Evopower EVO2000SEi generator

[DaveC]

Has anyone any experience of an Evopower EVO2000SEi generator? Seems to be less than half the price of some better know generators. Now I know the saying "you get what you pay for" but if you have or have had one of these what is your verdict?

 

 

Dave

[onionbargee]

You can tell by the parts used on the socket panel, it's the bottom of the barrel of Chinese manufacture , that means the inverter board is likley to die in record time, and you cant get another for less than £250.

 

I have a 12 ft barge pole but i still wouldn't touch it.

[DaveC]

You can tell by the parts used on the socket panel, it's the bottom of the barrel of Chinese manufacture , that means the inverter board is likley to die in record time, and you cant get another for less than £250.

 

I have a 12 ft barge pole but i still wouldn't touch it.

 

Thanks for that Onionbargee. I thought it seemed too cheap but it was worth asking on here.

 

I am thinking of getting a small genny as now we are getting older (aren't we all!) our cruising pattern will mean shorter days and thus the batteries not getting fully charged by the engine.

 

So, are any of the cheaper gennys (I mean cheaper than Honda, which are probably very good but very expensive) worth looking at, such as Kipor?

 

Dave

[eightpot]

I bought a Kipor, IG1000 to be exact after first considering a Clarke model, but decided against as there were more than a few poor reviews on the Machinemart example.

Anyway, read up the reviews on the Kipor and finding a suitably priced unit on ebay, took a punt. Used it on an off and so far it's been pretty good - no running issues, fairly quiet and not too bad on petrol.

Edited October 2, 2013 by eightpot

[thepowersite]

We sell the Evopower EVO2000SEi generators. Evopower is a UK brand of power equipment that we have been selling for several years. We find that all Evopower products offer exceptional value and above average specification. They are generally manufactured in China, but they have their own QC engineers at the factory and we have found that these machines are very reliable. We have also sold other brands of Chinese generators and have had a lot of trouble. Not all products from China should be tarred with the same brush... We buy these machines in large quantities direct from the manufacturer and only sell direct to the end user, on-line. This allows us to reduce our margins to a minimum, passing on the savings to the customer. We keep all spare parts in stock for this machine, so backup is not an issue. As for this particular model, it is proving very popular with the electric / remote start. It is not quite as quiet as a Honda EU20i, but there is very little difference when the two machines are side by side. It is heavier, but it has a higher output and the starter motor and 12v sealed battery add to the weight, so this is the price you pay for electric start. Please let me know if anyone has any questions and I will do my best to give you a straight answer.

[Captain Zim]

What's the Hyundai hy2000 like on noise compared to a Honda? I like the look of those as they also have a remote electric start. Don't even have to get out of bed..

What's the Hyundai hy2000 like on noise compared to a Honda? I like the look of those as they also have a remote electric start. Don't even have to get out of bed..

 

eta: for the record I've got a kipor 2000. Generally runs very well but I wouldn't call it quiet.

Edited October 3, 2013 by Captain Zim

[onionbargee]

We sell the Evopower EVO2000SEi generators. Evopower is a UK brand of power equipment that we have been selling for several years. We find that all Evopower products offer exceptional value and above average specification. They are generally manufactured in China, but they have their own QC engineers at the factory and we have found that these machines are very reliable. We have also sold other brands of Chinese generators and have had a lot of trouble. Not all products from China should be tarred with the same brush... We buy these machines in large quantities direct from the manufacturer and only sell direct to the end user, on-line. This allows us to reduce our margins to a minimum, passing on the savings to the customer. We keep all spare parts in stock for this machine, so backup is not an issue. As for this particular model, it is proving very popular with the electric / remote start. It is not quite as quiet as a Honda EU20i, but there is very little difference when the two machines are side by side. It is heavier, but it has a higher output and the starter motor and 12v sealed battery add to the weight, so this is the price you pay for electric start. Please let me know if anyone has any questions and I will do my best to give you a straight answer.

what is the return rate on this brand then ?

 

some ( not saying yours ) of this type of rebadged Chinese toys R us geny's are 40% returns.

 

A cheap inverter generator is an impossiblity, it just means they have used the lowest grade electronic components , that have the shortest service life. ( before they encapsulate it in epoxy so you can't repair it )

 

( starter motors are always the first to chew themselves to bits on cheap geny's)

Edited October 3, 2013 by onionbargee

[mrsmelly]

Hyundais are not a patch on Hondas. In fact nothing comes close in reality. My next boat neighbour tried saving money and bought the Hyundai. He sold it a month later and bought a Honda. Simply superb in every way.

