I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Thanks,
Bob

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Thanks,
Bob

My brother-in-law has a Honda generator he aquired several years ago, 15 or
so, and it is still going strong and is very quiet. We were on a island
several years ago when he heard someone in the wee hours of the morning, so
he got up, gave it one pull, and the lights went on. They didn't even know
it was from a generator! If I had the money I would go for the Honda.

zxcvbob wrote in news:6jglidF39225U1
@mid.individual.net:

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only
rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.


I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4 years
of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
timing belt which you can fix. We used the crap out of them and they'll
keep starting, and the power is clean and they're quiet as hell... and
sip the fuel.

If you only need 2000 watts and can afford them they are the way to go.
I've had the best deals from my local honda dealer.

I'm a big fan of these gens.. and they're light .. basically they kick
ass.

I think I paid around a grand for the last one .. like $960 or something,
but this was several years ago.

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rs-331898-.htm
:


-------------------------------------
z wrote:


I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
years
of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
timing belt which you can fix. We used the crap out of them and

My timing belt just crapped out because of a stuck intake valve, where can
I get a new belt and can you explain how to time it?

Thanks




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(Forger) wrote in
:

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rators-331898-
.htm
:


-------------------------------------
z wrote:


I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
years
of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
timing belt which you can fix. We used the crap out of them and

My timing belt just crapped out because of a stuck intake valve, where
can I get a new belt and can you explain how to time it?

Thanks



I'll give it a shot. Here is the part

The Belt:

PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Mfg Product Number: 14400-Z0D-003
Description: BELT (61YU7 G-200) for Honda
Order Quantity: 1
Unit Price: $11.10
Total Cost: $11.10


Oil Splasher
PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Mfg Product Number: 16512-ZL8-000
Description: HOLDER for Honda
Order Quantity: 3
Unit Price: $1.86
Total Cost: $5.58


Its always a good idea (thanks Ullyses) to change out the plastic oil
splasher while you are in there. Its only six bucks or so. As they get
older they tend to get brittle and its easy to change once you've got
everything apart.

I ordered from http://www.hondapeninsula.com/

Even with shipping it runs cheaper than my local honda dealer who wanted
like 18 bucks for the belt. Anyway you just plug the part no in -- or
shop around as you like -- either way.

You'll also need some liquid gasket gunk. I use the stuff made by honda
'Hondabond HT, but probably any quality stuff would work.

So you gotta drain the oil, pull all the plastic, pull the carb, pull the
exhaust, pull the valve cover and then pull the crank case. Its kind of
a pain.

Give it a good clean out etc, replace the oil splasher. This might be a
good time to test the low oil sensor -- i had one go bad just after I put
everything backtogether.. sucked. You just hook a test light up to it
and submerge it in oil. takes a few mins

So I've found its easiest to pull the pin on the timing gear (just with a
plyers or whatnot) and set the belt up with the timing gear kind of
hanging lose. Then you rotate the crank till you see a little square
indentation on the crank and a notch. Line that up so its virtical (i
think there might be another mark you can match with).. anyway its
supposed to be at the top as you look at it. The timing gear itself has
a horizontal line that should match up with the case. When you see it
you'll know what I'm talking about. They made it pretty easy. That
should be TDC.

Then you can pull up the timing gear and slip the pin back in .. then you
are good to go. Clean the case and goo it up

Just use your aluminum fingers putting those bolts back in.. they'll
strip easy if you get too aggressive with them.

They say you are supposed to change all the gaskets (exaust, carb etc)
when you do this but i'm too cheap and so far so good on using the old
ones. Just be careful and don't break em

good luck.


-zachary

PS: i've had the timing a bit off before after a rebuild. Once the belt
is on you can pull that gear pin and set the gear a few teeth one way or
the other after you reassemble -- once the belt is on you won't have to
take the crank case off or even all the plastic again if you think it
needs a little adjustment after you are done. Thank gowd for that man ..
the plastic etc is a pain in the ass to keep taking off all the time.

