Costco Generator

[blmitch5]

Anyone see this this? We were at Costco Sunday and I didn't take time to read up on it but it says Yamaha engine and has a pretty nice price, we have the Yamaha 2400 ISHC but if your looking at alternatives to Y $ H this may be a good one?

[RamblinManGa]

Hi from AZ. . . we discussed this several months ago (couldn't find the thread), it's a nice looking Chinese made gen with Yamaha engine. Questions would include who , exactly. is warranting this, where you might get parts &/or service, etc. The real Yamaha gen is $989, no tax, no shipping at Amazonia, Regards, Craig

[Silverflames]

2000 watts? I know my dometic roof AC calls for a 3500 watt unit. So I guess my first question would be what will you power demand be?

[RamblinManGa]

Hi again from AZ. . . A 2000 watt gen will not, in most cases, run an Airstream roof a/c unit. 2 tied together will, & the 2000 will run most everything else by itself. Regards, Craig

[DKB_SATX]

This particular generator doesn't seem to have a way to join 2 together, but I'm tempted to buy one as an "extra" and use it as my winter generator, since I can lift one of these to the height of the truck bed by myself, and my 3k yamaha requires two of us or the hoist to get it up there.

To RamblinManGA's question... if you have no shame and keep your receipt (or at least record of the date on which you made the purchase, they can look up the receipt) Costco will give you the money back for as long as you're a Costco member with certain exceptions for TVs and computers and a few other electronics items. I don't personally push their return policy that far, as long as I feel like I got a fair deal I would repair or buy new on my own (after the actual warranty period.) I have a friend who basically treats Costco purchases as lifetime warranted, however.

The problem with that is that they'll give you the money back but may not have another $599 generator on the shelf to sell you if/when you bring the old one back.

[moosetags]

My main concern would be getting parts if a problem developed. The money saved when purchased would turn into a big loss if you had to replace it. I have had two Honda 2000's for the last five years. I don't think that I would consider any inverter generator other than a Honda or a Yamaha.

Brian

[mojo]

Not all Yamaha or Honda engines made are equal to what they install on their own generators. The db level will most likely much louder and annoying.

[BAB]

I am always reminded of Oscar Wilde's famous quote: "cynics know the price of everything and the value of nothing." You're going to get what you pay for on this one. There's an enormous body of evidence on this site that the Honda 2000's -- while more expensive -- have a teriffic track record. For my part, I KNOW when I pull the cord, it is going to start....EVERY SINGLE TIME. And, (so far) both of them have! Caveat emptor, Mitch!

[Steve Bryant]

On teaming (paralleling) two generators together. The generators really need to be designed with this in mind from the start. Here's why. The alternating current output must be phase-locked together, otherwise the output voltage of one can and will oppose the other. One generator is the "master" and the other is a "slave" that synchronizes its output power phasing to the master. In this type of setup, the master also governs its engine speed to regulate the voltage output to a target value like 115 VAC and the slave will govern its engine speed to match or synchronize with the voltage output of the master.

Only certain types of inverter generators that are designed to work as a pair will work as a team like this. The Yamaha-powered Costco generator simply has a Yamaha engine but no real affiliation with Yamaha. There are a number of Honda-powered water pumps, generators and the like. I even replaced the Briggs & Straiten engine on my Snapper lawn mower about fifteen years ago and its running strong still. The cast aluminum mower deck is better than what I could have bought at that time or today and the Honda engine is better that what I could have bought in a B&S so I made a hybrid. Anyway, I diverge...sorry about that!

I wouldn't buy the Costco generator for a couple of reasons for the purpose of camping.
1. You can't use it as a companion with your existing generator and harness them together.
2. It will be noisy (small muffler, no sound isolation of the generator mechanicals).
3. There may be no path to service after the sale if necessary.

Steve

[Silverflames]

So what is the befit of linking 2, vs just one larger one? Easer to move around? Less fuel?

