Power-G /Champion Generators

[Terry CleanFuel]

Naah - everything Honda does (cars, generators, engines, etc) is pretty much mediocre and high priced. You can keep all of them.

They're all highly rated and have great resale value.

Honda's small engines are some of the best on the market IMHO and most consumers would choose them- all things being equal.

 

[reynoldston]

As a mechanic I find the difference between a cheap made engine and a higher priced engine is how the make them. The lower priced engines they will just bore out the aluminum and use that as a bearing and a good quality made engine they will use a bearing of some sort. There is a reason they can cut the prices on the cheap generators, you get what you pay for. Will one last longer the next, No I don't think so if cared for. I find the difference in the two is the cheap generator is a throw away generator and the well made generator can be rebuilt when worn out.

 

[Terry CleanFuel]

As a mechanic I find the difference between a cheap made engine and a higher priced engine is how the make them. The lower priced engines they will just bore out the aluminum and use that as a bearing and a good quality made engine they will use a bearing of some sort. There is a reason they can cut the prices on the cheap generators, you get what you pay for. Will one last longer the next, No I don't think so if cared for. I find the difference in the two is the cheap generator is a throw away generator and the well made generator can be rebuilt when worn out.

Champion seems to be doing a good job with their equipment. Champion is a CA company who owns the manufacturing plant in China. The techs at one of my Small Engine dealers says the Champion gens they service have the same problems any small engine has. No more, no less.

Here's a neat link I found on generators. The guy seems to know his stuff:

Home generator installation

 

[itguy08]

They're all highly rated and have great resale value.

Honda's small engines are some of the best on the market IMHO and most consumers would choose them- all things being equal.

Well, I don't share your opinion they are some of the best on the market. I certainly would not buy one - my Briggs' have never let me down after all these years. Honda has issues just like everyone else. And they duck their responsibility just like everyone else. Nothing great about anything they do.

Just because people think something is great (or buy it in large quantities) doesn't make it great...
The #1 beer in America is Bud Light, #2 is Coors Light, and #3 is Budweiser. Are all 3 of them great beers? Nope.
Wal-Mart is the #1 retailer in America - is it the best? Far From It!
McDonalts is the #1 food retailer in America - is it the best? Not on your life!

 

[Terry CleanFuel]

Well, I don't share your opinion they are some of the best on the market. I certainly would not buy one - my Briggs' have never let me down after all these years. Honda has issues just like everyone else. And they duck their responsibility just like everyone else. Nothing great about anything they do.

Just because people think something is great (or buy it in large quantities) doesn't make it great...
The #1 beer in America is Bud Light, #2 is Coors Light, and #3 is Budweiser. Are all 3 of them great beers? Nope.
Wal-Mart is the #1 retailer in America - is it the best? Far From It!
McDonalts is the #1 food retailer in America - is it the best? Not on your life!

Not only my opinion. Consumer Reports rates them high also.

Are they the best? Take away consumer confidence, dependability, sales, fit, finish, end user satisfaction, brand loyalty and reputation probably not.

Your mileage may very.

 

[briggs]

Well, I don't share your opinion they are some of the best on the market. I certainly would not buy one - my Briggs' have never let me down after all these years. Honda has issues just like everyone else. And they duck their responsibility just like everyone else. Nothing great about anything they do.

Just because people think something is great (or buy it in large quantities) doesn't make it great...
The #1 beer in America is Bud Light, #2 is Coors Light, and #3 is Budweiser. Are all 3 of them great beers? Nope.
Wal-Mart is the #1 retailer in America - is it the best? Far From It!
McDonalts is the #1 food retailer in America - is it the best? Not on your life!

I love honda they work great and are very dependable if u take care of them ...But yes they are very high priced

 

[Terry CleanFuel]

I love honda they work great and are very dependable if u take care of them ...But yes they are very high priced

You're right Mike! If you ask people to choose a genset to accompany them for three months at the South Pole and cost was not an issue, Honda would be the choice 99.9% of the time. Engine-wise anyway.

I can fault their price but not their product. They've done an outstanding job for the last thirty years.

 

[reynoldston]

I bought my Honda generator used over 20 years ago so I don't how old it is. When we or anybody else has a need for a generator its the first to be used. Its light weight and starts right up. In my 20+ years of owning this Honda generator the only thing I have ever had problems with is every so often I have to clean the brushes in the generator and replaced the fuel hoses once. Its had a lot of 24 hrs. days of running so I would say its got a lot of hours running on it but no idea of how many. It looks to be about the same size and output of the 89 dollar generator from Harbor Freight.

 

[itguy08]

Not only my opinion. Consumer Reports rates them high also.

Are they the best? Take away consumer confidence, dependability, sales, fit, finish, end user satisfaction, brand loyalty and reputation probably not.

Your mileage may very.

I wouldn't use Consumer Reports to wipe my butt. Seriously I don't trust them at all. They have just as many biases as the next guy and try to sell magazines and promote their name to further their business just like any other company. Like any news organization they prey on fear, uncertainty and doubt and then say "We have the answers".

Not to mention they were fought a few years ago giving free passes to Honda and Toyota cars just because they were Honda and Toyota. Not a company I'd trust.

Guess I'll stay the minority - Honda is vastly overrated in all they do.

I'll put my well maintained Briggs vs a Honda any day. Briggs has been engines far longer than Honda.
I'll put my well maintained Ford vs a Honda car any day. Statistically they are the same - Honda "quality" is not top of the heap.

 

[davbell22602]

I wouldn't use Consumer Reports to wipe my butt. Seriously I don't trust them at all. They have just as many biases as the next guy and try to sell magazines and promote their name to further their business just like any other company. Like any news organization they prey on fear, uncertainty and doubt and then say "We have the answers".

Not to mention they were fought a few years ago giving free passes to Honda and Toyota cars just because they were Honda and Toyota. Not a company I'd trust.

Guess I'll stay the minority - Honda is vastly overrated in all they do.

I'll put my well maintained Briggs vs a Honda any day. Briggs has been engines far longer than Honda.
I'll put my well maintained Ford vs a Honda car any day. Statistically they are the same - Honda "quality" is not top of the heap.

I'll take Champion over Honda generator any day because of the price and cost of replacement parts. I'll take Honda engine over Briggs any day. Honda replacement parts are cheaper than briggs. Honda GCV160 recoil starter assy $10 and GCV160 carbs are $15-18 in cost to replace. Briggs 6.5hp carb is $40-50 and recoil starters are $30-40.

But I agree I'll take Ford or Chevy over Honda any day.