Totem Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Generator I'm thinking of: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2700W-REMOTE-KEY-START-DIGITAL-INVERTER-RV-GAS-GENERATOR-W-EPA-CARB-APPROVED-/170891866292?pt=BI_Generators&hash=item27c9f2f0b4 Parts http://www.generatorguru.com/categories/Make-%26-Model/FME/XG%252dSF2600/ so I am thinking about pulling the trigger on the above. Has anyone ever tried one of these? This model (or one identical to it) is offered by "Excell" "Magna" or "FME". It is the XG-SF2600. As reviewed on : http://www.rv.net/FORUM/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/24881574.cfm Thoughts guys? seems to have more juice per pound than a honda and can be started with remote. nice options.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stamar Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 The oem generater kohler is chinese Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 The oem generater kohler is chinese The engines on our Kohler generators came from Tecumseh. They were made in Tecumsah Michigan or some of the other manufacturing facilities all in America. Of course they haven't been available in a long time Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 More reviews here under the Magna name, too many bad ones http://www.amazon.com/Magna-3000-Portable-Inverter-Generator/product-reviews/B0015F4JG0 Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 yeah, this would be an "aftermarket" thing.. an attempt to power a 13,000 BTU coleman MkIII with capacitor mod. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 the magna link is the 4th generation... the one i posed is Gen5 with remote. hopefully they are on better stock now. the guy in RV.net seemed to like it saying it ran two rvs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90toydolphin Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 the reviews linda pointed too makes it sound like a roll of the dice. if i were to try to save the money compared to the honda i think i would try the one costco is selling. no electric start, but same power level and db rating as honda, around $450. i would go with the costco because of the generous return policy they have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinite no longer here Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Most of the generators mentioned in this thread seem to be able to do the jobs called upon by a Toyhome but the big difference with a Honda is the engine. They are better by a long shot than any Chinese generator and are more reliable and better built than a Kohler, Tecumseh and many others. Honda's only real competitor is the Yamaha with similiar pricing for similiar ratings but the Honda seems to be a little smaller and therefore able to fit into a few of the Toyhome side compartments. The higher price of a Honda is worth it. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I agree the Honda's or Yamaha are great engines but my Kohler is from 1986 and fires right up and runs perfect. Ask any professional gardener and they will tell you what a disaster it has been since they can't get equipment with Tecumseh engines anymore. Just let me know how that Honda is running in 26 years. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 today's Honda's are the same under the hood or worse... http://www.reviewcentre.com/review377362.html snake oil if you are telling me they are THAT much better motors made 2000 year or later. In the reviews above one guy tears an EU2000i apart and describes what he finds. Sounds the same as a Chinese one to me; only less features and no remote. Another guy has them not stand by warranty, one catches on fire... etc. Seems you roll the dice with $1000 on a Honda instead of $689 generic Chinese where parts can be had cheap. If someone can take the "Saturn" appropach with me where they have a good warranty story on Honda, please do... but spare me the name brand crap logic please. (no offense) Also (Honda parts are NOT cheap). To me, I'm gonna beat on the thing not try to win a beauty contest and quite frankly for anyone to tell me that anything is made with quality these days is a joke if its all coming from the same place. Sure "assembled" in the USA/CAN means it wasn't assembled in a sweat shop; but the parts were. Even things made in the USA these days are struggling with metallurgy issues from cheap steel or sub assembly component failures. I know Honda was a good brand name, but that doesn't mean they stand by their products Today; the money is in consumption in this era not longevity. Most companies seem to take an apathetic view like "we are sorry but YOU didn't do this correctly" or "thats no longer covered as you are in day 35 of warranty and now you must pay to ship and parts etc." So to me, leave me enough cash to replace the parts on a Chinese one $1000-689 leaves me $311 to get fuel pumps with. Heck I see they have an all steel fuel pump available on the parts page... Sorry for my rant; but my recent experience with remanufactured alternators has me not trusting ANY brands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Well those reviews weren't that bad. Most people