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Steve Bryant

On teaming (paralleling) two generators together. The generators really need to be designed with this in mind from the start. Here's why. The alternating current output must be phase-locked together, otherwise the output voltage of one can and will oppose the other. One generator is the "master" and the other is a "slave" that synchronizes its output power phasing to the master. In this type of setup, the master also governs its engine speed to regulate the voltage output to a target value like 115 VAC and the slave will govern its engine speed to match or synchronize with the voltage output of the master.

Only certain types of inverter generators that are designed to work as a pair will work as a team like this. The Yamaha-powered Costco generator simply has a Yamaha engine but no real affiliation with Yamaha. There are a number of Honda-powered water pumps, generators and the like. I even replaced the Briggs & Straiten engine on my Snapper lawn mower about fifteen years ago and its running strong still. The cast aluminum mower deck is better than what I could have bought at that time or today and the Honda engine is better that what I could have bought in a B&S so I made a hybrid. Anyway, I diverge...sorry about that!

I wouldn't buy the Costco generator for a couple of reasons for the purpose of camping.
1. You can't use it as a companion with your existing generator and harness them together.
2. It will be noisy (small muffler, no sound isolation of the generator mechanicals).
3. There may be no path to service after the sale if necessary.

Steve

Boy, Steve, glad to hear you say that in paragraph #1. I got the crap beat out of me on a gennie forum for suggesting you cannot parallel 2 EU2000i's (both non-comapnions) together with just a home made cable instead of the Honda one with the "box". I argued your point exactly and was lambasted....I never went back......they were so mean and I am so sensitive.

[dznf0g]

Originally Posted by Silverflames

So what is the befit of linking 2, vs just one larger one? Easer to move around? Less fuel?

For me, yes easier to carry, spring or fall I'll only take one (when A/C not required) so less weight, easier to transport (smaller footprint and fits in (2) tighter spots.

[Foiled Again]

NOISE LEVEL should be one of your prime considerations in buying any RV generator. Unless you're at a Harley Davidson Rally having a noisy "construction" generator that can be heard for half a mile is not going to be acceptable to your neighbors, or even to yourself. Can you SLEEP within 20 feet of the generator, will your neighboring campers come to visit you with pitchforks, tar and feathers? Even if you're boondocking miles from your nearest neighbor a ranger could demand you turn off a generator that is disturbing the nesting whooping cranes or other endangered species.

We have a HUGE Honda to run our business during power outages that's not well muffled. It's a major pain in the neck to put up with the noise even though we set it up 80 feet from the phone room. When the power comes back on and we shut it off, the headache just STARTS to ease off.

All the other durability/maintenance issues are very aptly covered by prior posters. Get a quality product or go without.

Paula

[Wazbro]

Is 51 dB at 1/4 load (as seen in picture of box in first post) really that loud?
Or did everyone ASSUME this generator is loud since it's not completely Honda or Yamaha.

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by Wazbro

Is 51 dB at 1/4 load (as seen in picture of box in first post) really that loud?
Or did everyone ASSUME this generator is loud since it's not completely Honda or Yamaha.

It depends on their measurement standard, I'm sure. Honda says they measure at 9' from the generator on the control-panel side, and that gives them 53-59 dBA for the 2k model. My Yamaha 3k is rated at 53-60 dBA, but I don't see on Yamaha's page a statement about where they measure that noise level.

It's been my experience, though, that my Yamaha in operation is noticeably quieter than a 2k Honda at whatever fractional load is required to run 2 converters (the one built into the trailer, charging the trailer battery, and the WFCO I removed from the trailer, charging a 108-ah AGM that I use to run my CPAP through and inverter.) I don't know as much about what the Honda was supplying, but it appeared to just be charging up the batteries after boondocking.

Perhaps I was always standing on the quiet side of my generator and the noisy side of the Hondas, but I've walked by quite a few Hondas in operation. If my Yamaha weren't such a heavy beast I'd think it was perfect.