3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

[professor95]

professor95 wrote:
EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here.

In the eight year run of this thread we have amassed almost 10,000 postings and surpassed a million views. This creates somewhat of a dilemma for anyone who has just discovered the forum.

Since the amount of information is virtually overwhelming, I suggest you set your preferences for this thread to read "newest first" and then begin to page backwards.

What you will find in these pages is a wealth of info on virtually any make or model of Chinese manufactured synchronous (non-inverter) generator in the 3,000 watt performance class. Info will include how to rewire series coils to parallel to obtain maximum wattage from a single 120 volt outlet. Tips on further reducing sound levels, how to care for these generators, which ones are "RV ready" and provide the best overall performance for the dollar invested. Which companies NOT to deal with, where the best prices are, how to safely wire the generator into a home or RV, how to check your RV for electrical faults, sources for generator accessories, which 20/30 adapters are safe to use and which are not. How to convert a gasoline generator to propane or NG. This is only the beginning. The forum has a life of its own with the focus sub-topic switching frequently. Still, the main topic of utilizing the amazing, inexpensive Chinese gensets is always there. The amount of creativity and innovation presented in these pages is indicative of the talents shared in the diverse backgrounds of the folks who make up our combined RV community.

Many of the original brands and models of Chinese gensets mentioned in the introduction and early pages of the thread have since disappeared. New EPA and CARB emissions requirements, company bonds assuring the emissions warranty will be honored even if the company goes out of business, and fierce competition in the industry have changed the playing field. Champion Power Equipment has become the apparent "trophy team" providing an ever expanding retail outlet, an ample parts supply, a strong warranty and excellent customer service. CPE has continued to improve their product and now offers a new model (#46538) with exclusive convenience, safety and performance features aimed at the RV market. Big names like Cummins/Onan, Honda and Generac all now have Chinese built open frame synchronous gensets available. Ironically, the prices often found on these gensets has not significantly changed during the past eight years - even with the devaluation of the American Dollar and new EPA/CARB requirements.

I also encourage you to use the search function and even the advanced search options to find information. Key works such as "rewiring", "PowerPro", "Champion", "Onan Homesite", "Duropower", "ETQ", "Jiung Dong or JD", "Tractor Supply", "Costco", "Lowe's" and "Home Depot" are all examples of keywords that will give you specific information on different models being sold by retailers today.

Or, you can fill your glass with your favorite beverage (keep more close by - maybe some munchies as well :D, sit back at your computer, tell your wife (or significant other) that you will see her in the morning and spend the next 10 or so hours reading through the postings.

No one on the forum gets mad if you ask a question that is a repeat. Please do not hesitate to post to the forum. All questions are considered important and those active on the forum will do their best to respond with a valid answer.

Also note we are not out to knock the Honda, Yamaha, Kipor or other brands of high end digital gensets. We recognize the quality of these products and their suitability for quite, efficient RV use. But, there is a flood of reliable, inexpensive and comparatively lower cost gensets coming out of China that are excellent alternative choices for the RVer wanting power to run an air conditioner, microwave, etc. without excessive noise or breaking the budget.

Oh, one last thing. The folks on this forum are true gentlemen. We do not flame one another or the product discussed - period. Ugly contributors usually have their comments and remarks ignored by our masses. It is not a forum to start arguments to obtain a clear win. We do disagree on many issues, but we have all agreed to do that in a respectable manner.

We now have the introduction of more and more inverter gensets. There is a rather extensive thread named "The Official Unofficial Champion 2000i Generator" on this forum. Today, I added info on the new Champion 3100i inverter genset. Discussion on this product may get moved to its own thread at a later date.

Many have looked upon this thread with distain saying Chinese is cheap and doomed to failure. I remember saying exactly the same thing about Japanese products a few decades back. But, over the past eight years the track record for Chinese built generators has shown otherwise.

Please, join us in a fascinating journey down the Chinese built genset road of knowledge.

This is the question I posted that got it all started back in March 2005.......

Randy

For a little over a month now, I have been somewhat intrigued by the availability of a 3000 watt, 6.5 HP generator at Pep Boys and Northern Tool for under $300.00. The engine on this generator looks identical to a Honda 6.5 HP OHV engine. Knowing that the Chinese have become very adept at “cloning” reputable technologies from other manufacturers, I was not surprised at the similarities. Neither store could give me any information on the generator nor did they have a “running” display model.

I have done a little research. This is what I have discovered:

Many of these generators are imported by ELIM International (www.eliminternational.com) out of Buffalo, New York from Jiung Manufacturing in China. (The unit at Northern is identical but carries the JIUNG name.)

The engines are indeed a Chinese knockoff of the popular 6.5 HP 196cc Honda Engine. “Supposedly” Honda has licensed the engine technology to the Chinese manufacturer of the product.

The Chinese company that makes the ELM3000 generators is a rather large, diverse, long-standing company with a reputation for “above average quality” Chinese made products (Jiung Manufacturing). There are many more Chinese companies making almost identical gensets.

The generators at PepBoys do have a six month limited warranty. But, it is only on the engine (not the generator) and requires paying for shipping to and from Buffalo. Probably not a very practical thing to do if you have warranty issues.

ELIM does supply replacement parts (a PDF parts manual is available on the ELIM web site). No prices are given for replacement parts nor is there an “availability listing”.

The generator head itself is a brushless design. The only really significant wear parts in the generator are the bearings – most likely universally available.

