Inverter Generators-Honda, Kipor etc

Submitted: Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 14:39
ThreadID: 29469 Views:18574 Replies:18 FollowUps:10
This Thread has been Archived
I'm off on a big trip soon, have a solar panel setup but I want a generator too...
I'm looking at Honda, Yamaha, Kipor, Robin etc. inverters. Probably 2Kva (will run my aircon if necessary and/or my fast AC charger, micowave etc without struggling)

I'd really appreciate any comments, especially on the Kipor as that's the way I'm leaning at this stage- much cheaper than Honda/Yamaha, and hopefully nearly as good.
Any suggestions, experience etc?
BTW I hate noise so I'll then be making a soundproof box for it- have already made one for a friend for his Honda with absolutely outstanding results...
Thanks in advance. Cheers
Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: Outbacktourer - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 14:46

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 14:46
I have the Honda, superb. Starts and runs the Coleman Mach III A/C no worries. Eco Throttle a great feature. Can't comment on the others, weren't around when I bought.
AnswerID: 147172

Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 14:47

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 14:47
If you are after reliability then 1-Honda, 2-Kawasaki, 3- DAYLIGHT, 4-the rest.

If you are going away then get something u can rely on, and test it out before you leave.

I wouldnt take anything past #3 above away on a big trip.
.
Time is an illusion produced by the passage of history
.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message
Moderator

AnswerID: 147173

Follow Up By: Flash - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 14:55

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 14:55
Maybe, maybe not.
1.Yamaha is as good as a Honda- two friends have them and love them.
2.Haven't heard ANY negatives on the Kipor yet, have you--- it's a LOT cheaper.
Cheers
0
FollowupID: 400543

Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 15:03

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 15:03
ooops substitute Yamaha for Kawasaki above I am getting old. I would still put Honda 1st but you could throw a g-string over the two and cover them both in terms of performance.

The Kipor is still unproven in my book and I wouldnt want to be the one proving it a poor investment. YMMV

.
Time is an illusion produced by the passage of history
.

Lifetime Member
My Profile  My Blog  My Position  Send Message
Moderator

0
FollowupID: 400544

Follow Up By: Member - Pesty (SA) - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 15:12

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 15:12
Hi Mr B, Yes i agree, and having camped with both I would pick the yam over the honda first as I think it has the edge on quietness, but not much in it, probably down to best deal you can get.
A saleman told me some years ago when the kipor came out that it was a honda cheapy, and other than the case they are the same, certainly could be by the shape of them, or may have been saleman bull !

Cheers Pesty
0
FollowupID: 400547

Reply By: Original Banjo (SA) - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 15:23

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 15:23
I'm doing the same exercise, but looking at 1KVA models. Saw the other day that Robin are Subaru - might be true. Anyway, I'm settled on the Yam - seems the buzz suggests its as good as the Honda in all respects and about $150 cheaper. Re Kipor - comment here some time back suggested that they are distributed and marketed without a national backup - that is, you might buy one and it does have a warranty, BUT you can only use the warranty at the very place you bought it. You might be on the other side of the nation if it goes phut.
AnswerID: 147190

Follow Up By: Flash - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 17:43

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 17:43
Yeh,
Robin is definitely Subaru.
Kipor are a very large manufacturer, and I'm still interested......
Eg: FullRiver- (a large chinese battery battery manufactuer) make batteries which have proven to be as good as any, for a fraction the cost of other brands. (I have two of their AGM batteries and they are outstanding- Less than half the cost of American ones a few years ago)
ie:Chinese does not NECCESSARILY mean poor quality....
What I'm hoping for is someone with a Kipor who can give me feedback.
Cheers
0
FollowupID: 400571

Follow Up By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:26

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:26
yeh, have heard the same re warranty.
Oh well, I guess once it's out of warranty it becomes irrelevant. I guess if I save about 50% on cost versus Honda I have to take some risk....
Cheers
0
FollowupID: 400694

Reply By: OMN - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 16:04

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 16:04
Bought the Honda as it has all the features, reliability, reputation and i have bought the cheaper versions of things so many times and then had to go out and buy the best version.

It might not matter if your GMC drill or other piece of equipment karks it on a Saturday as you can get it replaced or buy a new one the same day or within 24 hours usually.

But if your generator goes it will be somewhere really unhelpful and potentially when you need it most.

