Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I'm still un desided I'v been checking out many generators and as good as the reviews are for Honda generators- It is comming to a investment cost /reliability factor. Does anyone know the service life of a Honda gx series/gxi engines.. I here Onan, Perkins and Kubota are clamming 100000 - 200000 hours. Does anyone know how long a Honda generator will last. I prefer a portable unit over a fixed unit.

bus708 wrote:

Those numbers seem very high even if they were for a diesel powered engine... Where did you come across those claims?

How often do you plan on using it? If a generator were used for 8 hours /day, 7 days/week, 52 weeks/year you would accrue roughly 2,900 hours/year. That's a lot of hours for a portable generator, not to mention fuel. Have you considered a natural gas powered stationary model?

Those hours quoted must be for diesel engines.  Can't see an air cooled gasoline engine lasting anywhere near that.  I'd say if you get 5000 hours out of an air cooled Honda gasoline engine, you've done quite well. 

Those little Kubota diesel engines often exceed 30,000 hours before any serious maitenance is required.  Some guys up here have put close to 50K hours on the three and four cylinder Kubota diesel engines running generators. 

Mine only has just over 6100 hours on it and it's still starting and running like the day I bought it.  Great little diesels.

I find 100,000 to 200,000 hours of life time a little too fantasitc. Let me say my Carmy lasts 300,000 miles (before it consumes 1 qt of oil every 500 miles) and I drive an average speed of 30 mph, which translates to about 10,000 hours.  I don't think my Camry will go 1 million miles athough it is a reliable car.  Toyota will be going out of business since no one will need to buy a new car.  I don't know how long motorcycle engines last but Honda generator engines should perfrom about the same.  I know NJ David might convince us the Honda engine will last 300,000 hours since it is the best and most expansive engine avaiable.  I only wish their transmissions were trouble free.

I agree with MN Runner.   Those hours are a real stretch.

When I first read the message, I though it was 10000 to 20000 hours.  Now I see I missed a zero.  Very unlikely.  Fifty thousand hours will be an accomplishment on a quality diesel generator that received good maintenance.

An air cooled Honda single cylinder driving a generator might see 5000 hours give or take a thousand, if well maintained.  Don't forget, that engine is spinning at 3600 rpm and burning gasoline.  The Kubota diesel gensets generally run at half that rpm and diesel fuel itself, assists in the lubrication process.  So slower speed, heavier initial construction, liquid cooling and lubricity of the fuel all work together to ensure long engine life in a high quality diesel engine.

I have to agree with what borat said. No way you will get an air cooled gasoline engine to last those kinds of hours. A well maintained quality water cooled diesel spinning at 1800rpm or even slower will last much longer than any high speed 3600rpm air cooled gasoline engine and getting even a high quality slow speed diesel to 50,000 hours without a rebuild is quite a feat. I run a very large (750lb) twin flywheel Lister type 6hp water cooled diesel at 650rpm and would be thrilled to get 20,000 hours without a rebuild. This engine is so massive that the piston and rod weigh about as much as a 6hp air cooled honda. Since i only run it as a backup generator I suspect i will never need to rebuild it.

FrankMA wrote:

My bad I meant 10K to 30K hours

My bad I meant 10 k to 30k hours