Kipor

Submitted: Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 13:14
ThreadID: 66462 Views:8137 Replies:13 FollowUps:18
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Hi to all want to buy a generator, been looking around and honda and yamaha are so expensive, has anayone bought a Kipor genny and if so what do you think of them i was told the engine is a honda i dont know if thats true they dont look to bad i saw one at bunnings it was gs2000 anay feed back would be great thanks Stan.
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Reply By: Tenpounder - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 14:05

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 14:05
Hi there. There's a heap of stuff on this site about gennies. My response is that a genny isn't just a single cylinder petrol engine in a pretty plastic box. There has to be a generator attached to the engine!! and generators vary - heaps!!
There may be a reason why Honda and Yamaha are so much dearer, and, in my mind it's mostly to do with (a) the noise levels created by the genny, and mostly (b) the sort of electricity produced.
In other words, my decision to buy a Yahama was simply that the noise level was way down on the cheaper options, and also that I could be confident that I was going to get 240v AC power just like at home.
Lots of people seem to think that the electrical bit stuck on the end of the genny's motor is about the same on a $100 cheapie as it is on a $1000 Yahamha. It clearly is not the same.
If I needed power around 200 to 350 volts, at a frequency of around 50 cycles on a good day, but, hey, whatever - 40 or 60 is just fine, then I may have bought a $100 cheapie instead of a $1200 Yammie.
You can fry thousands of dollars worth of stuff with a cheap genny (try TV, or laptop, or any switch mode gear, or even a fluoro).
Does this help?
Chris (SA)
AnswerID: 351999

Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 15:37

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 15:37
What Chris says here is 100% accurate.

About the only thing I can add is just because it says Inverter on the flash plastic case and in the advertisements doesn't mean it has a quality AC output.

Read the documentation very carefully.

One manufacturer mentions Inverter quite freely but hide very carefully the fact the output is actually square wave rather than sine wave.

The ability to get square wave out of a rotating AC machine is actually quite clever but of absolutely no value in this type of equipment. All it did was add to the cost. Still quite clever though.

They'd have been far better off leaving out the Inverter and fitting some form of cheap AVR.

Geoff

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Follow Up By: Isuzumu - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:26

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:26
A quick question to Geoff and Chris, have you both owned or used one of these cheaper Chinese built inverter generators or is this just a hazardous guess that they do not work properly?
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Follow Up By: Tenpounder - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:51

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:51
Hi Isuzumu. No, I have not owned a 'cheaper Chinese built inverter generator'. Boefore buying, I read lots of stuff on this site, and others, about the noise levels, and particularly the ability of units to deliver mains quality power (voltage stability, frequency control). On that basis, I was not willing to take the risk involved in cheaper units.
I didn't make any guesses, even hazardous - I just relied on the experience of others, plus the technical specs. There are plenty of experts in this stuff who have made their opinions known on this site about the actual performance of bargain alternatives to the over-priced Honda and Yamaha options. That was good enough for me. OK?
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Follow Up By: Member - Tony B (Malanda FNQ) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 20:26

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 20:26
Bruce - I also went the Yamaha even after looking at those cheaper options. The specs as stated above tell the story, I would also say. Most interesting is the stated run time on a tank of fuel. The cheaper ones only state 1/2 the time the Yamaha and Honda's run! So if they are the same motor there is something amiss here.

Very hard to fork out the dollars though - but now I have it it has performed extremely well and they are fuel misers.

Cheers Tony
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Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 22:09

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 22:09
Hi Bruce,

A fair and reasonable question based on the information supplied.

For me personally I've got a hold of as many generators of as many brands as possible and connected the alleged AC output of all of them to a piece of electrical test equipment called an oscilloscope.

I'm not sure if you know what an oscilloscope is, in case you don't here's a Wikipedia definition of one: Oscilloscope

The unit I used has the ability to capture waveforms to removable media for offline analysis and lists for about US$45,000 (The perks of working for the manufacturer in electrical engineering)

Now for what I learnt.

