The Official unofficial CPE 2000i Generator Thread

[pritch272]

8/1/2010 edit: Thread renamed at the suggestion of the Professor.
Renamed from: Champion Inverter and Remote Gens Promo on CPE's web site)

3/22/2011 edit: Thread renamed ...
Renamed from: Official CPE 2000 Watt Inverter Generator Thread

3/23/2011 edit: Thread renamed at the suggestion of the Professor.
Renamed from: (Un)Official CPE 2000 Watt Inverter Generator Thread

Inverter Available August 2010



Remote Available July 2010

[Dixonmatco]

The Honda EU2000I is readily available for $850 with no sales tax and free shipping.. Unless the Champion is available for less than $500 out the door, I would still go with the Honda.

Which brings home the point.. The reason an Inverter generator costs more is because of the fact that it is an generator with an internal INVERTER..Simply costs more to build.

But, if the new competition brings down the price of the Honda and Yamaha units, so much the better..

[Old___Slow]

snarfattack wrote:

curt12914 wrote:

...I would also like to see a 1000 and 2000 with remote electric start. Electric start on these small units doesn't excite me unless it is remote.

I suspect the reason we haven't seen a 1000 or 2000 with electric start is weight. By the time you add the weight of a battery and a starter, the generator will be too heavy for one person to handle. If you're going to have a generator that heavy, you may as well have a generator that is big enough to run an AC unit.

For me, one of the big advnatages of the EU2000i is the light weight. I just put mine away from doing some yard chores. If it was any heavier, I wouldn't use it nearly as much as I do.

I understand people wanting electric start, especially remote electric start. It would be great to be able to start the generator first thing in the morning to make a pot of coffee or to shut the generator off at night after watching a TV or after cooling the camper down with the AC, without going out side to start or stop the generator.

It would be nice, but I doubt any company is going to make a 1000 or 2000 watt generator that weighs 100 lbs or more.

Now they just need to make it with the SpeedStart feature I see showing up on line trimmers. I saw an ad using a cordless power drill to start them.

Interesting about the 'SpeedStarters and line trimmers'. Are we to expect the same from the small Inverters? With remote? Wow!

[curt12914]

snarfattack wrote:

curt12914 wrote:

...I would also like to see a 1000 and 2000 with remote electric start. Electric start on these small units doesn't excite me unless it is remote.

I suspect the reason we haven't seen a 1000 or 2000 with electric start is weight. By the time you add the weight of a battery and a starter, the generator will be too heavy for one person to handle. If you're going to have a generator that heavy, you may as well have a generator that is big enough to run an AC unit.

For me, one of the big advnatages of the EU2000i is the light weight. I just put mine away from doing some yard chores. If it was any heavier, I wouldn't use it nearly as much as I do.

I understand people wanting electric start, especially remote electric start. It would be great to be able to start the generator first thing in the morning to make a pot of coffee or to shut the generator off at night after watching a TV or after cooling the camper down with the AC, without going out side to start or stop the generator.

It would be nice, but I doubt any company is going to make a 1000 or 2000 watt generator that weighs 100 lbs or more.

Now they just need to make it with the SpeedStart feature I see showing up on line trimmers. I saw an ad using a cordless power drill to start them.

I suppose that might be an option, especially for someone that has a physical condition that might prevent them from pull starting it, but for me, unless it's a hard starting engine, which my Honda's aren't, it's easier to pull start them than it is to fool with a cordless drill.

[snarfattack]

curt12914 wrote:

...I would also like to see a 1000 and 2000 with remote electric start. Electric start on these small units doesn't excite me unless it is remote.

I suspect the reason we haven't seen a 1000 or 2000 with electric start is weight. By the time you add the weight of a battery and a starter, the generator will be too heavy for one person to handle. If you're going to have a generator that heavy, you may as well have a generator that is big enough to run an AC unit.

For me, one of the big advnatages of the EU2000i is the light weight. I just put mine away from doing some yard chores. If it was any heavier, I wouldn't use it nearly as much as I do.

I understand people wanting electric start, especially remote electric start. It would be great to be able to start the generator first thing in the morning to make a pot of coffee or to shut the generator off at night after watching a TV or after cooling the camper down with the AC, without going out side to start or stop the generator.

It would be nice, but I doubt any company is going to make a 1000 or 2000 watt generator that weighs 100 lbs or more.

Now they just need to make it with the SpeedStart feature I see showing up on line trimmers. I saw an ad using a cordless power drill to start them.

[Old___Slow]

pritch272 wrote:
Looks like backupgenerators.com is now selling the new champion inverter...

Too much $$$ IMO.

I just opened their website. Sand Point ID, is just kinda a resort type place. Just another hunch. They must drop ship? Not sure but the place of business is interesting. Just click CS. Price is high. Strange Champion choose to open like this for a New Product. However, the news about the soon to be on the market, ES/Remote with the tried and proven 3000w sounds great. Hope the price is attractive.

