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reddly
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2013 05:59pm
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I've read up on these and I know they are incredibly reliable, and have low fuel consumption. I know they have companion tanks to increase they're run time and can be hooked in parallel for more amps.
My specific question is about noise, and required maintenance for a full time unit.
1) noise levels are very important to me. After all whats the point of being in nature just to hear an engine run. I've read they are rated at 59dB (or there abouts). I've read reviews from tail-gaters claiming they can have it running and resting beside them while they carry on a normal conversation.
So how quiet are these?
2) I know a few on here have used these for "full time use". my understanding is that every 50 hrs you have do an oil change. What I'm considering is using 1 (or the parallel kit) to power my cabin for an extended period of time. I will eventually add solar panels to help. But for the time being I'm thinking small loads, for up to 18 hrs a day for at least a few months. is this feasible and what other maintenance is required? I'm sure its in the manual but I was wondering about specifics to long term extended use.
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Alaskaman
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2013 06:14pm
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Hi I'm new here, but I can tell you those Honda's and the Yamaha 4 strokes are great. They are very quite and I do my oil changes and such every 75 hours. I'm off-grid in Alaska and use one to charge my batteries for about 8 hours everyday. You can literlally have the thing at your feet and carry one a conversation.
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KSalzwedel
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2013 10:21pm
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In AK too. Used one of these for three summers as a battery charger. Worked great, very little noise. Of course, I am not in a campground running it at 2 AM, which I wouldn't recommend.
very reliable, and what was important to me (arthritis) is that I could start it with one pull almost exclusively, and carry it if need be. Haven't tried tandem, didn't need it.
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GomerPile
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# Posted: 4 Apr 2013 11:20pm
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They are very quiet, there is nothing on the market any quieter. If you place it 20-30 ft from your cabin with a sound barrier of some kind, you really won't hear it.
There are reports of people running the EU for 2500 hours with little trouble. Just oil changes, air filter, spark plug, etc. Do use Mobil 1 or some kind of synthetic oil if you are going to run it as you describe. Also try and run it in an area with good ventilation to keep the engine temps down.
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groingo
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2013 02:22am
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The bottom line with anything mechanical, the better you take care it the better it will care for you. When I sold mine after five years of light use I got more than I paid for it new and it did the job I needed done very well, abuse it and it will bite you in the backside!
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rayyy
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2013 07:32am
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My bigest fear was noise,also.I pictured a obnoctious lawnmower engine running.But in reality,you get use to the purr of it's engine running at idle.No change to the motor speed just running a computer or tv or any small load.It rev's up when you run something big like a vaccuum cleaner,microwave or toaster.My sit's on the poarch outside and when you walk away from it like 50 feet or so,you hardly hear it.Their really mufflered down quite a bit.I do change the oil often.I use synthetic 10W30.I run mine atleast 6 hours a day.My only problem is that the pull cord is starting to fray.Iv'e learned to have to pull streight out when starting it.Not upward at an angle.
It's funny,though.They can make a great big,powerful car engine run so quiet,you can't even tell it's running.Why not a little generator engine?Throw on a bigger gas tank and a remote starter and you'd have the ultimite generator!
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GomerPile
Member
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2013 02:28pm
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If you had a car muffler attached to the Honda it would run pretty quiet! I was thinking about rigging something up for my generator box.
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reddly
Member
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2013 06:07pm
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Well I wanted to say thankyou to everyone for your input. I'm still a little worried about the noise. I really do enjoy the peace and quiet. Simple things like listening to loons.
At anyrate I think the only way I'll be able to pull the trigger on this is to find someone who has one, or go to a store that does a start up so I can actually hear, see, and feel it.
But thankyou to everyone for the help.
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 5 Apr 2013 09:03pm
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Full noise level at max output is 59DB, in eco mode, it tapers down to an idle or a little more and runs about 45db.
A normal conversation between 2 people is 60 db. I set mine outside my door, and once the door is closed, I cant even hear it.
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Rossman
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# Posted: 26 May 2013 10:59am
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Realize this thread is a little bit old, but I was at my property this weekend and my cousin brought his Honda eu1000 out to power some stuff.
I am blown away by how quiet that thing is. It's quieter than our electric lawnmower, also quieter than a little 12VDC air pump we were using to fill some tires.
I can't imagine anyone being disappointed by these generators.
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Rossman
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# Posted: 27 May 2013 09:57pm
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By the way, does anyone know the country of manufacture for these Honda eu1000/eu2000 generators? I can only assume Japan, since they are so well built, but you never know these days.
Cheers
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 12:16pm
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I think they are actually made in the states by Honda USA.
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Popeye
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 12:34pm - Edited by: Popeye
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"Honda produces approximately 48 thousand compact gasoline generators ranging in capacity from 0.6 – 80 kVA in Japan, China, France and India, and supplies them to North America, Europe and various other countries around the world."
http://world.honda.com/power/generator/
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Rossman
Member
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 01:47pm
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It's weird, I'm asking because I bought an eu2000 from Wise Sales, and had it shipped to a pickup point near the border so I can pop across and pick it up.
Depending on the country of manufacture it can affect what duties you pay...thanks!
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DaJTCHA
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 05:16pm
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I have a honda eu2000i and we used if for the first time this weekend. Upgrades that I purchased were a RPM/Hour Meter which was an easy install, a magnetic oil fill neck cap, an extended aluminum "tube" for easy oil changes and no spill into the housing oil refilling. I bought a couple extra spark plugs and I'm going to get a couple air filters as well.
We put 1 hour total on it and believe it or not, I used it at home first. We had a power outage and the chickens I had in the incubator were at risk of cooling off (not a good thing). So I scrambled to re-read the owner's manual, put oil into it and get it running. 5 pulls later and our generator was saving 22 pullets from dying!
The quietness of these generators is not "hype". They pure in ECO mode and are quite quiet when it is running "full throttle". I was EXTREMELY surprised at how quiet it was. I've used other generators before and many times you can scream and be heard over them...totally and not even remotely the case with the Honda. You can trust that the db ratings are NOT marketing jargon, but the truth!
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 09:03pm
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Anyone who buys one of these generators becomes a full time salesman for Honda and not even on the payroll. He is right, not hype, pure fact. Whisper quiet.
I cant tell you how many I have sold for Honda.
I own the EU2000i and the EU6500is, over $5000 worth of generators. Worth every penny.
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Rossman
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# Posted: 28 May 2013 09:33pm
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I can't wait to get our EU2000i! Hopefully will make it to Ogdensburg in time for me to pop across and grab it on Saturday!
I also found a few sites that mention that there is no duty to bring these into Canada, just HST, so that's pretty darn positive as well!
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rayyy
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# Posted: 30 May 2013 08:30am - Edited by: rayyy
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My first generator was a Colman brand.It cost about $450.weighted 80 pounds.It had to run all the time at a high RPM to produce 60 cycle.You couldn't use a large motored tool like a table saw or air compressor on it because it couldn't produce enough starting power.These new (electronic) generators are great because they don't need to run at a high speed to run a small load device like this computer or TV set,fan,radio,,,ect..They only have to crank up to run a microwave,toaster,hair dryer or vacuum cleaner.Somthing large like that.I must admitt too,other manufacturers are now starting to build these small,light weight,portable generators at half the price of a Honda.
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