In this final part of the generator series, I conclude with what works and what we are using today. Last time we reviewed the old Onan unit that was great ( may it rest in peace).
Ok, so the moment everyone’s been waiting for: What have I settled on for a decent, reliable generator for 3 years now? First, some background. Many years ago after Jackie and I were married (’92), I purchased a small generator for “camping”. Mostly it was for Field Day and Amateur Radio for me 
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This little Honda 550W generator was expensive for its size compared to others, but I got it anyway because it had a great 
handle for lugging it around. It is very much a small portable generator. It was their medium-quitet model, and not the wisper model, but it worked well. We used it many times for lights during power outages, and of course it worked great for Field Day each year. This unit has two great features:
1) It always starts easily
2) It runs 3.25 hours on one quart of gas. Or 13 hours per gallon!
When I found myself having to replace a generator in the dead of winter I was frustrated quit a bit. It would mean hauling one up the mountain behind a snowmobile, and setting it up outdoors in the cold. This time I swore that I would only get a Honda motor / generator, even if I couldn’t afford it! The truth was, I couldn’t afford to NOT have one.
After a few phone calls, I found my options rather limited since it was a Saturday. We ended up going to the Wenatchee Costco where I found a hybrid Generac/Honda unit. I had the Honda motor I was after, and even electric start. We paid about a thousand dollars plus tax, and it has been worth every penny of that. 
I haven’t always been the greatest at maintenance, but always keep oil (it has oil shutoff switch) and gas handy. The electric start battery lasted the first year and half which was good. Better than that, it is always so easy to start with the rope, my (then 12yr old) daughter could start this without problems. It has an hour meter on the frame, that none of my other generators had. We are now up to 2739 hours!
Last spring the pull starter rope broke, which is bound to happen eventually. The design was simple, 3 bolts to get the mechanism off. I carefully spun the rope spool backwards a few turns, then threaded the new rope through. Adding a knot and letting it wind itself back came naturally. 3 bolts to put it back on, and done! Only took 15 minutes. Everything else, ‘just works’. Now I finally see why the Honda generators always command a 50% higher price than other brands. You get what you pay for in this case.
Have you ever had a Honda powered small engine for a tool around your place? Tell us about your experience below in the comments!
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