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rs-333732-.htm
:


-------------------------------------
z wrote:


good luck.


-zachary

Thank you!
Very clear - makes perfect sense.. thanks




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"z" wrote in message
. ..
(Forger) wrote in
:

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rators-331898-
.htm
:


-------------------------------------
z wrote:


I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
years
of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
timing belt which you can fix. We used the crap out of them and

My timing belt just crapped out because of a stuck intake valve, where
can I get a new belt and can you explain how to time it?

Thanks



I'll give it a shot. Here is the part

The Belt:

PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Mfg Product Number: 14400-Z0D-003
Description: BELT (61YU7 G-200) for Honda
Order Quantity: 1
Unit Price: $11.10
Total Cost: $11.10


Oil Splasher
PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Mfg Product Number: 16512-ZL8-000
Description: HOLDER for Honda
Order Quantity: 3
Unit Price: $1.86
Total Cost: $5.58


Its always a good idea (thanks Ullyses) to change out the plastic oil
splasher while you are in there. Its only six bucks or so. As they get
older they tend to get brittle and its easy to change once you've got
everything apart.

I ordered from http://www.hondapeninsula.com/

Even with shipping it runs cheaper than my local honda dealer who wanted
like 18 bucks for the belt. Anyway you just plug the part no in -- or
shop around as you like -- either way.

You'll also need some liquid gasket gunk. I use the stuff made by honda
'Hondabond HT, but probably any quality stuff would work.

So you gotta drain the oil, pull all the plastic, pull the carb, pull the
exhaust, pull the valve cover and then pull the crank case. Its kind of
a pain.

Give it a good clean out etc, replace the oil splasher. This might be a
good time to test the low oil sensor -- i had one go bad just after I put
everything backtogether.. sucked. You just hook a test light up to it
and submerge it in oil. takes a few mins

Also I would recommend replacing the seal on the oil sensor as that is prone
to failure. Not as bad as a stuck oil switch but still not fun.



So I've found its easiest to pull the pin on the timing gear (just with a
plyers or whatnot) and set the belt up with the timing gear kind of
hanging lose. Then you rotate the crank till you see a little square
indentation on the crank and a notch. Line that up so its virtical (i
think there might be another mark you can match with).. anyway its
supposed to be at the top as you look at it. The timing gear itself has
a horizontal line that should match up with the case. When you see it
you'll know what I'm talking about. They made it pretty easy. That
should be TDC.

I'm probably just not understanding your explanation but on mine there were
two raised marks (lines) on the cam gear. They should line up horizontally
with the top of the cylinder head _ _ If they look like those two
line just to the left of this you should be at TDC.


Then you can pull up the timing gear and slip the pin back in .. then you
are good to go. Clean the case and goo it up

Just use your aluminum fingers putting those bolts back in.. they'll
strip easy if you get too aggressive with them.

They say you are supposed to change all the gaskets (exaust, carb etc)
when you do this but i'm too cheap and so far so good on using the old
ones. Just be careful and don't break em

good luck.


-zachary

PS: i've had the timing a bit off before after a rebuild. Once the belt
is on you can pull that gear pin and set the gear a few teeth one way or
the other after you reassemble -- once the belt is on you won't have to
take the crank case off or even all the plastic again if you think it
needs a little adjustment after you are done. Thank gowd for that man ..
the plastic etc is a pain in the ass to keep taking off all the time.

I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
years
of around 6 - 10 hours a day use. And then it was usually just the
timing belt which you can fix.

Thats like 7,500 hours before the first problem? Is that right?!

I have about 150 hours on mine; I guess it will last a while longer.

