I was going to post this in tech corner but figured since the content of the video is not what I would consider technical in nature, I think it's better posted here.
I was away camping with a mate a few weeks ago and as I'm prone to making youtube videos of anything I can get my hands on, since we both had out Gennies there , well....you can guess the rest.
Mine is the yamaha EF2400iS and Steve's is the Honda Eu20
I thought this might be off interest to you vanner lot, since I think these 2 are towards the top of many peoples lists for something to power everything in their van all the way upto and including an AC unit. Although I know there are some newer ones on the market like the Honda 2.2kw
straight away you can see the size difference between the 2 and you will see from the specs below , the yammie is about 10kegs heavier
from a noise perspective, we both thought the honda was quieter especially when it was put into eco mode and despite the specs listed above
My unit is second hand and I was not aware it had an auto eco mode. It has never gone into it as far as i can recall.
When i first got it, it would have trouble staying running, so i wound the idle up a bit. Thus it runs a bit hot with no load and this may very well be why its never dropped into eco.
Both have very similar controls and I Beleive both can be paired up with another of the same unit to increase output. Neither of us have done this.
We have both used them for home use with power outages to run fridges or freezers and the like.
Mine has also ran a portable 12000btu( I think) aircon unit which it does without issue.
As with most, we have used them when out and about for battery charging duties via external chargers.
Controls on both are very similar and easy to operate
in my opinion the yammie is an excellent at home genny and whilst it will run pretty much anything you need in the field, it is quite the handful to haul around. The Honda is a bit better from a storage and lifting perspective but I would like to see what a Honda 1 looks and sounds like compared to these 2.
If you have one please let me know.
Im also interested what others are running and how you manage carting them around etc.
As both of us have plenty of solar, this was more for ****s and giggles that they got taken along and we knew we'd be camping in quite shaded areas.
As I try and make my videos entertaining, the main point is to try and be helpful to those who are interested to see such things.
With this in mind, I'd appreciate if anyone wants to comment on the video itself and share what you use and how you think it compares to what is shown. I think that could have real value for others checking it out.
Hi I own a Honda 2.2 KW it runs my air con which is a truma and usually charge my van battery at the same time and is pretty quiet. I bought it from the generator warehouse and the salesman said it would run any caravan air con and you must use the 4 metre lead which is in the package .This is incorrect because the first thing I did was run my air with a 25 m lead no problems I also before buying the Honda ran my air with a friends Honda 2.0 kw which would not run his dometic air con .I met another friend with a similar air con and the 2.2 would not run the air and he ended up getting the Yamaha 2.4 and it runs his air no problems it is mainly the older aircons that require the extra KW to run and I would recommend anyone to make sure it will run your air before you buy.
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John
2017 dmax lovells upgrade full CSM trade aluminium canopy,3.5 m quintrex tinny and rear boat loader mangrove jack aluminium trailer
The big issue for most with the Yamaha is the weight: 32kg dry but more like 37kg with fuel and oil is a hell of a lot of weight to lug around especially as we age - this is the main reason I went for the Honda.
This is a good time to mention a manufacturing fault with my Honda EU20i in regard to cutting out randomly:
looks like no guarantees on the honda. I know the non soft start units have a massive pull on start up, same as a house fridge etc.
I'd be dirty if the salesmen said it would run any of them and it didin't work. I'd be going back.
that was part of the reason I grabbed the yamaha. I'd heard those same stories about the honda struggling here and there. I would have thought they would have gone 2.4 or 2.5 just to trump the yammie.
Mike, yeah it is a big beastie. As you see in the video, I tend not to carry it but push it around on a wheeled board. no point busting a valve fif you dont need to.
My mates honda on the day when charging his batteries was very erratic, we tracked it down to his campers charger switching itself in and out of line. once he made the change manual, there was a constant load on the honda and all was good.
you will see fuel on steve's honda also but that was just a spill, not a leak.
Thats very interesting Baggy, Its obviously bigger, but I wouldn't have expected that at all.
If I ever run into someone with one, I'll see if I can check it out and get some footage of it.
I currently have a Cromtech Outback 2.4KVA gennie. Its far cheaper than the Honda or Yammie. Lighter, quieter and cheaper than both. I have had it for two years now and have had no issues with it at all. I do my own oil changes, and service, (ie after every long trip) as it is easy to do. I just cannot justify the cost of the two main ones and the Cromtch has Australia wide dealership if there is any problem. Cost on Google is about $850 cmf with Honda 2.2 $1800, and Yammie $2000. It runs my Air con, has battery charger and all the features of the these two without the cost. It is I think made in Asia, but as it has a Australia wide dealer back up, I feel its just as good as the other two. But I guess we all have our preferences and opinions.
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16.5 Discovery 4 with a few mods and New Age MR 16' Deluxe
Despite their high price Honda and Yamaha are world market leaders in small geterators because they produce a quality robust product which is why the UN and Third World aid groups use them extensively.
