It looks like a really good buy compared to what's on the market. I'll be watching and hoping it holds up. Paying $5k for a smaller sized Honda just never did appeal to me.
I picked up one of the harbor freight watt inverter generators and first tests indicate it's a winner. One problem I've noticed however is the neutral is bonded to the ground in the generator and I'm not having any luck finding an easy way to separate them. Has anyone seen anything on this particular generator?Flagship model. I've read a lot about them. None in my local store but I couldn't justify having it. I'm fine with my little predator .
Flagship model. I've read a lot about them. None in my local store but I couldn't justify having it. I'm fine with my little predator .
Very nice, best of luck.
I looked at one in store yesterday. Would be a nice upgrade to my big noisy open frame I use as a whole house backup.Yea its a nice one. Honestly I'd go for the size down thats still 220 but open frame and still an inverter for $800 less or so.
It's one of the only inverter generators that has split phase 240
$? You're getting up to the price of surplus diesel military generators.That are complete trash, I worked for the DOD as a inspector troubleshooting these. Square wave, over priced, no redeeming qualities at all.
I love mine but I wish I got the Duramax . Basically the same thing in blue but it has remote start, multi fuel, better meters and better warranty. However, it’s more money too. Looking for a propane conversion for mine, but the ones I’ve found are really for a smaller engine. As for the performance, mine is flawless. Starts instantly even when it’s be ran out of fuel for storage. When my 2 ton old Freon whole house AC starts the generator barely grunts in Eco mode so it’s actually overkill for my needs. Heck I bet it’ll run the AC, clothes dryer at the same time. Noise? You can hardly hear it in the house and can’t hear it at the street when it’s in the side yard. Much quieter the rattle can Generac.
I picked up one of the harbor freight watt inverter generators and first tests indicate it's a winner. One problem I've noticed however is the neutral is bonded to the ground in the generator and I'm not having any luck finding an easy way to separate them. Has anyone seen anything on this particular generator?If you are powering a inverter off grid and have neutral bonded at inverter is ok. If you are using this as backup if the grid goes down Ground and neutral should be bonded at the power source. Where are you bonding the neutral at?
If you are powering a inverter off grid and have neutral bonded at inverter is ok. If you are using this as backup if the grid goes down Ground and neutral should be bonded at the power source. Where are you bonding the neutral at?Neutral from the generator is connected to the neutral bus in my sub panel which is fed by the inverter. The ground is tied to the ground bus in the sub panel. The only place in my system where neutral and ground are bonded is in the main breaker panel.
So, I bough locally. It was a Honda EUi. I was looking at it this morning and seen that it has 2 (15 amp) outlets. Should I have bought the EU Companion which has the 30 amp outlet and a 15 amp outlet? Yes, I know I can use a conversion plug with the EUi. However, with the EU i Companion it would be a direct plug in to standard RV Power Cord. Since, I have not used it, I think, I can take it back if need be. Thanks in advance! Darryl
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Darryl,
We have the EUi Companion model. A couple of my thoughts on this for your consideration:
The companion model has a 30A receptacle, but without a 2nd paired generator you can still only get 15A continuous ( watts peak) out of the 30A receptacle.
The 30A receptacle on the companion model is a 3-prong twist lock (L5-30R), whereas the standard shorepower cord terminates with the RV-specific 3-prong straight-bladed plug, aka TT-30P. While electrically compatible (125V/30A max, hot/neutral/ground connection), the two connectors are not physically compatible. You will need a separate adapter to plug the standard Ollie shorepower cord into either the Honda companion model 30A receptacle or the 15A receptacle.
The 30A receptacle is not protected by the small 20A push-button breaker on the front of the generator. In an overload situation, the inverter will shutdown and trigger the "overload" LED. You may have to shutdown and restart the generator to get the inverter to reset (vs pushing the 20A breaker button back in if you were using the 15A receptacle when the overload occurred).
So bottom line it doesn't really matter, pending your opinions on (1) which adapter you would prefer to use, (2) the 20A breaker vs the inverter overload mechanism, and (3) whether you think you might in the future have occasion to either borrow or purchase a 2nd generator, and which configuration that 2nd generator is likely to be...
