After the last few power outages,which have lasted up to 5 days, I've come to the conclusion that my 5k generator is great at running the house but sucks when it comes to fuel economy. I've also realized that longer term, I don't need the full 5k but would be very comfortable running a 2k. As such I've decided to go with a eu2000i and include the tri fuel option in an attempt to improve gas efficiency and get the option of running the honda with alternative fuels - does this make sense? Are there any words of wisdom you can offer? Does anyone know where to get a good price on one of the EU2000's online?

Thanks
John

The EU2000i is a great little generator.  I've got two of them, which was useful for about 1 day last summer... when camping.  I need to downgrade as I really only need one.  Too bad you're not local, LOL!



Basically my plan for a power outage is to mostly run the fridge and the freezer and maybe charge up a few devices here and there.  Beyond that, I have no need for 5KW.



It's really up to you as to what your needs are.  Honestly, if I had to go back and do it over, though, I'd probably buy the Yamaha.  It's very similar, slightly cheaper, and comes with a fuel shut-off, which the honda's don't have.



There is a way to tell how many hours the honda has been run, you'll have to look it up online, but the light blinks when you start it up and gives you a rough estimate.  If you buy one used, check that to verify how many hours are on it.



I think used is probably the best option if you can find one that hasn't been run for thousands of hours and you can check it out locally before purchasing.



 

If you're planning on running a 2KW generator lightly-loaded, you'll probably see some improvement in fuel economy over your 5KW model.

However, if you will be running it with a pretty substantial load, you probably won't notice much difference.

When powering a sizable percentage of their rated maximum load, most modern portable generators consume roughly the same amount of gasoline per KW of power produced (roughly 0.2 to 0.25 gallons per hour, per KW). It's only when they operate outside their efficient load range (i.e.below approx. 20 percent of rated load) that fuel efficiency suffers.

This includes the inverter models.

A couple of examples:

Running a 1500 watt load: Not much difference in fuel economy between either generator, because both generators are running in their efficient load ranges.
Running a 300 watt load: Much better fuel economy with the eu2000, because the 5KW generator is running way outside its efficient load range.

Interesting, I look forward to testing them, as I plan on keeping the 5k and use it for short term needs. Eventually, I'd like to put in a battery bank and use the little 2k to top off the batteries when they need it.

I am a big fan of the eu2000.  The major selling points for me are noise, weight, and being easy on fuel.  After an ice storm this year, I visited both of my neighbors while my eu2000 was running.....I could not hear it running.  It's easy for one person to pick up if you need to carry it in a night or to get it out of rain/snow.

For conversions - I've had this thread bookmarked for awhile:

https://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=662071

Are you saying that blinking light is a crude hour meter? 3 blinks and I can assume it has 300 hours?  Damn......learn something new every day on ARFCOM.

Yeah, arfcom is a  wealth of information.  Some awesome folks here.

I ordered mine from Wise. They offer free shipping but there was a charge for packing & insurance I think.

http://www.wisesales.com/generators-1/honda-generators-1.html

I Love mine, Got the kit from US Carburetion.


Here it is running on propane.




Here it is running on natural gas.



My natural gas stubout.for the generator and the grill.

But I love to use this unit more, When used at home and weight is not important.
The extra power is great, Its Tri-fuel also, Burns about the same amount of fuel at 1800 watts as the EU2000.

I had 0 Generator experience. I purchased the EU2000i and Champion 3500-4k  last year as part of my preps. During the ice storm this year I only had to use the Honda for our needs, I got the Champion out but never used it  They Honda is a great little unit and did everything I needed it to do and ran almost 12 hours on a tank of gas!

 

I bought a tri-fuel Honda 2000 already converted from central maine diesel, after using a 5KW Kawasaki gasoline unit during Irene.  I was very happy with how quiet the Honda was during Sandy, and I think you are better off with a smaller unit just running a few essentials and using less fuel.  My hot water uses a pilot light and I can light my stove top with a match, so all I need to run is a fridge,a lamp and a recharging station for phones and devices (and my furnace during winter).  The only potential gap right now is running a A/C, but if fans aren't enough the 5KW should do the trick to run a window A/C.

john,
for some helpful info/tips/etc, see
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_17/661411_Sandy____12_days_without_power__what_worked__what_didn_t____.html

ar-jedi