 

Tim

[George94]

Hyundais are not a patch on Hondas. In fact nothing comes close in reality. My next boat neighbour tried saving money and bought the Hyundai. He sold it a month later and bought a Honda. Simply superb in every way.

 

Tim

 

In what way are Hyundais not as good, apart from noise?

 

As for "superb", the Honda EU10i, for instance, has no form of overload protection, and blows up its extremely expensive ECU at the drop of a hat. So not only are they expensive to start with, but they also cost an arm and a leg if not treated with kid gloves.

[FadeToScarlet]

In what way are Hyundais not as good, apart from noise?

 

As for "superb", the Honda EU10i, for instance, has no form of overload protection, and blows up its extremely expensive ECU at the drop of a hat. So not only are they expensive to start with, but they also cost an arm and a leg if not treated with kid gloves.

And, yet, my friend's EU10i survived being pulled into the river whilst running, and needed nothing more than a strip down and reassembly. Maybe that was a one-off, but it really impressed me.

[George94]

And, yet, my friend's EU10i survived being pulled into the river whilst running, and needed nothing more than a strip down and reassembly. Maybe that was a one-off, but it really impressed me.

 

That certainly is impressive, but overloading them is a greater danger than dropping them into a river.

[Charlotte Burnett]

My friends just bought a 2.6Kw Hyundai, it's really heavy, it's very quiet in eco mode, it's easier to work on than my Honda, it takes easily available spark plugs and oil unlike my Honda, it's also about 1/4 the price.

 

I'm not sure why everyone raves about Hondas. They are good and reliable provided they are looked after but I have never worked on such an unpleasant piece of machinery before. 3 hours to do the tappets on an EU20i the first time! Even changing the spark plug requires tools not even available in the Snap On catalogue, hands with 5 sets of knuckles for instance. I confess, I now take mine for a service far less frequently than I should.

[Hawkmoth]

Earlier this year i was forced by a main engine breakdown to purchase a generator until we got the engine going again. I bought a Clarke 1.8 inverter gen. It worked quite well for 4 days before failing catastrophically.

RESULT ! The starter motor was repaired next day, and I got my money back from Machine Mart.

Consequently I can't recommend that brand.

Bob

[Captain Zim]

... it's very quiet in eco mode...

Comparable to a Honda? Very quiet, as in, won't annoy people in the same way a Honda doesn't generally (I realise that sometimes a genny is just annoying regardless).

[onionbargee]

Machine mart are well known as purveyours of Chinese junk . Their stoves are particually lethal.

[parrotguy]

i have owned a considerable amount of gen over fourty yrs and now own the favorite one so far. It is a 3000-3500 watt Champion always starts easy and low oil shut down. Had a lighting strike next to it and customer service over the phone was excellent to say the least.. Super. Sent part out talked me thru repair and up and running. It isn quite. And they are cheaper than the others, leary at first but happy now. Cant afford honda since retired just wanted to let you know their are still less expensive tools with good service

[George94]

The problem is that for most people, quietness is a major priority, and for many, a pure sine wave is essential.

[valrene9600]

I see this Evopower states it is sine wave.

I know pure sine wave is best for some fussy electrics like wash machines and laptops but will sine wave still run most things.

Also your average building site frame genny, has it got any sine wave or is it just some kind of rough power for say drills etc

[Daiboy]

I purchased a Hyundai HY3000si for £700. Very quiet when running under small load. I normally do my washing every month when I'm not on a static electric point and then it can get a bit noisy, but only when the washing machine or tumble drier kicks in, then it goes quiet again. A bit heavy and a pull start, but it does what it says on the tin.

[thepowersite]

what is the return rate on this brand then ?

 

some ( not saying yours ) of this type of rebadged Chinese toys R us geny's are 40% returns.

 

A cheap inverter generator is an impossiblity, it just means they have used the lowest grade electronic components , that have the shortest service life. ( before they encapsulate it in epoxy so you can't repair it )

 

( starter motors are always the first to chew themselves to bits on cheap geny's)

 

The return rate on the brand as a whole is around 3-5%. Although it still may not be a brand you've heard of, they are established now, so they are aware of what it takes to get a good reputation and we work closely with them, which is why we do so many of their products. And so far, the EVO2000SEI has given us next to no problems. I think 1 return under warranty so far which has been fixed by the manufacturer and returned to the customer.

