DEAL: Anyone in the market for a nice generator should check out the Yamaha EF2000is (http://goo.gl/Ao1urV), which is currently on sale $100 off. If I was buying a generator, I’d buy it online for a significant savings. The lack of sales tax (in most states) is especially helpful on such a big ticket purchase.
This is a high quality inverter generator that's quiet and reliable. (Click the pic for more info.)
We own a Yamaha EF3000iSEB, the big brother of this EF2000is model. These are inverter generators that produce clean current at low noise levels. They are amazingly quiet and ideal for camping.
Ever camped near someone using a noisy construction grade generator? Please – don’t be that guy. Nothing ruins a campground atmosphere faster than cranking one of those obnoxious construction generators. A campsite is not a construction site, and those construction generators are best parked next to bulldozers.
A quality inverter generator is a fantastic piece of camping equipment. The key difference between the 2000 and the 3000 Yamaha models, obviously, is power output. Those of us who live in the hot humid South need a little extra juice to survive July. On a good day in a lower altitude climate, our 3000W Yamaha will power our Airstream travel trailer’s air-conditioning unit all by itself.
Don’t expect the EF2000is to power an A/C by itself. But you can throw TVs, blenders, and hair dryers at it all day long. It will top off your RV batteries, recharge your electronics, and keep your campsite civilized no matter where you end up. For most people, the EF2000is will satisfy most needs most of the time.
If I was shopping today, I’d probably get two of these EF2000is generators. Linked together they produce 4000W, and they can easily power an air-conditioning unit.
Oddly enough, you can buy two of these smaller 2000W units for less than the price of one EF3000iSEB! I’m no math whiz, but I think 4000W is more than 3000W. If you want to power an A/C unit, this is a no brainer purchase.
The Yamaha EF2000is is a well built generator that I’d put against anything else on the market in its category.
Yamaha makes quality products. We bought our Yamaha generator in 2007 and it is still going strong.
If I was buying today, I’d also get a magnetic dipstick for the EF2000is. The magnetic dipstick will snag any loose metal fragments that could potentially harm your engine. It’s cheap insurance, as the saying goes.
Ahh, clean quiet power at your fingertips. As Martha Stewart might say, it's a beautiful thing. (Click the pic for more info.)
When you are shopping for a generator, it’s natural to look at some of the less expensive Chinese knockoff models. While the prices may be appealing, I have serious doubts about their longevity. When the cheap Chinese units break down (and they will break down), you will struggle to find repair parts. You will also waste countless hours of your life.
You will be well served by a Honda or a Yamaha. Anything else is a gamble.