A surprise deal on a great generator!

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Well, I got the generator and it was a complete surprise - even to me.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I bought the Honda EU2000i instead of the Yamaha because of one thing... THE PRICE!!!&nbsp; </p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Say what???</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Yep, I was blown away by the price.&nbsp;&nbsp;A lot of people have reviewed both and mentioned that the price on the Honda was pretty high compared to the Yamaha...&nbsp; I would have been happy with either one but here is where I lucked out today.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">All of the Honda dealers that I checked in Iowa had the same suggested retail sticker price:&nbsp; $1,149.&nbsp; Nobody seemed willing to budge from that price... except for one dealer - a dealer fifteen minutes from where I live!</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I went to City Tractor in North Liberty, Iowa and bought a brand new <b><em>Honda</em></b> <em><b>EU2000i&nbsp;for $998.00 plus tax</b>.</em>&nbsp; The total was $1057.88.&nbsp; The Yamaha would have been $989.10 at Amazon&nbsp;-&nbsp;the best price I could find.&nbsp; Based on the fuel economy and the high number of five star reviews, it was a no brainer.&nbsp; I knew this had to be the one.&nbsp; It was worth that extra $68 just for all the excellent reviews.&nbsp; Incidentally, the company told me that they ship quite&nbsp;a large number of those EU2000I models out because they are sold so for much less than other dealers' units.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The generator started on the first pull.&nbsp; Ideally, you want to start it choked and with the Eco mode turned off so it can get a good healthy fast idle.&nbsp; There was a little noise at the higher engine speed but not bad at all.&nbsp;&nbsp;When switched&nbsp;to the Eco mode, it purred and sounded much like&nbsp;an 80s&nbsp;Honda moped engine&nbsp;idling.&nbsp; It was a soft, bassy sound that was very comfortable to the ear.&nbsp; Not to sound too corny, but I could literally sleep next to it in a hammock - it's that quiet.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I had looked at many machines and almost ordered the Yamaha (which would have been a great choice, too).&nbsp; But it was worth a few more bucks to&nbsp;buy the Honda locally and get to try it out first.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">One last note... The dealer stressed the importance of changing the oil at the twenty hour mark and every 100 hours after that.&nbsp; More frequently would not hurt a thing, either.&nbsp; Keeping the oil as clean as possible helps seals and moving parts&nbsp;last longer too.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I've read stories of Hondas going 4000 to 9000 hours with no problem.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[Kisatchieman]

Good for you VT. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the Honda. Mine is almost 2 years old and runs like brandnew. From experience I have a couple of suggestions for your genny:<BR><BR>1. Always keep fresh gas in it or use&nbsp;a fuel stabilizer to keep the gas from going bad. I left untreated gas in mine for&nbsp;only a couple of months recently&nbsp;and the genny was hard to start and when it did start it idled roughly and surged up and down. Mentioned my problem on&nbsp;a rv forum and they suggested using Seafoam in the gas. Did that and it cleaned all the crud out of the carb. Now I&nbsp;treat gas for all my small engines with Seafoam.<BR><BR>2. If you run your genny for extended periods, like overnight to run an air conditioner, look into getting a extended run kit for it so you can use a larger external gas tank. This will save you having to get up in the middle of the night to refuel the tiny internal tank on the genny. I&nbsp;made my own kit by getting a special gas cap off ebay that replaces the original cap and has a fitting on top to attach a fuel hose (got it at NAPA), then add a small inline gas filter. Drop the end of the hose in a tank of gas and fire up the genny. The&nbsp;Honda creates a vacuum&nbsp;inside the internal tank that begins sucking gas thru the hose&nbsp;from the external tank.&nbsp;<BR>Anyway, good luck with the Honda.<BR>Starman&nbsp;<BR>

 

[akrvbob]

I've had a Honda 1000 for 5 years and it is one of the best made pieces of machinery ever made. I just sold it and bought a 2000. It is one of those rare things that as the years go on, you will not regret spending more for an item. You cry once when you buy it, then you smile every time you use it for many years and even decades. <br><br>Starman gave you great advice! The only thing I can add is to get an hour meter to help you keep track of the running time between oil changes. Unless you use it a lot, its easy to loose track of when to change the oil. There are some cheap and easy to install ones. Do a google search on "hour meter Honda 2000" and you will get lots of info. Bob<br><br>

 

[Kisatchieman]

