Honda or Yamaha ???

[eastont]

I'm hoping to pick your brains here. I'm looking at buying a generator and I can't decide which one would be the better buy. The Honda 2000Watt I can get for around $1300CDN, and the Yamaha 2400Watt for about $100 less. They both seem to have similar specs and 53-59DB noise ratings. The only thing I keep coming back to is all I saw last season was Honda. Not a Yamaha to be seen.

As always I appreciate every ones' input.

Thanks

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Honda or Yamaha ???

I suspect a goodly number of folks that buy this stuff by Honda just because its a Honda. They know little about mechanical/electrical things and just drop the change and walk away happy. They don't want to do the research and as a result they never know that there are products that cost less, work just as well if not better, and last just as long or longer for less money. Nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, it depends on who will service what you buy. There is a pretty fair chance you can get a Honda Genset fixed in most any town. There is also a fair chance you can get a Yammy fixed in "nearly" any small town. Availability of parts and service is important in those decisions. From another perspective, I probably wouldn't buy either as I know I can buy an equivalent for less than either one. Not as pretty, not as light, but every bit as functional. My 2500 watt genset cost me $125. It consists of a used 8 HP Kohler driving an Onan generator head through a belt. The whole thing sits on a frame that I welded up from scrap metal. It ain't pretty, it's heavy and it's noisy, but it works when I need it.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: Honda or Yamaha ???

it's heavy and it's noisy,

Two things I didn't want when I bought mine.

I've got a Honda 2000u and love it. I don't use it that much as I have it for when I'm camping and the batteries have run out (either the trailer or the trolling batteries).

I've not seen the Yamaha.

I've heard good things about the Kipor, and it is a fair bit less money. Place down the road sells them. Basically a clone of the Honda.

 

[gss036]

Re: Honda or Yamaha ???

I have 2 Honda generators. One is a 600 watt that is at least 20 years old. I used when camping for lights and my wife would take along her sewing machine, worked great. I had not used it for several years, pulled it off the shelf, put frsh gas in it and checked the oil, 2 pulls and it was up and running. My second one is also a Honda, It is 35 watt and is about 12-15 year old and it also starts right up, I start and run it every year so I know it will fire up if we loose electricty to the house.
I have several friends who also have Honda.
The main thing is quality and the secure feeling of knowing it will start and work for you when you need it. I know, you see all the little cheap on sale for about 1/3 of the cost of a Honda or Yamaha, but just remember, you get what you pay for. Buy junk, you get junk.
All of my power washers, rototillers, etc are Honda, except my lawn mower which is John Deere.
nuff said.

 

[JohnQ-FWB]

Re: Honda or Yamaha ???

I have a Yamaha IESB 3000 with a Hayes Equipment Wireless remote start kit and love it. If you want to pretty good information on different generators, I would recommend the folks that I bought the wireless remote kit from (they have the wireless kit for all the different generators they sell), www.hayesequipment.com Great folks to deal with and excellent customer service.