Tomorrow's generator today.
Written: Dec 13 '99
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Weight, wave-form, fuel efficiency.
Cons: None known, but new design.
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| zemmo's Full Review: Honda Generator Eu1000i |
I have used generators for power for several decades. I built my house with one, and use one to produce electricity in the winter when my solar panels won't do the job, here at 64 degrees north latitude. But I've never used a generator I liked--what's there to like, right? That has now changed.
This generator is an inspired marriage of mechanical and electronic technology. It incorporates a sine wave inverter into its design, which enables it to use an alternator that weighs less than half of an old-style brushless alternator, with its heavy flywheel. The entire generator only weighs 28 lbs., unheard of for a 1000 watt generator. It's also the quietest generator I've ever used, less than 60 decibels, and by far the most fuel efficient, running up to 8 hours on .6 gallon of gas. It is so trick it can even be paralleled with another EU1000i, and the output is then doubled.
As impressed as I already was by this machine, the best was yet to come. In the winter I charge the batteries which power my house with a gasoline generator. I have a Todd Engineering battery charger, rated at a nominal 45 amperes, but it actually only puts out approximately 25 amps for most of the charging cycle, when powered by my 1750 watt, old-style generator. When I hooked up the EU1000 and checked my ammeter I almost fell over; the charger was putting out over 40 amps. In fact, I found that the charger put out 50% more amperes from the EU1000, even though the other generator was rated to produce nearly twice the power. This is the beauty of the built-in inverter, which makes a nice, clean, sine wave, much better for sensitive appliances like computers or battery chargers.
If you need a small generator for any reason, don't even think about another. It's true that this is a brand new design, and has not yet passed the test of time, but with Honda's reputation for quality I am not worried. This is an outstanding product which will make my Alaskan life much more graceful.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
zemmo
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Reviews written: 1
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