Angus_NB wrote:
Duganoz wrote:
Well I didn't (but should have) expected the reaction to my post. Yup! new to the RV world but not to electricity. I completely agree with all the rational expressed here but my point is simply that they are not equal. That is all I was meaning to state. I'm not going to read all the previous posts either (I tried) and felt this was worthy of pointing out since it appeared to be a popular topic. No offense was intended.
Stupid new guy.
If you had read through the thread you wouldn't have found many (if any) posts where we thought the Champion was equal to the Honda.
The Champion is a 1600 watt generator (despite the name), the Honda is a 2000. We know that and accept 400 watt loss at a $500 discount.
I disagree with your statements and find them highly misleading.
The Champion 2000 is a 1700 watts continuous genny. I ran it for hours pulling 1700 watts and the overload light never came on. But as soon as I reached about 1730W, the overload light came on.
In terms of power, the difference between the Honda and the Champion is that the Honda is capable of giving between 1700-2000W for a short period of time (minutes) without apparently any problem. While the Champion lasts no more than 10 seconds at 1900W.
But it should be noted that as per the Honda eu2000 owner's manual:
Substantial overloading will switch off the AC circuit protector.
Exceeding the time limit for maximum power operation or slightly overloading the generator may not switch the AC circuit protector OFF, but will shorten the service life of the generator.
Limit operation requiring maximum power to 30 minutes.
Maximum power is: 2,000 VA
For continuous operation, do not exceed the rated power.
Rated power is: 1,600 VASo it seems that for those who need between 1700w and 2000w for short periods of time, the Honda is a better fit than the Champion. But for all those who can live with 1700w on a continuous basis, the Champion might be a better choice.
Other factors that need to be taken into account are as follow: In America you can get two Champion for the price of a single Honda. In Canada you can get three Champion for the price of a single Honda. The Honda is smaller than the Champion and quieter when pushed to its limit. But at idle (low rpm) speed, the two gennys compare very favorably in terms of noise.
Although the Honda is smaller, it might not be enough of a factor to go with one instead of the other. The Champion offers a very interesting design with the ability to stack them one on top of the other when used in parallel.
The Honda sold in Canada does not allow parallel operation. Apparently due to the fact that the kit connecting the units has never been CSA approved.
P.S. I know I am talking about watts instead of VA, but generators are mostly advertised in terms of watts. Though I agree it makes more sense to talk in terms of VA.
P.P.S. For durability, I do not think it is desirable to run either one past 1600VA. Exceeding this limit will most likely shorten the life of the unit.
