A generator is an essential part of the household, and it keeps the electricity flowing in your appliances during power outages. Besides that, it ensures the continued functioning of your electronics on a camping site. These are occasional uses, and most of the generators are designed for occasional uses only.
Now, suppose on a job site to power your tools, you may need a generator to run daily. If this excessive day-to-day use of the generator continues, then the generator will fail only in a few months.
The generator which we have reviewed in this article is specifically designed for intense day-to-day use without failing. It is a Honda EU7000IS, one of the most reliable generators in the market.
Table of Contents
Overview of Honda EU7000IS
Finding a good generator is a hard task, especially when you are looking for a durable one that provides enough power and can withstand intense operations on a daily basis. What if I say that your search ends here. This is the generator on which people rely for critical tasks.
Honda has an immense reputation in the market for producing the best in class generators. You will see their suitcase generators and predator series generator here and there. They are known for their top-class performance and quality. Those are great units but not for daily use.
Honda EU7000IS is made to tackle heavy-duty tasks, and it won’t wear off even when used daily. It is packed with enough power to run most of the appliances in the house and also power tools at the job site. Despite its power, it runs very quietly.
It features advanced inverter technology, which makes it more fuel-efficient and quieter. The generator can supply the power of 5000 starting watts and 7000 running watts. It can also power most of the power-demanding appliances in the house and offers pure power and performance. So let’s see what it brings to the table.
The Layout and Portability
The quality of materials used for this generator is not like any other brands, and most brands tend to use cheaper materials to cut down the cost but not Honda. The generator has a heavy-duty metal frame that encloses all the components inside.
Those components are accessible from the side of the unit; two doors on the side can be opened up with a simple screw. For complete isolation of generator parts from the environment, the doors are equipped with the rubber gasket on edge.
The generator is reasonably small in size and is portable enough to move around without much effort. The rubberized wheels at the bottom make transportation more convenient even on rough surfaces. Other than that, contrary to other generators, Honda EU7000IS has large handles to aid in lifting.
The handles can be folded down; typically, the brackets in the foldable handle tend to wear down with time. But that won’t happen here as they are made out of solid metal.
Fuel Consumption
This generator has a single fuel option, gasoline, which is the most accessible and affordable fuel to generate power. It provides better fuel efficiency thanks to its inverter technology. If you want to improvise it even more than the Eco-Mode switch is there on the control panel.
It will regulate the consumption of fuel when the power demand is less. But make sure that you don’t turn on the generator when the Eco-mode is on.
The fuel tank has the capacity to store 5.1 gallons of fuel. Besides the tank opening, there is a fuel gauge that shows the fuel level. The red mark on the tops of the window denotes the full tank, and the one at the bottom shows that you are running out of fuel.
To avoid overflowing, the opening of the tank has a red indicator, and you shouldn’t fill the gasoline more than that level. Also, the closing lid to that opening is chained, so you don’t misplace it.
The generator offers a runtime of 12 to 15 hours without eco mode on. When eco mode is on, you can expect it to run for about 20 hours.
Power Quality
Honda EU7000IS generates the cleanest power than most of the generators in its competition. Generally, most of the generators provide the cleaner power at the lower power output; as the power output increases, the distortion also increases. But that is not the case for this generator.
Even when used at its full capacity, the generator provides distortion-free power, with a THD rating of 4%, which resembles to really clean sine wave. The general THD rating of grid power is 5 to 6%.
When you run the generator at its full capacity, ensure the proper grounding is done and also inspect that all the connections are properly made. Also, proper heavy-duty cables are used for connections.
Noise
This is the quietest generator in the market, and you can have a nice conversation going on even if you are standing just a few feet away from the unit when it is working at its full capacity.
The main reason for its barely audible noise is its advanced muffler design and the placement of the engine on the rubber feet, and you won’t hear a thing from a distance of 23 feet.
Your neighbors will surely appreciate this low noise power unit.
Maintenance
This generator from Honda has very minimal maintenance needs. The main reason for maintenance in any generator is the carburetor. Over time a carburetor valve gets blocked, creating so many issues, but in this unit, there is no carburetor. Which also makes the generator quieter.
This generator features fuel injection technology. It eliminates the need for a carburetor. The cleaning of the generator is easy, and you only need to look at only a few things.
If you open up one side of the generator, there will be a spark plug and an air filter; check them for buildups. If there is, then clean them and connect them back and you are all set. Aside from that, you will have to check and maintain the oil level as well.
Safety Features and Controls
The control panel is easy to operate, and the controls are intuitive and easy to get familiar with. Let’s start with the starting method, the generator has a push-button switch to conveniently start the generator, And if in case the battery is completely drained, then the pull start is also there. It can be accessed by removing the right door of the generator.
But, before you start the generator, a safety key needs to be turned on. The key is removable, and you can take it off to keep your children safe and to avoid accidental starting. On the top of the switch, there is an LCD. The display shows the RPM, battery level, runtime, and fuel level.
There are also LED indicators for the output, low oil, and overload alarm. Indicators will glow when there is a fault. If we talk about the access to the power, then on the right, there are two 110v standard plugs and one 110v connector, which features a GFCI protection.
There is one more connector, which provides the voltage level of either 120v or 240v. It is there to power heavy-duty appliances. The transition can be made with the switch on the bottom of the control panel to change the voltage level.
All these outlets are protected by the circuit breakers. Other than there is an eco switch which is to regulate fuel consumption.
Talking about the safety features, the root cause for the generator breakdown is either the low oil level or the overload. If the generator oil is too low, then the oil sensor, placed at the main inlet, will turn off the generator. And if there is an overload, then the circuit will trip, keeping the generator safe.
If your generator stops suddenly, then have a look at the indicators on the control panel; the one LED will be glowing based on the reason for failure.
Other than that, on the left side of the unit, there is an oil drain screw, and below it, there is a ramp to collect the oil. To collect the oil in a container, there is a removable cover on the base plate; place the container there, and oil will flow down inside it. That’s a clever design.
Conclusion
Honda EU7000IS is a superior generator to its competition in all aspects. It is one of the quietest generators out there, provides enough power to run most of the appliances and also the heavy-duty ones from the 240v outlet; it has a durable frame with easy to carry handle and rubberized wheels.
Moreover, the controls on the unit are easy to use. Also, it requires very little maintenance with the absence of a carburetor. All these plus points combined, this is the must-have generator in your toolshed.
