Inverter power from car idle?

[Jeroen3]

Can't you use laptops? You can easily power laptops from a DC source for a long time if you buy car or truck power supplies with them.

[donmr]

To get continuous power from a generator for 5 hours you will have to make sure it is supplied with fuel and does not overheat etc.

For a reliable system you might need a generator to charge a battery(s) the an inverter.  The battery only has to be big enough to supply power while you get the generator going again.

Also a battery can smooth out the power needed from the generator if the load requirements vary  (like a capacitor in a circuit).
This lets you use a generator that just supplies the average power needed instead of the peak.  That will be more efficient if the load varies.

[james_s]

A Honda EU2000 will easily run for that long on a tank of fuel. When I borrowed the one from my friend while my power was out for several days, I ran it all day long on less than a gallon of fuel. I topped it up in the evening and let it run all night, it's quiet enough to do that without being rude like the neighbors who run their noisy generator all night. The inverter generators have an auto-throttle feature that adjusts the engine speed to match the load. They can do that because they don't rely on the generator RPM to determine the output frequency.

[drummerdimitri]

So I have the option of going for a used EU2000i for 650$ or a new EU1000i for about 770$.

I prefer the more compact size and look of the latter and it is sufficient for my needs for now and I am not sure how much life is left in the used one.

Also, I found a used Ryobi RIG1000 for 300$ but I am not sure if it's on the same level as the Honda.

What do you think should i get the EU1000i model?

[james_s]

I would get the used 2000i assuming it looks to be in good shape, no question. It's still very compact and light weight and it's double the power for less money. Sooner or later you'll probably want the extra power. For me a EU2000i is enough to power my whole house with some care. I feed both sides of the panel in parallel through a transfer switch from the generator output so all of the 120V loads in the house are powered while the high power 240V loads are not and it works great. I can run my gas furnace, internet router, lights, gas stove/oven, dishwasher, it feels almost normal, just requires some care not to run two large loads at once.

[Nusa]

Used it depends on how many hours are on it, aside from any obvious faults. If you can't examine and run it before purchase, I'd be extremely leery.

Physical age is one indicator...there should be a manufacturing date on the label. And there is a simple hour-meter built into that model:
From (http://cdn.powerequipment.honda.com/pe/pdf/manuals/00X31Z077030.pdf):

The output indicator (green) is illuminated when the generator is
operating normally. It indicates that the generator is producing
electrical power at the receptacles.
In addition, the output indicator has a simplified hour meter function.
When you start the engine, the indicator blinks according to the
generator’s cumulative operating hours as follows:

No blinks: 0  -  100 hours
1 blink: 100  -  200 hours
2 blinks: 200  -  300 hours
3 blinks: 300  -  400 hours
4 blinks: 400  - 500 hours
5 blinks: 500 or more hours

So if it's less than 500 hours and hasn't been otherwise abused, it may be a good deal.

[Ian.M]

Get an oil sample and examine it under a microscope.  If its too clean there's been a very recent oil change and it hasn't been run since. Otherwise you should easily be able to spot metallic particles and if there are more than a very few really tiny ones its FUBARed.  If it come out like grey toothpaste don't bother with the microscope - quickly run far away!

See http://machinerylubrication.com/Read/600/microscopic-debris-analysis, especially fig. 2.

[james_s]

If it runs well then it's probably fine, those Honda motors are very well made, I don't recall ever seeing one that was trashed.

[drummerdimitri]

So I went to my local Honda dealer and saw both the EU10i and the EU20i models and the EU10i is my choice since it is so much lighter and smaller making it possible to carry around on a camping  trip and has enough power for my needs.