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...

[donandmax]

Bought a Champion 4000 watt gen brand new for $259.00 plus s/h from a dealer on ebay. it holds 120 volts with a full load It says its refurbished but looks brand new to me. Runs like a sewing machine uses no brushes so only bearings may wear out. The cummins dealer wanted 206.00 just to look at my onan 4 kw gen. I took it to the junk yard. Oh yes I can run everything at once including microwave, AC, TV, Fridge etc. What the longivity is I dont know but when it breaks down I'll buy a new one. Cheaper than Onan. Remember not everything Chinese is junk. The Champions seem well built.

[Cmarshall]

04dutchman wrote:
The price of these Chinese generators seems to be very attractive. So much so that I bought one myself. I did n buy the 3,000 watt but the $699.00 2,000 watt Chinese "knock off." I brought it home, put gas and oil in it, started it up and proceeded to see what it would do with my RV. Prior to testing this inverter generator, I had utilized a Coleman Sportsman 1850 watt generator.

Our local Pep Boys, sells a Kipor 2000TC (with another brand name on it) for $699. However, in the last eighteen months on this forum, other posters noted that the Kipor TC models would not run Air conditioners. I believe someone had a 7000 watt TC model, and it wouldn't start the AC,

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Wgeorge11 - hhmmmmmm - just like Rodney Dangerfield, YOU just
can't get no respect!

Good thing those sandwich shops have pre-sliced meats - never thought
to keep my eyes open for a knife packin' turkey at the sandwich shop!
[Does that go for Mickey D's too?]

Maybe the Dutchman will come back and let us know how his eco throttle
and A/C is doing - before some enterprising "lurker" from Pep Boys decides
to call himself "SIRdutchman", LOL!

But now I'm wondering about that old adage,
"No matter how thin you slice it, it's still [balogna] or [baloney] ??
JC

[WilliamKorn]

Hey Wgeorge11, if the balogna or turkey boy has a knife, I rack the Remmington!
Score: Good guy ONE, Balonga/Turkey boy ZERO...................

[Wgeorge11]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:
William -

Wgeorge11 - no problem with face to face!
I'm not questioning the guy's parentage - only his ranting post!

If the guy in the sandwitch shop hands you a baloney sandwich that he
claims is turkey - I don't feel the need to call him "Sir",
when I tell him it's really baloney!
JC

Turkey is turkey and bologna, bologna. I too would challange a turkey trying to pass as bologna. That is baloney. But if the turkey had a knife, I'd call him sir, take the sandwich and leave.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

WK - Funny - I just had an afterthought. I will (probably) see one
of the [Honda] guys I mentioned tomorrow (Sat. 5-19) at a street rod event.
Yeah, we're both re-living our youth!

I really don't think he would bother with trolling - but if you saw
some of his e-mails, it would be obvious, given the opportunity -
he woulddn't be "shy" if he posted his "thoughts".
[Would be way more "direct" . . . with no "Sirs"].

I'll have to ask him what he thinks of Chinese Generators -
although I think I already know the answer.

BTW - the other "Honda" guy I know (haven't seen him in a while) was
either the sole owner or part owner of a Honda (M/C) Shop in So. CA -
back in the late 60's. Step thru 90's, then 250cc Scramblers, then history!
I can place the date pretty well - as I bought a new 90cc Hodaka
(yes Hodaka) from him before the DW and I were married in '70.
[The Hodaka for the lady - mine was a 650 Triumph Desert Sled]

He sold "way back when" - but then bought another shop in another area.
I hung out with him in HS - he's not a "Sir" kinda guy either - except
when we were in the Military, of course!
JC

[Cox89XJ]

We had a Honda 3500 watts industrial generator and a Generac 4200 watts generator at my work. The Honda would start and run a 5hp oil filter press every time. The bigger Generac would only start it sometimes. I believe different manufacturers use different types of ratings.

[WilliamKorn]

Hey, I just thought of my brother-in-law! Maybe 04dutchman's brother-in-law is a Honda dealer? Mine thinks he's helping sometimes which usually results in a situation like the above rant!

When I met Soichiro Honda in 1974 he was giving a lecture about the ethics that were the benchmark of the Honda Motor Company and expected of all Honda Franchisees. (Just a footnote)

[WilliamKorn]

Hey, ol Bombero-JC, I didn't mean to imply that we dogs wouldn't troll, just that we are not by nature idiots!

If I needed to troll then I'd probably be the worst Honda dealer in history! In the old days the only way you could not make money was to keep the doors locked (I didn't).

[ol_Bombero-JC]

William - Yep I know that Honda dealers are brighter than that - but I also
know two very well (and/or their employees) who wouldn't be above trolling!

