2,000 watt generator – Honda or Yamaha?

Looking at purchasing a 2,000 watt generator for my fish house. Let the debate begin. Honda or Yamaha and why?
Thanks. Chad

It seems that Yamaha may be a little quieter but probably cant tell the difference . They are both tried and true. I’d say find the best deal and buy one.
DT

I have used both. Purchased the Yamaha though. I like that all the controls are on the same panel of the yamaha. The honda power switch and fuel switch are on the same dial, also something i didn’t like. The noise level is very similar, as is fuel consumption.

Just imagine it’s dark out, the honda power switch is on one side of the generator, the choke is on another side,the eco switch is on another side. Too much searching for me

I’ve had the Honda 2000 for about 8 years, its actually a bit harder to start then I would have imagined for a Honda. In the extreme cold very difficult to start.

I just went through this dilemma with the 3000 watt versions. I absolutely could not decide because I think both are excellent. We went and looked at both and ended up going with the Honda. The only reason was because we got a better price on the Honda by a couple hundred dollars. We took the Honda up to Red Lake and Lake of the Woods and it worked great even in the -36 temps. We have really been happy with the Honda. I think you will be happy with either choice. Good luck on your decision.

I’ve had the Honda 2000 for about 4 years now. The previous post is correct about hard starting in the extreme below zero cold, but it’s always started for me.

The best accessory I’ve added to mine was hooking it up to a 6 gallon marine gas tank with an after market fuel cap. It can run for about 3 days straight without needing to be refueled. In order for that to work, the generator needs to have a fuel pump.

I’m not sure if the Yamaha has that option. Maybe someone that owns one and knows can chime in.

If that’s not something you’d want to add, I don’t think you can go wrong with either generator.

That fuel on/ off switch is actually pretty important. On the Yamaha you can shut off the fuel, and run the carb out and clean before storage. Honda’s fuel shut off/ power off combined switch is convenient in concept, but often the cause of hard starting later. Both are excellent, but my nod would be for the Yamaha.

Dropped ya a PM on a price close to you….

My Honda 2000 is a few years old and works good even in the cold.Wish they would have had the link plug on it like the new models. Easy to link two Honda 2000’s when u need more power. Saves lugging a heavy generator when most times 2000 watts would do but can plug in and bingo 4000 watts if needed . Does Yamaha have the link option? If not look at the Honda. Fish safe

Both are a great choice but if you plan to add on an extended run tank then you have to go Honda. Honda has a mechanical fuel pump so it can create a fuel draw and Yamaha no longer does so the Yamaha is gravity fed and not pumped.

I just bought a 2000 watt Champion from Cabela’s. $400 minus $150 in my Cabela Bucks. We are using it on the road now and am pleasantly surprised at how quiet it is. We run it in the box of our tow pick up while we sleep 5′ away in our 5th wheel forward bed room. Has the low output mode, 12 V output, fuel shut off, starts easily, ran 9 hours on a gallon tank of fuel under low load, 48 lbs make one handed carry possible. I’m not saying it’s as good as a Honda/Yamaha as I have no experience with those, but I can buy a second new Champion unit and still have $200 less invested than the major brands.

I love my Honda, going on 8 years of owning it. The only two things I do not like about it is changing the oil and the control locations like stated above. Someone makes a tool for making less of a mess when changing the oil, but i have not purchased it.

My first experience with the Yamaha’s was two weeks ago on ML. It ran flawlessly and just as quiet as my Honda. If I were in the market for a new one, I would find one for the best price and be just fine with either.

Sucking out the oil is about the easiest way to change the oil. You can get by on just a cheap hand suction or go electric or vac pump. They come in handy in other applications too.

Also a good idea to add a hour meter for a maintenance schedule. Hardline Products make a decent one for about $25. Easy to install, just wrap a wire around the plug wire, drill an 1/8″ hole and then screw the gauge to the housing.

Don Miller wrote:

I just bought a 2000 watt Champion from Cabela’s. $400 …. I’m not saying it’s as good as a Honda/Yamaha as I have no experience with those, but I can buy a second new Champion unit and still have $200 less invested than the major brands.

I’ve looked at both the Champion and Generac clones for powering my off the grid cabin and both seem to get perfectly acceptable reviews. I agree with your thinking, if I can buy 2 of them and still have money left over…

Generators are not high tech pieces of equipment. How much less is the service life of one of these “lesser” models? Has anyone out there actually used one until it wore out?

Grouse

We have a 3000 watt Champion generator for sale if anyone wants to buy it. Bought it new about two years ago and never used it other than starting it at home. It starts hard to us so we bought a Honda with electric start.

im no mechanic or engineer but im not sure I would consider a knock off generator. To me, the argument of being able to buy 2 for less than the cost of 1 Honda or Yamaha is not a good one. If one breaks after a year or two are you going to feel great spending money on another one? If you were interested in going with a cheaper generator maybe consider the ones sold at northern tool, I think they are called powerhouse? My friend has a WEN generator and its louder than s***, sucks down gas like a 75 Lincoln, and just about every time he takes it out he worries whether it will last the weekend.