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rs-331898-.htm
:

Hey z let me pick your brain again if I can...
I have replaced the timing belt and plastic gear in my own honda 2000 and
a friend's. But I seem to have identical problems now with both
generators. They seem to smoke for a few minutes when they are first
started in the morning, and consume more oil than previous. I dont know
what I did by replacing the belt and gear that would cause that, I time it
with the square box on the crank straight up and the lines on the cam
lined up with the case. Any ideas what I did wrong that would lead to
burning oil?
-------------------------------------
z wrote:


I've used eu2000s for a lot of years. I've had failures after 3-4
years





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(Forger) wrote in
om:

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rators-331898-
.htm
:

Hey z let me pick your brain again if I can...
I have replaced the timing belt and plastic gear in my own honda 2000
and a friend's. But I seem to have identical problems now with both
generators. They seem to smoke for a few minutes when they are first
started in the morning, and consume more oil than previous. I dont
know what I did by replacing the belt and gear that would cause that,
I time it with the square box on the crank straight up and the lines
on the cam lined up with the case. Any ideas what I did wrong that
would lead to burning oil?

Hmm.. not really off the top of my head. Are you sure its burning the
oil? Like how much does it use? Could it be leaking from a bad seal on
the crank case or something? I don't see how they could run smoothly and
be totally 180 degrees off TDC or something .. but I'm not an uber guru
(paging Ullyses).

I got off my arse and scanned the engine chapter in the repair manual.
Have a look through that and make sure what you did matches that. I
should have scanned this ages ago --

http://www.homebrewhydro.com/eu2000/

Just click the PDF listed there.

Now Honda will probably take me to court but i'll take the risk

Best of luck

-zachary

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rs-348022-.htm
:

Wow thanks for the service pages
Yeah I am now wondering if I got it 180 off, I know I did have to push
that cam down under the spring pressure now that I think about it to get
the belt on. It never smoked or used oil before this, and tonight I had to
add oil again, and no its not leaking but I see the muffler is actually
wet with oil.
I am really at a loss here, seems like it has to be the valves or piston
involved in burning oil. Unless it has something to do with oil sucking
through the vent hose? I wonder if being 180 off would cause suction or
something there?

-------------------------------------
z wrote:

ng? I don't see how they could run smoothly
and
be totally 180 degrees off TDC or something .. but I'm not an uber guru

(paging Ullyses).

I got off my arse and scanned the engine chapter in the repair manual.

Have a look through that and make sure what you did matches that. I
should have scanned this ages ago --

http://www.homebrewhydro.com/eu2000/

Just click the PDF listed there.

Now Honda will probably take me to court but i'll take the risk

Best of luck

-zachary





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Forger wrote:
Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rs-348022-.htm
:

Wow thanks for the service pages
Yeah I am now wondering if I got it 180 off, I know I did have to push
that cam down under the spring pressure now that I think about it to get
the belt on. It never smoked or used oil before this, and tonight I had to
add oil again, and no its not leaking but I see the muffler is actually
wet with oil.
I am really at a loss here, seems like it has to be the valves or piston
involved in burning oil. Unless it has something to do with oil sucking
through the vent hose? I wonder if being 180 off would cause suction or
something there?



What sort of crankcase ventilation does it use? In my car that hose got
kinked and it went through several quarts of oil before I figured out
what was going on.

i dont think 180 out on cam is a problem,because if you turn the
crank another revolution its going to be in time like the book says.
ive seen guys dabble some silicone on the oil pan and leak,an oil free
surface and a bead of sealANT THAT SQUISHES OUT A LITTLE IS BEST.
rings,valve seal , crankcase ventilation or oil leak cause oil loss.
those honda black engines are about as cheep made as you can get with
that plastic camshaft setup.

----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm

Forger had written this in response to
http://www.thestuccocompany.com/main...rs-348317-.htm
:

Ut oh... I didnt seal up the valve cover... Im now wondering after reading
these two posts if thats my problem, I'll try that right now, thanks.
-------------------------------------
wrote:


i dont think 180 out on cam is a problem,because if you turn the
crank another revolution its going to be in time like the book says.
ive seen guys dabble some silicone on the oil pan and leak,an oil free
surface and a bead of sealANT THAT SQUISHES OUT A LITTLE IS BEST.
rings,valve seal , crankcase ventilation or oil leak cause oil loss.
those honda black engines are about as cheep made as you can get with
that plastic camshaft setup.