The quality of the output is generally (with one exception) proportional to the price of the unit.

The cheaper units, read GMC, Diesel Brand and those cheaper chinese Bunnings units have very poor voltage and frequency control. Chris's statements actually mirrored my testing.

They can output anything from about 180 Volts to about 300 Volts in the ones I tested. The frequency can be anything from about 40Hz through to about 60Hz.

A very, very loose definition of 240V AC at 50Hz to say the least.

The inverter units were quite a deal better with the top end being Honda and Yamaha in alphabetical order only.

The worst of the inverter generators was one that starts with E and is a green colour. It actually outputs a square wave signal. That for me makes it not worth the money.

I've even had a play with a heap of "Pure" Sine Wave inverters. Some of them are about as "Pure" as the girls on the corner in Kings Cross!

I do hope that has answered where I'm coming from.

Geoff

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Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 22:51

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 22:51
Hi Bruce,

I just went looking for a rather lengthy reply of mine from a few months back that may go some way further to answering your question.

Post 63325, See Reply 3 of 5

After looking at it I noticed you actually have a Followup in that very Reply, it's from around the time of your generator purchase.

Regards,

Geoff

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Follow Up By: Isuzumu - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 08:49

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 08:49
Hi Geoff, since post 63325 I have done more testing and have found no problems running all the gear I have. It may seem I am biased about this generator but I think I have the best value for money, so far time will tell. I now do not think I need a 2 kva and am thinking of getting a 1 kva, a friend brought a 1 kva from the same place as I did for $220.
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Follow Up By: Best Off Road - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 08:54

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 08:54
Geoff,

Have you run the oscilloscope across the Kipor?

The data suggests that is as clean as the Honda, but independent test results would be good to know.

Cheers,

Jim.

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Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 10:22

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 10:22
Hi Bruce,

You very probably have a great buy in the unit. As time goes on the Chinese manufacturers will get smarter.

The quality will most likely come up but with their wage, OH&S and other industrial structures their costs should remain fairly constant.

The gist of what I said in Post 63325 is whatever the user is happy with is fine by me!

I'm just trying to share some results of real tests I've done with random machines not specifically supplied by the manufacturer.

As I said before, in my electrical testing with one exception you get what you pay for.

Geoff

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Follow Up By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 10:29

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 10:29
Hi Jim,
I have tested one 1kva Kipor and the output was all over the place.

BUT, the engine was running very poorly when you could get it to start.

That was back when there where about half a dozen importers of the brand. The importers seemed to appear daily and lasted about as long.

I believe the importer of that individual machine is now gone (his premises in the Hunter Valley have been empty for years) and the chances of claiming warranty were nil at best.

So the only tested Kipor in fairness to the brand was struck from the results.

I'd be open to a crack at another one if I could get access to it.

Pity your in Melbourne and I'm in Newcastle.

Geoff

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Reply By: Member - Porl - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 14:05

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 14:05
Hi Stans

to be kind do a forum "search" before someone without a sense of humour responds.

There are umpteen posts on this subject.

cheers
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Reply By: TerraFirma - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 15:11

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 15:11
I have a 2.6KVa Kipor (3000ti) and it has been fantastic. I accidentally broke 2 of the rubber feat on mine, my fault but perhaps could have been a little sturdier. It is quiet and reliable after 3 years of service on a boat. Having said that the Honda and yamaha products are better built in every sense of the word, but for someone that perhaps doesn't use a generator that often, perhaps once or twice a year, the Kipor has been great.

I was chatting to my local Honda brushcutter dealer and he said he would be happy to service the Kipor given he services Honda gennies so from that perspective you have a broad avenue available for service, I wouldn't like my chances if I had to track down a Kipor part though.? Who is the Australian distributor..?

