There is fierce debate amongst tailgaters, campers, boaters
and other recreational enthusiasts over who is king of the 2000 watt inverter
generator, the Honda EU2000i or Yamaha EF2000is. While either will get you one
of the best rated portable generators on the market, there are some subtle differences
that may sway your decision.
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| Honda EU2000i |
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the features found on the
Honda EU2000i and the Yamaha EF2000is inverter generators. They both have the capability to run up to 1600 watts continuously, but are rated up to 2000 surge watts to start certain appliances. Both have low oil alerts, 3 year warranties,
and idle controls to reduce fuel consumption based on the load being powered. They both produce very clean power that can
safely run sensitive electronics, and both are capable of parallel operation to
increase available wattage.
Some of the specs between the models will differ
slightly. The Yamaha model claims a
slightly lower decibel rating ranges (51.5-61) versus the Honda unit (53-59). In addition to noise dampening systems, the
engine on the Yamaha is slightly smaller than the Honda, which probably lends
to the quieter running noise.
Differences in engine age & running environment will impact this
rating over time, but the difference is nearly negligible, both run at about the sound of
a normal conversation. Either way, this
is a much reduced sound level over a conventional generator, which average
somewhere around 90 decibels, about equivalent to the noise produced by a lawn mower.
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| Yamaha EF2000iS |
So, how are they different? Feature-wise, the Yamaha EF2000is includes a fuel gauge and battery charging cables that the Honda does
not. While the fuel gauge may
seem like a small deal, it comes in very handy when you’re trying to avoid overfilling the gas tank. Yamaha also has an “extended”
engine life rating at 500 hours vs Honda's 250 hour rating. This means that you won't see internal engine components wear as soon. Yamaha also has a slightly large fuel tank and gets nearly an hour longer run time on a 1/4 load. See the graphic below for a full comparison of generator specifications.
While they have their differences, they really have a lot in common. Customer ratings put
them neck & neck, the Honda EU2000i receiving the slight edge with an “A+”
rating over the Yamaha EF2000iS “A” rating.
Electric Generators Direct recommends both units for inverter generators
in the 2000 watt range, but gave Honda the “better” designation through
customer feedback and expert ratings.
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| Honda EU2000i vs Yamaha EF200iS |