----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.minibite.com/america/malone.htm







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I am looking at a generator in this WEIGHT range. I already have a
much heavier unit that takes a hoist to put into a vehicle. The Yamaha
YG2800i is what I want to acquire once they become available again. A
bit more power, a few more pounds but a bit less expensive for an
inverter-type unit than the Honda.
Tom

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Thanks,
Bob
---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News Provider ----
http://www.pronews.com offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups

For occasional use disposable unit, ETQ makes one I really like. I got an
ETQ from Ebay for about $150, including shipping. Runs well enough to power
a very old furnace with about half HP blower motor. I was astounded how
quiet. And, it's about 55 pounds so I don't get a triple hernia trying to
lift it. 1000 watts or so, with one power socket. But, it's useful. I bet it
runs about 200 hours before it wears out, and then buy another one. But for
my use, that's 20 years of useful life. Mine gets maybe 10 hours a year of
run time.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Tom Kendrick" wrote in message
...
I am looking at a generator in this WEIGHT range. I already have a
much heavier unit that takes a hoist to put into a vehicle. The Yamaha
YG2800i is what I want to acquire once they become available again. A
bit more power, a few more pounds but a bit less expensive for an
inverter-type unit than the Honda.
Tom

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.

Join the EU2000i Yahoo group
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/...00_Generators/
and ask there where folks are buying lately. I have seen new EUs on e-bay, but
I am not quite brave enough to send that kind of money to a blind account and
get...what?

I own one, they are great products. I bought mine he http://www.sunelec.com/
Give them a call and get a price. Let us know where you finally buy.


--
Vaughn

.................................................. .......
Nothing personal, but if you are posting through Google Groups I may not receive
your message. Google refuses to control the flood of spam messages originating
in their system, so on any given day I may or may not have Google blocked. Try
a real NNTP server & news reader program and you will never go back. All you
need is access to an NNTP server (AKA "news server") and a news reader program.
You probably already have a news reader program in your computer (Hint: Outlook
Express). Assuming that your Usenet needs are modest, use
http://news.aioe.org/ for free and/or http://www.teranews.com/ for a one-time
$3.95 setup fee.
.................................................. ........

Will poofread for food.

Vaughn Simon wrote:
....
Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.
....
And why should a company not be allowed to set whatever policies for
their dealers/products they wish?

Surely if this particular peccadillo of yours were particularly
user-belligerent it would be self-defeating and correct itself...

--

the one place that listed a price on Google search was about a thousand
dollars. I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Vaughn Simon" wrote in
Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call
around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current
administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.

Apples and oranges. I could have bought several tents for the price of my
home.

Vaughn

I agree. However, if you want to provide 1,000 watts for a couple hours, it
is good to know about the cheaper ETQ.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Vaughn Simon" wrote in message
...

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I can get several ETQ brand generators for that money.

Apples and oranges. I could have bought several tents for the price of
my
home.

Vaughn

Stormin Mormon wrote:
I agree. However, if you want to provide 1,000 watts for a couple hours, it
is good to know about the cheaper ETQ.



I'm leaning towards the Yamaha 2400i. 25% more capacity than the Honda,
and a lot quieter than the Yamaha 2800i (the 2800i seems like the best
deal if you don't mind the extra 10dB noise, which is still relatively
quiet for a small genset.) I like that the Yamahas have a petcock on
the fuel line, and they are convertible to NP, and while they are a lot
heavier than the Honda they are still luggable by one person (the extra
weight might be a *good* thing -- means a preteen girl is not likely to
steal it ;-) )

I'm the original titewad, but this should be one of those lifetime
purchases.

I can't find a dealer locally (maybe Cabela's, 40 miles away, I haven't
called them) so I guess I'll have to order one online.


Thanks guys,
Bob

Vaughn Simon wrote:
"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

Yep, Honda does not allow Internet price advertising, so you need to call around
and do your own shopping. As I recall, you can thank our current administration
for allowing that particular consumer unfriendly behavior.

