3000W Chinese Gensets Info.
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...
Forum Discussion
A couple of years ago I ran across my first of many Chinese manufactured 3,000 watt class, air cooled gasoline engine open frame generators. At the time, I knew something between very little and nothing about these generators and their manufacturing process.
But, I was intrigued by the similarity of the engines used on these generators to the Honda GX line and how each available brand visually looked almost identical to a competing brand on the next shelf.
My first Chinese generator was one of the “original” Nikota’s from Pep Boys. It leaked gas, did not run smoothly and only provided 1,400 watts of power to a single 120 volt outlet. I was not impressed and returned it to Pep Boys several days later as a defective product. In exchange I took an ELM3000. The engine on the ELM was visually identical but the ELM had a switch on the front panel that allowed me to combine the generator windings so that they were parallel rather than series and provided the correct phase angle to combine the power. Thus, I could draw a full 3,000 watts at 120 volts to a single outlet. This was just what I needed for my RV.
When the “3000 Watt Chinese Generator” forum appeared on RV.Net in March of 2005, I quickly learned that I was not the only one intrigued by these Chinese clones. There were hundreds of other RVers hungry for any information on their reliability, potential power delivery, level of noise and of course availability and price. Initially, the ELM3000 was Queen on the Hill. But, alas, ELIM International did not deliver the customer service and the overall product quality that we initially believed was there.
It was about this time I began to do extensive research into the Chinese built generator lineage.
Immediately, I discovered about fifty different Chinese companies in and around Shanghai building and exporting these generators. Some were fairly well established, others were more or less fly-by-nigh. Two large foundries in the area provided castings for engines. Smaller companies bought these castings and used their own machine shop resources (CNC or Human) to finish the engines. Steel stampings for items like fuel tanks and engine shrouds were generally outsourced as well. Having the stamping dies and energy to produce these items was cost prohibitive to small companies. Thus, the similarity of these units was not just a casual coincidence.
The generator assemblies were a different story. The cores for these items were made in the individual companies from steel sheet stock and wound according to the individual company’s specs. The overall quality of the generator head, wiring, voltage regulation, switches, etc. was pretty much up to the individual manufacturers.
I also discovered that I could order a pallet of as few as 25 of these generators from several dozen Chinese builders with my logo printed on the front. Gee Whiz, I could start a whole new brand under the “Professor” name and market them on e-Bay to any buyer with a Pay Pal account.
But, the underlying problem was that the warranty was worthless, many parts were not interchangeable due to individual machine practices and the electrical part of the unit was often “questionable”. The fact that they all looked alike did not in any way assure that they were equally reliable and functioned as advertised.
After about a year the RV consumer market seemed to come down to the Wen PowerPro, JD build units (Harbor Freight, Cummings, early ELM), and Champion Power Equipment.
Eventually, the Champion became the “defacto preferred brand” since it offered full wattage from a single 30 amp RV style outlet; was built, imported and distributed by the same company. Offered good customer service, warranties and parts that fit when needed.
This does not mean that other brands, like the Wen PowerPro should be avoided. In fact, this week’s advertised price on the Pep Boys PowerPro 3000 at $229.00 (after $50 rebate) is a real head jerker.
Admittedly, I have become partial to the Champion Power Equipment line. In my old age I value economy but I also value my time. I like knowing who I can call when I need help and that I can get the parts needed quickly. I also like the idea of one company having control over manufacturing, shipping and distribution.
In closing, this is still the “3000 Watt Chinese Generator Forum”. I do not want to change the name. I hope it will continue to serve the RV community as it has in the past as a source of current and accurate information of the products available that may meet our needs. I also hope it will not ever become a forum where we “bash” other’s opinions and choices for the product they may choose to buy. The market is diverse and constantly changing. A savvy, knowledgeable buyer constantly strives to stay abreast of the market, products, prices and opportunities. This forum has served that purpose very well!
But, I was intrigued by the similarity of the engines used on these generators to the Honda GX line and how each available brand visually looked almost identical to a competing brand on the next shelf.
My first Chinese generator was one of the “original” Nikota’s from Pep Boys. It leaked gas, did not run smoothly and only provided 1,400 watts of power to a single 120 volt outlet. I was not impressed and returned it to Pep Boys several days later as a defective product. In exchange I took an ELM3000. The engine on the ELM was visually identical but the ELM had a switch on the front panel that allowed me to combine the generator windings so that they were parallel rather than series and provided the correct phase angle to combine the power. Thus, I could draw a full 3,000 watts at 120 volts to a single outlet. This was just what I needed for my RV.
When the “3000 Watt Chinese Generator” forum appeared on RV.Net in March of 2005, I quickly learned that I was not the only one intrigued by these Chinese clones. There were hundreds of other RVers hungry for any information on their reliability, potential power delivery, level of noise and of course availability and price. Initially, the ELM3000 was Queen on the Hill. But, alas, ELIM International did not deliver the customer service and the overall product quality that we initially believed was there.
It was about this time I began to do extensive research into the Chinese built generator lineage.
Immediately, I discovered about fifty different Chinese companies in and around Shanghai building and exporting these generators. Some were fairly well established, others were more or less fly-by-nigh. Two large foundries in the area provided castings for engines. Smaller companies bought these castings and used their own machine shop resources (CNC or Human) to finish the engines. Steel stampings for items like fuel tanks and engine shrouds were generally outsourced as well. Having the stamping dies and energy to produce these items was cost prohibitive to small companies. Thus, the similarity of these units was not just a casual coincidence.
The generator assemblies were a different story. The cores for these items were made in the individual companies from steel sheet stock and wound according to the individual company’s specs. The overall quality of the generator head, wiring, voltage regulation, switches, etc. was pretty much up to the individual manufacturers.
I also discovered that I could order a pallet of as few as 25 of these generators from several dozen Chinese builders with my logo printed on the front. Gee Whiz, I could start a whole new brand under the “Professor” name and market them on e-Bay to any buyer with a Pay Pal account.
But, the underlying problem was that the warranty was worthless, many parts were not interchangeable due to individual machine practices and the electrical part of the unit was often “questionable”. The fact that they all looked alike did not in any way assure that they were equally reliable and functioned as advertised.
After about a year the RV consumer market seemed to come down to the Wen PowerPro, JD build units (Harbor Freight, Cummings, early ELM), and Champion Power Equipment.
Eventually, the Champion became the “defacto preferred brand” since it offered full wattage from a single 30 amp RV style outlet; was built, imported and distributed by the same company. Offered good customer service, warranties and parts that fit when needed.
This does not mean that other brands, like the Wen PowerPro should be avoided. In fact, this week’s advertised price on the Pep Boys PowerPro 3000 at $229.00 (after $50 rebate) is a real head jerker.
Admittedly, I have become partial to the Champion Power Equipment line. In my old age I value economy but I also value my time. I like knowing who I can call when I need help and that I can get the parts needed quickly. I also like the idea of one company having control over manufacturing, shipping and distribution.
In closing, this is still the “3000 Watt Chinese Generator Forum”. I do not want to change the name. I hope it will continue to serve the RV community as it has in the past as a source of current and accurate information of the products available that may meet our needs. I also hope it will not ever become a forum where we “bash” other’s opinions and choices for the product they may choose to buy. The market is diverse and constantly changing. A savvy, knowledgeable buyer constantly strives to stay abreast of the market, products, prices and opportunities. This forum has served that purpose very well!
