The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread

[pritch272]

8/1/2010 edit: Thread renamed at the suggestion of the Professor.
Renamed from: Champion Inverter and Remote Gens Promo on CPE's web site)

3/22/2011 edit: Thread renamed ...
Renamed from: Official CPE 2000 Watt Inverter Generator Thread

3/23/2011 edit: Thread renamed at the suggestion of the Professor.
Renamed from: (Un)Official CPE 2000 Watt Inverter Generator Thread

Inverter Available August 2010



Remote Available July 2010

[Old___Slow]

All interesting posts and pricing. I live in Texas so decided in google Champion 2000w Inverter Generators. Has the 79cc engine. The cheapest price I can find, if I wanted to buy one today is through Amazon @ $679.00 ++ and on the same page is listed the Generac ix2000 with the 126cc engine priced @ $569 ~ In Texas I don't find any Champion Inverter, for off the shelf purchase. How long will the Costco price in Canada last? One more question that has been ask before and don't recall the answer. Does the Canadian Champion 2000i have the ports to parallel? If so, that seems to be an advantage over Honda.

[-_dwh_-]

Yea, I'll believe it when I see it.

Home Depot sells the Honeywell HW2000i that I have for 699 online, but I got mine on Amazon for 499 and plenty of people have walked into Home Depot stores and found them on the shelf for 299.

Champion would be foolish to crank the price up to anywhere near the Honda since the deciding factor is not, "Can I get a comparable generator to the Honda for a bit less", but instead, "Can I get a comparable generator to the Honda for HALF the price of a Honda".

MSRP of 699 I can believe. Some retailers actually selling them for that price I can believe. But for the most part I'd bet they'll stay around the 500 range, which is the sweet spot for stealing business from Honda.

[PrivatePilot]

I find it incredibly hard to believe (even faintly) that Champion plans to *increase* the price of a generator that has now been on store shelves for some time.

Heck, with Costco in Canada dropping the price to $399 in a few weeks that lies as proof alone that even at that price there's still profit in it for the retailer - Costco does NOT subscribe to the loss-leader method of retailing.

Perhaps Champion plans to adjust their published MSRP or something...but that by no means that the actual retailers are going to follow suit...and increasing the wholesale costs to a level that would justify (or require) a $699 price tag would be suicide for Champion.

Sorry, Not biting on that story.

[pritch272]

At the point when I am ready to purchase an inverter generator, and if the price of the Champion 2000i is $699, it will be a no-brainer decision to get a Honda. If that's how the market goes, fine by me. Just my 2 cents worth, IMHO.

[Old___Slow]

shum02 wrote:

professor95 wrote:

shum02 wrote:


Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

I "think" Canadian Tire is the only outlet for the Champion badged 1000 watt inverter.. This is really a Kipor 1000 with a Champion name.

There is another re-branded CPE generator. It is one of these things.

As well as this one(this is my unit)

CSA 3500/4000

And a few other "special purchase" units.

It appears the CSA40020 is the twin to my 'tried and proven C46540'. One different is the CSA40020 does not have the RV 30a recpt. After years of sometimes stress testing and quite a few hours, I only have a slow oil leak. She still purrs like a kitten. I shut off the fuel after removing any load and letting it run dry, NO starting issues. I know this is the Champion 2000i thread which I follow hoping to read some user reviews but I have reservations about any of the Inverter Generators. I would like to know the actual peak that can be expected from the 2000i. The inverters do NOT have the rotational mass of the standard conventional gens. My C46540 will easy peak @ 49a with a running load of around 18a when the 13,500 btu A/C compressor starts. If someone could hang a clamp on meter (Champion 2000i) and capture a high peak load, enough to start and run a RV A/C or actually with the operation, wow, I'm a buyer. Soon maybe someone will post a review using two units, maybe with a 15,000 btu A/C.

[shum02]

professor95 wrote:

shum02 wrote:


Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

I "think" Canadian Tire is the only outlet for the Champion badged 1000 watt inverter.. This is really a Kipor 1000 with a Champion name.

There is another re-branded CPE generator. It is one of these things.

As well as this one(this is my unit)

CSA 3500/4000

And a few other "special purchase" units.

[professor95]

-=dwh=- wrote:

professor95 wrote:

shum02 wrote:


Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

I "think" Canadian Tire is the only outlet for the Champion badged 1000 watt inverter.. This is really a Kipor 1000 with a Champion name.

There is another re-branded CPE generator. It is one of these things.

Which would seem to indicate that not all Champion generators are actually made in "Champion's Factory in China"...