were very happy with the Honda. I too like the looks of the generator your thinking of buying. I hope you get it cause we all really want to know how it works. Will be waiting to hear about it. Especially noise levels.I think that is what bothers me about most gen sets. My kohler works fine but an onboard gen set in an 18ft Sunrader like mine is just too loud to comfortably use. Vibration too Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 Linda, I'm not sure you clicked on the link I posted. the ones I refer to i posted below: I'm not so scared of Chinese products these days because i simply cannot find ones made in the USA. So to me its "who has the best features and they will all break whats the parts cost mentality. The inverter board breaking on the chinese one would be a death sentence I gather; but read below on the Honda Horror stories I bought a Honda 2000i Generator 11/7/2011 from River Marine Miami. I brought it back to River Marine not working 12/6/2011. As of 3/8/2012 I still do not have a working Generator. I have also contacted Honda Power equipment to no avail. Owner and tech at River Marine have been pleasant but as yet have not to repair or replaced per warranty. They are an authorized service center for the product. Very poor customer service from River Marine and Honda After 4 months being stored with Stabil in it, it would only run on choke. The jets were reamed and 10 days later I tried to start it again and the same thing. The carburator is so sensitive it can't sit, even when the bowl is drained, and start. It's quiet though, especially when it doesn't run. I have a 3 year old 2000 EU Honda, a few weeks ago the entire thing caught on fire while being run. Internal parts melted and very luckily the thing did not blow up. My unit had only 50 or 60 hours of run time on it. Honda service rep had all kinds of excuses and basically blamed it on user error. One of his excuses was that I must have parked my car next to it and hot exaust burned a whole in the side of the plastic. I realized that the unit was not under warranty, but I fully expected Honda to stand behind their products, I guess I was wrong. I will be contacting the Federal safety comission and send them pictures of the melted and burned Honda unit. Very dissapointed in Honda in how they dealt with me. The service rep even went so far as to black out his email and phone # on his card, so I could not contact him again. Please let me know if anyone has heard of similar issues. thall@hctc.com Good Points Quite, easy to maneuver & economical. Bad Points Clearly designed for limited, homeowner use. General Comments I bought this Honda eu2000i for use in an old classic motor home I am lovingly restoring. I had originally planned on getting two and combining them to met AC requirements in combination with computer use and other light demands. Superficially, the eu2000i is an easy unit to fall in love with. Unfortunately, I know Honda for not standing behind their warranties. I learned this first hand with a commercial 13 hp ohv Honda engine on a pressure washer. Honda said water got into the cylinder and caused damage to the piston - my loss. I still buy Honda based primarily on its reputation for longevity, but I am of the opinion that this unit is designed with the weekender more in mind while Hinda promotes it in its commercials as being suited for commercial filming on desert islands. That's an enormous expense to go to and rely on two units. That tells me Honda wants to assure me that construction guality isn't an issue with this unit. With a limited oil supply for cooling, an oil splashing device that tends to break, a soft metal connecting rod, which tends to stretch in excess heat, and an engine that Honda chose to utilise is a hotter running over head cam engine instead of the cooler running over head valve engine, I wonder where Honda has placed its engineering focus on this unit. I am going to give careful reconsideration to spending another thousand dollars plus for a generator I will need to accept was not built to run like my Honda Helix, which I think of as being bullet proof. I'm not saying that this unit might not last for many years of flawless service, but it doesn't have the beef for the peace of mind I would rather associate with its intended Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdboltdude Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Dont forget Onan i use a portable 2400 and runs my 7100btu ac on idle has a quite hmmm 10db loader then honda starts first pull every time I just wished i had a rv-Onan gen would be nice to run ac on the road.... Most of the generators mentioned in this thread seem to be able to do the jobs called upon by a Toyhome but the big difference with a Honda is the engine. They are better by a long shot than any Chinese generator and are more reliable and better built than a Kohler, Tecumseh and many others. Honda's only real competitor is the Yamaha with similiar pricing for similiar ratings but the Honda seems to be a little smaller and therefore able to fit into a few of the Toyhome side compartments. The higher price of a Honda is worth it. