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...

[bassman1]

Hi I got my elm 3600ss fri. no damage, brand new in good cond. Put oil, gas in it fired it up not as quiet as i had hoped. Owners manual says 67db instead of 65 but still better than my generac 4000xl. Installed 2 wire one ground to 4prong adaptor other end put on rv female adapter. Hooked it all up did not run ac kept triping breaker so we pluged it into reg. 20amp socket. Then it worked fine w/ac mw lights etc... I would like to use 30amp socket but could not get it to work. I put a picture of wire diagram in my profile need to work on photo sorry, can anybody help me with wireing thanks

[GangOfFour]

JPearcy,
Glad to see your post. We are in the same situation as AlaTex. We received a box marked "refurbished" from Elim. We have sent it back to you and are awaiting a call from Elim with a UPS tracking # for our new unit. It was supposedly sent to us last Friday (hopefully so as your website currently indicates that you are sold out of the Elim 3000.) That was the second unit for us - the first one arrived inoperable and was sent back. The second one was the "refurbished" unit instead of a new generator. I must say that despite this, I am impressed with the customer service that I have received so far. The gentleman that I was dealing with has been very helpful and apologetic. However, we are yet to receive a functioning generator. I am optimistic that the unit currently being sent to us will arrive as promised in a "new" and "operable" condition. My fingers are crossed. I will update the forum with the outcome.

Thanks!

[V10guy]

"Personally, I’d like to push people more towards our slightly more expensive units which are made under ISO-9001 standards and have passed CE, TUV, CSA, EC-Emissions and EPA ratings. To the best of my knowledge we have the only units from China that meet these standards."

That mean the ELM3000 isn't rated under those standards? What units are those.

[randomo]

I went to Pep Boys today for a 3500, but the only one they had was in a damaged box, so I went for the 2200 instead ($100 cheaper). I hope it's as reliable as the 3500s seem to be. (The wattage isn't an issue for my intended use.)

[k2500]

Sorry I should have put this comment in this section not as a new post

"I see that in the latest flyer Pep Boys has added the words "heavy duty" to their 3500W generator for $319. Does anyone know if this is any different from the 3500W they sold up until this point? "

Any comments?

[perusiongreg]

Thanks for the quick reply pup... I just ordered the generator from Homier...will report back after hunting season (-:

[ib516]

Katdaddy wrote:
The recoil starter on my ELM 3000 crapped out on me this weekend. Does anyone know where I might find replacement parts for thus unit. I have read that Honda parts should work. Has anyone had to replace and parts and tried a Honda part?

Quite a common problem. Just email ELIMinternational, they'll send you out a new one.

[Katdaddy]

The recoil starter on my ELM 3000 crapped out on me this weekend. Does anyone know where I might find replacement parts for thus unit. I have read that Honda parts should work. Has anyone had to replace and parts and tried a Honda part?

[pup]

It's actually a little more quiet than my PowerPro. The engine and muffler are the same but the Homier unit doesn't have the same mechanical noise level that mine has. I couldn't see any difference for the sound level to be less but it was.

Neither one is as loud as my 6.75Hp Craftsman Lawnmower.

It cost less, works without any mods and is a touch more quiet. I would have bought it in the first place if I'd seen the comparison beforehand.

[perusiongreg]

Pup: any info on noise level for the Homier generator your parents have? I looked at the website and there is not much in the way of details for the generator..?

Thanks,

Greg

[pup]

I have the PowerPro 3500 and had to do the parallel rewire in order for it to run everything in my TT. Before the rewire it would only run the AC for short periods before the breaker would throw.

My parents ordered a simular unit from Homier. It has the exact same engine but the panel is wired differently. It has 2 25a 120v outlets and only one breaker instead of 1 120 and one 220 outlet on the PowerPro.

In ran my dad's AC, fridge and all the lights with zero problems in his fifth wheel. That unit only cost $229 plus another $52 for UPS shipping.
My PowerPro was $299 plus tax when I bought it about a month ago. The Homier unit is rated at 2800W cont. and 4000W surge.

Here is a link to the Homier Unit
Homier Generator

[Hatch-TX]

Jesse's Dad wrote:
This may have already been covered, but I've only read about 45 pages of this post. I hope it is not redundant.
I bought one of the Pep Boys $319.00 Power Pro 3500 gensets. The first thing I noticed was the 3 pronged 20 amp and twist lock 30 amp plugs were powered by their own identical, but seperate winding in the generator, and they are out of phase 180 degrees, so you can't combine them externally. So I did some tests, I loaded each outlet, one at a time with 3500 watts of resistive load (space heaters) and measured the output voltage. (I know the 20amp socket isn't made for this, but it is only a test). On each socket, at 3500 watts the voltage dropped to 95 VAC, not good. At 3000 watts, voltage dropped to 101 VAC, kind of weak. So I opened it up and found the the wiring used from the generator head to the AC distribution panel is 14 gauge (weak), so I rewired the two windings in parallel and used 12 gauge wires. Now with the generator loaded with 3500 watts I have 111 VAC, and at 3000 watts I have 114 VAC, much better. Of course after this modification I don't have 240 VAC available out of the genset anymore, but I won't need it.

Don't you dare ask me to tell you which page, but of the 20-odd pages I did manage to read here and there, yes, this was previously noted. BUT...it's good that you have confirmed what was previously written!

[Jesse_s_Dad]

This may have already been covered, but I've only read about 45 pages of this post. I hope it is not redundant.
I bought one of the Pep Boys $319.00 Power Pro 3500 gensets. The first thing I noticed was the 3 pronged 20 amp and twist lock 30 amp plugs were powered by their own identical, but seperate winding in the generator, and they are out of phase 180 degrees, so you can't combine them externally. So I did some tests, I loaded each outlet, one at a time with 3500 watts of resistive load (space heaters) and measured the output voltage. (I know the 20amp socket isn't made for this, but it is only a test). On each socket, at 3500 watts the voltage dropped to 95 VAC, not good. At 3000 watts, voltage dropped to 101 VAC, kind of weak. So I opened it up and found the the wiring used from the generator head to the AC distribution panel is 14 gauge (weak), so I rewired the two windings in parallel and used 12 gauge wires. Now with the generator loaded with 3500 watts I have 111 VAC, and at 3000 watts I have 114 VAC, much better. Of course after this modification I don't have 240 VAC available out of the genset anymore, but I won't need it.

[wildnfree]

Bet the Honda power guys never figured it would run this long, or be so quiet and peaceful.

[ib516]

FREAKIN amazing....1000 posts!

(1001 I guess)