Join the EU2000i Yahoo group
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/...00_Generators/
and ask there where folks are buying lately. I have seen new EUs on e-bay, but
I am not quite brave enough to send that kind of money to a blind account and
get...what?

I own one, they are great products. I bought mine he http://www.sunelec.com/
Give them a call and get a price. Let us know where you finally buy.


Hi,
There are many dompanies doing that. Not only Honda.

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
same price-fixing attitude of honda.


I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Before you buy a generator and before I can offer any advice you need to
identify what you want to do with it. Sit down, ask yourself that, write it
down and post it. Then we can look at some possibilities.

John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com -- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Daddy, why doesn't this magnet pick up this floppy?

"Neon John" wrote in message
...
Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
same price-fixing attitude of honda.

I bought two 1000 watt Yamaha inverter generators for my employer (initially
chose Yamaha because they were a bit cheaper & fit within my corporate credit
card limit). They are wonderful jewels! Yamaha is every bit as good as Honda.

Vaughn

The (below) link does show some parallel kits. Also lighting kit, and tri
fuel so you can run LPG.

http://www.google.com/products?q=+Ho...oducts&hl =en

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"AJH" wrote in message
...


Can they be run in parallel?

Z has given figures for Honda eu2000 life, I have had similar life for
a Honda engined generic genset, do you think Yamaha will be as long
lived?

Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?

AJH

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:32:03 -0400, Stormin Mormon wrote:

The (below) link does show some parallel kits. Also lighting kit, and tri
fuel so you can run LPG.

http://www.google.com/products?q=+Ho...oducts&hl =en

I like the idea of LPG. You don't have fuel sitting in the tank or carb or
anything. A little oil fog at shutdown for storage and it is good to go
next time. With gas or diesel you have greater potential for fuel
problems.

On Sep 19, 9:47*am, Mike Dobony wrote:
On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:32:03 -0400, Stormin Mormon wrote:
The (below) link does show some parallel kits. Also lighting kit, and tri
fuel so you can run LPG.

* *http://www.google.com/products?q=+Ho...earch+Products...

I like the idea of LPG. *You don't have fuel sitting in the tank or carb or
anything. *A little oil fog at shutdown for storage and it is good to go
next time. *With gas or diesel you have greater potential for fuel
problems.

The TRI fuel kits are great you can even run them off home NG at a
cheaper cost.

"AJH" wrote in message
...
Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?

I have no direct experience, but this company
http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-gas-generators.com/ claims to be
factory-authorized to sell new/warrantied Yamaha generators pre-converted to LPG
or tri-fuel. They also sell kits.

Vaughn

Vaughn Simon wrote:
"AJH" wrote in message
...
Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?

I have no direct experience, but this company
http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-gas-generators.com/ claims to be
factory-authorized to sell new/warrantied Yamaha generators pre-converted to LPG
or tri-fuel. They also sell kits.

Vaughn




That tri-fuel model looks very interesting. I also like that it is
surge-rated to 6000W. It's heavier than I wanted... I'll have to think
about it. Thanks.

Bob

On Sep 19, 2:30*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
Vaughn Simon wrote:
"AJH" wrote in message
.. .
Has anyone any experience of running Yamaha inverter gensets on lpg?

* *I have no direct experience, but this company
http://www.yamaha-propane-natural-ga...ors.com/claims to be
factory-authorized to sell new/warrantied Yamaha generators pre-converted to LPG
or tri-fuel. *They also sell kits.

Vaughn

That tri-fuel model looks very interesting. *I also like that it is
surge-rated to 6000W. *It's heavier than I wanted... *I'll have to think
about it. *Thanks.