I find most campers/caravanners who laud their generators don't actually use them very much, in the first six months of this year I put 600 hours on my Honda EU20i.
There is an argument for buying a Chinese gen but if you want to be as sure as possible of having long service with minimal trouble and a ready supply of parts and dealers ten plus years into the future then H or Y is the way to go. Check out the respective warranties too.
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"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Sorry Mike Harding but I dont fit your criteria of lauding my gennie. So far I have actually used it extensively when I am off the grid for extended periods at least 3 times a year. As I have a very old Engel fridge it flattens the batteries very quickly so it is used almost daily for 3-5hrs each day for at least 5-6 weeks at a time. Size of motor is not so important as long as the gennie can handle the aircon kick in. I agree if you used a gennie everyday for years then the bigger models would be a better option. However I would suggest that most GN's would be lucky to use their generator more than 1-10 times on a normal trip. Hence my comment that the H and Y are expensive options for those who only use them infrequently. like I do. But when I do then it works fine for me. My comments were directed more to those infrequent users, not UN and 3rd world aid groups who would have them probably running 24/365. As for warranties, the cost of giving a long warranty is built into the price paid so that is probably why they cost more. Also warranties also require regular maintenance to be valid. Which again is a owner cost. As for service centres, Cromlins who sell mine have nearly 600 dealers Australia wide, so I think I am covered there as well. Then again, mine has not broken down or required any parts so I have not had to use their service.
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16.5 Discovery 4 with a few mods and New Age MR 16' Deluxe
Despite their high price Honda and Yamaha are world market leaders in small geterators because they produce a quality robust product which is why the UN and Third World aid groups use them extensively.
I find most campers/caravanners who laud their generators don't actually use them very much, in the first six months of this year I put 600 hours on my Honda EU20i.
There is an argument for buying a Chinese gen but if you want to be as sure as possible of having long service with minimal trouble and a ready supply of parts and dealers ten plus years into the future then H or Y is the way to go. Check out the respective warranties too.
Absolutely right Mike.Using the cheap stuff is bit like going to Bathurst in a Volkswagen.I have a brand new Yamaha 2800i that has never even been started,but it will stay at home now that I have 1700 watts Solar! Cheers
Despite their high price Honda and Yamaha are world market leaders in small geterators because they produce a quality robust product which is why the UN and Third World aid groups use them extensively.
I find most campers/caravanners who laud their generators don't actually use them very much, in the first six months of this year I put 600 hours on my Honda EU20i.
There is an argument for buying a Chinese gen but if you want to be as sure as possible of having long service with minimal trouble and a ready supply of parts and dealers ten plus years into the future then H or Y is the way to go. Check out the respective warranties too.
Absolutely right Mike.Using the cheap stuff is bit like going to Bathurst in a Volkswagen.I have a brand new Yamaha 2800i that has never even been started,but it will stay at home now that I have 1700 watts Solar! Cheers
you would have been better off buy a cheap Chinese one then, they all look good new in the box unused, think of the dollars you could have saved
Walter point taken and that obviously wasn't the purpose of the video .
It was just what we had, so we took the opportunity whilst it was there.
I mentioned in the video that my Yammy was 2nd hand and I paid exactly what you paid for yours new. Got it off gumtree and bargained down a bit. For my use case, I wouldn't have paid the full price for a new one, so 2nd hand let me in the boys club at a price I was willing to pay.
You won't get any judgement from me buying the cheaper option.
Heck, I've only just walked back in from fitting a set of ebay LED driving lights and boy am I happy right now.
That said, I can appreciate where the guys are coming from, as I've done the buy cheap buy twice thing enough in my time, but I'd have to say probably on a small percentage of the time considering how many times I've rolled the dice on the cheap ebay type option.
I do my research, see what others are saying and make an informed risk based decision. Works out ok for me......most of the time.
Thanks Walter for adding to the discussion re what everyone is using. I hadn't heard of those but I reckon others reading this thread may just go check them out now. It's nice to have options.
Thanks everyone for the input, it's all appreciated top to bottom
Hi i bought my honda and paid 2000 from the gen warehouse at the adelaide show with a lock cover oil fuel tin in 2018 .i only bought it for a backup and after having a lawn run for over twenty years and using all the brands honda was definently the only choice for me not taking anything away from the yamy and cnomtech as they would of been my next choices I have had the recall fixed has anyone had issues with the starting of the honda sometimes it takes alot of pulls cheers
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John
2017 dmax lovells upgrade full CSM trade aluminium canopy,3.5 m quintrex tinny and rear boat loader mangrove jack aluminium trailer
Travelyounger I don't know if the Honda on off switch also cuts the fuel but if my 20i has not been run for a while I find it helps to turn it on and let it stand for a minute before trying to start it. Almost as if the Carby is dry and needs time to fill.
-- Edited by landy on Thursday 1st of August 2019 07:21:08 PM
-- Edited by landy on Thursday 1st of August 2019 07:22:17 PM
-- Edited by landy on Thursday 1st of August 2019 07:23:29 PM
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