Starman gave you great advice! The only thing I can add is to get an hour meter to help you keep track of the running time between oil changes. Unless you use it a lot, its easy to loose track of when to change the oil. There are some cheap and easy to install ones. Do a google search on "hour meter Honda 2000" and you will get lots of info. Bob&nbsp;

<br><br>Thanks Bob, Yeah the hour meter is a good idea. It would be hard to keep up&nbsp;with the hours without one. I bought&nbsp;a meter off ebay&nbsp;shortly after buying genny. I plug it into the extra 120v outlet.&nbsp; <br>

 

[sl1966]

Congrats VT!<div><br></div><div>Thanks for that review Bob! That was just the thing I was looking to read about it, now I know I'm going to get it.</div><div><br><br><br></div>

 

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">Thanks for the recommendation on the hours meter.&nbsp; I'll pull up Amazon and order one.&nbsp; The next stop is to go buy a strong bicycle cable to lock it up with.&nbsp; Granted, that won't stop someone with a bolt cutter, but it won't make it easier for him (or her)...</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">Brad</p><p style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/" target=_blank>http://vantrekker.blogspot.com/</a></p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[Robi]

<br /><br />2. If you run your genny for extended periods, like overnight to run an air conditioner, look into getting a extended run kit for it so you can use a larger external gas tank. This will save you having to get up in the middle of the night to refuel the tiny internal tank on the genny. I&nbsp;made my own kit by getting a special gas cap off ebay that replaces the original cap and has a fitting on top to attach a fuel hose (got it at NAPA), then add a small inline gas filter. Drop the end of the hose in a tank of gas and fire up the genny. The&nbsp;Honda creates a vacuum&nbsp;inside the internal tank that begins sucking gas thru the hose&nbsp;from the external tank.&nbsp;<br />Anyway, good luck with the Honda.<br />Starman&nbsp;<br />

<br /><br />WOW! &nbsp;I did not know you could do that! I'm going to recommend your suggestion to the little ol man at the slabs that has fallen several times while getting up in the wee hours to add gas to his generator during the hot summer months here. (Poor guy).<br />Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[lonerglide]

Check ebay for RAMSOND generators,, I bought a 3000watt with ele an pull start true sienwave inverter gen thats got a HONDA motor on it and has the same specs, is very quiet,, runs 16hrs at idle, 9 hrs at 50% power on 1.9 gal
It will run my 13.000 coleman roof a/c and everything else easy and the 3000watt model is 899.00 now,, I was lucky to pick mine up for 688.00 and they have 2000-1000watt units along with a 4000watt one if u need
The prices are great and they run honda engines!
There out of Detroit! And make inverters, solar panels as well as other ele power equipment,, check em out!
I should of bought 2!

 

[Zil]

Ramsond has some very bad reviews. Their engines are not honda, they are made in china.

 

[psytechguy]

I just did a some quick research on Ramsond:

There are numerous complaints from unhappy customers.

The company has an "F" rating with the BBB.

http://www.bbb.org/eastern-michigan.../ramsond-corp-in-west-bloomfield-mi-90007963/

Their generators (at least the small inverter type) are not UL approved.

They are rated for a low noise level, but users report they are very loud compared to Honda or Yamaha generators.

Made in Jiangbei, China, but the company operates out of Detroit.

So apparently the Chinese ARE producing various Honda knock-offs. I found a couple references to "Chondas" or Chinese Hondas, but I would seriously doubt there's been any licensing from Honda or that much parts compatibility exists between a "Chonda" and a real Honda.

Of course, you could always get lucky and get a good one, but I'll stick to Honda and Yamaha. Known parts availability and service counts for a lot.

 

[owl]

&nbsp;&nbsp; Kman or anyone else, what is seafoam and where do you get it ?

 

[bee]

Sea Foam is this magical liquid that makes all engines run better. &nbsp;Just as you might expect they bottle the foamy froth that collects in the ocean, The theory is the salt&nbsp;water mixed with various ocean pollutants&nbsp;has a detergent effect that&nbsp;cleans out the engine. &nbsp;It can be found in a white container in just about any store that sells automotive fluids(walmart/autozone). &nbsp;It is on the shelf with all the other additives like fuel injection cleaner, stop leak etc.

 

[Zil]

Sea foam.....salt water.....?? Get out of the mushrooms.<img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[lampliter]

It really is good stuff; just put in you gas tank.