Customer Reviews

Honeywell HW1000i 1,000 Watt 53cc 4-Stroke Portable Gas Powered Inverter Generator (CARB Compliant)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I bought this generator to have as an emergency battery charger run through our Xantrex inverter/charger aboard our cruising sailboat. I also wanted to have portable power for low power hand power tools without taking from the ship's battery bank. I wasn't sure if it would run my very fussy, electronically controlled Bosch saber saw because that saw won't run off our on board Xantrex inverter even though computers and other electronics work fine from from the on board 120v power. The Bosch runs perfectly off of the Honeywell 1000i: it must produce a true sign wave output.

It is shipped without oil, so I added the prescribed amount with the little spouted oil container provided (very handy for our 4 stroke 9.8 hp outboard too), added gas, and gave a pull. She started on the third pull and ran smooth and quieter than my old Honda 1000 watt generator. On subsequent tries both hot and cold, she started on the first pull.

That's how I reviewed it six months ago. After about 30 hours of use, the picture changed. First, the starter cord broke; warranty wouldn't cover it. Having more pressing projects aboard the boat, I paid a technician to fix it. Then it began to sometimes not start, other times quit after running for between 10 minutes and three hours. This pattern has continued through at least a month of twice weekly use. I have checked everything. When it won't go, it is because it has no spark. Won't bore you with technical details, but I understand small engines, so I checked things thoroughly. Appears to be a problem with the electronic module that controls the primary circuit of the magneto. Parts next to impossible to get. Honeywell certified technicians know less about it than I do. Most have never seen a small Honeywell. I have learned to hate this machine. Should have bought a Honda or Yamaha.
Bill Raley

I bought this generator to charge a 12V deep-cycle AGM battery using a 40 Amp charge controller. For that, this generator works just fine, although it's a lot louder than I expected.

I'm giving it two stars because the particular unit I got failed after less than 10 hours of usage. I had it running, and went away for a couple of hours, and when I came back, it had stopped. The oil level was low, so I added some oil, but it simply wouldn't start. I checked everything the manual tells you to check, with no success. I pulled out the spark plug to see if there was a spark, but there didn't appear to be, so the electrical system might've failed. I took it to an authorized mechanic, and hopefully will find out exactly what happened.

The bottom line is, if you're buying a generator, you're probably using it in a situation where you need to be able to depend on your gear. I found that I couldn't depend on this generator, so I'm giving it two stars. If I could do it again, I'd probably look for a used Honda EU 1000i or 2000i.

It pretty much does what it says. A bit louder than I had hoped, but not so loud that I wouldn't want to use it. The comparable Honda is quieter, but much more money. I bought it for camping and it fits that role fine. Easy to carry with one hand, even when fueled. Perhaps I should have gotten the 2000 watt version so I could power my refrigerator in an emergency, but that is larger and uses more fuel, and I had camping in mind, (and it costs more) so I chose the smaller version. First start took about 8 pulls, only needs one or two pulls thereafter (unless you run it dry).

I had seriously considered one of the cheapo (~ $130) two cycle 1000 watt portables, but I can't make myself believe that any two cycle would be as quiet as this unit. Perhaps someone with access to both could offer up a comparison? Maybe if I didn't want to use it for camping (but if that were the case, I'd want a larger generator anyhow).

I own 2 Honeywell 1000i generators. They both receive about 20h of use per week in a light commercial setting (auto detailing; max amps is 3). One runs perfectly and I've never had a problem with it. The other is a pain in the..... It requires many pulls to start, dies unexpectedly requiring frequent restarting, won't idle, the eco mode doesn't work and so it runs at max rpm the whole time and the breaker is finicky on it and often pops (even when the tool in use is 3 amps).

I am pleased with the first generator, pretty displeased with the second. The sound for both is reasonable, as is the weight/compactness. Sure, the Honda/Yamaha are better, but they are $800/$700. And probably accordingly better. For $400 you get what you pay for, but next time I'll save up and get a Yamaha for $700 and omit all the hard starting problems that I have.

