Inverter generators: Honda EU2000i vs Yam EF2000is

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i bought the eu2000i and went through the same debate. the local genset dealer carried both. watts per dollar, i had been leaning towards the yamaha. In the end, i bought the honda.

he said both units were reliable, but he's had a very few yamaha's come back with carb issues-- says they seem more finicky than the hondas. said he'd never had a honda come back....

The honda has an internal fuel pump which allows an external tank to be rigged. since it only holds a gallon of fuel, this is a big deal if you need to live off the generator 24/7 for a few days. refueling the little tank every 4-6 hours becomes a nuisance.

Whatever engine is in the 2000i, it is solid. It actually took me a couple of years to break it in!! I used to get light smoke puff on cold start, but now at 3 years old and prolly ~125 hrs of use, it starts on the first pull often enough and runs quiet. it gets one OC per year... 5-30 or 10-30 syn.

The 2000i recently kept my fridge and the neighbor's fridge powered for 5 days 24x7 along with half of my house circuits, CFL lamps, fans, TV and radio, and ceiling fans. I worried about it being a strain, but managed properly, it did fine.

If I were to do it again, I would look harder at the yamaha, but it uses gravity fed fuel and is not as easily expanded to a larger tank. The eu2000 is easy to carry, with the lightweight plastics. 47lbs dry...

M

M
 
The yamaha doesnt use a fuel pump? I see a lot of the sites sell the add-on gas cap for it, I just figured it worked in a similar manner.
 
Nope, gravity fed on the Yamaha.

FWIW, people say the Honda doesn't have a fuel shutoff - not true. It does, but it also cuts the ignition so you cannot run the bowl empty.

Regarding which unit's carb is more finicky, I've mostly read people having issues with Hondas and not Yamahas, but I think it really comes down to whether your fuel has ethanol in it or not and how often you run your gen. The emulsion tube gets gummed up on the Hondas and I bet just as easily on the Yamaha too.
 
It's not easy. I am leaning towards the Yamaha still. I don't have a need for big time power. However, I do want the unit to last 30 years. And, the plastic parts are not ideal for that. I think there is a risk of them aging poorly.
 
heh. take one for the team-- try the yamaha... I'd personally like a bitog review on it. I do wish the eu2000 had a little more juice in reserve which the yamaha has. eu2000's max sustained load is 13.7 amps... and there have been times I wished it had more. I also like that the yamaha has all the controls on one side.

only thing I raise my eyebrow at--- reading above, does the eu2000i have a larger engine? this is a big deal if you are in eco mode and a big load hits.... it has to have enough hp to rev up immediately without getting bogged down. the eu2000i most of the time spools up without fuss but you know it's just gone WOT until it reaches the needed rpm. IF the surge is too high, it will go zero volt, spool up, and go active.... rather than risk brown-out which could hurt genset and device. a weaker HP engine will not handle the spool-up from eco mode as well.
 
Yes, the reserve power capability is important. During the recent tornado-induced power outages here in the south, we wound up heating leftovers using the over-the-stove microwave with our EU-2000i. It was in eco mode but handled the load without any problem, although it sounded like it was at full throttle the whole time the microwave was running. I later looked at the power output sticker of the microwave, and I was shocked to find it was 1.58 kW! Much more than I had thought, which means the generator had to be putting out more than that. I bet the startup load was close to 2 kW, which is the maximum for that generator. But it did it, no problem, no red light on the genny. With the Yamaha EF-2000i only being about 1.8 kW or so, that might have been a problem.

If I were going to get a Yamaha, I'd probably go for the EF-2400i.
 
that red light, and the overload protect, i believe, is a TEMP sensor on the inverter. If you read the manual, it's a little unclear on *exactly* what it can and can't handle. It will produce over the rated 13.7 amps, but the higher the draw, and shorter the duration, and it also mentions reduced lifespan on the components. So the transistors may overtemp for brief periods before the heat wave makes it through the casing to the sensor... and i think it said something like 20 minutes at 1800 watts, less for 2000 watts... with a peak of slightly more?

My circular saw, handheld, will blink the overload light if the rotor is close to locked during high-cycle use.

It takes a lot of use to run a 1.5kw microwave!!!

M
 
I think the inverter generators in general have a bit more starting capacity than they advertise. My EF2800 will start my fridge and freezer at the same time in eco mode, and when I bought it, I brought a 1500W hairdryer and my 15 amp mitre saw and cut 2X12's to the point of almost jamming the saw and it just revved up a little.
Maybe for 100's of hard starts like running a well pump for weeks maybe they don't stand up like a conventional generator would?
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
I think the inverter generators in general have a bit more starting capacity than they advertise.


Really depends on the manufacturer and what they designed it to do. The Champion 2000i (sold at Costco and Sams) is half the price of a Honda and Yamaha, similar specs on paper as the Yamaha, but has a much more trigger happy overload protection circuit.

The consensus over at rv.net is that the non-inverter gens handle startup surges better, but of course their output is electrically noisier, and due to being at a fixed RPM, are acoustically noisier and don't run as long on a tank of gas.
 
If you're thinking 3000i, take a look at the Subaru/Robin RG3200iS.

More reserve than the Honda, and it includes the wheels and a nifty Volt/Hz/Hour meter. I found it to be a better value.

Ed
 
Interesting discussion. I, too have been looking at both these models. Have been using a cheap Coleman 2,500 watt model with a 5 HP Tecumseh for several years for power outages. That machine is outragously loud, and never has run very smoothly.
I ended up getting the Yam EF2000is, since I liked the design and details of the Yam a little better. (Love the fuel gauge, carb bowl drain, and fuel cutoff) I've run it about 6 hours so far, and am very impressed. Machine is very quiet compared to the Coleman, even at full throttle. Used it yesterday to run our freezer after defrosting it; the genset ran it on the econo mode setting with no problem. Had less than 1/4 tank of fuel in it when I started it; figured it would run the freezer for a couple of hours. Gave up and shut down the genset after 4 hours, and it still had about a cup of fuel left in the tank! Went ahead and changed the oil, and did not see much of the gray sludge you usually see in new OPE motors. Hope this is a good sign. Using PP 10W-30.
 
The Yamaha's fuel gauge feature IS very nice! I wish the Honda had that. The best I can do is refill after the estimated number of hours it will run on a tank of gas. Keep in mind that the Honda also has a carb bowl drain (although one needs a screwdriver to open it, would be a nice if that were toolless), and also has the fuel cutoff feature incorporated with the on/off switch.

The Honda inverter generators have been sold long enough to have established a record for longevity in many cases of 10,000 hours or more if properly maintained. I'd like to know if the similar Yamaha gennies last that long.
 
I just sold my eu2000i and order the 3kw yamaha. I've used the heck out of that honda. the portability is nice (I'll need ramps to roll the yamaha into the jeep.). gimme a couple of weeks and I'll post a comparo.

M
 
Originally Posted By: edhackett
If you're thinking 3000i, take a look at the Subaru/Robin RG3200iS.

More reserve than the Honda, and it includes the wheels and a nifty Volt/Hz/Hour meter. I found it to be a better value.

Ed


Agreed, my Dad purchased one of these a few years ago. Really nice unit.
 
Both are great, but I'll have to side with the Yamaha EF2000iS for many reasons.
1. The Yamaha EF2000iS is easier to maintain
2. Yamaha EF2000iS includes battery cables
3. Yamaha EF2000iS runs almost an hour longer than the honda on a 1.1 gallon tank
4. Yamaha EF2000iS is 2 pounds lighter.

Check out this comparison of the two

My cousin owns one, and I can verify it is excellent.
 
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