[pritch272]

Looks like backupgenerators.com is now selling the new champion inverter...

Too much $$$ IMO.

[Wrace]

I know we like to argue endlessly about generators on this forum, but I am truly thankful for all the options we have these days power wise relative to our RV'ing pursuits.

[greenrvgreen]

I agree with Curt, even though I'm a true Yellow Dog. If a Honda 2000 can be got under $900, and Champion wants $749 for theirs (and I have an extra $900 or $700 to blow on a gennie), I'd choose the Honda, based on reputation.

However, if Champion has figured out some new feature that would make their product outperform the equivilent Honda, I might buy it at that price level. Of course, I would wait for others to beta test the Champion, just like I did with the Honeywell, and thank Dog I did because who knew they would mostly fall apart?

Bottom line, that quoted high price is a reverse teaser, to avoid the "Osborne Effect". The price won't be anywhere near $700 at retail, I predict. Don't for get the Honeywell, which on paper looked just as good (but wasn't), went for something like $300. So for the new Champion I'm thinking $495 on the street, or maybe mid-fives. If so, I would likely buy one, once my peers have thoroughly tested it.

[Old___Slow]

Well, now we have the answer for a missing remote. DW. She might say, yes, okay, but my RF is on the blink? Then what to do?:@

Champion has the answer for the 'perfect solution', to our need for a genset. '53 dbA, Electric Start/remote'. BUT it comes in two different boxes:h

[curt12914]

Sounds like you already have remote start. You just need electric start...

[Wrace]

curt12914 wrote:

I suspect the reason we haven't seen a 1000 or 2000 with electric start is weight. By the time you add the weight of a battery and a starter, the generator will be too heavy for one person to handle. If you're going to have a generator that heavy, you may as well have a generator that is big enough to run an AC unit.

Yeah, I know, but I can dream...

Has vision of sitting around the campfire, and pointing the remote over my shoulder to fire up the 40 lb generator sitting on the ground near the TT. 😄

I'm just thinking that my wife is going to get tired of going outside to start/stop the little generator each day. I'm just thinking about my wife and how I can make life a little easier for her... (hope she doesn't read this):)

[Old___Slow]

smkettner wrote:
I want a 1000w with electric start that I can rig for automatic start up.
2000w does not look like electric start and no RV connector 😞

Just wondering, until we get more info' There are some really smart guys that post on generator threads. So a question or two. I have a Champion C46540 with added Electric Start. No Remote yet. I bought the ES kit from a Canadian website. It installed with ease, about a one hour job. The small starter with solenoid weighed maybe one pound. A small 12v battery from Auto Zone was maybe 2 lbs, Here is the question. The starter for the Champion C46540 uses a replacemant flywheel that came with the kit with 12v charger inside the flywheel. Great. But I understand the Inverters use no flywheel? So if there is some easy way I don't understand, to mfg a small ES Inverter, will we ever see the Champion 2000i with ES and our much desired RF Remote? Would not Champion have added this feature, as an item to be more competive with the leader of the 2000i class? Maybe we can hope? Champion may be a dream come true? Low priced dependable ES with Remote 2000i. Wow, I guess, to much to expect? Maybe I always think about putting a man on the moon?

At least Champion is adding ES/Remote to the new 3000w unit.

[curt12914]

...I would also like to see a 1000 and 2000 with remote electric start. Electric start on these small units doesn't excite me unless it is remote.

I suspect the reason we haven't seen a 1000 or 2000 with electric start is weight. By the time you add the weight of a battery and a starter, the generator will be too heavy for one person to handle. If you're going to have a generator that heavy, you may as well have a generator that is big enough to run an AC unit.

For me, one of the big advnatages of the EU2000i is the light weight. I just put mine away from doing some yard chores. If it was any heavier, I wouldn't use it nearly as much as I do.

I understand people wanting electric start, especially remote electric start. It would be great to be able to start the generator first thing in the morning to make a pot of coffee or to shut the generator off at night after watching a TV or after cooling the camper down with the AC, without going out side to start or stop the generator.

It would be nice, but I doubt any company is going to make a 1000 or 2000 watt generator that weighs 100 lbs or more.

[pritch272]

curt12914, I was thinking the same thing, I would spend the extra $100 or so on the Honda's before I would spend almost that much for the new champ, but I'm hopeful that MrWizard's thoughts materialize, I would definitely consider the new champ at the mid $500 range.

[Wrace]

The Dunn 4 wrote:
I also see they are claiming a 53dBA.

Is that at load?

Good to see champion get into these small units, I've been very happy with my 3400 champion for home use.

It will be interesting to see how technology progresses. I would also like to see a 1000 and 2000 with remote electric start. Electric start on these small units doesn't excite me unless it is remote.