It is a simple risk reward scenario, if it fails what is the cost to you? I decided high and thus bought the Honda hoping i wont actually need it all that often, but it will work when i do need it over the next twenty years.

Mark
AnswerID: 147197

Reply By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 19:49

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 19:49
I've had a Kipor for a few months. Must admit, it hasn't had a lot of use, but when it does, it does the job beautifully. Easy to start, very quiet, economical and does everything I could ask of it.

I did a bit of web research before I bought (couldnt find anyone with real experience as they were new to Aust). They seem to be pretty popular in Europe and North America. I looked in on a few OS forums (similar to EO) and could find nothing negative and most posters rated it as the equal of the Honda, Yamaha etc. Given the reduced price, I couldn't resist. No regrets yet. I paid about $820 from memory.

I suspect most people who say the Honda etc are better are really saying they know them better (ie have no personal knowledge of the Kipor). Take my info any way you like but at least it is first hand.
AnswerID: 147228

Follow Up By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:28

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:28
Thanks Norm,
where'd you buy?
Do you know whether you have national waranty coverage?
Cheers
0
FollowupID: 400695

Follow Up By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 14:47

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 14:47
I got mine from Camper Land of Ipswich. They have a web shop.

Tony is the owner and was good to deal with. He confirms that there are ar two importers. One is authorised by Kipor, the other is not. He insists that he buys through the authorised importer. He says that the authorised Kipor service agents (who are established nationally) will not honour warranty claims on generators imported by the unauthorised importer. Service (ie non warranty work) should be available from either.

I rang today to get a list of the service agents. Tony is on a day off, but his off sider said they would send me a list.

0
FollowupID: 400726

Reply By: roofscooter2 - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 20:21

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 20:21
g,day flash igo along with norm c on this one i bought kipor 3000i $1600. was going to test it out over xmas/jan.but other issues put stop tot hat bought it to run air con in motor home mainly. was not sure if the 2000i was big enough . had problem with it just before xmas did not want to start/run then flooded the rope come off the recoil had it back to the agent fixed &back week before xmas as promised as said above could not go away to try it .started it yesterday ran 30 seconds & stopped filled up with fuel could not get it to go pulled carby off to see why no fuel.8hours later new day off with carby again on again started first time plugged it in to motor home, ran aircon/fridge for two hours then turned it off.happier now.think i made right decision. they are acording to usa forums copy of honda. a lot of the guys over there seem pretty happy with theirs. regards bob (qld).
AnswerID: 147238

Follow Up By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:33

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:33
Thanks.
Note what I said below about running on low power for too long.
Also as my mates do with their Yamahas and Hondas-
Don't scrimp on oil- for the little it needs, use the very best you can get your hands on and change regularly.
I'm thinking Mobil1 synthetic or similar after a brief run-in.
Cheers
0
FollowupID: 400696

Reply By: arofs1 - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 20:41

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 20:41
I recently bought a Kipor and have no regrets so far, although I have not used it much and do not have a van air-conditioner to comment on its ability there. My research on a number of forums indicate that many of the parts in the Kipor come out of the same factory as the Honda with the same specifications.

I bought my 2kva off ebay (Sunlight Generators) for $899 plus delivery, which is much cheaper than elsewhere and less than half of the Honda. We will be going camping in a couple of months with a mate who has a Herron 3 and Honda 2kva, so I am looking forward to comparing the performance of both brands and will be able to report back with the information then.

Brian DJ
AnswerID: 147245

Follow Up By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 13:04

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 13:04
Thanks again.
Note my other comments above and below...
Cheers
0
FollowupID: 400704

Reply By: Member- Rox (WA) - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 22:21

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 22:21
As a previous comment, if going on a big trip always get NATIONAL service. It will pay for it self if you need servicing. Should you have to post it to a big city for servicing it could cost you big bucks.
AnswerID: 147284

