Are these Chinese made junk or are they dependable machines? (If they are Chinese and well-made, then I'm ok with that...)

My Dad is interested in purchasing one and needs some advice.

THANKS!

http://easterntools.com/product_generator_tg5750.html

I'd stick to a name brand genny before sinking a bunch of money into an import model. At a minimum, you want to make sure that you can get parts for it or know that it has a reputation for running reliably.

They're Chinese-made, but don't enjoy a particularly good reputation for quality or customer service.

If you're going to go Chinese, consider one made by Champion Power Equipment. They're American-owned, operate their own factory in China, and have their parts and customer support divisions out in California - The techs speak English as a first language.

Over on RV.net, there's a 930 page discussion thread on them - with mostly good-to-excellent reviews.

Lowe's carries one or two of their smaller models, as does Tractor Supply. There are also several high-volume sellers on ebay that have good prices and service.

I own a 3500 watt Champion. Got it at TSC. Runs great.

They have it rated on Amazon as 4 out of 5 (10 reviews), so it doesn't seem too bad. Might want to search the net for more.

I have the TG8250 (ETQ8250). I got it about 18 months ago and haven't had any problem. I start it up and let it run for 10-15 minutes every few weeks. I've only had to use it once, for about 90 minutes. It has always started in a couple of pulls. The 8250 also has battery start (battery not included), but I always start it manually, then start it again with the battery. I suspect that for heavy use, it might not be up to the task, but I'm just basing that on the fact that it is chinese made, rather than any empirical data.