Cummins12V98 wrote:
This is what you are up against with these cheap knock off generators when things go bad.
I would tend to agree with this, but, same issue does present it's self with the "big name" brands also..
Was involved in a recent thread of a Kohler powered twin cylinder generator with no compression.. extremely limited parts support or availability for that engine, pretty much every part was out of stock and "no longer available". Pretty much turned that built in gen into a $3K-$4K doorstop and useless dead weight on that MH..
Absolutely nothing "lasts forever" and that includes the big name brands.
When one buys a "off brand" at a deep discount, they do so with the understanding that to get that discount, the after sale parts supply and support is going to be nearly next to nothing and are betting the odds that it will last a long long time.. Long enough to justify the lower upfront price.
I have bet on the lower cost no name clone gens and so far one is going on 15yrs with only needing one new plug, cleaning the carb a couple of times and one fuel tank shut off valve. The other one is going on 3 yrs and no issues so far. So far have saved me several thousand dollars compared to the name brands, those gens owe me nothing and even if I need to replace them I still will have saved more than what it would have cost for the name brands..