Customer Reviews

Steele Products SP-GG200 2,000 Watt 4-Cycle Gas Powered Portable Generator

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased this generator to use for emergencies. Unfortunately, the only way it will start is to remove the air filter and spray "Quick Start" spray directly into the carburetor. I put gas and oil in it, followed the starting instructions- and it will not start. I can pull the cord all day long and this generator will NOT start without using starting spray. This happens at any temperature. Even if the generator has been running it won't restart without "Quick Start" spray.

The worst part is, there is a sticker on the generator saying it is "illegal" to take it back to the store once it has had gas in it. I feel like I have been had, I was sold a generator that won't start, then I'm told I can't take it in for a refund. What a joke.

Also, the generator is rated at 1400 watts continuous and 2000 peak. However it struggles to keep up with a 1000 watt demand and it will DIE if you try to give it even a 1400 peak. And after it dies you better have some Quick Start spray nearby. You could use this to power a couple of light bulbs, but it is useless to power tools or applicances. If you are looking for something in the 1000 watt range (which this product really is) you are better off buying a much cheaper inverter that hooks up to your car battery.

It gets worse: the generator vibrates so badly that any cord you plug into it vibrates out! You can't even plug electrical cords into this piece of garbage. And I'm not talking about old, worn extension cords. I mean brand new cords won't stay plugged in. I have one cord that will stay plugged in and I had to bend the prongs terrible crooked so they will stay in!

I am sorry that I purchased this generator, and I would never purchase this brand again.

The cons:

1) Generator doesn't start
2) Generator doesn't deliver advertised power
3) You can't plug anything into it
4) You can't return it when you find out it doesn't work
5) It blows a lot of smoke when it runs
6) It's loud
7) It's made in China and there is NO manufacturer's support

The pros:

It is useful for propping doors open? I really can't think of anything good to say about it.

I ordered the Steele SP-GG200 Generator on Thursday with 1-day Prime delivery in anticipation of Hurricane Irene. Didn't arrive on Friday but Saturday morning it was on my front porch. FEDEX delivered and the box was open, had a hole in the side of the box, and the generator was sitting upside down in the box. Yikes. I inspected the generator and except for a few scratches it seemed unharmed. I needed a generator in case the power went out and I would have to pump out water in the basement sump. I installed oil and gas, said a prayer, and started it up. It started fine on the second pull. I tested it by running a 100 ft. heavy-duty extension cord from outside to the basement. (I know you are not supposed to use an extension cord but I am not going to run a generator in the house and there was no other way to connect the utility pump to the generator.) I connected a 1/6 hp utility pump I purchased at Home Depot and set the utility pump in the sump hole which had 6 inches of water in it. I ran a garden drain hose to the basement sink. With the generator running, I plugged the utility pump into the extension cord. The pump came on and drained the sump quickly. So I knew the generator/pump would work if the basement flooded.

I restarted the generator several times and it started right away without having to use quick start spray. I had purchased some based on another person's review. Didn't need it.

In summary, you get what you pay for. This is an inexpensive generator that will provide electricity for low amp motors. It is not a Honda, but it worked fine despite being shipped upside down and possibly bounced several times on the shipping route.

I bought the Steele "2000" (1000 continuous) in the Fall of '09, to charge household batteries in an off-the-grid home on cloudy days. Battery charger is a 55mamp IOTA using almost 900 of the 1000 rated watts at full charge rate. One tank of gas lasts almost 5 hours. It get lots of use, esp. in the Winter and Summer rainy season. It may have several hundred hours on it now and has been 100% reliable. Good preventive maintenance w. premium synthetic oil may help.

Pros: Quiet enough in the shed that it doesn't bum out the neighbors - or us.
Seems to be well made of adequate materials.
Doesn't vibrate inordinately.
Does it's job month-after-month.
Cheap.

Cons: Takes up to 100 pulls in very cold weather. Up to 10 in warm weather.
Governor must be manually goosed to maintain full speed when full load is first plugged in.
Gas gauge suddenly became milky/opaque/useless at about 4-5 months.
All the labels are applied with adhesive which is not gasoline resistant.
Slight crankcase oil drip/leak since gitgo.
It's not a real Honda or Yamaha (but it was only 25% of the cost @ $185). (Avoid anything with a Honda GC residential series engine however.)

Essentially, it's a throwaway. If it lasts 1000 hours over 3-4 years it has paid for itself. At this point, even with gentleness, the pull starter is likely to be the first component to fail. My friendly but frustrated Honda dealer has a large pile of irreparable Chinese gensets out back. In spite of their various labels and paint jobs they all look like they came from the same Cantonese factory.

In my situation I should have a leisurely 1600 rpm electric/remote start Onan - for up to $3000. Screaming 3600 rpm portable gensets are really intended for occasional use only.

My Steele 2000 watt generator saved our lives for a week when the tornado outbreak in Alabama knocked all the power out. Ran the tv, dvr,lamo and frig all at the same time and was very quiet. We would unplug the frig and plug the washer in to wash clothes and it just kept going. It ran flawlessly. This is the best one for the money.