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Yup thats the one I read too. 20 reviews and 14 of the 20 gave the Honda 4 stars or better. Yes the bad is really bad but overall it was more good than bad. Like I said I do hope you buy the one on Ebay. I would love to have an alternative gen set that wouldn't sound like a jet plane and that I could pick up without a forklift. Someone has to try them out. I just don't want it to be me Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 i will or might, but my main thing is can i use it while running down the road... do you guys really think they leak gas? being outside... on a hitch mounted cargo carrier, would that be that bad? During the Yellowstone trip this summer the coach reached 95 and my poor little girls looked like they were going to melt. every window was wide open howling and rattling something also and all it did was dry out our noses. I went with a coleman Mach 3 13500 rooftop unit so i don't even think the EU2000 would cut the mustard anyway; but the guy that got the 2600 watt china special says his ran fine. 2 gallons per 5.5 hours is not a bad price to pay in that type of heat... I know I would have paid 8 bucks an hour when it was my turn to cook in the back and wifers drove... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 ...10db louder then Honda Being measured on a logarithmic scale, '10db' louder = twice as loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5Toyota Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I would have to agree with LINDA S on the TECUMSEH eng. They were very good i owend a LAWN MOWER with a 6 and half horse tecumseh on it went to get a new mower very dissapointed no more out of bussness.BOUGHT a new TROYBILT two eng choices BRIGGS AND STRATTON OR HONDA. BOUGHT THE BRIGGS . I owen a CHINA GENERATOR BUT I DONT RUN AC with it MYN is 850 running watts. TWO CYCLE cost me 140 dollors at that price if it goes gunniesack no big deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waiter Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 On a log scale, Power, a 3db increase is twice as loud, a 10db jump is 10x as loud, a 20db increase would be 100x loud. etc John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 yeah 5toy, I used to have that same lunchbox two stroke genset from Harbor freight too. I sale/couponed it for $89 out of them then ended up trading it for a Marlin 60 22 rifle. That lunchbox ran several box fans and was ok but wouldnt run AC, not even close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 On a log scale, Power, a 3db increase is twice as loud, a 10db jump is 10x as loud, a 20db increase would be 100x loud. etc John Mc 88 Dolphin 4 Auto Quite right. It's been too many years since I took any classes dealing with logarithmic scales or acoustics! I should have said that an increase of 10dB(A) doubles the "Perceived Loudness" and not the "Sound Intensity (Power)". http://www.noisehelp...ibel-scale.html Also, the dB(A) doesn't tell the whole story. Some noises are just more annoying than others (even though the same dB). Take my wife. Please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdboltdude Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 i wish i had the $$$ for a Honda and hope my Onan 2400 is a nice hum to camping neighborers I don't hear it when inside toyhome when i walk around to different camp sites you can hear it but it is not annoying rattle.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdboltdude Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 wow 10db is 10x loader ty for info Honda sound like they perrr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 Another thing to consider when reading the ads/specs is how the dB level is measured. At idle? Half throttle? Full throttle? And measured at what distance*? Not easy to find these details (often) to allow an 'apples to apples' comparison. *Industry Standard seems to be 7m (~23'). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted October 6, 2012 Share Posted October 6, 2012 The only really quiet ones are Yamaha and Honda The quietest one I have ever used was the 3KW Honda they make two the heaver one is the quietest. I have a cheap Chinese generator it leaks oil it's noisy and never outputs the same voltage twice and I have had the carb off it 3 times because of the dirt in the tank that came from China yep imported dirt, it's ok because I don't take it camping. Koller and Briggs. now make pretty good engines however you want quiet and dependability spend the big bucks and get the best. Me I would buy the Yamaha just as good as the Honda and about $100 cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totem Posted October 7, 2012 Author Share Posted October 7, 2012 Found an alternative genset with identicle price; duro power inverter that is Diesel powered. 2700 constant with 3k surge. Who cares if diesel spills no problem running on back bumper. Can also run Kerosine, veggie etc. made in California so Maineh should be ok with it. Should I pull trigger? Weight of it was only 128 lbs which is 60 lbs more than I liked, but.. Should I get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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