature, low scuff resistance wire, the wire will have great risk to short circuit because of internal heat build up. AND IT ONLY TAKES ONE SHORTED TURN to RUIN a generator. The cost of everything else in that generator seemed well thought out but not the generator's internal wiring.

Words of wisdom from an earlier post.........."you get what you pay for!"

Foggy

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by frank_f

Most folks seem to like the Honda EU2000ia (as far as portable is concerned) . Quiet so you don't disturb your neighbours and very miserly on fuel.

The Honda generators are indeed a good deal but you are kidding yourself if you think the noise doesn't impact neighbors. The darn things make a very irritating noise.

[Sailmonkey]

I thought the Honda and the Honeywell were the same in the Db department also, but take a detailed look at their sound measureing methods. If i remember correctly the honda was measured at full load @ 3' while the honeywell was measured @ 50% load @ 15'.......or something along those lines. A huge difference real world!!

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by chadlaroche

...."Northern Tool" they have knockoff replica of the Honda EU2000 for 299$ US . its rated at 1750 watts not 200 though.Size casing etc are the same

I seriously doubt they are comparable.