my parents live in Pierce County, WA. A few years back they had a pretty rad ice storm that left them without power for 4 days. Talked with my dad today and asked if he had ever got around to getting a generator for that very reason, but he hasn't.

Being the caring, considerate child that I am, I'd like to buy them one just in case before winter sets in. I don't know anything about gens so any input is good input. My budget will probably be about $800. Thoughts?

Honda

I have the 2kW.  It's the size of a carry-on suitcase, weighs about 50 pounds, is practically idiotproof, unbelievably reliable, ridiculously fuel efficient, and standing more than thirty yards away you almost can't even hear it.

It's not cheap, but it really is that good.

I'd vote Honda as well. But you won't get much for a Honda with $800.

I'm seeing that now. But if they're worth the money I may suck it up and pay. More for something quality

Honda and Yamaha are fantastic generators. They are worth the money and will not let you down when you need them.

If you have ever had to run a generator continuously for several days straight, you will appreciate the quietness of a Honda, especially at night.

Honda.

They are reliable.

Generac..  their commercials convinced me because the grid is old and going to go nuclear at any second.  It was a scary infomercial.  One wrong move by a rat in the system will bring down the whole grid and cause the axis of the earth to change, the only way to survive is one of the Generac home power systems.

Got me a Honda

I got a new 5200 watt electric start Yamaha for $1200.00 from amazon.

Champion 4+ kw.  

Honda inverter generators are nice, but 2kw isn't enough generator IMO.  You can stack them, but that's just more money when a Champion will do everything you need.

ETA- And use the money you saved to buy some quality fuel cans for your parents.

What do they intend to power with the generator? Do they have any 220V loads, like a well pump?

It's impossible to answer your question specifically without that info

If they only need to power modest 110V loads, the Honda eu2000i is what I start with at home:



The eu2000i can be found for $999 HERE

Honda does make the eu1000i but it might be too small for them. It is $799 HERE

Get a Generac. Between family members we have 5 of various wattage.
I also have a Honda 2400 that I use for small loads when I don't need the power output of the others

You need to get an idea of what kind of load you will place on it. 2kw is not enough to do much but run a few lights and keep the fridge going. I have two of the Honda's that work together to create 4kw surge. If it were me I'd start at 4.5 to 6 KW. I don't know what all they have to run?? Most of the residential gas generators are NOT made to run 24/7.

Fridge?
Electric Stove?
Well Pump?
Television?
Lights?
A/C?

Get an idea of the max load that may be placed on it before you buy something that is too small

I use military diesel surplus stuff for my home up. With almost any of them there is some things that they will have to do to go back and forth between grid and generator

Generac has been mentioned above. They make a NG/Propane unit that is automatic that is an excellent choice if you want something that is automatic. You will be between 2500 and 3000 with that.

My vote would also be honda


But it's not in your budget. So check out the Hyundai's.
A 2200 watt is $525
A 2800 watt is $759

I don't know of the reliability compared to the honda but for the price and considering it will likely just sit and be used maybe once a year. Go for it.

It'll do a lot more than that, particularly if you do some load-juggling.

Many loads only need to be operated intermittently - which means that you don't need to power all of them simultaneously.

The problem with big generators is that they're fuel-inefficient when powering small loads. A 6KW generator will use a LOT more gas powering a 200 watt load than a 2 KW model will.

Then, there's the extra purchase cost, size, weight and noise of a big generator.

The 80/20 Rule: During an extended power outage, maintaining 80 percent of your normal standard of living doesn't require a big generator or a lot of fuel. However, if you insist on also having that last 20 percent, it will cost you dearly.