Best small, hand-portable generator, hands down.
Written: Jan 07 '08 (Updated Jan 07 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Quiet, fuel efficient, attention to detail, lightweight, reliable.
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Excellent compact generator. Computer-safe power, efficiency, and low noise are all distinguishing characteristics. Highly recommended.
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| heypete's Full Review: Honda Generator Eu1000i |
Background
I bought this generator a few years ago from a local shop, as I wanted to be able to ride out medium length (< 12 hour) power outages and still be able to use my computer (much of my productivity involves the use of a computer and without it I'm up a creek, so to speak). I have uninterruptible power supplies for brief outages and to protect the computers, but nothing for longer-term situations.
I purchased this particular generator as it was recommended to me by others with similar needs: the inverter produces computer-safe power, it's very fuel efficient, quiet, and reliable.
While I've used it to run my computer in some cases, it's proven its worth by keeping my basement from flooding by powering my sump pump, as well as keeping my fridge running.
Honda's Attention to Detail
Honda's engineers designed this generator very precisely, and their attention to detail shows.
For example, when changing the oil in the engine, the oil plug can be loosened and tightened entirely by hand and all the oil flows out a spout and down a channel, making it simple to collect and properly dispose of. My previous generator required tools to remove the oil plug, which was deep within the mechanism, making it messy and difficult to change the oil.
All the controls are in convenient, self-explanatory places and it is trivially easy to operate the generator -- my old generator required that one flip two switches, open a valve in the fuel line, and so forth before one could start it -- the EU1000i requires that one twist a small switch to open the vent cap for the fuel tank. turn the main knob to "ON", and pull the starting handle.
Features
The EU1000i's main distinction from competitors is its inverter system, which produces computer-safe, stable electricity. Many other generators produce 60Hz AC current by spinning the rotor at multiples of 60 (usually 3600 rpm) -- the engine will spin at that specific angular frequency regardless of load. The EU1000i's rotor produces DC current, passes it through an inverter which produces 60Hz AC current.
This has several advantages:
- Stable, computer-safe power.
- Can adjust engine speed to load (using the Eco-Throttle), minimizing noise and fuel consumption.
The Eco-Throttle allows the generator to adjust the engine speed to the electrical load placed on it -- with low load, the engine runs slower and more efficiently, with higher load it spins faster to generate more electricity. This works well for fairly constant loads, but should be turned off when using things with rapidly-varying load (electric motors, power tools, etc.).
The pull-cord starter mechanism is pretty idiot-proof: it's been used on any number of small gas-powered devices like lawnmowers, weed trimmers, etc. over the years. As with other Honda products, the generator's engine starts promptly on the first or second pull.
The manually-operated choke allows for the engine to be started easily when cold. It should be adjusted to the proper "run" position once the engine warms up (usually within a minute or so, though I frequently flip it over to "run" immediately after the engine starts).
The small engine is very quiet and fuel efficient. I've found that with light to medium loads (two basement sump pumps), I can get between 6-8 hours of runtime. This allows me to refuel the generator at midnight and have it run until I wake up at 8am. The low noise level means I can actually get some sleep during that time.
To keep the generator from "walking away" (read: being stolen) while running unattended in a sheltered, well-ventilated location, steel cables normally used for locking bicycles were looped around a suitable anchor and then through the carry handle on the top of the generator. These cables were then secured with a chunky padlock. Since the carry handle is molded into the body of the generator, it is impossible to remove without causing serious damage (and presumably attracting attention).
Trial by Fire
There had been a few minor power outages over the year or two that I've owned this generator, though nothing more than about four hours. Hardly much to write about.
However, on Friday, January 4th, 2008, a huge storm struck the San Francisco Bay Area and knocked out power for about a quarter-million people in the state, including my home. Once it was evident that the outage was not going to be a short-term event, the generator was started using one year old Sta-bil stabilized gasoline. It started on the first pull of the cord.
Without constant pumping of the sump in my basement, several inches of water will accumulate in the basement. This is made worse when the ground is very saturated, such as in the middle of a rain storm. The generator was connected to the sump pump and my refrigerator.
Several hours later, our neighbor approached us and asked if we had any power or water pumps -- they have a similar groundwater situation, but lacked any sort of generator. Their basement had accumulated nearly five inches of water, and they needed to remove it. We picked up the EU1000i and a big wet-dry shop vacuum and moved them to the neighbors house. Between their built-in sump pump and the wet-dry vacuum, we had the basement dried out within an hour. We took the vacuum and generator back to our house and strung a long extension cord over to the neighbors to power their sump pump (we're neighborly folks!) as well as ours.
Unfortunately, doing so meant that we had to disconnect our refrigerator, as the generator could not power both (maybe it's time for a EU2000i?) the two pumps and the fridge. Well, since all of our tasty frozen appetizers would be thawed out without the fridge/freezer being powered, we threw a bit of a "power failure party" with some friends and neighbors. It's somewhat unusual to have a cocktail party by candlelight, but we managed to pull it off.
The EU1000i's endurance was limited only by fuel and lubricants. We had plenty of fuel on-hand to run the generator for at least a week, but lacked 10W-30 motor oil. A quick trip to the gas station resolved thishttp://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/travelpower/7657/ issue (as well as our running low on ice for the martini shaker!), and Honda's attention to detail was demonstrated through the simplicity of changing the motor oil. Total downtime for the oil change was less than 10 minutes. A single quarter of motor oil can provide four complete oil changes for the generator.
Later, we ran an extension cord up into our kitchen to power a single compact fluorescent light bulb, a coffee maker, and our cell phone chargers.
Load ranged up to about 800 watts (both pumps, the light, and the coffee maker running at the same time), though usually were down in the 0-300 watt range (pumps idle/both pumps running). With the Eco-Throttle turned on, the generator was able to dynamically adjust to the load, and was able to respond quickly enough to supply enough power when both pumps turned on simultaneously.
Although not recommended by the manual, I was able to safely refuel the generator while it was running. The well-balanced engine results in minimal vibration and fuel sloshing, so the fuel can be poured into the tank without spilling. For maximum safety, one should probably heed the scary warnings in the manual. Still, it was cold and windy, and I didn't want to spend much time in the unheated, windy garage. Don't try this at home.
Other than the brief downtimes for oil changes at the prescribed time intervals, the generator ran continuously for over 70 hours.
Conclusion
If your electrical demands are similar to my own (need to run a sump pump and a fridge, two sump pumps, or a computer and related equipment), you should seriously consider buying a Honda EU1000i.
Of course, one should properly size the generator to meet their load requirements. A Kill-A-Watt device (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/travelpower/7657/) will aid you in such measurements. Be sure to take into account that electric motors require considerable current to start, but usually run on less.
Hopefully this review has been of some assistance to you. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
heypete
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Member: Pete Stephenson
Location: San Francisco, USA
Reviews written: 11
Trusted by: 1 member
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