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...

[SonicLogic]

Incidentally, I found it interesting that Coleman Powermate filed for bankruptcy. It seems odd to me that Powermate didn’t switch over fast enough to having all their engines and generators built in China.

It ended up costing them dearly. I own one of their Chinese generators and it’s a very good device. Sad to see them go.


Look here.

[racefan1965]

Still...at $200.00 the champion is a great buy. Most of us paid a 1/3 more for the same thing!

[bobandcat]

doogdoog wrote:

Aloha,
A Checkers Auto Parts flier came with the newspaper on Sunday stating that the Champion #C46540 with a "sale price of $349.00" and an OLINE mail-in rebate of $150.00 will be $199.00 after the rebate. I tried to use the 25% Great Customer coupon and was denied because it is a double discount. It says on the coupon "Can not be combined with any other discount" so they must have made a mistake with your purchase and you lucked out.

Mahalo,
doogdoog

Here is a copy of an e-mail from Partsamerica.com


Thank you for visiting PartsAmerica.com and taking the time to contact us.

Here is the deal you can get the price match of the online price and rebate or the regular price plus the 25% discount and rebate, you can not have both discount and price match with rebate.

If you have any further questions please contact us via e-mail or toll free at 877.808.0698. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Fred
Customer Service
PartAmerica.com

[doogdoog]

bobandcat wrote:

Acampingwewillgo wrote:

Hemiallen wrote:
The $299 advertised price at the store is WITH the $150 rebate, according to both their website, and my mail insert flier I got this morning.

Nowhere do I see it advertised for $299 from the store, just online sales which does not allow the $150 rebate.....

Allen

Hi
Just so there is no misunderstanding of what I was told Via E-mail I will Quote.
"Here is the deal, you can get the price match(299.00)of the on line price and rebate OR regular price(349.00) plus the 25% discount and rebate. You cannot have both discount and price match with rebate."

If you want the actual E-mail I received, send me your E-mail address and Ill forward it to you.
Hope this helps.
Dwight

I went out and bought the C46540 today at Checker Auto as a spare parts unit or backup generator if I never need any parts. It was $349 minus $87.25 (25% off survey coupon) minus $150 rebate equals $111.75 final cost after the rebate.

To get the coupon, you need to have a recent receipt from Checker or other affiliated store. If you don’t have one, buy something like a roll of shop towels for a buck. Then go to http://www.partsamerica.com/surveystart.aspx?surveyKey=4H7R. Fill in your personal and receipt info, then take the 10-question survey. When you are done, you will receive an e-mail with a 25% off coupon for one item in the store.

You cannot get the website price match ($299) and use the 25% off survey coupon. It’s one or the other. The coupon is worth more than the price match.

I really didn’t need this generator but I just couldn’t pass up the deal.

Aloha,
A Checkers Auto Parts flier came with the newspaper on Sunday stating that the Champion #C46540 with a "sale price of $349.00" and an OLINE mail-in rebate of $150.00 will be $199.00 after the rebate. I tried to use the 25% Great Customer coupon and was denied because it is a double discount. It says on the coupon "Can not be combined with any other discount" so they must have made a mistake with your purchase and you lucked out.

Mahalo,
doogdoog

[SonicLogic]

Uh-oh professor, the ice broke. I have a 3500 watt PowerWise (i.e. PowerMax from Max Tool) that has the spark arrestor built into the muffler. I also own a ProForce 2500 (made for Coleman) that has a USFS approved spark arrestor as well.

The PowerWise has a 6.5 HP Jaingdong engine JF200 and the ProForce has a 5.5 HP Jiangsu Sumec engine. Both generators have proven to be highly reliable for backup power during hurricane power outages here on the Florida gulf coast.

I’m going to throw a 100 foot extension cord (12 gauge) out to you. Tie it around your waist and Floyd and I will pull you out. :B

[tvman44]

My C46540 came with the spark arrestor in the parts bag.

[Old___Slow]

Prof95,

As to the EPA-CARB-NPS Cert. and the screen being required, I have ZERO knowledge. I will take a pass on that one. Your the Prof. No challenge. Keep us OLD folks awake.

[professor95]

O&S wrote:
My DuroPower has the screen.

That's good to know. I did not find one on the ELM3000 (JD built), Wen PowerPro, ProPower, Nikota, Harbor Freight, Homier Tool or UST I had a chance to play with.

[WaltinColo]

Yup.. i installed the 'spark arrestor' that came with my champion gen too...

[Old___Slow]

Oh, My C46540 came with the screen in the bag, also.

[Old___Slow]

Prof95,

Nice to be back. You knew this would get a rise, I'm on to you, lol. Don't forget, my memory has not failed yet. My Prof's, I rembember well, through stuff like this out to see if the class was awake. My DuroPower has the screen.

Floyd

[HedoTravelers]

My new Champion came with the screen in the parts bag.

[vmckague]

Sorry profesor the ice is thin. The gen I have from Powermax has the screen over the muffler end. Thought you might like to know.

[professor95]

OK, one other thing..... USDA National Forest Service and National Park Service certifications may not be the same. In any event, I will try to get a response from CPE's Senior Tech Support person as to what is going on.

[professor95]

Scottz wrote:
I noticed the Champion Website (or manual) no longer states the C46540 as having a USDA Forest Service Approved Spark Arrester like it used to.

Is this a correction or an oversight?

I may be walking on thin ice with this statement, but I will give it a "go".

To the best of my knowledge, Champion was the only company that provided the screen to go over the end of the muffler. In any event, I have not encountered it on other models.

All of the Chinese gennys in this class also appear to have EPA, CARB and NPS certification - without the screen.

CPE provided a flange on the end of their mufflers that other makes did not. Thus, the CPE screen would not work on other models.

To the best of my knowledge (again, not positive) CPE continues to provide the screen for user attachment in their included parts kit. But, if it should not be there, the genny still carries NPS certification.