Bob

Re the above discussion of Honda versus Yamaha.
Is it not interesting that some of the best products (generators,
motor cycles, cars, electronics etc.) come from Japan; one of the
countries with high wages, and one of the most expensive to live in in
the world!
Back before WWII Japanese goods were considered tinny and cheap, same
as Chinese and certain other Asian goods are viewed today.
Just wait until the Chinese, as they are rapidly doing, improve the
quality of their products and raise their standard of living, along
with competition from India.
The rest of the 'Old World' won't get a look in!
So long British bicycles, German cars, US electronics and electrics
etc.!
For some time certain 'quality products' such as custom built yachts
and fine furniture, have been produced in places such as Hong Kong,
once again part of China.
Makes on think, eh?

In alt.energy.homepower Neon John wrote:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator (most
people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because of the honda
thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha doesn't have that
same price-fixing attitude of honda.

It is obnoxious to find honda stuff online, as they seem to not want their
dealers to sell outside their territory. For just plain engines, I like a
place called Helmuth Repair. They don't pull shipping price scams either.

What's better about the yamaha generators? Are these the ones with a blue
housing?

In alt.energy.homepower Neon John wrote:

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator
(most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
of the honda thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.


I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors,
refrigerator, TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during
an extended power outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the
same thing except a 8000 BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a
couple of hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that.
I think I could get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W
continuous power. I could certainly get by with it a lot better than I
could with no generator at all.

The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to
a job site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.

I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is
so reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been
living off a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how
fast it burns up the gasoline they had stored. One gas station just
opened up for business again a couple of days ago (all the other
stations are still closed because they don't have power) and you have to
wait for hours in line at the one Exxon station and hope they don't run
out before you get to the front of the line. We don't get hurricanes up
here, but we do get tornadoes and ice storms (usually not at the same time)

That's why the tri-fuel conversion looks mighty good.

Bob

On Sep 19, 12:09*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
In alt.energy.homepower Neon John wrote:

Yes, that's a honda thing. *If your needs fit an inverter generator
(most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
of the honda thing. *The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.

I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors,
refrigerator, TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during
an extended power outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the
same thing except a 8000 BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
* I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a
couple of hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that.
* I think I could get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W
continuous power. *I could certainly get by with it a lot better than I
could with no generator at all.

The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to
a job site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.

I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is
so reliable. *But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been
living off a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how
fast it burns up the gasoline they had stored. *One gas station just
opened up for business again a couple of days ago (all the other
stations are still closed because they don't have power) and you have to
wait for hours in line at the one Exxon station and hope they don't run
out before you get to the front of the line. *We don't get hurricanes up
here, but we do get tornadoes and ice storms (usually not at the same time)

That's why the tri-fuel conversion looks mighty good.

Bob

1600 watt, you will tax it to a short life and may not get everything
running at once. A furnace figure 375-425 watts with 600 surge, A
frige figure 120-500 watts with 1000 surge in defrost cycle my old
frige uses near 600 watts, TV 150 -300 w. You need to calculate surge
load and have at least 1000 watts reserve. A unit that small will be
under near 100% stress load and things dont last long stressed. Hondas
site has a good page on run and surge load of different apliances. To
be correct you need to test everything for load and surge draw first.
Old apliances and things nearing end of life can have surge loads
Tripple, that could realy hurt you unit. There is also voltage swing,
unless its a inverter honda a small gen will be hard to control to run
everything safely

"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...

I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors, refrigerator,
TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during an extended power
outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the same thing except a 8000
BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.

If you expect that the EU will normally be loaded above 1000 watts, you will
get little benefit from the inverter technology. The really great thing about
the inverter units is that they modulate engine speed depending on load. Over
about 60% load (the EU 2000 is really only rated at 1600 watts) your EU will be
reving like any other generator, and you will have given up most of the reason
for all of that extra electronics, co$t, and complexity.

I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a couple of
hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that. I think I could
get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W continuous power. I could
certainly get by with it a lot better than I could with no generator at all.

You are thinking about load management...good!



The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to a job
site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.

True, but be sure to chain the thing down!