I actually have had a Honda 1000i since they first came out. No dispute with the "fact" that Honda makes fantastic products.
Note: I said -
You -DO- get what you are -WILLING- to pay for!
That's in refrence to the Honda Inverter Generator/s.

and, WK - Thank you for the Pep Boys gen prices!
[NO - 2000 watt for $699.!! - but as Wiz said - maybe an Inverter model
in the past . . .or maybe it was that "other" Pep Boys].

Wgeorge11 - no problem with face to face!
I'm not questioning the guy's parentage - only his ranting post!

If the guy in the sandwitch shop hands you a baloney sandwich that he
claims is turkey - I don't feel the need to call him "Sir",
when I tell him it's really baloney!
JC

[WilliamKorn]

A. When did 04dutchman buy his 2000w unit?
B. when did 04dutchman return his 2000w unit?
C. Pep Boys only sells a 3500w ($382.25) and a 5500w generator ($654.32)
D. I was a Honda dealer (Automotive, Motorcycle, Power Priducts, Marine)
E. Honda make fantastic products
F. That foregoing statement being said, a 3500 watt generator for $382.25 is amazing. I've seen this unit and it's a bargain, a very good bargain.
G. "ol Bombero-JC": Honda dealers are brighter that that!

[MrWizard]

I did n buy the 3,000 watt but the $699.00 2,000 watt Chinese "knock off." I brought it home, put gas and oil in it, started it up and proceeded to see what it would do with my RV. Prior to testing this inverter generator, I had utilized a Coleman Sportsman 1850 watt generator

I have to agree that the validity of the poster is in question, but he did say it was an INVERTER model he bought, I don't remember the pricing but i do remember pep boys selling some 'camping' inverter model gensets, and if the OP and done some more research he might have found out before he spent his money that unit would not run his A/C

giving him the benifit of doubt, he could have been a recent 'lurker' did not read enough to know the chinese 'inverter' from pepboys is not the champion or other NON-inverter 3500 watt genny,

it's been posted many times in many threads, the honda 2000ui just manages to run some A/C units and others not at all, that many people buy (2) or get a 3000

some people are lucky and have an 11000 btu that the honda 2000ui will start ( with econo mode off )

and there have been posts about these 'knock off' inverter models NOT being able to run things that the honda inverter will run.

but most of that is in other threads

it could be,he justed picked the biggest thread to vent his frustration and not the thread where he read about the 'inverter generators'

[Wgeorge11]

My response to another's ridiculous opinion depends on how "big" he is and in my degree of anonymity; If he's big and present I call him "sir"; If he looks mean and ugly like me, "Mr."; If he's small or distant, "Hey You!"; If he's wise and creditable and unpretentious, "Professor." It's all about respect which is earned and given.
That said, my quest is to fabricate a 2X2 TT frame receiver for a carrier, a sound abatement surround for peace and tranquility, finding a ported bottle jack to maintain load balance, sunshine for happy camping, and the fraternity of good company to share the experience and a good glass (or can). That's my opinion. So I'll just keep reading and learning.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Wgeorge11-
Not disputing the Dutchman's "right to choose" (opinion).
[Just the credibility of the post]

Not disputing that an inverter Honda is "better"
than a non-inverter Chinese Gen.

You -DO- get what you are -WILLING- to pay for.

A Benz or Chevy will each get you to your destination -
how fat is your wallet, and what rings your chimes?

But . . . . . $700. for a 2000 Watt Chinese generator ????
. . . from Pep Boys.
[Maybe the "Needless Markup" Christmas Catalog!].

Won't run my A/C - so 2000 watt isn't a key-stroke error.

But, George - you've got my hopes up!

Maybe I -CAN- sell those shares . . .
except you have exposed a minor flaw which will decrease
their value now - says -"Brooklin"- Bridge. [Printed in China].
Maybe if I hang out in front of Pep Boys . . . .

[Wgeorge11]

The Dutchman has a right to his opinion. Like religion and politics, we can argue till hell freezes over about who's right when in fact we're all right. I think we'd all agree the 3K Honda is superior in many ways to its competition.
I've spent many entertaining hours reading this thread and the mass of information from wise and courteous and thoughtful people, and have become a true believer in the cult of the little yellow generator. It's "cute" but not perfect, reasonably light weight, INEXPENSIVE, not too loud, and with enough power to do what most other 3kw generators do. I believe in my choice because I want to believe, and that's all right where it matters; with me.
And speaking of selling bridges, I've noted that our politicos are generating too: up front income that is by selling/leasing roads, bridges, and public water works. Buying the Brooklyn Bridge may not be too far out of the question.