New Champion 2000 Generator

[spasm3]

Originally Posted by cronk
I can vouch for the part availability, Champion will sell parts directly to the consumer. Prices are reasonable as well!
They stock parts at their main headquarters in California.
I believe Supergen products in New Jersey is stocking most common parts as well.



Now that would make me want to buy the champion model.

 

[cronk]

Champion also has a 3 year warranty on their generators.
The Harbor Freight units are only 90 days.

 

[Salyer]

Small generators (less than 5500 watts) can only do so much. If you overload the unit and damage it, you won't have any power at all. So be smart! Portable genset are made up to almost 20k watts but they're not for people on budgets.
The bottom line is to add up the load (watts) you plan to connect and size your generator at least 25% higher. When motors like the compressor in the refrigerator start up there is a sudden draw of power higher than the normal running load and you want to compensate for that.
Small appliances will have the wattage marked on them. Lighting circuits will be less than 1200 watts each. Water heater is 4500 watts alone.
Also,you'll truly get what you pay for...unless you buy from one of those guys selling from the back of their pick-up truck (don't do that). Don't wait till the last minute or you'll be stuck with whatever is left in the stores.
Oh, and the "trick" with connecting the generator to the dryer outlet to backfeed the house? DON'T YOU DARE!! It will result in damage and/or injury...However, I juse bought a used genset recently....

 

[RoadDukie]

Originally Posted by bubbatime
Originally Posted by Ausfahrt
Meh.

I understand why you guys want something cheaper.

I will cheap out on a LOT of things but a generator is just not one of them. I need it to start and run in bad times when I have a lot of other stuff to worry about.

Buy a Honda.


The ones I have looked at have been exact 79cc clones of Yamaha engines. And people are getting 10,000 hours use out of them. They are FANTASTIC generators, with excellent parts availability and dealer network.


I'd be curious as to who is running an inverter generator the equivalent of 416 days straight (one and an eighth year).

 

[bubbatime]

Originally Posted by RoadDukie
Originally Posted by bubbatime
Originally Posted by Ausfahrt
Meh.

I understand why you guys want something cheaper.

I will cheap out on a LOT of things but a generator is just not one of them. I need it to start and run in bad times when I have a lot of other stuff to worry about.

Buy a Honda.


The ones I have looked at have been exact 79cc clones of Yamaha engines. And people are getting 10,000 hours use out of them. They are FANTASTIC generators, with excellent parts availability and dealer network.


I'd be curious as to who is running an inverter generator the equivalent of 416 days straight (one and an eighth year).


People who live in the wilderness off grid. These little generators power their homesteads just fine, year after year, 24 hours a day.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iC6A1SMldcc


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xrRqe8-wojU

 

[Mc357]

Just bought one, $350 before tax! Home Depot. It's a very nice unit, it looks like the new one, but no digital read out.
Only thing I didn't like is it says valves need checking every so many hours?

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted by Mc357
Just bought one, $350 before tax! Home Depot. It's a very nice unit, it looks like the new one, but no digital read out.
Only thing I didn't like is it says valves need checking every so many hours?
That's not unusual, unless they want it adjusted after less than 250 hours of use.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Originally Posted by Astro_Guy
Originally Posted by Mc357
Just bought one, $350 before tax! Home Depot. It's a very nice unit, it looks like the new one, but no digital read out.
Only thing I didn't like is it says valves need checking every so many hours?
That's not unusual, unless they want it adjusted after less than 250 hours of use.
Sorry - typo there. 100 hours is fairly standard for OPE with overhead valve engines. Even the ubiquitous Honda GCV160 calls for valve adjustment after 100 hours. I wonder how many people actually do that? I know I haven't!

 

[Mc357]

I thought it said 100 hours. Do you know of any good write-ups to do the job?
100 hours goes by pretty quickly. If I lose power for a few days, or run at a cabin, that's going to be a real pain.
Otherwise I love the generator, I have been running an electronic heater to break it in, I changed the oil three times in about 10 hours
Now I'll put 5w30 synthetic and be done for a bit.

 

[Astro_Guy]

Search Youtube - there are videos on how to do this.From what I gather it's more about checking than adjusting; someone can correct me if I am wrong.

 

[cronk]

I have checked valve clearances on mine, twice now and they are always in spec.
I would recommend checking at the first recommended interval and if they are in spec, you can probably stretch out the next valve check interval.
(do this at your own risk of course).
It is pretty simple to pop the valve cover off and check the clearance with feeler gauges.

 

[4WD]

I have 3 Champions, one Briggs, and one PowerStroke … the carbs are so cheap for the Champs that I keep a new one in the box and don't even rebuild them … just swap and go …