Reply By: porl - Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 22:51

Sunday, Jan 08, 2006 at 22:51
I went thru some research as a former owner of a honda, yes the red 1kva inverter one, but after buying my first unit for $1,050 and after 18 months of Qld sun then selling it for $1,200 to buy panels and then a drought breaking and being caught out with my panels in a 2 week long south east Qld wet season i decided a few years later i needed backup. So the research started and after owning a Honda what put me off the Kipor was the simply the external build quality. Having had the extraordinary danger of electricity at low voltage brought to me by a guy at work and on this forum, more so current than voltage to be specific which is what is oft confused I undestand, i buggered around with a few Kipors and othe more cheapies etc and starting them and listening to cold start ups and attaching a parially discharged battery to the DC charge up function and muli metering the charge rate and running the AC output at load and decided amongst other things for a few hundred dollars or more if the external build quality was as average as the internal build quality on the cheaper units then I'd rather trust my life after a few ales with something that i knew was good. I rode honda and yamaha motorbickles for many years and when i got offered a yamaha EFS1000i on a good deal at $1,250 in went for it. Needless to say seemless relationship so far. i understand yamaha want to outdo honda so push for a cash bargain at this price at the end of a month maybe.

there is more baggage attached to this diatribe relating to cheap air con units but i guess my point is made.

Sometimes u get the bargain you paid for sometimes you don't, i decided not to take my chances with something with the potential to be so dangerous.

That's my 5c.
AnswerID: 147291

Reply By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 00:52

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 00:52
Thank you all, appreciate your time.
Any more out there?
AnswerID: 147312

Reply By: Fusion - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 08:25

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 08:25
The only thing I'd like to add is...

Looked into Kipor a while ago and was told there is more than one importer in Australia. Therefore if you buy from importer no.1, importer 2 won't touch you for warranty, and visa versa. I don't know which importer is the 'official' one, and I only know one of the importers is Primus.

This is not a good situation for getting service on the gennies. Doesn't mean you shouldn't buy, but you'd want to be sure there is a National range of service places for the actual unit you buy. The importers check the serial number before providing service to check it's one they imported.

The other thing I found was that one importer was wholesaling for about the same price the other was retailing, so be careful.

Thanks,

Aaron.
AnswerID: 147322

Reply By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:24

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 12:24
Thanks again all.
One thing I have heard from a few people who had problems with Hondas but can happen to any:
They ALL need to be given a bit of a workout regularly. Run them on very low power for too long and they'll suffer glazing of the bore with resulting plug oiling etc. I believe this can happen to any- I'm not taking aim at Honda (far from it.)
Cheers and thanks
PS I'll think I'll take a gamble on a Kipor, fingers crossed. There is such a huge price difference.....
AnswerID: 147372

Reply By: TerraFirma - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 13:16

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 13:16
I have a Yamaha 2.8i and the Kipor 1000ti and 3000ti and they are all good generators. The Kipor's are very quiet , no issues so far. Warranty should not be an issue for whatever reason, the design is good. My only complaint with the Kipor's is the running time on a tank of fuel. They don't have big tanks and therefore don't run forever , if you don't mind refilling every few hours, then no problem. Not sure if the 2kva will run your air-con remember they need double the start up current , look into that.
AnswerID: 147389

Follow Up By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 13:31

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 13:31
Thanks TerraFirma for the feed back....(Is that like "the more Firmer the less Terror!)
my caravan aircon is a household "inverter" unit which is light years ahead of the normal caravan airconditioners which use technology out of the ark!
Even a 1Kva Honda will both start and run it, but I just wanted a bit of power to spare.
Thanks again and cheers
0
FollowupID: 400710

Reply By: snailbait (Blue mntns) - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 15:19

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 15:19
hi Flash
I had the same problem what to do to charge batteries etc Honda / christie eng batery charges were $900.00 with some tricky gear to charge quicker then i saw Bunnings add for GMC .555 KVA 240 VOLT / 12 VOLT 8 AMP CHARGE FOR $98.00
WITH A 2 YEAR REPLACEMENT warenty
i had the same feeling that your out there with a bunged up gen and i think the gen is a throw away so i brought 2 of them
GMC MAKE 2KVA and bigger buy 2 and they wont cost more than a quater of the price for the 1 HONDA which are over priced any way
GMC HAVE ALL the good gear like all motors now only prob is a 2 stroke but 50/1 oil mix and with 60DB Noise
snailbait
Life MEMBER snailbait Oberon HF RADIO CLUB VKE237 mobile 7661

Lifetime Member
My Profile  Send Message

AnswerID: 147416

Reply By: Flash - Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 16:57

Monday, Jan 09, 2006 at 16:57
Thanks again all. Appreciate all the replies.
I thought about cheapies but among other things I hate the smell of 2 stoke oil.
Also spoke to a guy on the phone who's had a Kipor six months, plenty of use, and he's very happy. Feedback on overseas forums seems good too. (haven't really heard any negatives anywhere on the Kipor other than questions on warranty availability)- so....