The published dB rating is 67 at 23 feet. This is “reasonably” quite for a generator of this size as most comparabl.... The 67 dB rating is the same as Honda gives their 3000 watt CycloInverter with a “look alike” eng...

[professor95]

I am on Harbour Freight's mailing list. I just looked at the flyer that I received in the mail Saturday. They now carry a generator that looks identical to my ELM3000, but it has their trade name of Chicago Electric on it. Harbour Freight has numerous stores as well as mail order. There is one in Richmond. So, I guess we have another source for the Chinese genset. HF's price is $329.00, but I would not be surprised to see them on sale any time. Remember, ELIM is an importer who puts their name on the Chinese product. There are other importers who do the same.

You can check ELIM's web site at www.eliminternational.com for photos, specs, manuals, parts list and warranty - even a picture of the Jung Dong plant in China where they are made.

[sniffid]

kabb,

You can buy it at Pep Boys.

[kabb]

Hey professor,

I sure appreciate your posts and research. If I can find an ELM3000 in SOCAL I'll buy it. I was wondering, would it be worth it to make a five sided cube that is well insulated to cover the generator when it is running to reduce the noise? One would have to make cut outs for cables and make a steel exhaust pipe. Maybe egg create or fiberglass?

-Bob

[professor95]

Hello Pete,

So you have an ELM3000? For the $$$$, it is a really nice unit. The more I play with it, the more I like it. It got warm here today (70 beautiful degrees!)- warm enough to start the AC in the Prowler. The ELM3000 handled it effortlessly.

The way the manufacturer wired the stators on the ELM3000 is ideal for us RV users. All you need to do is turn both circuit breaters on (up) and flip the power selector switch to 110 volts. ALL available power the generator can provide is then supplied to the household type duplex outlet on the front of the genset.

For others who may have been following this thread and reading this reply, I put the ELM3000 in my garden trailer behind my lawn tractor and hauled it up to the TT. I left it in the garden trailer and plugged the 30A power cord into the generator via a "dogbone adapter". The generator was about 15 feet to the back left corner of the trailer - out in the open. Once inside with the doors closed, the sound of the generator was very soft and definately not objectionable (to me, anyway). Normal sound from the TV completely covered the generator sound. By all pratical standards, it is a pretty quite little unit, provided you do not have it betwen two RV's and pointed at your neighabor 10' away.

[TubaPete]

This is new to me. My first post in fact, so please bear with me if I goof up.

Several posts have talked about getting the full 3000 watts on the ELM 3000 through one receptacle to run to an RV cord. It sounds like this can be done. Other than having both switches set at 110V, is there any thing I need to do?

Like many others here, I bought one Sunday and am waiting for a chance to try it out.

Thanks,
Pete

[Dave_Clark]

But wouldn't it be nice to put two units facing each other in a way you could get them to cancel each other and have in effect Active Noise Reduction? Sorry.;)

So what is the bottom line on the Db comparison of the Chinese vs. Honda or Yamaha? Do we have yet a true apples to apples comparison?

[skills4lou]

Professor,
I stand corrected. After posting I did a little internet research to bak up my claim. I found this site which has excellent info on exactly what a dB is. Seems I was taught the wrong info back in college. Can't imagine how that happened! 🙂

[skills4lou]

0

[professor95]

Actually a 10 dB increase is more than double....

It works like this: A 1 dB increase is 26%. Let's take a random number, say, 100 "any things". Increase it by 26% and you ha... and it adds 26% of 126 - or 33 "any things" to 126. Add the two together and we have 159 "any thi..., or 26% and we add 41 to our 159 "any things" for a total of 200 "any things". Thus a +3 dB increase equals double the sound level. If you keep working the math you will see that a 10 dB increase is actually TEN TIMES LOUDER.

Soooo.... a generator rated at 67 dB compared to one rated at 57 dB is not twice as loud, it is ten times as loud! (wow)

Fortunately the human ear does not work exactly... scale and sensitivity as well as the ability to differentiate between sound at higher dB levels begins to roll off at around the 60 dB mark, meaning that even if the sound level is ten times louder, we do not perceive it that way.

Part...

[skills4lou]

Interesting thread all. As far as db reading go: the decibel is a measurement of pressure. An increase of 10 decibels equates to double the pressure. Going from 70db to 80db means you are doubling the pressure. Our ears function from the tiny variations in pressure. So, if you double the pressure, you in effect double the "volume". hope that helps!

[bushman512003]

I made a set of wheeles for the Honda 3000is I have just bought steel rod 1/2" and 5"steel rubber mower wheeles at Home Depot drilled ,spaced ,Installed the wheeles ,rolls good.You may try the same thing for the gens.You all bought, good luck John and also with the gen.sets

[LittleBill]

No, I don't think that Pep Boys Carries the wheel option,

I was wondering if anyone had contacted the company to see if it was available .

I think I will retrofit some wheels to make it work . I almost blew my back out yesterday, trying to carry it up the steps. I'm not as young as I used to be.

[TeamSlacker]

maybe this would work for you
http://www.americanpowerproducts.com/motorworks/index.php
click on
parts>generator>portability kit

[sniffid]

LittleBill,

No wheel kit for me. In fact, I not sure that Pep Boys even stocks it. It's not light that's for sure.

Dave

[LittleBill]

sniffed, did you buy the optional wheel kit for it, i saw it listed in the owner's manual, the machine is too heavy for me at 107 pounds, i need wheels on it