Predator gennys?

As much as I’ve crapped on non Honda/Yami generators in the past, with the now plethora of “Tier 2” generators, there is or should be a good value with some of them.
That said if one is saavy, it’s worth looking at a used Honda/Yami in comparison still I believe.

nickthehunter wrote:

theoldwizard1 wrote:
…2 persons required to get it in the bed of a pickup.

possibly true for you, not necessarily true for everyone else. Most people could lift 100 lbs off the floor, but not get it over their head. Your thinking of it as an all or nothing proposition. I tend to think of how to make things easier. What if you was lifting 100 lbs, but only had to get it part way to your knees - twice. What do you need to lift it halfway to your tailgate the first lift, and then complete the lift up to the tailgate the second lift - a simple box, stool, milk carton, etc.? I have r or 5 folding stools around the house of various sizes, each rated at least 300 lbs.

That's how I load my Honda EU3000. First onto a sawhorse, then up into the bed.

Neighbor has a set of ramps from Harbor Freight. He puts in a compartment in 5er.

A few anecdotes:

1. Honda 2000 has run several A/C units we've tried with it, at least at lower elevations. All with ECO mode ON.

2. A Champion 2000 would not run the same unit the Hondas did.

3. A pair of brand new Yamaha 2000's would not start my uncle's A/C unit while on ECO mode, despite the running load being quite low. You could switch to ECO once the A/C was running but it would not restart once it cycled off. This defeats the purpose of ECO mode.

Your mileage may vary but it would take a lot for me to leave Honda. They've earned their reputation.

I have a comment to make about Westinghouse generators,

A few weeks ago i replaced the Recoil pull starter on a IGen2200 , the rope was fine, the engagement fingers broke, on this model they are plastic ? Or maybe black Polycarbonate, first time i ever saw engagement fingers that were not metal,
Getting to the mechanism required disassembly, the side cover where the pull rope handle is located is screwed on from the inside of the case, remove front control panel , remove both half's of the case , remove the gas tank because its held by the case , remove the inverter its in front of the recoil,
Several of the case screws were seized making this a very difficult disassembly,
The gas tank is not bolted down, it has tabs/ears that ride on/in spots on each half of the case making reassembly alignment a touchy feely frustration!

It runs very well, is very quiet

Cautions do not just yank the pull start, pull out slow & easy until you feel it engage, then give the needed tug for starting ,
Do not treat the pull start like it is a weed wacker or chain saw,
Purchase a spare Recoil starter and keep it nearby,
Its a good generator except for the ridiculous puzzle solving needed to service it. The wiring harness has some not used connectors , that most likely goto only the 2500 model like the digital Guage on the control panel, make note so you don't freak out on reassembly

Based on what I've seen on YouTube, buy the extended warranty. That being said, I don't have a standalone generator. Also, they are a bit louder than a Honda or Yamaha, but they do cost less.

Yes, off brand gennys work and many of them work fine. But like anything, the devil is in the details. And it’s a tradeoff what you want for the certainty of durability, ease of repair ( or any repair at all) and the certainty of making as much or more power as it’s rated for.
Honda wins, Yamaha close second, everything else = 10 variable versions of 3rd place with a dash or a dose of luck involved.

wnjj wrote:
A few anecdotes:

1. Honda 2000 has run several A/C units we've tried with it, at least at lower elevations. All with ECO mode ON.

2. A Champion 2000 would not run the same unit the Hondas did.

3. A pair of brand new Yamaha 2000's would not start my uncle's A/C unit while on ECO mode, despite the running load being quite low. You could switch to ECO once the A/C was running but it would not restart once it cycled off. This defeats the purpose of ECO mode.

Your mileage may vary but it would take a lot for me to leave Honda. They've earned their reputation.

You do realize eco mode is like eco boost? It’s only eco until you need the power. But I’m only speaking for Hondas. Haven’t had enough Yamahas to say.
But the likely hundreds of Hondas (at work) just plain work all the time day in day out and their ratings are conservative.
Only times I ve experienced Hondas not working is if they get completely submerged, bad/old gas, low oil shutdown or stolen. The last one being the biggest reason your saw at the other end of the cord don’t work, because it’s driving away in the back of a tweakermobile.

As far as cost goes, no one wants a 10 year old china bomb 2k generator for more than $100 maybe.
Everyone will pay $7-800 for an old Honda that is low hours and good shape and $4-500 if it looks beat up, because it still runs.
Hondas don’t cost any more if you consider residual value.

I finally figured out the generator name to power relationship. The model number is the peak power rating and the continuous power rating is 400 watts lower on the average.
Example: Honda EU2000 has a 1600 watt continuous rating. My new in the box Champion 1800 has a 1400 watt rating (bought for paralleling).
After further study, I’ve learned that when two different rated inverter generators are paralleled, the bigger generator is limited to the lesser generator’s output. They try to equalize the load. While the bigger one tries to pull its half the load at higher values, the lesser one will shut down from overload, causing the remaining one to also shut down.
I.e., when paralleling a 3600 and a 2000 watt continuous rated generators, you’ll only get 4000 watts output. Hence the manufacturers ALL stating you should use the same make and model when paralleling (aside from selling THIER product).

My SIL used Predator 3500 for a several years, just sold it for $400 and had several people wanting it at that price. He used it at a primitive camp and shared the power with a friend’s camper. With proper location, you could forget it was running. He had a toy hauler at the time so he could run it up the ramp, if desired, for hauling. He’s a big guy and had no trouble lifting it into the truck. Me, forget it. 105# & bulky, IIRC.