AnswerID: 352004

Follow Up By: Robert H (SEQ) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 15:19

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 15:19
Terra ,the Aus distributor is Primus i think.
I too have what you have but it has let me down when i most needed it for a/c in the motor home when we had it not too happy about that when you want to relax & keep cool to sleep at night(summer) in the sub tropics. Lucky i had two small 12v fans that came in handy for backup.
Cheers Bob.
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Reply By: Best Off Road - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:05

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:05
My understanding is that the Kipor is a copy of the Honda, so much so that all Honda parts fit it. It is equally as quiet (noisy?) as the Honda.

I got a Kipor 2000 for $800 when the Honda was $2000, it was too good a deal to pass up.

It completely bleep itself within 12 months. During this time the Australian distributorship changed to Primus. Primus happily replaced it with a new one. So far this one is only 6 months old, had little use and is running fine. But, time will tell.

The price diiferential has now narrowed and perhaps it would be prudent to spend a bit extra on a Yamaha or Honda.

Although, I did see the Kipor 2000 on special at Anaconda a few weeks ago for $1000.

Perhaps a call to Macfarlane generators in Melbourne would be an idea. They service and repair all types, including Kipor, and could give you an opinion as to longevity.

Cheers,

Jim.
AnswerID: 352011

Reply By: Isuzumu - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:39

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:39
I brought one of the cheaper Chinese inverter generators awhile back and cannot fault it, it has now done about 40 hours and has run every thing in the van including my two lap tops.
I did a noise test against a 2kva Honda and it is a little louder at full power but no difference when on eco running three battery charges.
I forgot to do the 20 hour service so the oil level was down to the add mark so it would not start until I topped up the oil (have now done the full service) that not a fault, that good management I believe.
I was told here that I was wasting my money, but said I would be the guinea pig and get one, I was suppose to put a report in about it , so here it is hahahaha
Oh forgot to say I paid $356 for it
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 23:07

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 23:07
What make?
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Follow Up By: Isuzumu - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 08:56

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 08:56
Hi Shaker, I got it on E-Bay from Princess Trade it a SF 2000, but I don't think there is any difference in any of them really, just was the best price I got at the time.
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 16:26

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 16:26
My brother bought one those, is yours blue?
He has had no problems either, so I bought a I KVa one from them.
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Follow Up By: Isuzumu - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 21:56

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 21:56
Yep thats the one shaker mate got a 1 kva for $220 plus freight
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Reply By: Warstar - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:44

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:44
There are 5 things you get for the Extra dollars

1 Quietness. I have a Honda 20ui, and have been in the vicinity of both a Kipor and a Gemquip when running. the Honda is noticeably quieter.

2 Weight The Honda is smaller and lighter than all the others, including the Yamahas


3 Fuel consumption. The Honda uses less fuel than all the others.

4 Warranty and service. 4 years, agents everywhere.

5 Pure sine wave electricity at a constant level

If these things don't matter to you buy the cheapy.
AnswerID: 352017

Follow Up By: Best Off Road - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:54

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 16:54
If you read above, you'll see I'm not a Kipor devotee, but

1. Kipor and Honda 2000 have the same dba rating. Also they sound the same to me.

2. Kipor and Honda have same dimensions and weight.

3. Can't comment, but according to specs they are the same.

4. Valid point.

5. Kipor claim the same. I've run switchmode gear, lcd tv and laptops from mine with no problem.

Still, ask me in three or four years if I'm still happy with it. After the first one died I am not supremely confident.

Cheers,

Jim.

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Follow Up By: arofs1 - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 19:22

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 19:22
Firstly I do not say that Kipor is as good or better than Honda or yahama.

However I can only comment on my own personal experience and have had a Kipor 2000 for about 3-4 years and use it regularly in in the cooler months which is our travelling time and daily for 10 days at a time about 4 times a year and it hasn't missed a beat.

Despite what some say on these forums the statistics and componentry are very similar and identical in some cases to the honda. It depends on how much you use it and how much you want to pay for something you don't use much. I paid less than half what the Honda was asking when I bought mine.