I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is so
reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been living off
a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how fast it burns up the
gasoline they had stored. One gas station just opened up for business again a
couple of days ago (all the other stations are still closed because they don't
have power) and you have to wait for hours in line

Yes. I live in hurricane country, and the above is why my generator runs on
natural gas with propane as a backup. Few folks think about the fuel
consumption of their generators. I have seen people buy generators and not even
bother to buy a gas can! At 1 gallon ($4.00) per hour, nearly $100/day (IF you
can find the gas at all), I am sure that there are many folks in Texas today who
would gladly pay MSRP for something like an EU2000i.

Vaughn

Vaughn Simon wrote:
"zxcvbob" wrote in message
...
I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors, refrigerator,
TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during an extended power
outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the same thing except a 8000
BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.

If you expect that the EU will normally be loaded above 1000 watts, you will
get little benefit from the inverter technology. The really great thing about
the inverter units is that they modulate engine speed depending on load. Over
about 60% load (the EU 2000 is really only rated at 1600 watts) your EU will be
reving like any other generator, and you will have given up most of the reason
for all of that extra electronics, co$t, and complexity.


The refrigerator doesn't run all the time, it cycles on/off. And I
/might/ not have to run the A/C. Even running a few hundred fewer RPM's
for half the runtime has got to be easier on the engine. I expect it
will be running less than 1000W most of the time, but I wonder if it has
enough surge capacity (The Yamaha 2400 is an honest 2000W inverter and
it's rated 6000W for 3 seconds. I like that. It also weighs a lot
more; not sure if it can be shipped UPS Ground.)

I need to wait another couple of weeks for Texas to be powered-up again,
then start calling the generator dealers. Especially the ones in
Wisconsin because it's not so far/expensive to ship from there.

Bob

On Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:09:03 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:


In alt.energy.homepower Neon John wrote:

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator
(most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
of the honda thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.


I want to be able to run my furnace blower, gas oven ignitors,
refrigerator, TV, laptop computer, and a few fluorescent lights during
an extended power outage during the winter. Or during the summer, the
same thing except a 8000 BTU (11 EER) window A/C instead of the furnace.
I also have a couple of freezers that might need to be plugged in a
couple of hours each day, but I could unplug the fridge when I do that.
I think I could get by OK with a generator rated for 110V 1600W
continuous power. I could certainly get by with it a lot better than I
could with no generator at all.

The Honda is also a nice size to throw in the back of a truck to take to
a job site to run 110V power tools, like various electric saws or lighting.

Your parents' experience with the gas hog is one reason why I asked the
question. Far too many people find out the hard way about how much fuel it
takes to keep a 4 or 5kW generator running.

Unless you go for the very high dollar 3 or 4kW versions, an inverter
generator isn't a good match for your load mix. The reason is that they have
no surge reserve. That is, no motor starting reserve.

For instance, the EU2000 has a continuous rating of 1,600 VA (nice little fib
there in the model number) but a peak of only 2000 VA. A momentary load, say,
starting the compressor of the AC, of even a tiny bit over 2000 VA and the
inverter shuts down, requiring an engine stop and restart.

A conventional generator, OTOH, may slow down a little and dip the voltage but
it will supply much more surge current than its nominal full load rating. In
isolation, an EU2000 or Yamaha equivalent would probably run any of the items
you mentioned (minor question on the AC) The problem is trying to run several
loads at once.

For instance, you might have the lights, a PC and the refrigerator running
when the little AC tries to start. There simply isn't enough headroom left to
do the job.

Yamaha has addressed this problem with their "boost" technology that uses the
cranking battery to supply surge current

http://www.yamaha-motor.com/outdoor/.../444/home.aspx

But this is a high dollar generator.

What I recommend is to get two different generators: a little 1kW unit to run
your lights, PC and other light loads and a larger one, say 2500 watts, for
the AC, furnace blower and perhaps the refrigerator. (depending on the fridge,
it might run on the 1kW unit.)

The 1 kW unit which just sips fuel, can be run all the time. The larger
generator can either be started and stopped as needed or can use the no-load
idle-down feature that almost all constant-speed generators have to return to
idle when no load is applied.

