Are Honda generators worth the $$$$

Is a Honda generator worth the price premium?

  • No

    Votes: 4 80.0%
  • Yes

    Votes: 1 20.0%

  • Total voters
    5
  • Poll closed .

racer51

Active Member
Time to dump the 500lb 5000w generator and carry something smaller and more quiet.

Is it worth the extra coin to get a Honda generator? They seem to be about 500% more than any other comparable generator.

Your thoughts and opinions appreciated.
 

Dean

Active Member
Honda Generators are much the same as any other. The Honda engine is less prone to problems. Now if you are talking INVERTERS and not generators, then an inverter is seriously worth the money!!! There are 4 main manufacturers of the inverter technology; Honda, Yamaha, Boily, and Kipoor. Kipoor developed the technology for Honda and after a set period of time, they entered the market with their own units. Boily developed the technology for Yamaha, and also, after a period of time, they too entered the market. All of them are rated for 58db or quieter and are WAY quieter than a generator.

They also provide very clean power. Perfect sign waves, that you can run sensitive electronic equipment on as well. But more importantly, it's how quiet they are. At Mission Raceway, most of us run quiet inverters, but a few still run noisy generators.

When I was in Edmonton for the WCC, the section we were pitted in has the most god aweful noisy generator that kept us the hell out of our pits unless we had to be there. It was not a nice experience for us, until towards the end of the weekend, someone else from Edmonton took a sheet of plywood and tried to block that generator from the rest of us. Most of us from Vancouver came away with the same impression: Loved the people and the organization, hated the pits due to noise.

Now what we do, is if someone has a noisy generator, we make them pit at the far end, close to the bushes on the last row so as not to disturb what little peace there is at a track.
 

Dean

Active Member
Oh, and if you are interested, I have a line on Boily inverters that are local to Edmonton. Units are 3600 peak watts with a 3000 RMS for about $1400, which is still cheaper than a Honda 2000.
 

kawasaki

Member
The Honda or Yamaha are not necesarily worth the price but as Dean says the inverter generators are worth the price expecially the Kippor or the Boily. kippors are usually about 1800$ for the 3000 watt size.
 

Fireman

Well-Known Member
Oh, and if you are interested, I have a line on Boily inverters that are local to Edmonton. Units are 3600 peak watts with a 3000 RMS for about $1400, which is still cheaper than a Honda 2000.


I am interested. I would like a quieter genset, but like every other racer, budget is always a concern.
 

Dean

Active Member
Prices have gone up a little bit this year due to economy, increased shipping costs, etc. a 3600 Watt Inverter by Boily now is $1525 plus tax. If you are interested in them, contact [email protected] by email or on the website at www.campgen.com

Tell them Dean Drolet sent you.
 

YZF1000jon

Well-Known Member
The name is part of the price premium, but also the fact that every little town in canada has a Honda dealership that can service such items if the need arises. Yamaha is similar, but to a lesser extent. I have a Makita (I'm sure is made by someone else) and at 1700W inverter it has been faultless for what I've used it for, camping and work (surveying) for more than 5 years. It was also just over $1000 new. You need to decide what your requirements are and find the best tool for the job. I know Norm used to have a diesel unit that required a 3/4ton to haul, but would 've powered Dan's whole shop, and could be felt all the way in the Fort ;).
 
I would buy a Yamaha or Honda. They are a little pricier but the quiet is worth it. I find at the riders meeting, you can never hear it due to the row of noisy gen sets. Yamaha makes a great 2400 watt that runs sub 2k.
 

racer51

Active Member
Great feedback

Thanks for the input! This is exactly the advice needed to make the right choice.

P.S. I used my car doors to try and drown out the gawd-awful noise of my generator. I also always turned it off for riders meetings...which sort of defeated the point of having the tire warmers on...
 
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