Bit the bullet and bought one on e-bay- a Kipor 2Kva inverter for $899 + freight. Relatively very cheap- compared to other inverters anyway.
Could have paid $1250- $1299 for the exact same thing elsewhere, or $2000 for a Honda- but of course with better warranty coverage. ($400 - $1100 buys a lot of repairs...)

Warranty if required is return to sender, but THEY pay freight. (Figured if it plays up I still have my solar panels, batteries AND car alternator.)
I also figure if it's something relatively minor eg: carburettor, spark plug, recoil starter etc then I can fix it myself.

Next job will be making another soundproof box. Hmmm ...Marine Ply, expensive High density foam, cooling fan etc. (there goes most of the $400 I "saved" as It's gotta be very quiet! Total lack of noise is critically important. When you simply can't hear it from seven metres away then I'm happy, and so are my neighbours!)

Cheers
AnswerID: 147431

Reply By: Member - Ian F (QLD) - Friday, Jan 13, 2006 at 15:12

Friday, Jan 13, 2006 at 15:12
Just bought a Kipor 3000w - worked a treat and nise level fine. Cheaper than Honda 2000 w - try ebay.
AnswerID: 148319

Reply By: Spark Solar - Friday, Jan 20, 2006 at 21:58

Friday, Jan 20, 2006 at 21:58
Have just read a few of your replies. I have a few comments on the Kipor Range that may interest some people.

Our Company Spark Electronics & Solar are Kipor Dealers in Tasmania. We have sold quite a few of the Kipor Generators, and to date we have not had a problem. They are quiet running, light, easy to start and economical.

My own opinion is that they are made in the same factory, although i know this is not possible because they are made in different countries.

Kipors range include the 1000W, 2000W, 3000W, 3500W and the 6000W Inverter Generators. Keep in mind when buying a generator you need to be careful what you want to run. If you are running a laptop computer or something similiar you need to make sure you are getting a pure sine wave generator, otherwise you may damage your appliance with surges.

We sell the Kipors for the following, bearing in mind Nubco (In Tassie) sell for around $300-400 more.

Kipor 1000Ti - $799
Kipor 2000Ti - $1150
Kipor 3000Ti - $
Kipor 3500Ti - $
Kipor 7000Ti - $2499
AnswerID: 149911

Reply By: Spark Solar - Friday, Jan 20, 2006 at 22:03

Friday, Jan 20, 2006 at 22:03
Have just read a few of your replies. I have a few comments on the Kipor Range that may interest some people.

Our Company Spark Electronics & Solar are Kipor Dealers in Tasmania. We have sold quite a few of the Kipor Generators, and to date we have not had a problem. They are quiet running, light, easy to start and economical. They are fitted with a eco-throttle, similiar to the Hondas. When we took delivery of the first shipment we were amazed at how quiet these Generators were, and knew from the start they would be a big hit!

My own opinion is that they are made in the same factory as the Honda, although i know this is not possible because they are made in different countries, its just they look so alike, case seems identical.

Kipors range include the 1000W, 2000W, 3000W, 3500W and the 6000W Inverter Generators. Keep in mind when buying a generator you need to be careful what you want to run. If you are running a laptop computer or something similiar you need to make sure you are getting a pure sine wave generator, otherwise you may damage your appliance with surges.

We sell the Kipors for the following, bearing in mind Nubco (In Tassie) sell for around $400 more.

Kipor 1000Ti - $799
Kipor 2000Ti - $1150
Kipor 3000Ti - $1599
Kipor 3500Ti - $1839
Kipor 7000Ti - $2499

All come with 1 year warranty, easily repaired if it comes to this. Item is either sent to us in Tasmania or other dealers Australia Wide.

Visit our website for more details. www.sparkelectronics.com.au

We will be updating info as it comes to hand, as these are a new products into Australia.

If anyone has any questions at all, please reply here or email us at info@sparkelectornics.com.au.
AnswerID: 149912

Sponsored Links