B & S Inverter Generator vs Honda - advice?

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SoulRaven

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I'm on fence, ready to purchase (local) a 2200W Briggs & Stratton Inverter Generator.
Noise 58 db, compared to Honda which has no db rating listed that  I could find.

Any advice or known pitfalls regarding long term reliability in mechanical or fuel type issues on the B & S vs the Honda? 
What makes the B&S ~half the cost of the Honda?

I rarely stay in KOA type grounds. Not traveling to California so is not an issue, and I don't need it to run A/C or Electric heater at all.

I want the parallel ability of both, eventually need for planned homestead venture. For travels at this time, the size&weight is limiting factor so the 3KW & higher is not usable. 
I have already rented the Honda & it was good. Every Briggs & Stratton yard equipment I ever owned was great, but I've no experience with their generators.

Amazon listing -- B&S 2200W Generator w Inverter
compared to 
Honda listing -- Honda 2000W Generator Inverter
 
I just bought the Briggs & Stratton 2200W.
Thank you John, for helping me decide.
 
The problem with trying to compare decibel ratings is that there apparently is no industry standard for ratings.

The B&S says 59 db but it's at 7 m (22 ft) at 1/4 load which is not much load at all.

The Honda EU2000i tests out in this study at only slightly higher decibel ratings with a fairly heavy load on (1500W heater on max).

http://www.me.ua.edu/stal/Pages/PDF/HondaNoiseTests.pdf

Here's a decibel chart that helps to understand what the ratings are equal to.

http://www.me.ua.edu/stal/Pages/PDF/HondaNoiseTests.pdf

As to price, the Honda whisper quiet generators have been around for forever...one of my Honda 1000s is 13 years old and runs just as well as the year old one. They have the name recognition and the longevity which allows them to price their products accordingly.

Briggs and Stratton and a lot of the other vendors of generators are really new to the game. They've made generators for years but only recently hit the market with the quiet ones.
 
Almost There said:
Briggs and Stratton and a lot of the other vendors of generators are really new to the game. They've made generators for years but only recently hit the market with the quiet ones.

Nice db studies and I appreciate your feedback & time in sharing. Like my DeWalt wood saws & equip, always did like B&S equipment. Kinda stick with brands I've trusted over the years.
Where I typically go, I'm of little noise or disturbance to others. I already purchased B&S 2200W so it is a done deal. It was more for future needs.
 
Almost There said:
Briggs and Stratton and a lot of the other vendors of generators are really new to the game. They've made generators for years but only recently hit the market with the quiet ones.

Inverter generators are congenitally quiet. The question being posed is on reliability of the Honda (And I would include Yamaha in their league), vs. all the clones. In this case the OP is querying about Briggs & Stratton. Now, not getting into world economics, and corporate goals and greed, I would argue Briggs & Stratton are a long time player in the small engine game. And the arguably dominated this field in the States prior to Japan entering the market. 

So, what I'm trying to say is; I still have some faith in those companies of my youth, and Briggs has cut more lawns than God. Now, all this means zero if Briggs is licensing their trademark for a stipend.
 
SchortBus said:
Inverter generators are congenitally quiet. The question being posed is on reliability of the Honda (And I would include Yamaha in their league), vs. all the clones. In this case the OP is querying about Briggs & Stratton. Now, not getting into world economics, and corporate goals and greed, I would argue Briggs & Stratton are a long time player in the small engine game. And the arguably dominated this field in the States prior to Japan entering the market. 

So, what I'm trying to say is; I still have some faith in those companies of my youth, and Briggs has cut more lawns than God. Now, all this means zero if Briggs is licensing their trademark for a stipend.
:)  About 10 years ago, I gave my son my 45 year old heavy duty B&S lawn mower. Over in Calif, in Gardena near the old card parlours, was a little Lawnmower repair shop, which repaired and sold parts to B&S equipment. I kept up with maintenance and that mower is still mowing today 55 years old. Replaced a couple blades and a few spark plugs & ~5 pull cords. 

I guess my having had B&S, coloured my decisions toward B&S which was here long before Honda or Yamaha.
 
USACelt said:
Harbor Freight

Very good place too look as well/
Yeah! My last Harbor Freight trip, I think was in Long Beach or San Pedro, CA. Will check HF online, see what they still have. 
Spent many $'s there tho. Good place for machine tools & Drill Presses.
 
USACelt said:
Harbor Freight
2.5 gallon Shop Vac. I am ordering it now. 2.5 gal Shop Vac via Harbor Freight
Thanks for bringing up HF, I'd been missing a good vac on the road. Gonna store van maintenance stuff inside canister. 
1st review: [font=HarborFreightFont_bold]GREAT LITTLE SUCKER....... UPPER![/font]

I've a 10 gal Sears, it's way too big for travel.
 
USACelt said:
you can buy a NO questions asked replacement warranty as well

I did. I'm still stuck on HF site lookin around. Now I got a Wish List started, thank you very much for helping me spend $ :p
 
Not addressed to the OP, and besides the point anyway.

Among small-engine enthusiasts, consensus is that B&S today - for decades now really - is but a shadow of what it was, similar to Tecumseh.

Domestic manufacturing just couldn't match the high QC nor price of the asian makers, especially with the advent of OHV and quiet ultra portable inverter tech.

The battle now is between generic Chinese clones, which are getting better and better, and a couple global players charging more for the brand, mostly made in the same asian factories but (much) more stringent QC / QA processes in place, on par with the likes of Apple.

The US engine maker brands are likely outsourcing everything as well anyway, just a brand label over midrange Chinese parts, the stuff is so cheap to replace that the repair business is also fading fast.

But for someone just running a few hundred hours per year and looking for a cheap price, it doesn't really matter that much, the warrantee / replacement policy of the retail outlet is probably more important than the maker.
 
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