-=dwh=- wrote:
byates wrote:
At your suggestion, I did some reading in the Honeywell 2000 thread. I understand where you are coming from on the Honeywell 2000i.
After reading dwh's thread comments, it would appear that the original problematic Honeywell 2000i generators were supplied by the Chinese company Yongkang Xingguang, and the later and more dependable Honeywell 2000i units were supplied by Suzhou Tiger Power Machine Co. after Generac took over.
No, there were two versions of the YX product sold by Northshore under the HW name. The second version had the fuel primer and the 12v stuff removed. It also had better internal grounding, and added an overflow tube from the top of the gas tank filler neck down and out the bottom of the unit. But it was basically the same YX product.
Now that Generac has taken over Northshore, they are marketing the Suzhou Tiger product under both Generac, and Honeywell, names.
Generac has been manufacturing and marketing power generating equipment for half a century. Based on this analysis, purchasing a Generac 2000i from Costco would pose little risk if its performance didn’t measure up.
Using the Generac or Honeywell names is a marketing trick to capitalize on the reputation of a well-known brand.
I would not attach any importance to the companies' reputation when it comes to guessing at the quality of a Chinese product.
The Generac, and now also the Honeywell, are Suzhou Tiger generators.
At best, the Generac name means you might get decent service from Generac, but IMHO it means nothing as per the quality of the product.
To be fair, YX did improve the product, but it was too little, too late. They do make a whole bunch of different inverter generators so I doubt they'll go out of business any time soon.
I figure the Northshore execs probably got their golden parachutes out of the deal, which was doubtless more important to them than their customers. Welcome to the US/China trade economy.
Thanks for the history lesson. A little knowledge can be dangerous, but a well informed consumer has the power to choose wisely.
Two reasons why I said purchasing a Generac from Costco would pose little risk to the consumer: first, the liberal return policy offered by Costco and, second, Generac does have a reputation to uphold. I don't believe they would risk that reputation on just any Chinese made generator. OnanCummings is another reputable power supplier with the Chinese made Loncin generator in their product line. I purchased my Loncin made Onan from Costco several years ago, and it has been problem free.
Champion evidently does have a business relationship with Yangzhou Best Machinery & Electric Corp, but I don’t know if it is related to power equipment as much as auto parts. They do share the same office building in California. I believe that the Chinese factory that Champion says it owns is Zhejiang Changtong Machinery Co., Ltd. On ZCMC’s website, there is a Champion logo on the factory which appears to be a poor photo-shop job. In this regard, global supplier/customer databases show shipments of Champion branded generators and generator parts from several different Chinese companies. So I am more than a little confused in this regard. Other Chinese manufacturing companies which could have a part in the Champion generator equation include: Zhejiang Constant Engine Mading Co., Shaoxing City Tongyong Engine, and Sichuan Engine Trading Co., Ltd. This is my opinion and is based on information obtained from internet browsing and a phone call to YBM&E listed number in Santa Fe Springs.
