Honda Generators

[daveb]

I finally decided to purchase a 2000-3000 watt Honda Generator. It was to perform other tasks besides camping but I would use it in the backcountry from time to time. I've used Honda generators at work for 40 years and they seemed to be bullet proof. So, I went to purchase one and to my surprise I couldn't find any Honda's for sale in California. I saw they are now considered 49 state compliant. Please don't turn this into a political thread; we all have our partisan views and will just say I wasn't happy so to speak. My guess is it has to do with the air resources board being horrified of all the people using generators during the state's power outages

I see there are several off brand manufactures I would be able to purchase and ship here currently but know nothing as far as quality. Not happy they axed Honda and confused to why some are allowed and others aren't.



Not sure what my options are now. Are Honda and other makes or models on the CA chopping block or if they just need to make a CA compliant version next year? Unfortunately I need to purchase ASAP.



Could I go out of state and get A Honda 3000i? Tahoe isn't too far away but it's just added cost to go get one there.



Any other premium brands worth looking at that are allowed in sunny Ca? I can't seem to even find the Yamaha brand for sale here anymore.


At this point in time I'm looking at a cheap 2000 w Champion gas or duel fuel model that is allowed to be sold here.



Any ideas? Thanks.

[Weebles]

Sailboat cruisers use gas generators a lot, especially in Florida/Bahamas to run A/C when anchored out. Out of the 100's of owners (1000s???), I have never seen anyone recommend anything but a Honda. And sailors who anchor-out are notoriously cheap.

There is no substitute for Honda generators. They are absolutely legendary for clean power at the rated output. I have a Yamaha 2000W inverter generator that is okay, but it cannot run a Keurig coffeemaker which leads me to believe it is not putting out its rated output.

Bottom line - you will own this for a while. Get-over the initial inconvenience and just get the Honda.

Peter

[MarinBlaine]

There appears to be a 49-state version and a California-compliant version.

Here is the Amazon link to the CA version:

https://www.amazon.com/Honda-EU2200i...dp/B08GPKL8N2/

Doesn’t seem to be available however

Frankly, it doesn’t even look like the 2200 is available in other states…I just think they are unavailable in general in that popular size.

I got a 2200 about a year and a half ago, because they kept turning my power off and I was tired of losing my refrigerator…it runs like a top and like you Honda is the only one anyone ever recommended.

There was no CA vs 49-state version at that time but even then they were in-and-out of stock, so my sense is that this is probably a supply-chain issue vs you-can’t-get-it-in-CA-anymore.

IIRC, Yamaha was my #2 choice when I did the research…

[Nrobert10]

Daveb

I own multiple Honda generators and you can’t go wrong with them. I have a few friends with the harbor freight predator generators and are very happy with them.

Didn’t California just ban all gas generators? I’d personally go get one out of state as soon as possible before the full ban kicks in.

Rob

[1der]

re Honda genset - There is definitely a CA model
https://powerequipment.honda.com/gen...models/eu2200i

Likely supply chain issues due to Covid and so many natural disasters, fires, plus Armageddon preppers.

2000i/2200i vs 3000i - definitely a weight difference and size difference. I like the companion capability of the 2000/2200 for flexibility. It is still 50lbs for the 2xxx unit.

We have a 2000i I bought used but like new 6+ years ago at least. Very glad to have it as a back up for power outages and situations where I would/might need it.

I have only brought it on camping trips twice (used once w no solar equipped van) since solar and van alternator provides what we need.

I checked Craigslist and there are used units for sale around the state.

[Twoxentrix]

There appearantly is a “Stop sale” on all Honda generators currently, until they can put some sort of “CA compliant” sticker on them all. I happen to be talking to Scott at Hutch Mountain the other day, he shared that news with me.

[motovan_mn]

I've had several people recommend the 2000W Yamaha generator. I personally ran the cheapo Wen 2000W generator for trackday duty (tire warmers) and never had an issue.

[REF]

Sounds like a trip to Reno is in the making.
I purchased a small 2000W generator from Costco several years ago, a Smarter Tools unit powered by Yamaha, it’s worked well for our intermittent needs and has always fired up with some fresh fuel, and it’s pretty quite.
While the Hondas are the benchmark, there are other viable options, especially that won’t break the bank, I think I paid under $700 vs close to $1200 for the comparable 2000W Honda at the time.
Costco has a few current options, there’s an A-iPower 1800W unit with a Yamaha engine going for $550
BTW, there’s a big weight difference between the 2000 and 3000W units, making the larger ones not as portable, sometimes weighing close to 100lbs.
https://www.costco.com/a-ipower-powe...100653776.html

[Lilnuts2]

The Honda's are so quiet, start every time. I would try hard to make a Honda happen.

[mikracer]

I think CA still sells them, they're just out of stock everywhere.

I bought a used Honda EU2200i generator and was surprised to see that it powered the AC unit in my trailer. I bought it for a small backup for the house and to take when we dry camp during the summer months. I was really tempted to pick up a Predator generator from Harbor Freight. A lot of the toy hauler folks use them and seem to be very happy with them. I think Honda and Yamaha are neck and neck in terms of popularity with a similar db rating and price point.