Power-G /Champion Generators

[briggs]

I Got these 2 Generators from the same Person to repair ..He owns a small salvage yard and uses them for his grinds ,sawsals etc ...Both needed carb and fuel tank flushes ..The red one had water in it there is a sight glass in the top that will let water in if u leave it outside in the rain or snow ..I used Seal-all to seal it so it wont let water in ..The yellow one had dirt and crap in it blew it out sealed it also and it worked great ...I am not a big fan of these off shore units ..Sure there cheap and all but they don't last ..I had one and it died with in 2 years ..whats your thoughts

 

[davbell22602]

There worth the money. I had one for 2 years then sold it. Parts very inexpensive. Electrical parts are cheaper to replace than other brands such as Honda, Troy Built etc. I"d buy another one or recommend them to someone to buy. Only downfall that can 2 weeks to parts for them.

 

[briggs]

There worth the money. I had one for 2 years then sold it. Parts very inexpensive. Electrical parts are cheaper to replace than other brands such as Honda, Troy Built etc. I"d buy another one or recommend them to someone to buy. Only downfall that can 2 weeks to parts for them.

yes that is true my Honda cost me allot in parts when it messed up ..my dad has a cheap one also he loves it

 

[reynoldston]

I am going to take a guess and say you get what you pay for. My two generator are a Honda and Kubota. As I recall they weren't cheap to buy. I now see new generators for a lot less money then what I paid for mine. There has to be a reason??? I have repaired some of the cheaper generators for bad gas in them and when I get then running they seem do what they were made to do.

 

[briggs]

I am going to take a guess and say you get what you pay for. My two generator are a Honda and Kubota. As I recall they weren't cheap to buy. I now see new generators for a lot less money then what I paid for mine. There has to be a reason??? I have repaired some of the cheaper generators for bad gas in them and when I get then running they seem do what they were made to do.

Yes i do agree i love my Honda it stays at the house in-case we have a black out i also have a cheap one i use when i go Racing it powers the saw and stuff in case i have to make mods lol

 

[possum]

I talked to a gas station pipefitter last summer. They run the Champion generators, air compressors and pumps. He said once they were off warranty and they failed to start or do the task they are supposed to do they just park it and buy a new unit. A discount store buys them for a set amount and gets them running, then resells. The fence crews will not buy them because it is to hard to find parts local and no one wants to do warranty work. Most of the construction outfits here in town last year used Honda.

 

[briggs]

I talked to a gas station pipefitter last summer. They run the Champion generators, air compressors and pumps. He said once they were off warranty and they failed to start or do the task they are supposed to do they just park it and buy a new unit. A discount store buys them for a set amount and gets them running, then resells. The fence crews will not buy them because it is to hard to find parts local and no one wants to do warranty work. Most of the construction outfits here in town last year used Honda.

Yes this true ....They are a pain to get parts for ...But people want to buy the cheap stuff to save a buck ....I find most times its a carb related issue IE old gas dirt and crud in bowl or tank ...I haven't had one come in with a bad mag yet lol..Now that I said that I will ....We have a cheap one that I use at the track don want to use my Honda there or take the chance someone might borrow it and not bring it back ...If u guys have any info feel free to post it ...GOOD OR BAD lol

 

[reynoldston]

I bought my Kubota in the mid 80's. Don't remember what I paid for it but it was well over 1,000 dollars. At the time I had a camp in the mountains and it ran 24hrs a day. I would put a 5 gallon can of gas through it in 24 hrs. I have never had any repairs on this generator other then maintenance. I now see new generators for sale that are the same size for around 400 dollars now. I was looking at Honda generators this AM in a catalog and for their small portable generator they are asking almost a thousand dollars. Harbor Freight you can buy the same size generator for less then 100 dollars. For that much price different there has to be a reason? Why, would it be quality, brand name, or where it was made???

 

[midnite rider]

I bought my Kubota in the mid 80's. Don't remember what I paid for it but it was well over 1,000 dollars. At the time I had a camp in the mountains and it ran 24hrs a day. I would put a 5 gallon can of gas through it in 24 hrs. I have never had any repairs on this generator other then maintenance. I now see new generators for sale that are the same size for around 400 dollars now. I was looking at Honda generators this AM in a catalog and for their small portable generator they are asking almost a thousand dollars. Harbor Freight you can buy the same size generator for less then 100 dollars. For that much price different there has to be a reason? Why, would it be quality, brand name, or where it was made???

It would be all of the above. Honda's are better for all those reasons plus reliability and noise level is less. I know as I have a friend who has a Honda that I have used with him. Whether or not they are worth 5 to10 times the cost is debatable.
I bought a 900 watt generator from Harbor Freight a couple years ago, on sale for less than a Franklin. It was the same as below except mine has a blue tank and I believe was branded as Chicago Electric. I use it frequently camping. I love it for it is small (about the size of a breadbox) and easy to transport and inexpensive. It will run on 1 gallon of fuel for over 12 hours. It is a two stroke/cycle engine. I also have a 6500 watt generator that I bought from Harbor Freight about 8 or 9 years ago for less than $400. It came within a tube frame that I mounted on rubber tires. It is heavy and has a 10 gallon poly fuel tank mounted in the frame above the engine.. I found I did not need that much power, as I mainly used it for lights, etc. at night, so I started using the 900 watt which was so much quieter but still not as quiet as a Honda. The 6500 watt was also made by Chicago Electric but the noise level was very loud and annoying even when set up over 100' away. So now the 6500 stays at home in case of power failures and I carry the 900 watt with me camping and to my unimproved property in Alabama. Both generators have not had any issues mechanically. It is all in how much do you want to spend.

 

[midnite rider]

This is what mine looks like. I do remember replacing the cheap china spark plug with a Champion.

Also here is a review on the HF mini generator.