If I needed another generator I would have no hesitation in buying another Kipor. I know there are plenty of other happy Kipor owners who will not comment because they are tired of commenting on this particular topic. It is like Holden V Ford and Toyota V Nissan etc.

Brian DJ

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Follow Up By: Member - Old Girl (QLD) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 19:56

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 19:56
With you Brian on all points. We only use ours at Easter though.
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Reply By: Member - Paul Mac (VIC) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 20:38

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 20:38
G'day Stan,

I purchased the Kipor Series 11 2kva generator about 8 months ago and have used it for about 30 hours so far. I have not had any problems with it. In fact it has saved my bacon on one occasion (had to hook up the battery charger to the car and run the genny to turn the car over). I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone because it is significantly cheaper than the Honda.

One thing I do however, is run it for about 10 minutes every month just to keep it running ok. I also purchased a premium oil to put in it.

I have a 25 metre 15amp lead which I use for the genny and I can only say that you can barely hear it from 25 metres away. I usually clear an area well away from the camper and anyone else camped in the area and use it for showers and to replenish the deep cycle battery for about 2 hours a day in the late mornings.

As Jim has stated, its a sine wave generator and will run your appliances OK.

Good luck with it.

Cheers
AnswerID: 352053

Reply By: Member - Mick O (VIC) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 20:41

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 20:41
I think I made a comment about cheap generators and the law of inverse outback popularity in post 66396. Having said that though, I have the 2KVA Kipor and have done for 3 years. Very quiet, very effective and has done everything promised by it. You pay big $ for Honda and Yamaha and you'll get exactly what you pay for, a bloody good quality unit that will last you a long time in a reliable manner. Pay half that and you'll still get a good unit that will generally do everything that's asked of it. It probably won't have the long term reliability that the other known brands have. The Kipor is still a damn good unit for the price and it's not a outback paradise destoying GMC or Scorpion 2 stroke that will invoke "generator rage" from any fellow campers within a 2km radius.

Cheers Mick

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AnswerID: 352054

Reply By: Member - len W SWANSEA (NSW) - Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 21:15

Tuesday, Mar 03, 2009 at 21:15
just thought i would mention i have a engel 2 kva for sale cheep

hardly used ..................... len
AnswerID: 352066

Reply By: Steve - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 14:21

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 14:21
I have been looking at the pros and cons of these gennies, both on here and elsewhere. I currently have a GMC $85 cheapie that does us for now. We just use it to re-charge the batts when the solar doesn't have enough sun available. One thing that always puzzles me is people commenting on how noisy they are. I've walked passed other gennies running and only the Honda is noticeably quieter. I suppose it does depend on their load but that's my finding to date. I will be lashing out on a Honda 2kva when I can justify and afford it.
AnswerID: 352157

Reply By: Ozboc - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 15:34

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 15:34
I have one of these ones gen on ebay I have had it for about 12 months nad have used it on and off -- had the microwave running in the jayco - a heater - lights and laptop - it does have variable speed(auto) so it only revs up when needs the power -- when consumption is low - it just idols and still provides 240 v

dont use it often - only when really needed and not when people are camping close by

I am in the mechanical trades - so for me , i dont really need the back up service down the track - your your not mechanically , then maybe a brand name would be a better option





Boc
AnswerID: 352164

Reply By: stans truck - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 16:07

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 16:07
Thanks to all for your input well its going to be honda. thanks again Regards Stan.
AnswerID: 352172

Reply By:- Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 21:50

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2009 at 21:50
Hi Stan
I have not read all the posts as there were a lot! Primus were the distributor of Kipor then they let other Co's distribute them, their sales dropped off and they went back to Primus to get them to sell them and all of the Kipor Gen sets that are sold by Primus which have had a few mods are now ALL BLUE so if you are buying a yellow Kipor you would want to be comfy that the Co. that you bought it from will look after you.
As everyone has said I do not think it would be wise to be looking outside of the Honda,Yamaha or Kipor(inverter) type gen sets if you are trying to drive important or valuable electrical equipment.

Mattie
AnswerID: 352228

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