 

We also sell Hyundai's and Honda machines. We probably sell twice as many Hyundai's based on price, then we do Honda machines and again, both brand have low return rates, but they do have return rates. It's harder to sell products that don't have a recognised brand, but we try and do our research before selling a certain company's products. This is why we don't sell Clarke's or other cheaper machines. Sometimes I think you can go too cheap, but these products do seem to work.

 

Out of the Hyundai and the Honda, we don't really see much difference now in quality, although Honda will always have that head-start and reputation to go on, and they are good genny's but I'd say their return rate is no better than anything else, (based just of the figures we see and in no way intended to be a sweeping generalisation)

 

We try and only list quality items on our site, but also items that have a good warranty, backup and spare parts. Service for our customers is just as important to us. No line of machines will ever be 100%, so as long as our customers are treated well by our suppliers.

I see this Evopower states it is sine wave.

I know pure sine wave is best for some fussy electrics like wash machines and laptops but will sine wave still run most things.

Also your average building site frame genny, has it got any sine wave or is it just some kind of rough power for say drills etc

 

Pure sine wave is perfectly smooth so it mimics mains supply electricity. Average building site genny's can vary wildly, but good brand name generators will be smooth wave, not sine wave. Still, this will be fine for sensitive electronics as there are less peaks and this is usually down to whether or not they have an AVR alternator. If they don't, then they are less likely to be good for sensitive electronics, but for more rugged tools, should be OK.

 

best advice is get yourself a good one and it should last and last.

Comparable to a Honda? Very quiet, as in, won't annoy people in the same way a Honda doesn't generally (I realise that sometimes a genny is just annoying regardless).

 

Comparable yes. Not as quite, but yes it is comparable. I mean, neither are open frames with the engine and alternator exposed, so the sound will be damped on both models.

 

In what way are Hyundais not as good, apart from noise?

 

As for "superb", the Honda EU10i, for instance, has no form of overload protection, and blows up its extremely expensive ECU at the drop of a hat. So not only are they expensive to start with, but they also cost an arm and a leg if not treated with kid gloves.

 

I think alot of people we speak to are finding the same problems, but all generators need to be looked after, though more and more are coming with overload protection and engine shutdown. Just need to make sure the build quality is good on the one you go for.

[blackrose]

 

In what way are Hyundais not as good, apart from noise?

 

As for "superb", the Honda EU10i, for instance, has no form of overload protection, and blows up its extremely expensive ECU at the drop of a hat. So not only are they expensive to start with, but they also cost an arm and a leg if not treated with kid gloves.

 

In that case what caused my old Honda EU10i to cut out when I overloaded it?

 

Noise is a fairly major factor when it comes to generators. If the Honda is only quieter than the Hyundai and equal in all other respects then that would still swing it for me.

I'm not sure why everyone raves about Hondas. They are good and reliable provided they are looked after but I have never worked on such an unpleasant piece of machinery before. 3 hours to do the tappets on an EU20i the first time! Even changing the spark plug requires tools not even available in the Snap On catalogue, hands with 5 sets of knuckles for instance. I confess, I now take mine for a service far less frequently than I should.

 

If the owner had kept the tool kit that came with the generator it wouldn't have been a problem. You can't blame the generator for that! I've never had a problem removing the sparkplugs or doing any other servicing on the 3 Honda generators I've owned. I'm not sure what you're doing?

Earlier this year i was forced by a main engine breakdown to purchase a generator until we got the engine going again. I bought a Clarke 1.8 inverter gen. It worked quite well for 4 days before failing catastrophically.

RESULT ! The starter motor was repaired next day, and I got my money back from Machine Mart.

Consequently I can't recommend that brand.

Bob

 

Clarke is a byword for crap - I thought everyone knew that?

The problem is that for most people, quietness is a major priority

 

And not only a priority for those who buy and own the generator, but for their neighbours too!

Edited October 16, 2013 by blackrose

[George94]

 

In that case what caused my old Honda EU10i to cut out when I overloaded it?

 

 

I wish I knew, because mine didn't. It just went phut.

[Hawkmoth]

 

 

 

 

Clarke is a byword for crap - I thought everyone knew that?

 

 

Yeah, but they were close, quick, cheap for the rated power. I didn't want a genny, I needed one instantly, and in this case it worked out perfectly.

Bob

[Rambling]

Well I have bought one. Managed to start it first time which I NEVER managed when I had the little Honda. So far very pleased.