The honeywell generator, HW1000i is a great generator for the price. It does everything that is promises. However, within the first month of ownership, I have had a few things go wrong that were easy fixes assuming the owner has a basic grasp on small engine maintenance. I use my genny to charge my deep cycle batteries on my 35 foot sailboat. I have a 20 amp xantrex battery charger, which I power normally with the generator through a typical shore power cable and outlet, (30 amp shore cable with 15 amp pigtail adapter). The generator spends most of its time semi-covered and in the sunshine in san diego. Within a month of owner ship, I have replaced the inline fuel filter as a result of condensation in the half full fuel tank causing a kinda scary rust on the surface of the inside of the tank. This caused a blockage in the highspeed jet fixed inside the carb. This is a fairly simple task assuming you have lived on a boat and are familiar with cleaning carbs on outboard motors for tenders. This was a task that was fairly easy considering the carb is within easy access once you remove the maintenance panel and the air filter unit. The panel cover comes off with one screw, the same for the air filter cover and then there are 2 maybe 8-10 mil bolts holding the carb to the engine. The bowl for the carb is also easy removal as it has one centrally located bolt through the bottom of the fuel accumulation bowl. (the carb cleaning in a honda ex700, a very similar genny,(my previous) was not quite this easy.) I also removed almost the entire outer casing and removed the fuel tank to clean it out with mineral spirits to clean up some of the rust spots.
Once the tank was cleaned and re-installed, The carb cleaned, and a new inline fuel filter installed, the engine runs perfectly. I have made a few other improvements including an engine hour meter, which helps me keep track of engine usage and maintenance tasks.
In terms of noise, the genny has a signifigant noise increase without the eco-throttle, compared to my previous slighty smaller honda, however it quiets up nicely and is what can be expected for the price.
I would recommend this generator to anyone in the market for other similar products but buyer beware-In calling around to repair shops for parts, the service center in san diego had stopped servicing these units due to lack of availability of parts and reliability. If you are not a do it yourselfer, you could be in a pinch when it comes time to service, or to get it running after a problem.
I , however, am totally happy for the price!

I purchased this portable generator to use with a cold-air balloon for an event. In a nutshell, the generator did not work. It started but the green light never came on indicating it was ready for use and when I plugged the fan in the generator did not generate enough power for the fan which used less than 700 watts. While this particular generator may be defective, it was brand new.

Initially the generator worked great. Starting on first pull, but after about 10 hours, it suddenly stopped running and could not be started. Using the shipped tools, I was able to find and incredibly fouled spark plug. I don't know what caused this to occur, but there was black carbon particles wedged between the electrode and the tip. Basically NO Spark. Since cleaning, it has run problem free.

I compared the HW1000i ($325) to my Yamaha ef1000is ($800)

The HW1000i had a greater surge power than the Yamaha but the fuel efficiency was NOT AS GOOD, combined with the smaller fuel tank it required me to fill the GAS tank MORE OFTEN THAN the Yamaha.
The HW1000i will NOT interfer with AM radio reception like the Yamaha DOES.
The HW1000i gas vent broke the first week and had to be replaced.
3 screws fell out of the cover of the HW1000i THE FIRST WEEK.
I HAVE OVER 300 HRS OF USE ON THE HW1000i AND IT IS WORKING GREAT IT STILL STARTS AT FIRST CRANK EVEN IT ONLY LASTS A FEW YEARS YOU CAN BUY 2 OF THEM FOR THE PRICE OF THE YAMAHA AND STILL SAVE OVER $100.

Overall this is a nice little generator but the main purpose of this review is to let people know that this generator DOES NOT HAVE A DC OUTPUT. In reality it does have a DC output but you're not supposed to use it. The DC output is unregulated which did not pass certain licensing so rather than remove the DC outlet Honeywell decided not to ship or sell a plug that will fit the DC outlet. I think this is a very unprofessional solution and they should do a better job of telling customers what happened. I wasted several hours and trips to multiple hardware stores trying to find a plug for this thing.

I've used the generator for about 5 hours now and the thing I notice most is that this is the easiest starting generator that I have ever used. It starts on the first pull every time and has been very reliable. It is a gasoline engine so it is fairly loud but compared to my 5500 Watt portable generator this thing is incredibly quiet.

Yes shipping was fast but it does not run. Now I have to travel, take time out, find a repair place to correct the problem. Why would they ship defected products and put the burden on the consumer to fix their mistakes. Should have stayed loyal to Honda.