Buying chicom generators, you can get two for less than the price of one big
name inverter generator. The 1kW 2-stroke unit that Northern Tool and others
sell for as little as $99 does a fine job. I have two of 'em. One of those
will start and run my electric lawn mower, something my 2,500 watt inverter
will not do. A 4-stroke version is about double that price but, IMO, not
worth it. The 2-stroke version is fairly quiet and with "no smoke" oil like
Northern Tool sells, emits almost no fumes.

Harbor Freight, Pep Boys and many other similar places sell a nice little 2500
watt generator in the $300 range. Some versions use a honda clone engine
manufactured under license from Honda. (I know the Pep Boys one does, not
sure about the rest) Here's Harbor Freight's version:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92456

If you dedicate the 2500 watt unit to the AC, furnace fan and perhaps the
refrigerator then it can idle down when there is no load, further conserving
fuel.

If you really just want 1 generator then I'd go with something in the 2500
watt class.

John


I keep putting off buying a generator because the power here in town is
so reliable. But my parents down in East Texas near Houston have been
living off a cheap 5000W generator for a week now and it's scary how
fast it burns up the gasoline they had stored. One gas station just
opened up for business again a couple of days ago (all the other
stations are still closed because they don't have power) and you have to
wait for hours in line at the one Exxon station and hope they don't run
out before you get to the front of the line. We don't get hurricanes up
here, but we do get tornadoes and ice storms (usually not at the same time)

That's why the tri-fuel conversion looks mighty good.

Bob
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com -- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Vegetarian - Indian word for "poor hunter".

Neon John wrote in
:

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:

I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years
ago (best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken
the bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?

Yes, that's a honda thing. If your needs fit an inverter generator
(most people's don't), I recommend the Yamaha line, partially because
of the honda thing. The Yamahas are actually better units and Yamaha
doesn't have that same price-fixing attitude of honda.



I like the yamaha's too.. the newer ones. I got onto the honda only
because the yamaha I bought had a problem with the inverter when they
first came out with an inverter model. Much MUCH line noise. Yamaha
fixed that but by that time I was a honda guy.

If I was going to start out fresh I'd give the Yamaha a hard look no
doubt.

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:45:33 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote:
Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. Is that a Honda thing? What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. Know any good dealers?
Have these guys send you a catalog, or visit one of their stores if
you have one nearby
www2.northerntool.com/generators.htm
specs, etc will be in there

The reason, to me, that you want a Honda generator is that you want
the Honda engine. I have one of their Honda-powered Northstar
generators and it has proven reliable since 2000. Have run it for 8
days during Isabel with a tree on the house. Just used it when a tree
felled by remains of a storm took out power, phone, cable.
No problems, ever.
YMMV
starrin

On Sep 18, 10:45*pm, zxcvbob wrote:
I almost bought a Honda EU2000i generator at the state fair 2 years ago
(best price I'd seen) but I passed on it, mostly because I'd taken the
bus to the fair and didn't want to wag the thing home on a bus.

Anyway, I'm getting interested in them again, and might buy one after
hurricane season is over and before winter (ice storm season) sets in.
But nobody lists their prices online. *Is that a Honda thing? *What is
the street price of a EU2000i -- ignoring the current Hurricane Ike
situation. *Know any good dealers?

I also can't find any specs on expected engine life of the little
Hondas. *I know some of the really cheap 5000W generators are only rated
about 500 hours, and you could burn that up in a month during an
extended power outage.

I also can't find any small 1800 rpm diesel generators that might be a
contender. *There /are/ small diesels (Yanmar and Chinese knockoffs) but
they all operate at 3600 rpm, which should have most of the durability
problems of 3600 rpm gasoline engines.

Thanks,
Bob

The honda can last 15000 hours if run easy, RPM is load dependant so
at 100w it might only run 900 rpm, it also has as clean or cleaner
power then your utility co, alt.energy.homepower is where folks are
that have gotten 15000 hours, bull full load it and maybe you get
2-3000