Tom
If only I could remember everything in a single post LOL...
When using the Honda EUi and similar generators that do not already bond the neutral to the ground connection, you need to have a plan for where you are going to plug in the neutral/ground bonding plug.
With the Honda non-companion version, you can plug the bonding plug into one 15A receptacle, and the adapter or extension cord into the other 15A receptacle. With the Honda companion version, you would either need a 15A "Y-adapter" to be able to plug in both the bonding plug and the adapter or extension cord into the (single) 15A receptacle, or make a similar neutral/ground bonding plug that fits into the 30A L5-30R receptacle.
Tom
If I remember correctly, I picked up my Oliver with a basket up front and a 30A plug to connect it to the trailer. I had a Honda , which has a 30A receptacle. The Oliver people hooked up the Generator to the trailer with the short jumper they had made for it and could not get it to work. They had to made another jumper with the 15A plug on the Generator side to get it to work. Has been working fine like that for Three years.
On 12/13/ at 4:40 AM, ADKCamper said:When using the Honda EUi and similar generators that do not already bond the neutral to the ground connection, you need to have a plan for where you are going to plug in the neutral/ground bonding plug.
Planning to purchase the Honda EUi (non-companion) as an accessory for our soon-to-be Elite II. I have heard that, in order to work with the Oliver's onboard surge protector you need a "neutral to the ground connection". Our current RV has an onboard Onan generator and built in surge protection, but the "neutral to ground" is probably built in to the system. As I have only basic knowledge of power conversion, please explain. What do I need to allow the Honda to function with the Oliver surge protection?
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4 hours ago, mossemi said:Watch the YouTube link for a better understanding.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiw4tefqJ3qAhUBZd8KHd2XDIAQwqsBMAJ6BAgKEA4&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWr3ZKDN-8Go&usg=AOvVaw3UJNxxzKdfcPQVEHM0viFk
This one popped up on Amazon. Or you can make your own.
Mossey
Thanks for the informative video . . . . easy fix.
So, here's a question . . . . . I found this plug and it says, "Resolves E2, Open Ground and Open Neutral indications on surge protectors, generators and inverters". Not related to generator use, but occasionally, when we plug our Van into a receptacle where we store it, the surge protector cuts the power and gives an E2 code. I first assumed it was because we were connecting to an older outlet that perhaps wasn't properly grounded (I know, probably not a good idea). However, it has done this, a few times, when connecting to our house. One time I thought it was because the extension cord was not three prong, but the E2 has come up when using a proper extension cord in a properly grounded outlet. Usually all it takes is to unplug and plug back in and then it is fine.
Any idea what's going on?
9 hours ago, Susan Huff said:Did anyone with a Honda EUi get this recall? Apparently this isn't the first such recall. Doesn't give me a "warm fuzzy feeling" about purchasing one.
I personally would not choose a Thailand-built Honda generator, motorcycle or other power equipment, but this particular problem should not concern you too much. Unless you also plan to operate your generator on the bow of your sailboat.... Google “Honda EU- Recall Forum” for some discussions.
From a boating forum ( unsubstantiated statement, but not the only place I have heard this)
“Honda has denied warranty coverage to boaters that used their generators daily and wore them out within the warranty period. The warranty is by calendar time, not running hours and they had no right to do what they did. I know of at least two cases like that which were posted on different cruising websites.”
OTH Honda has always been good to me for the (excessive number of) recalls I have dealt with. Buy a Yamaha ????
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Edited June 27, by John E Davieshttps://www.yamahagenerators.com/Yamaha-Inverter-Generators-s/.htm
Take your pick. I have the EFiSCH and it has been stellar. A little big to lug around but it has tons of reserve capacity and gets great reviews. It normally rides in the back of my Land Cruiser. I lay it on the ground normally but I cracked a rib, so I have been running it pulled out a foot onto the tailgate. The exhaust is down low and on the right.... note the dummy ground plug.
John Davies
Spokane WA
Edited June 27, by John E Davies25 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:John, is my memory correct? The Yamaha can't be run in parallel with another one?
