Why are Honda generators so expensive?

[ALCO141]

i have friends with remote cabins in alaska the reputation of the small hondas as far as reliability and longevity are  incredible. this is where they are used every day for years without a problem as long as the oil is maintained properly.

i have had multiple generators for 25 kw pto gensets to and including  the 90 buck harbor freight model, it fills a nice niche as a battery charger and lighting provider, mine has been reliable, the caveat is that you run this unit for 25 hrs break in with small load attached, i used a 100 w light bulb,  this unit is very light weight and will run for quite a while on a gallon of gasoline, most of the failure that have occured with this unit seem to have happened in the first few hours of use, i have seen ths for sale for 79 bucks so it is an easily affordable addition ot your preps. compared to a 1000 buck honda it is a bargain and also a proof of concept generator to see if a honda this size would be usefull for you.
 a freind of mine analyzed the wave and it holds a very nice sine until around 800w then it may start to distort.  so used within its parameters it is a nice little unit. and yes the 25 kw pto gan set was a bear, would power just aobut anything if you hooked it up to a 50 hp tractor.
alex

[KA2UUP]

Simple answer to the posted question at the beginning is "because Honda can"!!!!

[W8JX]

What edge Honda had 10 or 20 years ago is long gone. There is some small motors out there today that are as good or better than Hondas.

[KE4DRN]

The Honda inverter series generators are worth taking a look at.

http://powerequipment.honda.com/generators

The Swepsonville, NC facility produces multipurpose engines
and Timmonsville, SC facility produces engine and atv's.

73 james

[W8JX]

For what you get they are WAY over priced.

[AA4PB]

One thing you get with Honda is reliability. Some of the "brand X" generators are very good as well but you really need to check them out carefully because there are some "brand X" generators that are not good for ham radio use (RFI, poor regulation, etc).

Honda and Yamaha both have good inverter-type generators. The advantage there is that your equipment is getting a nice, stable (voltage and frequency) sine wave that doesn't change with engine speed. The engine can throttle back when the power consumption drops without affecting the supplied voltage or frequency to the load.

[W8JX]

I talked to a guy the other day that repairs power equipment and he confirmed that Chinese clones of Honda engines that are getting so popular low cost power equipment will use Honda parts without a problem.  You do not need to pay a 3 ir 4x premium in price to get a reliable unit. And with technology even in generators changing as well why would you want to use same generator 10 or 20 years from now? Maybe because you paid too much for it and trying to get your monies worth?

[AA4PB]

Is that as in the oil filters and spark plugs are interchangeable or can you really drop a Honda crank shaft or valve into the Chinese engines? Just curious.

[W8JX]

Is that as in the oil filters and spark plugs are interchangeable or can you really drop a Honda crank shaft or valve into the Chinese engines? Just curious.

He told me they were clones including internal parts. Not all Chinese motors are clones but some models are.

[K3WEC]

The engine that came in my 4-cycle x-brand generator is a clone of the Honda GX200.   Like W8JX said, the parts are the same - internal and accessory.  In fact, many Honda engine owners (mostly in go-kart and other sporting applications) use the clone parts for repair and even "upgrades."   Change the oil and run the carb dry.  That's about it.   

I'll fire mine up tomorrow for its monthly test.  I'm expecting it to start in one or two pulls, as it always does.  Maybe I'll make a video.

[KE4DRN]

Not a problem, I can afford it.

73 james

For what you get they are WAY over priced.

[W8JX]

Not a problem, I can afford it.

73 james

For what you get they are WAY over priced.

I guess you would pay 10 bucks a gallon for gas too when you could buy it for 3.50 just because you could?

[KE4DRN]

Comparing gasoline to a generator is not valid.

Using your logic everyone should purchase
the lowest priced goods or services.

73 james

I guess you would pay 10 bucks a gallon for gas too when you could buy it for 3.50 just because you could?

[W8JX]

Comparing gasoline to a generator is not valid.

Using your logic everyone should purchase
the lowest priced goods or services.

Actually it is VERY good logic. you buy gas and it does not have to be a certain brand to work well. You do not need to pay a 3x premium in price to get reliable gas and same for a reliable generator. The quality of many generators is quite good and Honda motors are no longer the preferred motor for name brand top end commercial generators. Now it is Vanguard (built by a Toyota owned company in Japan for Briggs) as motor of choice with a superb track record and Subaru up there now too. Plus as stated before some units even use Honda motor clones that will interchange parts fully with Honda motors and are made in China and cost far less. There was a time long ago when Honda had little competition but that time is long passed.

[KE4DRN]

Aftermarket parts are nothing new and it is big business.

How good is the warranty on these cheap China built units?
Harbor Freight has these generators, 7KW but only a 90 day
warranty.  Wonder why.

To quote one reviewer,
"This is fine for the price. But it's no Honda."

Put a scope on the output of these bargain gensets
and there is no comparison to the Honda or other top brands.

I'm glad you have a solution to your generator needs.

73 james