To your original question – I have experience with Hondas and they are bulletproof from what ive witnessed. I have no experience with Yamaha but I have faith in what that company produces so for me I would go with whichever one you can get for cheaper.

Both the Honda or the Yamaha can be bought at a local dealer in Cambridge for $899. Fair price, and both are there so ask questions, and compare. Larsons Cycle…. good local dealer to back them in the long haul, should it be needed.

I did a ton of research on both, I would go for the Yamaha as the fuel shutoff valve, gas gauge, and included extra cords just put it over the Honda. Like others have said, install an hour gauge first.

I have used the Honda EU2000, in fact I just did a carb job on the bosses… (add the fuel shutoff switch, check it on youtube) and I have used a Boliy. I would take the Boliy over Honda, quieter and less maintenance. I haven’t used a Yamaha yet. Boliy

I have had the Yamaha for about a year now, it has been great. As others have said, the fuel shut off is nice. A couple of things I’d add.

It seems the Yamaha is now made in China, I don’t believe the Honda is.
If you ever need service, I hardly ever see Yamaha dealers around, let alone one that will service a generator. I do see more Honda service centers.

There is a Yamaha clone called Smarter Tools, It is powered by the same Yamaha Engine and is $200 less.
https://www.amazon.com/Smarter-Tools-STAP-2000iQ-Starting-Portable/dp/B00K2YDPU6

They are both good units. I don’t think you could go wrong with either one. Hondas do have a bowl drain on the carb so you can completely drain it. I do it every time I put it away for over a month or so. I have never owned a yamaha, but I have not heard anything bad about them. I use my hondas for camping in the summer and for ice fishing in the winter. I have a friend that uses his in Alaska to charger batteries and run his well “he lives off the grid” and he swears he has over 10,000hrs on his honda eu2000. He said he had replaced the recoil twice and basic stuff like oil and plugs.

I love the Honda I had before it was stollen. I went to the Generac 2000I. the features it has outways the others. It is quieter then the Honda in testing. Has more power features. show how much power your actually using. Digital time meter for fuel. Much less cost. Available at Menards and with a 11% rebate not a bad buy. Been very happy with it I have a lot of hrs and no issues.

Here’s a cool option for Yamahas I heard about yesterday.

As I said earlier, I run a 6 gallon remote gas tank that allows my Honda to run for about 3 days straight without a refill. That isn’t an option on the Yamaha because it’s gravity feed and can’t pull fuel from a remote tank.

Here’s a link to a pretty non-intrusive conversion kit to run a Yamaha off propane. You can even buy the 2000 watt Yamaha with the tri-fuel kit pre-installed (gas, natural gas, or propane) I hear a 20 lbs. cylinder will run the generator for days. Load obviously will vary that.

I still like my setup, as its treated me well. But this is a pretty interesting setup too. Stop to fill the propane tanks for the house and get your generator tank filled at the same time.

Also, I did have a Champion 1000 watt about 15 years ago for a travel trailer. Sold the trailer and put the generator on a self in the garage for a couple years after draining the carb. Tried to use it after getting a wheel house, it never ran again.

Give the Generacs an honest look. The ones I’ve used seem to be similar or maybe even quieter than comparable Hondas, at a fraction of the cost.

Was at Cabelas a couple of years ago. all the Generacs were open boxed returned generators. The Yamaha’s were factory sealed.

If my money I would go Honda of Yamaha.

Was on Mille Lacs recently and it blows my mind how people will spend the money for a premium house but buy a low end cheap generator that they have to place a great distance away because of noise

This is an item I think the old adage of “you get what you pay for” really comes into play. Honda and Yamaha’s have been such good reputations because they are very reliable. I’d only consider those two brands. I personally have had my Honda for close to 10 years now and still starts on the 2nd or 3rd pull every time. There than oil changes I haven’t had to do a thing to it, so I’m partial to Honda, but both will treat you well.

Worth the extra money for the Honda if only for the ability to run external gas tank. It is SO nice having that. No messing with gas on the ice, no standing in -30 temps in your slippers filling the tank when you run out in the middle of the night. Its nice to fill the tank at the gas station on the way into the lake and pull it one time and be good to go for 3 or 4 days depends on load. Not to mention Ive never heard anyone say anything negative about the Honda 2000s ever. And its probably the most popular make out there. Reliable, durable, quiet, easy maintenance….

Worth the extra money for premium product like Honda or Yamaha in the long run… and Honda gets the nod over Yamaha because of the fuel pump IMO.

Thanks everyone! I went with the Yamaha. It was a tough decision but I have a dealer within 5 miles of my house so that was one reason along with the fuel shutoff. I was able to use it for a few hours last weekend and was impressed. Like everyone has said – you can’t go wrong with either one!

Thanks! Chad