Will it run your a/c on its own?
Sherry
It will run my small Atwood Air Command AC with NO Soft Start, plus the converter and the fridge electric heating element. I am sure it would run the standard AC unit (by itself) if it had the SS. And you are correct, it cannot be paralleled. It is very quiet at 53 dBa and standing outside I can’t hear it over the quiet Atwood fan noise from 10 feet away. One easy pull starting, every single time, if you run it dry before shutting it down. I did add a $20 digital hour meter/ tachometer to keep track of service. Highly, highly recommended!
I use a super duty 25 foot 12 AWG 15 amp extension cord and it gets very slightly warm to the touch. If I had to run the cord further I would use my 15 to 30 A adapter and the Oliver supplied 30 A black cord as an extension. I have never needed more than the 25 foot yellow cord.
John Davies
Spokane WA
Edited June 27, by John E Davies2 hours ago, John E Davies said:It will run my small Atwood Air Command AC with NO Soft Start, plus the converter and the fridge electric heating element. I am sure it would run the standard AC unit (by itself) if it had the SS. And you are correct, it cannot be paralleled. It is very quiet at 53 dBa and standing outside I can’t hear it over the quiet Atwood fan noise from 10 feet away. One easy pull starting, every single time, if you run it dry before shutting it down. I did add a $20 digital hour meter/ tachometer to keep track of service. Highly, highly recommended!
I use a super duty 25 foot 12 AWG 15 amp extension cord and it gets very slightly warm to the touch. If I had to run the cord further I would use my 15 to 30 A adapter and the Oliver supplied 30 A black cord as an extension. I have never needed more than the 25 foot yellow cord.
John Davies
Spokane WA
Thanks, John.
What about the new EUiS. It has an RV plug, so no adapter needed and a 12v socket. It weighs 20# less than the w and the panel has been moved from the side to the end.
Would this be comparable? We are ordering our Oliver with the soft-start for the AC. We are also ordering the Solar pkg with 4 AGM batteries We mainly need the generator for using higher wattage appliances when camping off grid.
Susan, I thought of you yesterday when I ran across this generator on Costco . Com.
It's an upgraded version of the ai inverter generator my sister bought a few years ago, now has the Yamaha 79cc engine, watts, running. 52 db. Quite a few features for $499, free shipping. At 51 pounds, it's not a featherweight, but manageable, especially since it comes with wheels.
Unlike the Yamaha , this can be run in parallel with a twin, which would be useful for home use as emergency backup power.
What it's missing: no RV plug, but it does have a nema 30 amp, and comes with an rv plug adaptor. Only one carry handle, so harder for two people to share the load if carrying between you. surge instead of .
No, it's not a true Yamaha product, but with Costco's return policy, I wouldn't be hesitant.
Costco must have it made in the blue jacket for them, because I found the same generator in red and grey on several other sites, varying prices. The red jacket is on sale at samsclub for about $50 less, $17 shipping if you're not a plus member. Non member price the same as costco .com.
I read through a bunch of reviews, and a number of people said it would not run their ac. None of them mentioned whether or not they had a soft start installed in their ac units.
Sherry
Edited July 1, by SeaDawgSo, I've been shopping . . . . . . the Costco generator is tempting, but missing some of the features I like on the Yamaha : fuel gauge, lighted control panel, 12v socket, RV outlet (though I see this comes with an adapter, three-way handle for two person carrying; I'm not keen on the Costco version having wheels.
This being said, as I look online, the Yamaha is is either "out of stock with no ETA" (National Supply) or "discontinued". Out of stock, I expected, with Covid related conditions, especially the exponential increase in the number of RVs. I can't imagine they would quit making these. Maybe the cutbacks in workers to assemble and parts shortages along with increased demand have disrupted the supply chain, like everything else. Unlike with TP, I doubt people are hoarding a $1K item ????
So, as we plan to pickup our trailer in Tennessee on December 7, taking our time towing it home, would we be foolish to attempt this without a generator? (Elite II with lithium solar package); 30# LP option.
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Edited September 8, by Susan Huff