No, neither are all of the components for Champion's products, like winches and the non-engine parts of log splitters and pressure washers.

Champion does build the engines for the above in their factory. The two generators mentioned are the only models currently re-badged and not built in their own factory.

Sometimes a big vendor like CT wants something different with a Champion name. Unless the sales volume is really extensive, it is not cost effective to do the R&D and machining set-up to produce the product. It will take several years to recoup the cost of needed machinery and development time on the 2,000i.

Champion is constantly improving their products - often without the customer even knowing it has happened. Other big Chinese small engine producers do not seem to be doing this. CPE is still the only one with a 30 amp TT outlet on their 3,000 watt synchronous generators. Their GX200 style engines have redesigned rocker arms (forged), oil level sensors less prone to stick, and crank seals with double lips. I have been told that these changes have cut warranty returns and repairs and helped the customer.

IMHO, you can expect running improvements to the 2000i as time goes on.

I have no idea what the "real" price of the 2000i will be when the dust settles. My knee-jerk is that right now it is priced low to get it into supplier's stores and customer hands. I bet the price goes up at least $100-$150 within a year and the $499 will be a thing of the past. Again, just my guess knowing what I do about the market, supply and demand. :h

[professor95]

-=dwh=- wrote:

professor95 wrote:

shum02 wrote:


Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

I "think" Canadian Tire is the only outlet for the Champion badged 1000 watt inverter.. This is really a Kipor 1000 with a Champion name.

There is another re-branded CPE generator. It is one of these things.

Which would seem to indicate that not all Champion generators are actually made in "Champion's Factory in China"...

No, neither are all of Champion's products, like winches and the non-engine parts of log splitters and pressure washers.

Champion does build the engines for the above in their factory. The two generators mentioned are the onlymodels currently re-badged and not built in their own factory.

Sometimes a big vendor like CT wants something different with a Champion name. Unless the sales volume is really extensive, it is not cost effective to do the R&D and machining set-up to produce the product. It will take several years to recoup the cost of needed machinery and development time on the 2,000i.

Champion is constantly improving their products - often without the customer even knowing it has happened. Other big Chinese small engine producers do not seem to be doing this. CPE is still the only one with a 30 amp TT outlet on their 3,000 watt synchronous generators. Their GX200 style engines have redesigned rocker arms (forged), oil level sensors less prone to stick, and crank seals with double lips. I have been told that these changes have cut warranty returns and repairs and helped the customer.

IMHO, you can expect running improvements to the 2000i as time goes on.

[PrivatePilot]

shum02 wrote:
Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

I'm not going to hold my breath that they're going to be even remotely competitive on a price scale, though. When I bought my original Champion 3000 4 or 5 years ago I paid $299 at Costco...yet Canadian Tire to this day (with the exception of a sale every now and then) still demands vastly more.

$499 regular price for the 2000 inverter at Costco will probably translate to $599 at Canadian Tire.

[-_dwh_-]

professor95 wrote:

shum02 wrote:


Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

I "think" Canadian Tire is the only outlet for the Champion badged 1000 watt inverter.. This is really a Kipor 1000 with a Champion name.

There is another re-branded CPE generator. It is one of these things.

Which would seem to indicate that not all Champion generators are actually made in "Champion's Factory in China"...

[professor95]

shum02 wrote:


Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

I "think" Canadian Tire is the only outlet for the Champion badged 1000 watt inverter.. This is really a Kipor 1000 with a Champion name.

There is another re-branded CPE generator. It is one of these things.

[shum02]

PrivatePilot wrote:
There is no longer any Sams Club stores in Canada (they closed them all about a year ago) so that makes sense why Champion went with Costco here.

Fwiw, even when there *was* SAMs club stores here Costco was still the only ones that carried Champs.

Canadian Tire also carries Champion gensets, though not the 2000W inverter yet 😉

[PrivatePilot]

There is no longer any Sams Club stores in Canada (they closed them all about a year ago) so that makes sense why Champion went with Costco here.

Fwiw, even when there *was* SAMs club stores here Costco was still the only ones that carried Champs.

[bikendan]

Alaska Annie wrote:
Is this Costco $100 off deal available only in Canada? I am presently in Ga. have not been able to find info online that would apply here. What am I missing? Thanks.

from what i've read from this thread, Costco in the U.S., doesn't sell the Champion inverter gennie. only in Canada.
they are sold at Sam's Club in the U.S.

[PrivatePilot]

Alaska Annie wrote:
Is this Costco $100 off deal available only in Canada?.

To the best of my knowledge, yes.